More shorthanded play: defending with A-high

[topspin]

Thanks to everyone who replied to my last SH post. Here's another, from the same table.

Party Poker 0.5/1 Hold'em (5 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP raises</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, MP calls.

Flop: (7.50 SB) 7/images/graemlins/club.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 4/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">MP bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises...</font>

Here's another from the same hand. Preflop seems standard, then a common flop situation hits -- all undercards. What's our line now?

I raise planning to call a 3-bet and fold the turn UI, or take a free turn card if offered. Not sure how to face a stop-and-go but I'll probably call one on the turn. On the other hand, AQ probably has decent showdown value HU so a straightforward calldown UI is an option too.

Anyone suggest a better line?

[einbert]

I think to play this well you really need a read. Without one I think call-call-call is probably optimal, as that gets you to showdown cheaply in this pot that is already quite large.

If he gives you the lead, though, I would generally prefer betting the turn and taking the free showdown to taking (giving?) a free card. If he is very aggressive/tricky, though, I will tend to check behind the turn--it will almost always induce a bluff from a worse hand on the river so you can collect a big bet, and he was frequently planning to bluff checkraise the turn anyway.

[topspin]

[ QUOTE ]
I think to play this well you really need a read.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, I should have provided what I had. Sat through 15 hands with villain, he seems to be playing a reasonable number of hands so far (vpip ~30) and raised about half of them. Haven't seen enough of his hands to get a read postflop yet, but he doesn't seem maniacal or anything crazy.

[kapw7]

I would play the same. For the sake of varying your play I would sometimes just call down and a few times call and then raise the turn (esp. with a club turn card)

[McGahee]

Hey -
I don't think there's many situations where calling a flop 3-bet and folding to a single turn bet is a good idea; and this certainly isn't one of them. If you're going to call a 3-bet I think you're committed to seeing a river. Otherwise, just call the flop. If you call again on the turn, there's a good chance he'll give up on the river if he's bluffing. If he bets the river, well, that's where reads really help. Popping the turn might also be an option with the right table image and he's capable of folding (although you're screwed if you get 3-bet there).
Try to ask yourself "how much would it suck if I got 3-bet here" before you put a raise in. Getting reraised on this flop really sucks. Most people don't 3-bet the turn as liberally as they do the flop. Try not to go overboard with the free card play, especially if you've been using it before at the table and especially if your opponent is aggressive. Besides, if he checked to you on the turn would you even take the free card? I probably wouldn't a lot of the times.
And you're not "defending" when you're the button.