Top pair short-handed live
 

10-10-20 live game. It's 5 handed at the moment. Big blind is a regular grinder in smaller games but not sure how much experience he has at this game. He's fairly tight but capable of making moves, even in this bigger game. I've been getting dealt good hands and raising a lot, picking up blinds and picking up pots uncontested on the flop. I think he respects my play. I sat down about 20 minutes prior and we haven't tangled yet. Effective stacks are about $2400.

I open for $80 on the button with A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and he calls. Pot is $170.

Flop: J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. He checks I bet $160 and he calls relatively quickly. Pot is $490.

Turn: 6 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. He thinks for a bit and bets $300. What do you think about raising vs. calling?

Re: Top pair short-handed live
 

Interesting spot. It screams defensive bet with a draw, though if he's actually a good player AND respects your game, I might be more inclined to credit him with a hand here. The thing is, the only non draw I could see him playing this way is 89, as his line would indicate he didn't flop a hand. It's possible he has a weaker J and is excersizing some weird form of pot control oop/probe bet, but I highly doubt it.

As for what to do, I think it's a tossup between raising and calling, but am interested to see what the better players here have to say.

Re: Top pair short-handed live
 

I muck it like someone just put a hot coal in my hand.

Re: Top pair short-handed live
 

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I muck it like someone just put a hot coal in my hand.

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What do you have him on here? His turn bet is both awkward and small, so it seems like a made hand (89) or an attempt to block/set price with a draw.

Re: Top pair short-handed live
 

easy fold but if you must continue, call. why do you raise? as a bluff?

Re: Top pair short-handed live
 

So you guys think he flopped a big hand and is trying to sucker him in/build the pot and/or induce turn raise? Kind of a scary board for a regular grinder to take that line with no? There's also no way the turn beat us unless he has exactly 89. I'll admit I may be way off here, but I'd like to hear someones though process as to why it's an easy fold with the given information.

Re: Top pair short-handed live
 

online i might raise this actually. ppl do this with draws a lot (although much of the time it's when they hit some type of draw on the turn).

Re: Top pair short-handed live
 

Looks like a worse one pair hand often enough to not muck. But definitely just call. The real question doesn't come up until the river, IMO.

Re: Top pair short-handed live
 

yeah this seems like a really easy call

Re: Top pair short-handed live
 

IMO this is a really easy call in online games. from my limited experience in live games, i just fold