A2s WA/WB Help me play this better

[Delphin]

6 player $.25/$.50 NL home game

Villain is loose, semi passive preflop and fairly aggressive postflop. Villain will bet with any piece of the flop including overcards and questionable draws. Villain will call down too often and will only fold when throughly convinced he's beaten.

Hero has $42
Villain has $26

Hero is UTG+1 with [A /images/graemlins/spade.gif 2 /images/graemlins/spade.gif]

Preflop: UTG folds, Hero calls $.50, 2 folds, Villain (Button) raises to $1, 2 folds, Hero calls $.50

With the table fairly loose and passive, I felt like I had a reasonable chance of getting a multiway unraised pot here. It didn't work out obviously. The good news is that the Villain would min raise here with a very large range of hands (any pair, any ace, suited kings and queens).

Flop ($2.75): A /images/graemlins/heart.gif A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 5 /images/graemlins/spade.gif
Hero checks, Villain bets $3, Hero calls

When I saw this flop I didn't think there was any way to make money on this hand. It seems unlikely that a 5 or a pocket pair will pay me off, the board is drawless, and I have the worst ace possible. I'm not sure I like my line, but I'm not sure what would be better (bet out, check raise)? What hands should I put Villain on when he overbets on this flop?

Turn ($8.75): A /images/graemlins/heart.gif A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 5 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 7 /images/graemlins/club.gif
Hero checks, Villain bets $10, Hero ???

Another overbet. Is this a bluff? I didn't know whether to call, push, or fold. Help me out.

[kingofswing]

Even with your description of the villian, this is still hard. It really depends on your read. Would he do this with a pair like KK-TT? I would be a little surprised to see such an aggressive player bet like this with AK or AQ, when he knows he's got the best of it. But maybe he is consistent about betting like that. I'd say it is very read dependent on whether he would be this aggressive with KK. Also, is he a thinker and would start to get worried about you having Ax? I mean is he reckless like that? If not, given a random opponent, I fold.

He only has less than $20 left, so he's playing it as if to get it all-in it seems. I think I lay this down. But if you think he would make this play with nothing, then call him down. No need to raise, it will all get in on the end anyway, but if you raise, he'll only call with an ace I would think.

[Delphin]

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It really depends on your read. Would he do this with a pair like KK-TT?

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The villain might choose to play this way with a pocket pair if my checking twice convinced him I don't have an A. But I think he might also play this way with a weak ace, and I can't beat a weak ace.

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I would be a little surprised to see such an aggressive player bet like this with AK or AQ, when he knows he's got the best of it.

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I agree. He doesn't have a strong ace. He has a weak ace, a pocket pair, or he's totally bluffing.

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Also, is he a thinker and would start to get worried about you having Ax? I mean is he reckless like that?

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Reckless definitely could describe the villain. I don't think calling his $3 bet convinces him I have anything (although in his shoes I'd have a hard time putting me on anything other than an ace at that point).

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He only has less than $20 left, so he's playing it as if to get it all-in it seems. I think I lay this down. But if you think he would make this play with nothing, then call him down. No need to raise, it will all get in on the end anyway, but if you raise, he'll only call with an ace I would think.

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I agree as far as the turn play is concerned. Raising seems silly. I should either call if I think he doesn't have an Ace or fold if I think he does. I think that my flop play put me in a terrible spot here.

[Beware_of_Dawg]

with a re-raise on the flop you could have either saved yourself a lot of money, or made a lot less money... depending on what happened... with a the description of the player you were in this with, I'd just assume know on the flop bet what I'm looking at...

BTW, what happened?

and.... I'm putting him on a small pair. Sounds like he's trying to put you off (what he thinks) is a draw.

[Delphin]

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with a re-raise on the flop you could have either saved yourself a lot of money, or made a lot less money... depending on what happened... with a the description of the player you were in this with, I'd just assume know on the flop bet what I'm looking at...

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I agree. I think once I decided to check the flop and he made it $3, I should have made a small raise to get more information before the turn. If I had to do it again I'd probably min raise.

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BTW, what happened?

and.... I'm putting him on a small pair. Sounds like he's trying to put you off (what he thinks) is a draw.

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I'll post the results after I get a little more feedback on the hand. I don't want the results to influence anything.

[kingofswing]

If this is a decent player, he got a small stack and doesn't have to put much in to price a draw out. I think by the call on the flop he's sure you're not drawing, and it trying to extract with an A or play it that way. He doesn't have much behind it, so there are almost no implied odds.

[Delphin]

On the flop, I think check/calling was terrible. I'm not sure whether betting out or check/raising would be better, though.

If I bet out and he folds, I only win what was in the pot preflop, and possibly could have won an extra bet by check/raising. But if he has a hand it costs more to check raise and unless he folds I have to assume I'm behind.

Any thoughts?

[Beware_of_Dawg]

so.... ? what happened?

him = mid-pair?

I think that you absolutely have to lead the flop with this hand on the flop. You're either way behind to another ace or 55 or way ahead (2 outs or runner runner.) The chance that you are way behind merits that you have to bet out here. I would play this flop like TPTK, and if I run into too much trouble, I'd back down.

On the flop you either have to lead for $3-6 or check-raise his ass for $5-10 after he bet $3. You can't play passive with such a dangerous hand here, you have to bet to get information.

I think that because of your check/call on the flop the villain pinned you to a lesser hand that he could push you off of if he played it like he had an ace.