AA Hand on PR $.50/$1

[Los Feliz Slim]

How was my pre-flop raise? Do you think it was OK to give the free card on the flop?

No reads, this is my second hand at the table (why do so many of these seem to come up in my first or second hand?).

Button ($57.45 in chips)
SB ($105.45 in chips)
BB ($45.65 in chips)
UTG ($48.45 in chips)
Villain ($185 in chips)
Hero ($49.50 in chips)
MP ($30.70 in chips)
MP+1 ($42.30 in chips)
MP+2 ($13.75 in chips)
CO ($52.50 in chips)

Hero has A/images/graemlins/diamond.gifA/images/graemlins/club.gif

ANTES/BLINDS
SB posts blind ($0.25), BB posts blind ($0.50).

PRE-FLOP
UTG folds, Villain bets $5, Hero raises to $15, 7 folds, Villain calls $10.

FLOP
Villain checks, Hero checks.

[b]TURN
Villain bets $15, Hero bets $34.50 and is all-in, Villain calls $19.50.

[b]RIVER [board cards 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif,2/images/graemlins/club.gif,4/images/graemlins/heart.gif ,2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif ,7/images/graemlins/heart.gif ]

Results in white:
<font color="white">
SHOWDOWN
Hero shows [ Ad,Ac ]
Villain shows [ Jd,Jh ]
Hero wins $96.75.
</font>

[BradleyT]

$30 in pot on flop. You've got $35 left behind.

Um, why isn't your money going in? Or at least 1/2 pot to 3/4.

[Los Feliz Slim]

Yeah, that's what I was wondering/worrying about myself. My thinking was that, with the pre-flop action, what the heck can he be drawing to? Assuming the flop didn't hit him, maybe the turn will get a piece of him and result in more action for me. Or, by feigning weakness, the same result is achieved. I don't see how betting the flop pushes out any hand that any card on the turn possibly helps. All that said, it just doesn't look right.

[Sam T.]

Looks good to me.

Pre-flop, I think you have to put him on a big pair or AK (or AQ if he's a fool). Pre-flop raise is fine.

If I have rockets, and the best flop in the world, I'm happy to give a free card to represent weakness or help the villain catch up. If villain hits his two-outer to make a set on the turn, Merry Christmas to him. If he hits a K to make TPTK, or decides his overpair is good, Merry Christmas to me.

My two cents,

Sam

[BradleyT]

You don't want to push them out of the pot. You've most likely got them crushed on the flop. That doesn't mean you shouldn't bet something.

Would you bet with TT, JJ, QQ, KK, AK on this flop? If the answer is yes, why wouldn't you bet here? You're virtually telling him what you have (assuming you're not some LAG with a huge range of hands) by not betting.

[Utah]

I would have set him in on the flop because he is probably coming along with an overpair to a pot sized bet. Your line works though.

[jonnyUCB]

I like your line. Preflop you're fine. You picked the perfect flop to do this on; if you're behind to 44 and 99 then you're screwed anyway (though he committed 1/3 a buyin to a 8:1 shot so you're winning in the long run anyway). He could easily pick up something on the turn that he likes that doesnt kill you. However, if villian has an overpair he could see through this move as it is somewhat transparent. As villian theres no way I'm calling your turn bet (nor betting that much, i'd bet less than 1/3 the pot). So be careful with that you could be losing that last 15 when he folds when he would call a flop push. Depends on your image (of which you have none.. some might make this move PF vs a loose villian with AK and push on a missed flop.. a flop push could look like AK here so yea)

[BradleyT]

Although one of the reasons you bet with the lower pairs is to make them pay to hit an overcard if they're still drawing.