Weird AQs Hand - Anyone Check this River?

[Unarmed]

$10 PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (6 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

UTG (t3015)
MP (t1240)
Hero (t1075)
Button (t3955)
SB (t3290)
BB (t925)

Preflop: Hero is CO with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
UTG calls t50, MP folds, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t200</font>, Button folds, SB folds, BB folds, UTG calls t150.

Flop: (t475) Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
UTG checks, Hero checks.

Turn: (t475) 7/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
UTG checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t300</font>, UTG calls t300.

River: (t1075) 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
UTG checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t300</font>, UTG calls t300.

Final Pot: t1675

Good luck trying to figure out what he had... I'll post results if anyone's curious.

[Munkster]

Bet the flop, it doesn't have to a big bet (1/3 the pot maybe).

I would check the river, yes.

TT?

[Unarmed]

[ QUOTE ]
Bet the flop, it doesn't have to a big bet (1/3 the pot maybe).

[/ QUOTE ]

Why? I'm happy to give a free card here...

[Munkster]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Bet the flop, it doesn't have to a big bet (1/3 the pot maybe).

[/ QUOTE ]

Why? I'm happy to give a free card here...

[/ QUOTE ]

Why do you want to give a free card? So a spade might show up? Let's see, if a spade shows up and the other dude doesn't have a flush --&gt; it totally kills the actions. If a spade shows up and the other dude has a flush --&gt; he would have called your flop bet anyways. Now if the turn doesn't give you a spade... it could have made his/her two pair, trips, etc.

I mean, the check isn't bad, TPTK and Nut flush draw is an amazing flop for you, but I just really don't like slow playing with anything less than trips (I rarely slow play even trips). Maybe I am off here.

[Unarmed]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not real happy I have the FD, I just don't think a 3rd spade kills my action when its HU. I check the flop b/c there's only 1 card that I don't want to see on the turn and he has basically said, I have nothing, take this pot from me please.

[ReDeYES88]

I put t275 in on the flop and I'm happy to take it right there.

After UTG's check/call on the turn, I check behind on the river and hope my Q is good. I think the only time your river bet gets called is when you're beat. I don't see him checking into you on the F &amp; T with a two flush board if he had top pair, so I'm ruling out that he has a Q with a naked weak kicker.

I would much rather try to come back after this hand with t575 than t275 with the blinds at t50, so I save that t300 river bet.

[Phil Van Sexton]

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe I am off here.

[/ QUOTE ]

No, you are 100% correct, IMO. Excellent reply. I'd bet 200 on the flop. He already called 200 and he'll probably do so again with his big stack, even with Ace-high. If you build the pot, he'll be more inclined to pay you off if the flush does hit.

If he folds, you win a 450 pot, and that's not the worst thing.

I also think 200 is too big of bet pre-flop after 1 big-stacked limper. You probably won't steal the blinds, so there's no reason to put 20% of your stack in. 150 is more appropriate.

Anyway, your original question is about the river. His play of the hand is almost as confusing as yours. When I'm confused, I'll often check behind. If I had any kind of read, your value bet is a solid play.

[Unarmed]

Ok so consensus is I f'd the hand up. /images/graemlins/grin.gif Was trying to induce a turn bluff. I just started playing regularly again and I find whenever I've been off awhile a bit of FPS slips into my game.

Anyway, he had KK. Nice river call...

[Al Mirpuri]

I think he has a pocket pair 88-JJ. This would explain his check call strategy.

[Al Mirpuri]

He had KK? I don't think he played them right.

[Irieguy]

[ QUOTE ]
He already called 200 and he'll probably do so again with his big stack, even with Ace-high. If you build the pot, he'll be more inclined to pay you off if the flush does hit.

If he folds, you win a 450 pot, and that's not the worst thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree completely.

[ QUOTE ]

I also think 200 is too big of bet pre-flop after 1 big-stacked limper. You probably won't steal the blinds, so there's no reason to put 20% of your stack in. 150 is more appropriate.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is correct and more important than it may appear.

As far as the river bet... once you've played the hand the way that you did, I probably wouldn't bet the river. You are at a point in the SNG where saved chips are more valuable than won chips, and the pot is fine as it is.

Irieguy

[skovsende]

66? /images/graemlins/smile.gif