Simple AQo

[bobbyi]

The shortstacked SB hasn't been very active for several rounds. MP is superloose and passive postflop. He'll call down almost anything unless the betting gets really heavy.

Party Poker $25 No-Limit Hold'em (6 max, 5 handed)

BB ($10)
UTG ($44.35)
MP ($15.2)
Hero ($45.95)
SB ($4.75)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Q/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP raises to $0.5</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $1.5</font>, SB calls $1.40, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP calls $1.

Flop: ($4.75) K/images/graemlins/heart.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets $1</font>, MP calls $1, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $4</font>, SB calls $2.25 (All-In), <font color="#CC3333">MP raises to $7</font>, Hero folds.

Turn: ($19) 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

River: ($19) 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: $19

[TheWorstPlayer]

Meh, I don't really like it. It's pretty unlike that you are ahead and you know that SB is going a-i on the turn no matter what, so you might as well just call the small bet on the flop, and then use your position to re-evaluate on the turn. In limit, you can do stuff like raise to protect marginal hands that you want to play anyways, but in NL you really can't do that because it affords other people the opportunity to blow you off the pot. You have to be pretty darn certain that you are ahead to make raising here correct, and I see no evidence of that fact. MP is passive. Which means he could easily be caling with a king. Sure, it could be a flush draw, too. But if you raise, even if he folds, no way SB is folding and he could easily have you beaten as well. Just call the flop and re-evaluate on the turn, IMO.

[bobbyi]

[ QUOTE ]
you know that SB is going a-i on the turn no matter what

[/ QUOTE ]
If he has something like a gutshot or a smaller pocket pair, I don't went to let him get to the turn cheaply where he can see if he gets there before putting in his money. I want to force him all-in now.

[ QUOTE ]
it affords other people the opportunity to blow you off the pot.

[/ QUOTE ]
In the general case, this is true, but you need to adapt to your opponents. Here one guy is going to be all-in, so he can't blow me off the pot. The other guy is very passive so he isn't going to do anything tricky, especially since it is a protected pot (the all-in guy can't be bluffed out).