TPTK w/ resistance

[OSUGreg1983]

Villain 27/3/3.5 > 35 hands. Also talkin up a storm while I'm thinking.

Poker Stars, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker Hand History Converter

BTN: $26.10
SB: $24.75
BB: $82.50
Hero (UTG): $27.60
MP: $20
CO: $55.35

Pre-Flop: K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] dealt to Hero (UTG)
<font color="red">Hero raises to $0.85</font>, MP calls $0.85, 3 folds, BB calls $0.60

Flop: ($2.65) 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 Players)
BB checks, <font color="red">Hero bets $1.90</font>, <font color="red">MP raises to $3.80</font>, BB folds, Hero ?

[Nick C]

Well, I'm certainly not folding yet, but getting check-minraised despite that ace on the board is worrisome.

[OSUGreg1983]

and the turn...

Poker Stars, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker Hand History Converter

BTN: $26.10
SB: $24.75
BB: $82.50
Hero (UTG): $27.60
MP: $20
CO: $55.35

Pre-Flop: K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] dealt to Hero (UTG)
<font color="red">Hero raises to $0.85</font>, MP calls $0.85, 3 folds, BB calls $0.60

Flop: ($2.65) 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 Players)
BB checks, <font color="red">Hero bets $1.90</font>, <font color="red">MP raises to $3.80</font>, BB folds, Hero calls $1.90

Turn: ($10.25) 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Hero checks, <font color="red">MP bets $6</font>, Hero ?

[Micro Donk]

i think calling and then calling most rivers gives the most value...

[Nick C]

Well, crap, there it is, the invitation to play for stacks. And playing for 80 BB stacks in a single-raised 3-way pot that has become HU probably isn't optimal, but that doesn't mean folding TPTK getting what amounts to about 5:3 has no drawbacks of its own.

You're beating AQ and maybe ATo and then probably some worse suited aces, but one frustrating thing about NL is that playing AK can be very difficult when it hits and you get played back at.

I suppose I think and then impulsively decide to show down, but I would be expecting to lose.

[OSUGreg1983]

My thoughts are that if I am in fact ahead, wouldnt most players, even this villain given his stats, check the turn if they did have AQ AT? Note that he was talkin up the hand while I was thinking about what to do.

[Nick C]

[ QUOTE ]
My thoughts are that if I am in fact ahead, wouldnt most players, even this villain given his stats, check the turn if they did have AQ AT?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I suppose, but meanwhile that flop min-checkraise is an invitation for KK/QQ to hang around. And some players get stubborn once they've represented a monster, even if their hand isn't actually quite the monster they're pretending it is.

I'll admit though that this is a spot where I almost wish I had KK instead, since it would be easier to let go of that. Hitting your hand with AK at the same time someone else flops a set or has you reverse-dominated with top two is such incredibly bad luck, though. I mean, I realize that AK isn't even a favorite over 66 preflop, but I still wonder sometimes if my opponents realize how lucky they just got on that AJ6 flop. (Nevertheless, playing against myself I'd rather have that 66 preflop, I think -- especially if the AK got its preflop raise in before it was my turn to act. I'd win my share of the small/medium pots and would hardly ever lose a huge one.)