$109 AJ out of position

[shefhammer]

Got a bit lost here, looking back I think my post flop bet sizes are weak - agree/disagree? Villain had previously min raised a flop with 2nd pair, which was good enough to then check down to river. Otherwise he seems ok, has played quite a few hands though.

40 players left, top 10 cash. I'm 4th in chips. Villain is about 9th or 10th.

Button: $11000
SB: $9250
Hero: $18650

Hero is BB with [A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]]

SB posts blind: 100
Hero posts blind: 200
5 folds.
Button: calls 200
SB: calls 100
<font color="red">Hero: raises to 800</font>
Button: calls 600
SB: folds

Flop ($1800) [A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]]

<font color="red">Hero bets $600</font>, BB raises to $1200, <font color="red"> Hero calls $600</font>

<font color="#666666"> Obviously based on what I've seen previously, he could be raising with 2nd pair but not necessairly. Should I have 3 bet this? With the Ah in my hand I'm not that worried about many turn cards. </font>

Turn: ($4200) [A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]][ 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]]

<font color="red">Hero bets $1000</font>, BB raises to $2000, <font color="red"> Hero calls $1000</font>

River: ($10,200) [A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]][ 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]][Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]]

<font color="red">Hero bets $1000</font>, BB raises to $4000, <font color="red"> Hero calls $3000</font>

Comments on all streets very much appreciated. Hate the blocking bet on river? I figure a weaker Ace may call.

I assume we're happy with river call at least? Once I've got myself in to this mess I can't fold getting 5-1 , since a bluff or raise with weaker Ace surely accounts for 20% of his range here?

Many thanks.

[FakeKramer]

Either re-raise and fold to a 4-bet on the flop or check/call (or check/fold if he bets big) on the turn. I don't like the way you led out on the turn. Since he raised you on the flop, you should be trying to get to this showdown cheaply. Leading turn doesn't accomplish that.

edit: I don't think I like 3-betting the flop. Bet more on the flop next time too. Like 1,200 at least. You set yourself up to get owned by playing this weaksauce. I'd only bet 600 on that flop if I had TT and was going for a trap.

[Yoshi63]

I think this looks OK, but I don't weaker aces are really in his range here. Unless you think he's the type of player who's more likey to bluff-raise than bluff-bet the river, I think you're better off checking the river.

[nath]

Wow, a hand that goes to showdown where I hate every street

[shefhammer]

[ QUOTE ]
Wow, a hand that goes to showdown where I hate every street

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep me too. Suggestions?!

Do you hate pre flop as well?

[shefhammer]

Yeah, maybe adding weaker A to his range is optimistic but I still think he bluffs &gt;20% of time, which makes it mandatory call on river. Of course I could/should have c-called river as you suggest rather than bet-call.

Not great at when to block bet or indeed what amount to use.

[nath]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Wow, a hand that goes to showdown where I hate every street

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep me too. Suggestions?!

Do you hate pre flop as well?

[/ QUOTE ]
Well, as a general critique, your bet sizing on every street is horrendous and does so little to define your hand that you don't know how to respond to a raise. To be specific...

Preflop: Make it much bigger, like $1200, or don't raise at all. You can't build a pot out of position with a marginal hand. Force the button to pay to play his mediocre holding.

Flop: Lead something like 2/3 pot. If you get minraised again, you can probably call, and maybe shove if the pot is big enough. Leading 1/3 pot is awful in almost every situation and just asks for you to get [censored] on, forcing you to fold the best hand, or letting you convince yourself you're being bluffed and stack off.

Turn: If you're minraised and call, don't weak lead again. Check. In general, call a small bet, fold to a big one. Sometimes shove over a small bet.

River: Don't block bet so transparently. Either lead if the turn checks through or check and reevaluate. By this time, though, if you played the hand better, the pot is probably big enough that you're committed if you're still in the hand. As played, fold to the raise. You have a pretty mediocre hand for this board and he has raised you on every street! How can you think your hand is good, unless you're betting weak on every street to induce bluff-raises? These raises aren't bluff-raises, and you shouldn't be doing that here anyway.

[shefhammer]

Thanks for that Nath, really appreciate it.