AQo against a shortstacked unknown

[nepenthe]

No specific read on opponent except he has 7-8BBs left.

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: nepenthe is UTG+1 with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
UTG folds, <font color="CC3333">nepenthe raises</font>, UTG+2 folds, <font color="CC3333">MP1 3-bets</font>, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB folds, nepenthe calls.

Flop: (7.33 SB) T/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
nepenthe checks, <font color="CC3333">MP1 bets</font>, nepenthe calls.

[MoDOH]

hmmm... what´s your gameplan here? I dont really think that this is the right spot to slowplay your hand,which is essentially what you are doing. You probably have the best hand and if you don´t you have plenty of outs to catch up. Raise and then take it from there.

[nepenthe]

This wasn't a slowplay. It is a passive call-and-see-what-the-turn-brings play. Without reads on opponent as loose or a maniac I actually have a fairly good reason to believe I'm behind. Just because he is shortstacked doesn't mean he is blowing off steam with a marginal hand; in fact being shortstacked gives certain players motivation to play better.

[easypete]

I agree.... without a read, you absolutely need to raise this on the flop. What are you going to do then, call down or fold if a turn doesn't give you something good?

You have TPTK, backdoor flush, a gutshot, and an overcard.

MP1 could have a lot of things that beat you, AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, AK... But could also have things that you beat. AJ, KQ, KJ, KT, 99, 88.

Without a decent read, I think it's either fold or raise here, and I'm not folding w/ TPTK here.

[nepenthe]

I was actually planning to call down no matter what. An Ace gives me two pair, and a K gives me a straight. Plus I have backdoor flush draw to boot. But given that I have no read on this guy and he 3-bet preflop, I'm now behind EVERY SINGLE pocket pair from TT-AA. I'm even solidly behind to AK - another normal 3-betting hand. I'm ahead of AJ, AT, maybe KQ, and maybe a lower PP. As to KJ and KT...they aren't really 3-betting hands unless opponent is a LAG, but I don't know that.

So why would I want to raise this flop? Do I want hands like 99 to fold? The pot is small and I'm heads-up; if I'm ahead I have very little to protect.

Someone I don't remember once said in a book whose title I don't remember that "Discretion is the better part of valor." I'd like to think it applies here.

[nepenthe]

is really irrelevant. Turn was an offsuit K and the river was an offsuit blank. He got cleaned out with his KQo. I still think it is judicious not to go to war on this flop without a read.