Part: Part Five - Betting Before the Flop

A-Q facing a three-bet

Pre-flop
Blinds 100 / 200Pot 2,600 (13 BB)MPA♥Q♠● 25,000 (125 BB)YOUyou opened to 500BTN● 25,000 (125 BB)Solid 3-bettor3-bets 1,800 (9 BB)SB● 25,000 (125 BB)posts 100 (0.5 BB)BB● 25,000 (125 BB)posts 200 (1 BB)D

You open to 500 from middle position with A♥Q♠. A solid button three-bets to 1,800.

A solid player three-bets to 1,800 (9 BB); you hold A♥Q♠ out of position. Best?

WhyFold. A-Q offsuit out of position against a solid three-bet is dominated by his value hands (A-K, A-Q, Q-Q+) and flops awkwardly with no position. Calling bleeds chips, and four-betting turns your hand into a bluff. Against a straightforward three-bettor, this is a clean fold.
What happensYou fold.  A-Q is not as strong as it looks against a three-bet - and worse out of position.
A-Q is a great opening hand but a weak one facing a solid three-bet out of position - dominated and positionless, it folds. Big offsuit broadways are exactly the hands that get you in trouble when re-raised.

A-Q offsuit out of position folds to a solid three-bet - it's dominated by the value range and plays poorly without position; save calls and four-bets for aggressive opponents.