NL $25 - What should I have done on the river?

[Ryanj37]

Were ahead basically always here unless he's caught some dumb two pair. No one at this level checks thrice with a monster. A bet of 11 or 12 sounds good.

[WantToLearn]

I bet the flop a bit more and the turn a bit less.
River is meh, but I see monsters under the bed all the time.
Thing is, if he calls our preflop raise w/ AT then he probably also calls it w/ the likes of A3s.

[Damntra]

He had $15 left on the river.

I think I'd be obligated to call if I bet $8-$9 and he shoved, no?

If yes, then would all in be the right play?

[random50]

Yes, I think you would be obliged to call.

However, this is a value bet. Its purpose is to get a call in a hand you are probably winning, so size it with that in mind (and don't just go all-in because you'll be calling his shove)

[AlexB182]

VB 10 - 12 on the river...

[Damntra]

I ended up betting $8 on the river.

Too small of a value bet?

I seem to find that when I don't really have that strong of a hand, when I value bet, I usually value bet only enough so that I can fold if I get shoved/re-raised.

On this type of hand, should I just really not think this way and be willing to absorb the loss if he made 2 pair or set?

[negtv capability]

[ QUOTE ]
Were ahead basically always here unless he's caught some dumb two pair. No one at this level checks thrice with a monster. A bet of 11 or 12 sounds good.

[/ QUOTE ]
It's untrue that no one checks thrice w/ monster @ this level. I do it myself once in a while, if my opponent's aggression factor is high enough. I've had it done to me plenty, many like to slowplay/ succumb to fancy play syndrome.
W/ out numbers or reads, I'd look hard at checking river, b/c villain showed strength on turn w/ your near pot sized bet. They called your raise out o' pos. preflop. What range would you put them on? I'm thinking [AA, 22] [AK, AJ]. A tight player would play something like [AA, 88] [AK]. A loose player would play something like [AA, 22] [AK, AJu] [AK, A2s].
IMO a good player would not call your turn bet w/ less than AQ. A str8 looks unlikely. I usually give players the benefit of the doubt until I see evidence that they are fish. If were at the $10NL level, I'd likely value bet, but I don't see enough players these days overplay top pair, low kicker at $25NL.
Loose VPIP or Went to SD #'s would have me value betting easy, $9-12. I would push if Went to SD was high enuogh.

[alex-star]

I check behind after they call flop and turn bets. It'd suck to face an all-in at this spot.

[Damntra]

[ QUOTE ]

W/ out numbers or reads, I'd look hard at checking river, b/c villain showed strength on turn w/ your near pot sized bet. They called your raise out o' pos. preflop. What range would you put them on? I'm thinking [AA, 22] [AK, AJ]. A tight player would play something like [AA, 88] [AK]. A loose player would play something like [AA, 22] [AK, AJu] [AK, A2s].
IMO a good player would not call your turn bet w/ less than AQ. A str8 looks unlikely. I usually give players the benefit of the doubt until I see evidence that they are fish. If were at the $10NL level, I'd likely value bet, but I don't see enough players these days overplay top pair, low kicker at $25NL.
Loose VPIP or Went to SD #'s would have me value betting easy, $9-12. I would push if Went to SD was high enuogh.

[/ QUOTE ]

He ended up having A/10s of diamonds.

I had been pretty aggressive since I had sat down at the table less than 25 minutes into the session.

I think maybe since he had seen me be pretty aggressive (I had a run of good starting hands to start the session) and, since I was OTB, he might have thought I was making a move. Now, granted, he has no idea that I have the ability to three barrel a hand without a monster, but apparently, he was committed to calling with top pair, mediocre kicker. Of course, I had no idea he would, but other than saying that he's probably a bad player for going all the way with A/10s, what else would we say about a player like this?

[random50]

I rarely see very aggressive players at this level who are actually *good*. Most of the time, somebody playing that aggro is a muppet playing any two who feels compelled to autobluff after every call (to them, no bet or reraise = weakness, always), and top pair mediocre kicker is enough to let them hang themselves. I've had success with his kind of play in the past (not often, 'cos I'm too nitty to risk it usually until a few showdowns have confirmed it, by which time their stack is mostly gone anyway) So whilst there's a good chance he's just a bad player, it's a little dangerous to assume it on the basis of this single hand. He *might* actually be relatively good and has been unlucky to have been paying close attention to you at the same time as you've had a run of good hands.

BTW, I'm guessing from what you say here that he's not had much chance to see your cards, just your heavy aggression...scratch it if he has seen you go to showdown with the best of it a few times.