AA vs possible straight

[castigar]

I only had 10 hands from the vilain. He seemed to play w/ almost anything. Should I have cooled down when the straight hit ? Any other tips appreciated.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (7 handed) Hand History converter (http://www.learnhowtoplaypokerfree.com/convert/convert.cgi) Courtesy of PokerZion.com (http://PokerZion.com)

MP1 ($4.98)
MP2 ($3.05)
CO ($3)
Button ($2.94)
Hero ($8.49)
BB ($3.81)
UTG ($5.61)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, Button calls $0.02, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $0.08</font>, BB calls $0.06, Button folds.

Flop: ($0.18) J/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 3/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">BB bets $0.1</font>, Hero calls $0.10.

Turn: ($0.38) K/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $0.35</font>, <font color="#CC3333">BB raises to $0.7</font>, Hero calls $0.35.

River: ($1.78) 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $1</font>, BB calls $1.

Final Pot: $3.78

[greggg230]

I'd raise more pre-flop; $0.1 is good with one limper behind.

I'd bet more on the flop, about $0.15.

Turn bet looks good; you don't have enough information from the flop to put him on exactly QT, so you have to bet. The raise could be a lot of things, though: he could have KQ, AK, KT, all of which you're obv. ahead. Or, he could have caught kings up (KJ, K9). Or, the straight, of course. He's pricing you in to call, so I'd do just that and try to see a cheap showdown.

I would check the river and call a moderate bet.

[tms]

Raise up to $0.10 pf. Why are you checking the flop? You need to bet it, about $0.15. As played call his turn raise and c/c a reasonable river bet.

edit: stack sizes

[castigar]

I decidede to slowplay flop because of the texture of it. Seemed not too scary at the time.

[greggg230]

I didn't even notice that you weren't the bettor on the flop; definitely don't slowplay a big pair on any flop that has a J and any card 8-K. People have straight draws very often there.

[CityFan]

[ QUOTE ]
I didn't even notice that you weren't the bettor on the flop; definitely don't slowplay a big pair on any flop that has a J and any card 8-K. People have straight draws very often there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Doesn't this make us very readable?

What I mean is, standard advice is to c-bet at dry boards, and check wet ones. A c-bet is basically saying "I've got a big pair".

On the other hand, when hero does have a pair of aces, advice is only to slowplay on dry boards, and to bet at wet ones.

So it would appear that a bet at a wet board (like here) is always a made hand...

Surely on medium-texture boards like this, we should sometimes c-bet and sometimes slowplay, for deception?

I'm asking, not preaching...

[wslee00]

don't worry about people reading you at this level - they're not really keeping track of how you play.

[mtagliaf]

I agree that the c-bet makes you more readable, but what can the opponent do with the information if you're ahead and he's on a draw?

Plus, it doesn't always say "I've got a big pair". You could c-bet overcards, or two pair, or a good draw yourself. You can also be c-betting on a whiffed flop.

I like to mix it up, sure, but when I'm pretty sure I'm ahead, I like to get my money on the table and cut off draws. The exception is when I've got a true monster (like a flopped boat or quads), then the slowplay is valuable.

[James81]

[ QUOTE ]
What I mean is, standard advice is to c-bet at dry boards, and check wet ones. A c-bet is basically saying "I've got a big pair".

[/ QUOTE ]

Man you want to let him draw to the nuts for free ? You have Overpair. Bet it make it expensive for him to draw to the nuts but dont commit yourself!

[CityFan]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What I mean is, standard advice is to c-bet at dry boards, and check wet ones. A c-bet is basically saying "I've got a big pair".

[/ QUOTE ]

Man you want to let him draw to the nuts for free ? You have Overpair. Bet it make it expensive for him to draw to the nuts but dont commit yourself!

[/ QUOTE ]

Not necessarily in this situation. I'm just questioning the wisdom that seems to say you c-bet the exact same flops that you slowplay on... which would make you a little bit predictable.

[ReptileHouse]

[ QUOTE ]
Surely on medium-texture boards like this, we should sometimes c-bet and sometimes slowplay, for deception?

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't. I bet this board with 100% of the hands I raise with pre-flop. I get all the deception I need from the fact that not all of my pre-flop raising range connects with this board.

When a flop like this comes out, we're getting value from our aces from two situations: good second best hands and draws. In both cases, if our opponent has a hand that can't call a flop bet, they can't call on the turn or river either unless they improve to a hand that beats our one pair. Bet now and make them pay.

The value you gain by inducing bluffs is generally less than the value you will get by value betting.

To the OP, raise a bit more pre-flop. 4xBB + 1BB per limper is good to start with. If you consistently get lots of callers, start raising more. The 4+1 standard is a standard because it generally makes a nice balance point where many people have a "tough" decision about whether they should play a hand. You don't want your opponents to have easy choices. Your bet sizing should be such that they are uncomfortable figuring out what to do.

As played, your hand is underrepped, but AK just got there and villain is raising anyway, implying that he can beat TPTK or has AK himself. The min-raise gives you great odds, so calling is fine, but your goal is now to get to showdown cheaply. A turn raise very, very strongly implies that one-pair hands, no matter how strong, are beat. You want to see a showdown as cheaply as possible at this point.

The river bet is fine as long as you're planning to fold to a raise (i.e., you're betting as a blocking bet). A bit smaller would probably be OK here, too. 1/2 pot or so.