Nemesis hand

Tonychanman

I've never been a proponent of superstition, I'm probably the least superstitious person you'd meet, but after playing for over 10 years I'm starting to think I may have a nemesis hand. AQ.

At my local poker league I've been playing well with back to back to back cashes. December was our annual final game with a prize pool of about 5-6k, I played pretty solid most of the game and at the final table, I was a little short stacked and get AQo and shove. I'm called with J10dd (who opened) who hits a straight. He raised to 5k and I only had 10, so I don't blame him for calling.

Earlier this month, down to 3 handed I'm SB. 800/1600 and the button who is cheap leader raises to 4500. I shove with about 25k with AQ suited. Button is very LAG. He tanks and calls me with Q8ss. :confused: We both whiff the flop and he turns an 8 and a junk card on the river.

Last night we have our high hand game. Final table with an average stack in the BB, I get the good ol' AQoff. Blinds are 800/1600, MP calls, SB calls, I shove with about 11k. MP who barely covers me calls with 66, I flop my queen, turn an A and he rivers a flush. :bs:

Looking back, the game eariler this month I could have probably called, or just raised 2.5x or 3x and taken it on the flop (I doubt he would have 3 bet with that hand). But I don't think a shove was a terrible play although I did have a decent stack at a time. Regardless, AQ has not been nice to me. Especially when I push with it.

AQ isn't the best hand in the world, I always call it "the worst of the best". Do you fold your nemesis hand more often than you should? If AQ gets the best of me again I might have to consider a minor change in play.

Jacen299

On my latest cash in my league event I ran good and AQo was a key hand for me. I had about 80K table chip leader, utg opens, raising the BB of 4000 to 20000, I go all in from UTG+1 with AQo. Maybe not the best move, but I have lots of experience with her and read her for a mid pair. She calls with AKs. I flop a queen, she flops a flush draw and turns a gut shot straight draw, I fade all the outs and take a significant chip lead.

jontm

I had my balls busted in a loose but friendly cash game for folding AQ but I didn't mind. I wasn't very deep compared to 3 better and put him on QQ. Figured he would make a flop bet that put me all in and if I whiffed...tough call.

Or I was dominated by AK.

He had QQ. Did bet flop like I figured and busted another player though I river ace....

Soooooo, yeah, right fold?

Jacen299

This is where you and I get ridiculed for putting our opponent on such a precise hand. Their range has to be bigger, no?

GTA Poker

Jacen299;347072 wroteThis is where you and I get ridiculed for putting our opponent on such a precise hand. Their range has to be bigger, no?

In live cash games it is often fairly easy to assign tight 3 bet ranges

Jacen299

To precisely QQ when there is only three left in the deck? I could believe put on KK because an ace and Q is your own holding. Why not JJ?

GTA Poker

No...but many players can be put on qq +

Jacen299

Agreed.

Tonychanman

jontm;347048 wroteI had my balls busted in a loose but friendly cash game for folding AQ but I didn't mind. I wasn't very deep compared to 3 better and put him on QQ. Figured he would make a flop bet that put me all in and if I whiffed...tough call.

Or I was dominated by AK.

He had QQ. Did bet flop like I figured and busted another player though I river ace....

Soooooo, yeah, right fold?

I had the same thing happen a few months ago when I folded AQ UTG when the small blind reraised me a fair amount. He was a LAG player which most of us don't have much respect for, but were were on the bubble and I had a decent stack so I folded. He showed 22.

jontm

Jacen299;347084 wroteTo precisely QQ when there is only three left in the deck? I could believe put on KK because an ace and Q is your own holding. Why not JJ?

I was pretty confident by his bet size. It seemed a little afraid but strong. He was the type of player who would have bet KK or AA a bit smaller, JJ or 1010 a bit bigger. AK or QQ he would feel strong but still overbet just a bit.

If that makes sense. In the hand I said, I tanked for awhile and really didn't want to fold, but ultimately convinced myself i was drawing to 3 outs one way or another.

Tonychanman

you know you play too much with someone when you can narrow down their hand to such a degree.

Nice read and good fold.

jontm

I think a lot of random bet the same. Anyhow point was it could have been considered wrong fold.

My nemesis hands seem to be A-10 and KQ. Never on the right end with them.

Macke

Mine is pocket 9s