NL50: AJ vs Unknown C/R
 

SB is unknown.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (7 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

MP2 ($22.50)
CO ($50.60)
Button ($24.30)
SB ($43.85)
BB ($56.70)
UTG ($58.65)
Hero ($51.25)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $2</font>, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, SB calls $1.75, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>.

Flop: ($4.50) A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $3.5</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises to $10</font>, Hero calls $6.50.

Turn: ($24.50) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets $6</font>, Hero asks: What is my plan?

Re: NL50: AJ vs Unknown C/R
 

Flip a coin and if it's heads call and if it's tails raise.

Re: NL50: AJ vs Unknown C/R
 

Villain's turn bet is smaller than his flop raise? Why?

When an aggrodonk checkraises the flop with air, it's often a minraise. Here, he puts in a sizeable raise, signalling real strength. On the turn, he throws in a tiny bet, signalling weakness. What hand could he have that is not afraid of the first A, but scared by the second? T5?

This looks like a badly misplayed high pair to me. QQ or KK, raising your flop bet "to find out where i'm at", and then ignoring the information you give him. I think you should want to get it all in here. If you think he'd call a turn raise, raise to make the river push easy. If not, call turn, and get in the maximum you think he'll call on the river.

Re: NL50: AJ vs Unknown C/R
 

I think just call here.
Raising lets him fold anything that you are beating here.
OK sometimes you will get value from the aces that you beat but you fold out all the other pairs that might just take a shot at you on the river.
You also let all the hands that beat you get your entire stack.

Re: NL50: AJ vs Unknown C/R
 

My first instinct is that SB called with a suited ace and is puzzled by your flop call and the 2nd ace hitting the board. I'd probably call the turn and shove the river to look like I'm trying to chase him out after his weak turn bet. You'll definitely get looking up by weaker aces, and badly played big pairs will probably look you up too.

Re: NL50: AJ vs Unknown C/R
 

The raise on the flop looks like JJ-KK trying to see if you actually have the ace or just c-beting w/ air. I would call the turn and if leads on the river then shove, he checks value bet

Re: NL50: AJ vs Unknown C/R
 

looks to me like villain just boated up and is trying to act weak. i'd just call. i'm wrong a lot in these types of hands though. when i play it passively trying to get to a cheap showdown i have villain crushed and when i wail away i am bamboozled

Re: NL50: AJ vs Unknown C/R
 

[ QUOTE ]
This looks like a badly misplayed high pair to me. QQ or KK, raising your flop bet "to find out where i'm at", and then ignoring the information you give him.

[/ QUOTE ]Based on hero calling the C/R on the flop, what would've been the better way to play this for the villain? I see myself in these situations many times, and know I must understand these things to make me a better player.

Re: NL50: AJ vs Unknown C/R
 

Just call.

Re: NL50: AJ vs Unknown C/R
 

[ QUOTE ]
Based on hero calling the C/R on the flop, what would've been the better way to play this for the villain? I see myself in these situations many times, and know I must understand these things to make me a better player.

[/ QUOTE ]

This comes up here every once in a while. How to play KK on an Ace high flop? The best way, i think, is: in absence of particular reads on hero, villain should check-call one street, planning to fold the turn if hero insists. This is considerably cheaper than a flop raise, and almost as accurate.

The logic behind is: villain called hero's preflop raise. He is likely to do that with a pocket pair, but a lot of villains do this with Ace-rag, too. So if hero has, say, QQ, he has to be wary of the Ace on the flop. By betting the turn after villain called the flop, hero signals: i can beat Ace-rag. So villain can fold his Kings.

Of course, as soon as they have reads on each other, things can change. "Hero double barrels with air", or "Villain peels flop with medium PPs", can drastically alter the strategy. But in absence of reads, the best default play with KK on Ace-high flop is: check-call one street.