Value bet or push?

[nightlyraver]

Middle stage of a $5+.50 (about 300 to start, about 100 left). Blinds are 80/160 and I'm UTG+1 w/ about t1900 and I'm staring down at A /images/graemlins/diamond.gifQ /images/graemlins/spade.gif. I need to double up, though I'm not completely desperate, and this will probably be the hand to do it with.

I open for a standard raise of t400 and it's folded around to MP2 who smooth calls. MP2 is prone to making loose calls and overall plays pretty passively from what I have observed. The rest of the table folds.

There is t1,040 in the pot and the flop comes A /images/graemlins/heart.gifJ /images/graemlins/club.gif7 /images/graemlins/spade.gif and the action is on me. I have t1,500 left. What's the move?

I'l post the hand results later, but my question is whether I should fire out a value bet (t500 perhaps), push right out or check and fold if I'm taking heat to the hand. Remember, he's mostly loose and passive.



Thanks!

[anacardo]

I'd bet about half the pot here. You'll get action from any ace.

[nightlyraver]

Only because this is a bad player. Against a solid player, there is a good chance I'm either way ahead (he has a hand like QQ or TT) or way behind (AK,AJ,JJ,77,AA). If I have more chips I would have played it carefully against a good player and strongly against a bad player.

[TexInAtl]

I don't see any way to get away from this hand, even if you wanted to. What you want here is to get all of your chips in, the only question is how to do it. I think I'd bet T750 to let my opponent know that I'm pot commiting myself. If you're beat, you're beat.

[nightlyraver]

I knew that this was a bad player who would likely call my early raise with a less than stellar hand. Going to the flop, I was basically pot committed and if he had AK,AJ,JJ or 77 then I'm out and that's poker for ya'. I figured that he probably had a pocket pair of some sort, KQ, maybe QJ, or an A with any type of half-a$$ed kicker.

I needed to get some value out of my hand since far more than likely I was ahead. I figured he may call a bet with something weak, but would probably lay down if I flat out pushed unless he either had me beat or had exactly KK or maybe AT. I bet t500, 1/3 my stack and half the pot, as a value bet. He wasn't smart enough to realize that I basically was pot committing myself and it was the same as if I had pushed. He called without thinking too much about it. A deuce slid off on the turn. Certainly this card could not have helped him. I put in my last t1000 and he quickly called and flipped over pocket deuces!!!

I really couldn't believe it - so excuse my rant here. Who would call an early raise with deuces and then call an AJ7 flop with an underpair? Crazy stuff. Anyway, I belive that my value bet was a good move regardless since I got a player with only an 8% shot at the pot to call on the flop. Totally sux that he hit his out on the turn.

Anyway, if anyone has any comments on my play or logic, I would certainly like to hear them...