I squeezed, now what?

[expression_11]

Should I be squeezing here?

As played, what should I do? I am always having trouble in this spot. villian was 21/18 ~275hands

[given1982]

Leave out results.

I don't like squeezing UTG opens with marginal hands.

I'd probably c/f that flop unless villain always defends 3bets and always folds to cbets.

[kgu1]

Squeezing depends a lot on images, your opponents as well as yours. If you haven't been too active, if UTG is loose, and if BTN has been calling a lot, then a squeeze here is fine.

As played, the flop wasn't too bad of a board to c-bet, as your repping high pair and opponent has high cards here a lot of times. A bit unfortunate that he hit the set here.

[urbansprawler]

Originally Posted by kgu1

Squeezing depends a lot on images, your opponents as well as yours. If you haven't been too active, if UTG is loose, and if BTN has been calling a lot, then a squeeze here is fine.

Squeezing AJo out of position against 2 players is almost always horrible. A fold or flat-call preflop does much better as you keep your opponents' ranges wide and keep in hands you beat.

[kgu1]

Originally Posted by urbansprawler

Squeezing AJo out of position against 2 players is almost always horrible. A fold or flat-call preflop does much better as you keep your opponents' ranges wide and keep in hands you beat.

A couple of things. First, the definition of a squeeze means that there are at least 2 other people in the hand. Second, I disagree that AJo is a terrible hand to squeeze with because given the right conditions (as I stated about table image and opponent reads), it can be quite profitable. Finally, a flat-call here would be the worst play of the three available to you (call, raise, fold). By just flatting, you'll be OOP for the rest of the hand w/ no prior reads on your opponents hands. By squeezing, you at least get the upper hand pre-flop, as you can just take the hand right there, or if it gets to the flop, at least you can narrow your opponents' range somewhat by their 3-bet call.

[TheDeKay]

Well, I think everything is fine until the turn. I might c/f here, since I don't expect a player on this limit to float to streets to bluff the turn. So if he bets, he has us beat almost always - without any specific reads.
He might have QQ+ in his range or as in this case a set. I don't believe, that he is bluffing often enough to stack off here (and if you have the read, that villain is running crazy bluffs... you shouldn't squeez in the first place).
And I don't think, we get much more value by betting the turn... he is unlikely to give us value on 2 more streets... So my general plan would be c/f turn or c turn, bet-smallish river.

[urbansprawler]

Originally Posted by kgu1

A couple of things. First, the definition of a squeeze means that there are at least 2 other people in the hand. Second, I disagree that AJo is a terrible hand to squeeze with because given the right conditions (as I stated about table image and opponent reads), it can be quite profitable. Finally, a flat-call here would be the worst play of the three available to you (call, raise, fold). By just flatting, you'll be OOP for the rest of the hand w/ no prior reads on your opponents hands. By squeezing, you at least get the upper hand pre-flop, as you can just take the hand right there, or if it gets to the flop, at least you can narrow your opponents' range somewhat by their 3-bet call.

AJo doesn't fare well against an UTG range to begin with, and why do you want to narrow your opponent's range? The caller's range might be weaker than AJo. All you accomplish by squeezing is inflating the pot and turning your hand into a bluff. Squeezing AJo here is purely as a bluff.

[TheDeKay]

Originally Posted by urbansprawler

AJo doesn't fare well against an UTG range to begin with, and why do you want to narrow your opponent's range? The caller's range might be weaker than AJo. All you accomplish by squeezing is inflating the pot and turning your hand into a bluff. Squeezing AJo here is purely as a bluff.

A call pre is pretty horrible... fold would be standart.
Since we have 2 blockers, we can squeeze from time to time, but shouldn't stack of, if UTG calls and gives us action on any board.

[Silverthunder]

I say just lay this down; you are out of position & you have a hand that probably doesn't beat either of those other two players. Players at this level probably don't think enough about the fact that for you to do that out of position, it should be viewed as really strong 3 bet.

I think the optimal spots to pop it up preflop are the button and the small blind (given the right conditions).

[chinz]

Originally Posted by urbansprawler

AJo doesn't fare well against an UTG range to begin with, and why do you want to narrow your opponent's range? The caller's range might be weaker than AJo. All you accomplish by squeezing is inflating the pot and turning your hand into a bluff. Squeezing AJo here is purely as a bluff.

That's why we don't flatcall with it, but instead turn a mediocre hand with 2 excellent blockers (A blocker has a lot of bluffvalue and J has some too) into a bluff preflop. We are doing this because squeezing (and cbetting if called) is +EV itself, not for value.

I'd much rather do it with wheel-connected suited aces like A4s, but I still think that AJ is better hand to squeeze than something like 97o (what you see a lot).