Heads up is hard

[Emmitt2222]

This is a hand that is slightly out of the ordinary for me pf but I think it was completely justified. There was a poster so dead money and everyone behind him was very tight. Villian in this hand is decent TAG. I called the flop planning on check/folding the turn UI, but when he checked to me bet because he may fold and if he called I could get the free showdown. I'm really bad at heads up so I don't know if this is standard or completely wrong.

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (7 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif, T/images/graemlins/heart.gif. CO posts a blind of $2.
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">BB 3-bets</font>, Hero calls.

Flop: (7.50 SB) 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 4/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, Hero calls.

Turn: (4.75 BB) 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, BB calls.

River: (6.75 BB) J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: 6.75 BB

[Nick Royale]

Fold preflop. The poster should make you make inclined to fold. He'll often call and you'll be playing a pretty crappy hand OOP. I wouldn't consider raising with this hand without the poster.

[Nick C]

On the turn, I wouldn't be thinking about a free showdown that much, as you'll need to improve or get BB to fold to win.

Probably I'd just take the free card I'd been offered with my 3-10 outs. But if you think there's a decent chance of getting BB to fold, then that could be a reason to semi-bluff the turn. Unfortunately, though, even if BB just has overcards, it might be hard to get him to dump them on the turn, and if he won't, you are charging yourself to draw. You are also potentially setting up a river bluff, but it's entirely possible that won't work either.

In any event, I'd hate to get checkraised on the turn, which is part of the reason why I'd probably check behind instead.

[Emmitt2222]

The reason I bet on the turn was because I did believe that I had some folding equity. Although a c/r sucks, it would be an easy laydown. Sfer just posted a blind defense hand just like this where the guy bet, he called, then on the turn the guy checked and then folded to sfer's bet. I was thinking that this was a very similar situation where a call on the flop suggests getting a piece of the slop and then a bet on the turn confirming it. The guy even paused before he called so I think it was close.

[Nick C]

Once you've played it like you have up until the river, I'm wondering if it's worth firing one more time.

BB possibly caught top pair on the river or even a flush, but I think there's a good chance he just has ace-high.

I don't know if he'll fold to a river bet often enough or not, but I think a river bluff is something to consider.

[Emmitt2222]

Just wanted to see if I could get any more input on this hand because I thought it was pretty interesting all around, especially the pf raise and the turn bet.

[QTip]

I run into this dilema often. The hand goes down a lot like the one here, and I get the feeling I'm beat, but also feel that there's a pretty decent chance that if I bet last to act after a check, he'll fold the better hand on the river. If I check behind, I'm quite certain I'm beat....don't know what's best.

[marching_on_together]

Don't like pre-flop if you want to play it then i would limp.

I'd check the turn, because i think an ace often calls here which means you will likely have to fire again at the river

Playing it the way you did i would bet the river as i don't think a tag checks any kind of made hand twice to you, and 3-betting hands other than jj are not as common i.e. i don't think most will 3-bet AJ pre-flop