grade the level of poker thinking in this explanation

[mike l.]

first off if you know who wrote the explanation below please dont reveal it and spoil it for those who dont.

the game is 4 handed live 50-100. button raises, hero 3 bets AhKh from the sb, bb who is an aggressive tough shorthanded player 4 bets. button folds and hero calls. (in vegas so 5 bet cap fwiw).

the flop is 432 two hearts. check, bet, hero calls.

the turn is 2s. check, bet, hero calls.

the river is 9c. check, bet, fold.

the hero's explanation is as follows, please evaluate his thinking and explain the grade you would give it:

"here is why I played it that way. He didn't 4 bet too many hands, espectially out of the BB. If I have AK in the SB, and the flop came 234, with 2 hearts or whatever you said it came, then with me having AKh, obviously it's a huge flop for me. However, with him 4 betting me preflop, the only hands I put him on were any PP or AK/AQ. With this flop I have AK and AQ in bad shape, but with any PP, he's still ahead and will not go anywhere to a c/r. I decide to only c/c the flop to see what the turn brings and to see how he plays it. It was a blank for me, so I check again. He bets again and once again I decide to only call because of the same reason before. If he has a PP, I'm losing. If he's bettting with AK or AQ then he's getting his money in very bad. If he had checked the turn here, I would have bet out on the river because I would then figure he had AK/AQ. His bet on the turn told me he most likely had a PP (maybe a set). If I hit an A, K or 5, I will lead out on the river because I figure he would pay me off with his PP or AK/AQ if he did end up having one of those hands. If a heart comes, I'd probably c/r. However, river is a blank and I check again. He bets and I fold because I know he has a PP at this point and no use calling with my ace high."

[milesdyson]

[ QUOTE ]
With this flop I have AK and AQ in bad shape, but with any PP, he's still ahead and will not go anywhere to a c/r.

[/ QUOTE ]
sorry for not "grading" the whole thing, but hero has an edge against every hand but 22-55 (not too likely to be in his range) and AA.

[HOWMANY]

I think hero played it pretty well. Solid thought process as well but it could have used more detail. I give it an A-. You should probably print up the OP and hand it out to some of the better Commerce players while we're up there for further confirmation.

[geormiet]

I prefer playing opponents who think a lot about this kind of situation and make this kind of play, vs. the kind of player who simply decides to barrel through because he realizes he has an equity edge. The latter type of player isn't exploitable, while the former is.

If the first type of player is playing someone who isn't good enough to exploit him, then this play gets an A. Otherwise I give it a lower grade.

I think in a vaccum this hand is probably profitable, but I just don't think it is part of an overall tough playing style.

[PokerBob]

A+

[mike l.]

dont be sarcastic only i realise youre being so.

[mike l.]

har har dont you mean A+++++++++

[dangerfish]

Not sure I see where the A thinking comes in. This is exactly what he should be thinking and most good players do think like this. The only variable is given the way he played his hand its obvious what he has and so does the villian think he is capable of getting AK to laydown with a river bet those times he has a worse hand?

[geormiet]

Well, for instance:

how easy of a valuebet would AK be on this river against this player?

[DeathDonkey]

Post in micro or small stakes shorthanded for better responses [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

-DeathDonkey