Routine No-Limit Hand?

PP .25-.50 blinds. My stack is about 60, I'm on the button, and I pick up red aces. One limper, loose aggressive cutoff (stack size $44) makes it $2 to go, I make it $6 to go. Blinds and limper fold, cutoff calls.


Flop: Js 3s 2d


Cutoff checks, I bet the pot ($13). Cutoff then check-raises all-in ($38). I call for $25 more.


My guess is cutoff has a flush draw. JJ he raises more before the flop, I think. 33 and 22 are possible but seem unlikely. Two pair seems very unlikely


I'll post the results below. I thought I played the hand okay, but I have very little no-limit experience. How'd I do here?


Thanks,

Caddy

IMO, u played fine. He probably has something like AJ or 10-10, and he most likely puts u on overcards. If he has JJ, dem de breaks. He could also have a big flush draw. Either way, I don't lay down here. Hope u won.


Jeff

I think you played it fine. The key thought here is that if you are always willing to back an overpair (even aces) on the flop with your whole stack, you *will* lose your stack not uncommonly, and will certainly lose money.


Learning to lay down overpairs is a tough but critical step in the transition from limit to no limit.


Having said all that, you should not necessarily lay down your rockets just because of a little pressure. He check-raised the pot (more or less) on the flop, which either means that he wants you out, or he has a hand.


The important thing is that you thought about what he might have, and what he did at each step. The next thing to think about is what he thinks you might have. You'd play AK the same way, right? Until the call.


So I think there's every reason to believe you're ahead, so calling is fine. If the money is very deep, it's a much harder decision. But you probably have the best hand here, and that's enough with smallish stacks.


- target

I am also new to NL but think you made a good choice. Having a smaller stack sure helps your decision.


-A-

Well, he had Qs-9s, and unfortunately the a spade hit on the river, giving him the flush and a big chunk of my stack. I don't think I could have avoided the loss here, but if anyone has any ideas I'm certainly listening. Thanks.

If you had had a big enough stack, you could have raised on the flop enough to make it incorrect for him to chase, but you didn't. Of course he may have taken that into account when he check-raised you. I guess that's a problem with small stacks.