[10NL] QQ vs steal, not the best of flops....

In order to improve my game rather than the break even sort of thing I have going on, I want to try and wrap my head round scenarios that I walk into fairly often and try to become a bit more adept at playing post flop.

Hopefully some players will recognise these situations and jump in with some opinions.

My stats at the table at the time were 13/13 (49 hands)
Villain was 9/9 (11 hands)

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (8 handed) - PokerStars Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.com/

UTG+1 ($10.31)
MP1 ($10)
MP2 ($10.37)
CO ($21.99)
Button ($10.45)
SB ($10.69)
Hero (BB) ($10)
UTG ($8)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q, Q
5 folds, Button raises to $0.20, 1 fold, Hero raises to $0.90, Button calls $0.70

Flop: ($1.85) 9, A, J (2 players)

Hero ?


Ranges and Equity

Making the assumption he is competent, the range I give him for min raising the button and then calling a large 3 bet out of the blinds would be

QQ-66,ATs+,KTs+,QTs+,JTs,T9s,98s,87s,76s,65s,AKo - he could call with low pp's rather than sc's but to avoid giving him an outlandish calling range given his nitty stats I think I have it in the ball park with one or the other.

there may be an argument for AA/KK/AKs to be included but buton vs blind battles with those hands usually see a 4 bet go in at some point.

I have 65% equity vs this range

If I bet I will fold out all the low suited connectors and low pairs, his continuing range would then be:

QQ-99,ATs+,KTs+,QTs+,JTs,T9s,AKo

I then only have 44% vs his continuing range (excluding him floating with air) and I am excluding the AA/KK hands, if I include those hands my equity reduces to 38%

So do I bet or check ?

If I bet then how much ?

If I check do I check/call check/fold check/raise if he bets ?


A fairly common spot I find myself in, usually involving 99-QQ in the blinds 3 betting a steal and overcards come on the flop.

I discussed this hand at length with Spoonitnow in the chat room, and thought it would be an interesting hand to get some views on how to play it

Edit: One of the things being discussed at present was my under estimation of his pre flop calling range and subsequent continuing range, offsuit broadways should be in there.

the consensus seems to be this range is more accurate: 99+,ATs+,KTs+,QTs+,JTs,ATo+,KTo+,QTo+,JTo

Now versus this villain continuance range my equity is at 48%, same question..... do I bet or check ?

Note: it did surprise me that giving villain a continuance range of hands all higher in rank that a 9 and on this flop with the amount of gutshots, oesd's, trips, 2 pair & higher pairs he would have that I still had 48% with my pair of Queens.