1/2 NL Middle set vs. 2p2er. DEEEP

[aejones]

Alright here we go.

I explained preflop already. I held small suited connectors, diamonds, and I made a turn flush. Here's what I was thinking:

Preflop, I call with any two, if the reraise is larger, I don't like it. The reason I don't like it is simple: I feel like it gives me too much information on the hand, and allows me to play perfectly if I have aces or kings. Now, if you're advocating raising to like 30 instead of 25, that's fine. But to 40+? Seems ridiculous. Betting 40 to win 7? I don't like it, but maybe that play is just preference.

So now on to the flop. I flopped a flush draw. He bet 41 dollars into like 54 dollar pot. With the texture of this flop, A J 8, there are obviously many hands he can have (I'm just differentiating this flop from 8 4 3) that I should be able to put him on based on postflop action. When he leads for the size of the pot, I basically tell myself this: He can have a set here, he can have top two here, he can have AK here, or he can have kings or queens, I think his c-bet is too standard to rule out kings or queens. Therefore, a flop flat call is my best choice here. That way, I can see it for relatively cheap (41 dollars with 350+ behind). I don't ever raise the flop to get out KK and QQ here because he will tell me if he has that on the turn (seems like suicide to fire KK or QQ here on the turn this deep with an ace out here) and because I don't think he's ever folding AK, AAA, JJJ, 888 or AJ on this flop. That's why I called the flop.

I make a flush on the turn, I basically rule him out of having a flush here since the A of diamonds is out there. Does he ever have KQd here? Less than 2% in my hand range analysis. Now when he checks to me on the turn, I had two choices. If I bet, I feel like I put a set or two pair to a nearly impossible decision, and given my image, he's probably shoving with them (or calling- I guess).

The situation you were in (and the decisions you were faced with, not made) sucks. If you c/r the turn, I play perfectly. I call with a straight (QT) and a flush. I fold with a smaller set (always) and two pair (always). So you are basically putting 200+ in the pot as a semi-bluff. If you c/c the turn, that sucks too. If you c/c and the board pairs, I would fold to your open push (which would be pot sized). If you check the river after pairing, I MIGHT bet to get value from AK, but checking the river after pairing would require a sick read and lose some value vs most players. That is why both your turn and river situations are nasty.

I have given this hand a decent amount of thought, and I really don't think it to be that interesting. It had some questionable points, but it really just feels to me like you got stuck with a monster second best hand in a big pot vs a LAG (thanks to everyone with the compliments). Bummer man, I hope this analysis was good, it is exactly what I was thinking at the point of the hand.