50NL - AQ vs LAG
 

Poker Stars, $0.25/$0.50 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 5 Players
LegoPoker Hand History Converter

Villian is 34/16/1.7 over 157 hands and the big stack at the table by far. He has been 3 betting and calling 3 bets since I have been here. I did not raise PF because I did not want to bloat the pot drawing.

Win or lose, I know I played this badly. I guess I am wondering how others would have played this.

SB: $15.15
BB: $7.85
UTG: $164.75
CO: $44
Hero (BTN): $54.90

Pre-Flop: Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] dealt to Hero (BTN)
<font color="red">UTG raises to $2</font>, CO folds, Hero calls $2, SB folds, BB calls $1.50

Flop: ($6.25) A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (3 Players)
BB checks, <font color="red">UTG bets $3.50</font>, Hero calls $3.50, BB folds

Turn: ($13.25) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">UTG bets $4.50</font>, Hero calls $4.50

River: ($22.25) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">UTG bets $3.50</font>, Hero calls $3.50

Results: $29.25 Pot ($1.40 Rake)

Re: 50NL - AQ vs LAG
 

I would probably raise the flop, villain has made a weak lead on a wet board. The benefits of a raise are that you charge a draw to see a turn card. The cost is that you probably get a lot of hands you beat to fold, such as TT, QQ and KK which you could get one more street of value out of by just calling.

I'm a bit lost on the turn, it's hard to put villain on a range. Maybe KK, QQ or KQ with a diamond hoping to put out a blocker so he can see a river for cheap. A weak suited ace, I dunno? Maybe a flush trying to induce a raise (but because the Ad is out there, there aren't too many made flushes out there unless villain is in the habit of playing Kxs). I think I raise here to charge the flush draws, a raise tells us whether we are up against a draw or a made hand, and heck sometimes we might even fold out AK.

River, we can be fairly sure we aren't up against a flush now, looks like another blocker with a weak A, maybe KK or QQ? Maybe AJ or AK. I think we are ahead of villain's range, so the question is whether it's worth raising for value when we don't like a reraise. I think it is and maybe make it 10 total.

Edit: Some other people's thoughts on this would be nice, I struggled with villain's line in this hand.

Re: 50NL - AQ vs LAG
 

3bet PF and the whole hand changes. As played I think you're WA/WB here and played it fine for a cheap showdown.

Re: 50NL - AQ vs LAG
 

I don't mind putting 30BB into this pot with TP2ndK. If villain checks any street, I bet. Raising makes me have to worry about playing for stacks, which I don't want. It sure feels weak/passive to call, call, call but this is a hand that wants to get to showdown with a medium sized pot, and that's what you got. I might be tempted to put a little value raise in on the river and hope a weak A pays off, but then I want to puke if I get 3-bet.

Re: 50NL - AQ vs LAG
 

I like it. Like posters above have said, the river kind of looks like a blocking bet, but if you raise and he reraises then it's just sick.

Re: 50NL - AQ vs LAG
 

I three bet pf, and raise the flop.

As played you definitely can't fold for any of the bets he made.

Re: 50NL - AQ vs LAG
 

I guess I didn't mess it up as bad as I thought. I just HATED my call-call-call-call line. That's sick passive and not how I like to play. Thanks for the replies.

Villian turned over AK and won the pot.

Re: 50NL - AQ vs LAG
 

given your call preflop, this line is perfectly fine. I would like three betting preflop more though, since you are ahead of his raising range, and most villains with these stats are willing to call three bets with much worse hands.

Re: 50NL - AQ vs LAG
 

I usually 3-bet preflop. Flop is fine. Raise turn, raise river.

Re: 50NL - AQ vs LAG
 

Raise turn, half the pot on the river.
Your have the better hand 90% of the time