$10/$20 NLHE heads up cash hand - feedback please!
 

Hi,

I need your opinions on whether I played this hand correctly and was just unlucky, or whether I got overaggressive on the flop and ended up losing more money than I should have.

$10/$20 NLHE heads-up online. I'm on the button with 8 5 offsuit. I have $1,500 in front of me, my opponent has me covered.

I limp in. My opponent checks. The flop comes 2 3 4 rainbow. My opponent bets out $35. I raise to $135. My opponent calls. There's now $310 in the pot.

The turn comes an 8. There are now two spades on the board, I've got no flush draw. My opponent bets out $195. I call.

The river comes an offsuit Jack. There's now $700 in the pot. My opponent bets out $400. I call.

He turns over A5 for the straight.

Questions:
a) What do you guys think of my flop raise? I thought it a nice aggressive play at the time but as seen in the above example it made the pot bigger which made it expensive for me when I called the bets on subsequent streets.

b) When the Jack hits and my opponent bets again, I consider I may be beaten by a pair of jacks, a straight or a set, but heads-up I think I am likely to be winning. Would any of you guys have folded on the river instead?

c) I considered pushing on the turn but decided against it (thank goodness!). Would any of you be tempted to push in that spot - you've got top pair, an open ended straight draw and your opponent has just bet relatively small. A push here would be an overbet of about 40% of the pot.

d) Would it be wiser in general if I just call on the flop? If I do just call on the flop, what would I then generally do on the turn? I felt that the raise on the flop was decisive and picks up the pot a good percentage of the time, but as transpired above when you make those plays you make the pot big and increase your risk, and if your opponent has the nuts or close to it the hand can get expensive.

Re: $10/$20 NLHE heads up cash hand - feedback please!
 

You shouldn't play 10/20. You shouldn't open limp on the button with trash. Flop is okay. Turn is closer to a fold than a raise. River is def a fold. What worse hand would he play like that?

Re: $10/$20 NLHE heads up cash hand - feedback please!
 

I play 1/2 and know this, move down dude

Re: $10/$20 NLHE heads up cash hand - feedback please!
 

Fold river for sure. Aside from that I like the play as part of a overall plan vs him. Good to mix it up. Plus it's gone to showdown, hopefully you were able to capitalise on this particular play on him in future hands.

Re: $10/$20 NLHE heads up cash hand - feedback please!
 

Hmm it's kinda hard to give you exact advise without knowing how the game was played.. There are times where I can call 100bb allins with 77's if the dynamics are correct.. and there are times where I would call with a pair of 55's in your spot. I don't think the river call is that bad, it is just not a question of the strengh of your hand but more about the overall way you perceived your opponent and how he perceives you.. at 10/20 and above there is plenty of room to play the same hand with the exact same board totally differently depending on opponents and your image...
If he wouldn't donk the turn with draws and is unlikely to bluff or "value bet" weakish hands then I don't like a river call.. If he is very agressively/tricky and would raise strong hands pf then I think a river call is definately the right play.. with only 75bb sitting in that game you can also consider raising the turn or river if you can put him on a flushdraw or if he is capable to fold a better 8 or something stronger than that. Guess with the information you provided this puzzle has no case piece to it.