AA facing a c/r and a call

[SCBielski]

I'm going to be up front about this hand; I hate the way I played it but at the time it seemed fine. I'm normally a very aggressive player postflop, so this is not at all an example of my play. The SB was relatively new and quiet at table, so I didn't have a good read, but he was running 30.7/5.3/1.8 over 75 hands. The BB I had been involved with a bit more a seemed to be a pretty decent player running 25.8/16.1/4 over 62 hands. Here's my thinking for the way the hand went down; after my raise preflop, I figured both players could really have anything from split suited connectors to lower middle pocket pairs. The flop is an obvious c-bet for me, but the check/minraise from the SB scared me a bit, as this is typically anything from TPTK to a set. When the BB also called I figured he had a flush draw, so I decided to call and re-evalutate the turn, seeing as I'm in position. I though the BB might have been trying to check/raise his flush on the turn, so I checked behind. The river is the street I have the biggest problem with, but feel free to make suggestions about my play on any street, this was a confusing hand.

(FTR is down) $25NL on UB.

SB ($24)
BB ($25.70)
UTG ($24.20)
CO ($26.45)
Hero is the Button ($39.45)

Hero has A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Pre-flop:

UTG. CO folds. Hero raises to $.85. SB calls. BB calls.

Flop (board: 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]):

SB checks. BB checks. Hero bets $2. SB raises to $4.
BB calls. Hero calls.

Turn (board: 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]):

SB checks. BB checks. Hero checks.

River (board: 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]):

SB checks. BB checks. Hero?

Hand Summary:
$.70 is raked from a pot of $14.55.

[Acein8ter]

PFR more, I'd say at least 4xbb w/AA. I attempt to raise enough to isolate one player. Based upon the way that they are playing / cold calling. It's an art...

W/25NL, sometimes I'll put in 5x - 8xbb's PF. With more players seeing the flop, the more chances that they catch 2 pair, set, etc...

[SCBielski]

I used the bet pot button, this is perfectly acceptable according to all the PFR posts. I bet $2 into a $2.55 on the flop, which I also think is ok. Any thoughts on the turn and river? That's what I'm more worried about.

[matrix]

hitting the "bet pot" button preflop is just out and out laziness.

Yes it's only an extra 15c but it makes a difference to the implied odds you offer villains - it gets you les value when you are called preflop.

You ought to be potting this flop - hell I might well overbet here if I have a made hand that wants some protectio n on a drawy wet flop.

at 25NL people call too much - exploit this by making them have to call bigger bets when you have a good hand.

as played you've made two minor small "mistakes" - it's not that there's anything particularly wrong with the smaller bet sizes, you are just losing value. but every little helps and if you routinely lose say 8BB in value every time you pickup Aces then for every 10000 hands you are dealt you have wasted 361BB (almost 4 whole buyins!)

I'd have made it $1 preflop - and then $4 on the flop(betting $4 into a pot of $3) I tend to *slightly* overbet my big pairs on wet flops, if I think the villains might be picking up on this I'll make the same slight overbets with other hands as well.

Flop - re-raise the pathetic minraise make them pay to draw to a flush or give away the fact that they've flopped a monster.

as played I'd make it $14 to play and shutdown if called/raised after that.

Turn and river are fine - you might get a small value bet from KK AQ (with one heart) but by and large only better hands are calling and if someone gets frisky and raises you're river bet you're in a tough spot.

If you have A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] then I'd be happy smooth calling the flop bet and seeing a turn - but with no draw and a fragile one pair hand get the monies in on the flop when we're very likely ahead.

[SCBielski]

I thought about this, but decided not to because of my [mis]read on the SB as likely having two pair or a set. As far as the preflop raise thing goes, when you multitable with a small screen it's a hell of a lot easier to hit bet pot preflop; even with multiple screens I really don't see this as a true "leak". Is betting $2 into a $2.55 really a leak though? This is of more concern to me.

[Genz]

Don't use the bet pot button. You don't want to bet the pot but more to give the blind worse odds.

The river card didn't change anything. So if you thought you were behind on the turn, there is no use in betting the river. It is unlikely though, that players who have pretty decent stats with a moderately good AF will try to c/r with a set or flush here on two streets. I think I bet a half pot for value here.

[SCBielski]

Check here for the whole bet pot vs 4xBB PFR issue.