How WAS this play?

[DonHansen]

$100+10 buy-in no-limit STT at Ladbrokes. Blinds 50/100, I'm chipleader with about 5000 chips. Table fears me and is tight (I've played well but also got the cards) except the SB who's super aggressive and second with about 3000 chips.

I'm UTG but try to steal with QJo, and lead out with 300. Everybody folds except SB who calls.

Flop comes Q52 rainbow and SB bets 500. This guy have been stealing all night, from me included, and I'm really fed up so I come over the top with a 1K reraise. SB calls and the turn come 3 of spades, flushdraws gone.

Now the dude all of sudden bets the mimimum - 200 into a 2700 pot? This really puzzles me, and I'm a bit thrown off. 30 seconds on the internet goes by fast, but I have time to bitchslap myself for getting into this hand at all. Still I rule out AQ, KQ and QQ, he would've reraised me on the flop with such holdings. Instead I'm scared shitless of the low straight, so I put the guy all-in for his last 1700 chips. He calls instantly and shows - Q4! My QJ holds up and I take the pot.

Now, I'm the first to admit that this was far from my finest moment - I shouldn't be in the hand in the first palce. But all things concidered, should I played it differently? And what about the other guy, what was THAT?

[durron597]

UTG steal, QJ, tight table, fine.

On the flop it sounds like you made a read, decided you were ahead of his range of hands and made a correct decision vs. his range. Part of being good at Poker is about making the correct decision in marginal situations, which you did here.

Nice hand.

[tigerite]

Yep all seems fine. You could flat call the flop if you want to induce a bluff on the turn more, but meh that's just style.

[lastchance]

I really like calling the flop and betting/raising the turn. Puts your opponent in no-man's land on this dry flop, though your line certainly works.