Stud 8: did I miss a bet?

[Truthiness24]

I'd like to know whether you play 3rd here & especially my play on 5th. Also, can anyone comment on the utility/frequency of raising on 3rd with a Q or K? Based on what I've read & lived, it doesn't seem like a solid play unless you're last to act and have an opportunity to (basically) steal.

Having the king tipped me over the edge to calling. Is this sound logic?

I see lots of players in my game playing a high card aggressively into a low draw. These hands generally get to HU on 4th with the (alleged) pair+ held by the aggressor trying to push the low draw out. Am I right to think that an aggressor playing a non-ace high card should tread more lightly than this? Or am I missing opportunities?

Also, the kill skews the pot odds involved in defending your BI or kill on 3rd. Can anyone take a swing at how?

Anyhoo:

20/40 Stud/8, $3 ante, live action, 8 handed. Villain plays OK but gets out of line from time to time (IMO) playing high-only hands.

I was posting a "kill" of $20 because I had scooped the previous hand, so on 3rd I was calling $20 & last to act into a pot of $81.

Seat 1: [xx] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] -- folds
Seat 2: [xx] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] -- brings in -- folds
Seat 3 [xx] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] -- folds
Hero [K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] -- calls $40
Seat 5: [xx] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] -- folds
Villain: [xx] Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] -- raises to $40
Seat 7: [xx] T [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] -- folds
Seat 8: sitting out

4th:
Hero [K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] -- calls
Villain: [xx] Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] -- bets

5th:
Hero [K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] -- checks
Villain: [xx] Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] -- checks

6th:
Hero [K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] -- bets
Villain: [xx] Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 6 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] -- calls

7th:
I don't remember my card. I bet out, villain folded.

[Andy B]

Definitely raise fourth. You're a small favorite over bare Queens, and you may be able to con him into folding if you catch another small card. Fifth is well worth a bet as well. Obviously, when you get there, you just keep betting until he gives you a reason not to. Nice hand.

[jester710]

I play third here for sure because as it is, you're basically playing stud high, and it'd be worth chasing queens down with a 3 flush, an overcard, and all that money in the pot in high-only.

A big difference between this and high-only, though, is that here you're the only one that knows it's a high-only hand. Your hand looks like a low draw, and then it looks like a pretty scary low draw on 4th. I would try to bet/raise 4th, then continue firing on fifth.

As far as whether the aggressor would tread more lightly with just queens, his Q was the highest upcard and so likely to be best for high on 3rd, plus you said he gets out of line at times with high-only hands. I see nothing that makes me think he's stronger than queens (and if he has buried aces or kings it doesn't affect your hand too terribly much).

[djk123]

raise third and bet 4th-7th

[Truthiness24]

Am I really ahead on 5th?

Does it matter if I think that Villain will call me down anyway? There is only minimal fold equity against this opponent. He was calling down until the end. I think that he folded on 7th when he decided that he couldn't beat my 2 pair. Sometimes, this isn't the kind of game where you can value bet.

[AlanBostick]

I don't like reraising on third street here. Above and beyond the fact that OP says that there is little fold equity here, the basic situation is that the OP is behind, and, while getting a decent price to call and draw, adding additional bets to the pot at even money is negative-EV.

Definitely raise fourth -- because your equity has gone up, and your hand looks low. Bet fifth, because your equity has gone up still more.

[djk123]

dunno who said to rr 3rd, but i said raise third. obviously don't reraise third