$6.6 NL HE MTT: Bluff catching spot with QQ in 3-bet pot

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fundiver199

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Game
Hold'em
Game Format
No Limit
Table Format
MTT
Buy-in
6.6
Game Options
  1. Bounty
Currency
$
This hand is from a super bounty FT play event on ACR Poker. In this format 75% of the price pool goes to the bounty, which is not progressive. The last 25% goes to the regular prices, and only the top 9 players (final tabel) get paid. A starting stack is 100.000 chips, so in the early game a bounty is worth 75.000 chips, and as more players bust, this number goes up, because money has been taken out of the price pool. This hand has still somewhat early, so maybe a bounty is worth 80.000 to 85.000 chips. With this information in mind would you bluffcatch this river with QQ? Or perhaps C-bet the flop rather than check back? Fold already on the turn? The opponent was playing VPIP 30 / PFR 13 with an aggression factor of 1 over 122 hands. Fold to 3-bet was 50% (3 out of 6).

Winning Poker, Hold'em No Limit - 1,000/2,000 (250 ante) - 7 players
Hand delivered by CardsChat - https://www.cardschat.com/hand-converter.php

UTG: 175,263 (88 bb)
MP: 105,375 (53 bb)
MP+1 (Hero): 150,904 (75 bb)
CO: 90,750 (45 bb)
BU: 187,612 (94 bb)
SB: 20,018 (10 bb)
BB: 252,051 (126 bb)

Pre-Flop: (4,750) Hero is MP+1 with Q♥ Q♠
1 fold, MP raises to 4,000, Hero 3-bets to 13,000, 4 players fold, MP calls 9,000

Flop: (30,750) 9♦ K♠ 3♣ (2 players)
MP checks, Hero checks

Turn: (30,750) T♠ (2 players)
MP bets 23,063, Hero calls 23,063

River: (76,876) T♦ (2 players)
MP bets 69,062 (all-in), Hero?
 
primrose

primrose

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Fold. Opponent raised with a tight range, called a 3-bet, and showed strength on both streets that aren't mandatory checks despite this board being good for your range. This is such a clear fold to me that I don't think bounties can change it. It's not like doubling here wouldn't also be amazing in a normal tournament.

You probably make your life easier if you cbet this type of hand on the Flop. I mean the Flop check is the one argument for bluff catching now, but it's not like it's outlandish play to trap on this board, so I don't think he sees this Flop check and thinks he can now bluff you off the hand. Given the flop check you probably do need to call the Turn bet though; he could just be betting AT or something.
 
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fundiver199

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Thanks for the comment. I agree, that calling is -EV in the long run even with the enormous bounty, because there are just not a lot of logical bluff combos, he can have. I did however go into f... it mode and make the call, and here is the result:

 
primrose

primrose

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Kudos for not being results oriented. And I do think the result is worth at least rethinking it. Whenever I see a surprising hand, whether it's value or a bluff where I expected the opposite, I'm always at least wondering, was there a way that a better player could have seen this? Something about the particular line? Or if it's live, something about his behavior?

That said, :as4: :js4: is one of the few logical bluffs since it's a strong hand that picked up outs to the nuts but then missed on the River, which explains both bets (Turn because he picked up equity, and River because people bluff if they're disappointed that they didn't get there). And it's literally the only suited broadway that picks up a Flush draw on the Turn but doesn't beat you. So yea,h even in hindisght, it does look like there probably aren't many bluffs that play this way and you just ran into one that does.
 
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fundiver199

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That said, :as4: :js4: is one of the few logical bluffs since it's a strong hand that picked up outs to the nuts but then missed on the River, which explains both bets (Turn because he picked up equity, and River because people bluff if they're disappointed that they didn't get there). And it's literally the only suited broadway that picks up a Flush draw on the Turn but doesn't beat you. So yea,h even in hindisght, it does look like there probably aren't many bluffs that play this way and you just ran into one that does.[/SPOILER]
Exactly. If he defend weak suited aces to the 3-bet, which is questionable given our positions, then he can also have :as4::2s4: to :as4::8s4:, but other than that its pretty much him turning a pair into a bluff. Or bluffing with just a gutshot like :ac4::jc4:, which is at least questionable.
 
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