AJ vs ???

[McNeese72]

I'm still learning and this is one of those type of hands that give me trouble. I haven't played but about 2 dozen hands with the villain and he seems pretty passive so far and hasn't raised pre-flop any. It's hard for me to read someone who is playing passively and doesn't raise.

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is CO with A/images/graemlins/heart.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, UTG+2 Villain/ calls, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, BB calls, UTG+2 Villain) calls.

Flop: (6.40 SB) 2/images/graemlins/club.gif, T/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, Villain checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, BB folds, Villain calls.

Turn: (4.20 BB) 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Villain checks, Hero checks.

River: (4.20 BB) Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Villain checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, Villain calls.

Okay, how should I have played this hand? I think I should have bet the turn instead of allowing the free card even though I don't think he is on a flush draw. But I think he still would call. On the river, if he would have bet out I probably would have folded, so I went head and bet after he checked hoping he wouldn't check raise. Should I go ahead and just check to the showdown?

It's hands like this that can cause me problems. When my opponent doesn't show any agression, is passive doing a lot of calling, and I don't have much of anything myself, I get lost between being aggressive or checking down with them.

[btspider]

check river given the action after your turn check.

when you check the turn, do you intend to call a river bet?

[Jakesta]

Your river bet with Ace high is quite bad. He's not likely going to call you with King high or Ace high . If he calls you, he's going to call you with a pair.

[Jaran]

I would bet the turn with my gutshot/overs, planning to check behind on the river unless I hit an 8 or an A. What was your thinking behind the river bet after your turn check?

-Jaran

[McNeese72]

[ QUOTE ]
I would bet the turn with my gutshot/overs, planning to check behind on the river unless I hit an 8 or an A. What was your thinking behind the river bet after your turn check?

-Jaran

[/ QUOTE ]

I feel I should have bet the turn and, if called, folded to a bet or checked down on the river if I didn't get any help on the river. Even though he hadn't shown any aggression, I felt I was behind.

As far as the river bet, to tell you the truth, I did it without thinking because he checked to me. I was expecting him to bet out on the river and I was going to fold. I wasn't expecting him to check to me. The instant I did it, I felt it was a mistake because I felt I was behind and that I should have just checked to the showdown. If I have a hand like this again, I'll probably just check to the showdown.

[aK13]

HU I think you should probably fire another bet on the turn, and check/fold the river.

[McNeese72]

[ QUOTE ]
Your river bet with Ace high is quite bad. He's not likely going to call you with King high or Ace high . If he calls you, he's going to call you with a pair.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. The moment I hit the button I knew it was a mistake. I figured I was behind and I thought he was going to have a pair also. I didn't think he had hit a flush. But the villain had AK. Didn't expect that, because he didn't raise pre-flop. I'll always raise AK pre-flop if it hasn't been raised before me.

[FatMan]

PF raise is good, flop bet is good, if you check the turn you should check the river unless you hit A, J or 8. With a hand like AK, AQ, &amp; AJ (&amp; even ATs &amp; A9s if I'm in LP) I raise PF &amp; I will bet/raise on a flop like this. If I get raised/re-raised I will check the turn unless I hit although with 9 T on the board a J or Q is not always going to be good. If my flop bet is just called I will usually bet the turn as well if the board is not scary (i.e. no 3 to the flush or straight, board not paired, my overs still good, etc). If I there are 2 or mroe callers I have to assume someone has at least a pair and I will check. With one caller on the river you need a good read as to whether he was chasing or has a piece of the board. With the pot so small I would check the river in this case.

[KeysrSoze]

I'd rather you bet the turn and check the river instead.

[McNeese72]

Thanks for all the replies. It has reinforced what I felt I should have done. Bet the turn and check/fold the river.