A6s OTB, $25 NL. Many questions...

[nilesharding]

Villian is running 42/11.4/2 over about 50 hands, so not much of a sample to judge. Generally, though, a thinking player. Knows how to control the size of the pot and extract value, most notably on his ~1/2 to pot-sized river bets. He's a fairly good hand reader too. Okay, onto the hand. I have been playing tighter, but have opened the last 3 pots on a rush.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (4 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

Hero ($29.05)
SB ($61.85)
BB ($24.50)
UTG ($11.50)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $1</font>, SB calls $0.90, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>.

Flop: ($2.25) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $1.75</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises to $4</font>, Hero calls $2.25.

<font color="blue"> First question, was it a mistake to call the flop checkraise? I figured him for a jack or maybe the flush draw and, with a bit of money behind facing practically a minraise, decided to gamble. </font>

Turn: ($10.25) 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets $3</font>, Hero calls $3.

<font color="blue"> Gin. I flat call to disguise my hand and set up a river push. This small bet from him made me think he was trying to control size of the pot OOP with a top pair type hand, most likely, and not a flush draw trying to get to river cheaply. </font>

River: ($16.25) 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets $7.75</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $21.05</font>

<font color="blue"> River push...thin or standard? Thanks for input! </font>

[bored]

Your reads on SB do not match with how he played this hand.

I don't usually call flop c/r with hands this weak.

Tell SB "lol" at his small turn bet and flip your hand over and ask to see his 44 b/c that's what I put him on here.

Edit: If it wasn't clear, my logic is this:

He bet so little on the turn to give the flush draw he thinks you have good odds to call (he already has a FH) and he bet smallish on the river hoping you have some hand to call his monster with even though the FD he thinks you had missed.

[Bramsterdam]

I raise turn, but I don't think your line is wrong.

SB might as well:
- hold a scared J ("for pot control") that he might not fold on the river
- be slowplaying an overpair ("trapping that agressive mofo")
- or drawing to the flush ("giving mymself odds on the turn", "bluffing that nit on the river").

[nilesharding]

i get logic on the second post...but why minraise? i'm curious if this accomplishes most by giving seemingly good odds to a great second best hand, but i am intoxicated. thoughts?

as to the post about a J for pot control, an overpair, or a flush draw, he did hold one of these hands calling the river. just curious how you came up with the possibility of an overpair. is it just based on the flop minraise, or is there more?

[RedJoker]

I'll usually fold the flop because I like to cut my losses on steal attempts but this is practically a min raise and we're in position so it's closer.

I raise turn, I don't like having 21 behind with only 16 in the pot. A raise to 10 leaves us with 14 behind and 30 in the pot.

River push is fine imo.