A clever ploy against a very narrow hand range.

Here's an interesting hand I believe I played well.

Villian is TAG 9/5/7 over 93 hands.  I am 19/15/3.3  

Here's my read: 

I think he might think I am bluffing in obvious bluffing spots a bit too much (as the hands happened to play out between us).  In other words, his bets are not necessarily hand strength.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (9 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
MP1 ($20.30)
MP2 ($2.25)
MP3 ($3.55)
CO ($4.95)
Button ($10.25)
SB ($9.05)
Hero (BB) ($19.55)
UTG ($11.05)
UTG+1 ($3.75)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 4, 9
UTG calls $0.10, 6 folds, SB calls $0.05, Hero bets $0.40, UTG calls $0.30, 1 fold

Flop: ($0.90) 9, Q, 3 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $0.90, Hero calls $0.90

Turn: ($2.70) 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $2, Hero raises to $4.70, 1 fold

Total pot: $6.70 | Rake: $0.30

Why am I playing 94s against a TAG out of position?  Well here are my thoughts:

He limped utg! 9% preflop, and 7 aggression factor!  That's not his usual line. I think he has a small pair something like 90% of the time. He might have AA/KK, and just realize that as tight as he is playing, most players are simply not going to bother calling his EP raises, so he could be  planning a limp/reraise.  If I raise he can spring his trap.  Since he doesn't he just has to have a small pocket pair.   

Playing when I KNOW what he has allows me to play perfectly against him.

 

Of course on the flop I got lucky.  Cool.  Not too important though to the play of the hand. I pick up a bluff catcher that I cannot imagine I would ever use.  He either has a set, or he will have to fold.  Black and White.  His bet doesn't change his range at all.  He would bluff this board after I show weakness very frequently.  He has a made hand, so in his mind he could even have the best hand.  I have a 9, so there is just one set of nines left.

All I really fear is pocket 3s.  He simply cannot have a Queen in his hand.

Notice that I check-call.  I like to do this on bluff boards sometimes.  And since I am bluffing myself (likely with the best hand coincidentially) I don't want to take the obvious bluff line.  Check-calling says I have something.  Leading says nothing.  Another reason for this is I do fire a lot of C-Bets, so I want to balance my play a little when I get a good spot.  Show them a new look, keep them guessing.

It's really all about my percieved ranges.  When I am bluffing, I want to make plays that will constrict my percieved range.  When I am value betting, I want to make plays that leave me with a very wide range so he will make mistakes against me. A check-call says I have a pair or a draw. 

 

I don't like the turn card one bit.  3 more hands beat me. On the turn, my check-raise shows so much strength.  It makes playing easier.  I could lead and maybe show down a winner, but it would hurt my image if anyone is paying attention.   And if he calls, I have no idea how to play the river.  The check-raise was chosen so that I could tell a stubborn pair from a set.

Also notice the stack sizes.  If I lead, and he calls, he is not pot committed.  But with the check/raise, I am forcing him to commit to the pot.  It's a lot scarier for him and forces him to play his hand face up.  If he calls that my nines-up are never going to be good.

Why do I think this is a clever play?  Well, with a bit of hand reading and a pretty fancy line, I was able to extract 33 BBs from a TAG that thought he was set mining!  Ya gotta chuckle at that.  

It's a higher variance play, but understand that I will never put another nickle in the pot under any circumstances.  I am willing to take a calculated risk because I have so much specific information, and he is flying blind.  I actually think it is safer playing this way.  If I played it conventually, I would be the one flying blind, especially after spiking the 9.  His range still has big pairs, and sets, and I am out of position.  I would tend to just fold knowing I probabily had the best hand just because it is too difficult to play.