First hand history posting - AA

[Guin]

Villian has played solid tight poker for 30 hands with 22/9/1... has won most hands that they were involved in and showed two sets (low aggression due to playing against agressive better with TPTK).... in another hand that I had AA I reraised villian's raise pre flop and villian folded which was about 15 hands earlier. So I reraised a little more preflop this time to make it look like a steal attempt since I know he will lay it down.

I sure didn't like the flop and my being OOP isn't helping at all. So I check thinking that if they put out less than a pot bet that I would reraise but the check behind doesn't help me since they could be slowplaying QQ or JJ but my read is that he most likely has KK. The turn doesn't help matters much but I felt a feeler bet should get them to fold KK. Something about the reraise didn't seem right as it felt like a move that QQ or JJ wouldn't do.... so it felt like AK, KQ or flush draw or both but I decide to call because it felt like he would call a push so I decided to take the next card and of course it is another scare card. So I figure I would check call any value bet but would probably have to fold to a push.

Help on all streets.... very new to this level so still playing it a bit weak.

Ultimate Bet No-Limit Hold'em, $.50 BB (10 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx (http://www.zerodivide.cx/converter)

UTG ($32.05)
UTG+1 ($41.90)
UTG+2 ($34.10)
MP1 :#A500AF(Villian)/ ($54.30)
MP2 ($22.40)
MP3 ($10.60)
CO ($35.45)
Button ($49)
SB ($20.80)
Hero ($52.65)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP1 :#A500AF(Villian)/ raises to $1.75</font>, <font color="#666666">5 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $5.5</font>, MP1 :#A500AF(Villian)/ calls $3.75.

Flop: ($11.25) Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, Villian checks.

Turn: ($11.25) J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $6</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Villian raises to $18</font>, Hero calls $12.

River: ($47.25) 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, Villian checks.

Final Pot: $47.25

[snowbank]

Don't check the flop.

[4_2_it]

Pre-flop is fine. You have to bet that flop. There is a straight and flush draw there and you cannot afford to offer free cards. With villain's aggression rating you will have to either fold to a huge re-raise or else push if re-raised.

As played played your turn bet looks weak, hence the raise. I would raise your turn bet with AQ or KK. So you have to call. You have to check the river and fold to any large bet. Your decisions are tougher when you lose control of the hand.

[Guin]

Thanks guys for the quick responses.... been getting roughed up lately overplaying these overpairs by running into sets. I agree that leading out on flop is a better way to play this and to follow through on the turn.

Sometimes you know the answer but you need someone to tell you anyways! Looking forward to posting more interesting hands in the future.

Guin

[rikz]

One line would be to keep up the pressure in reasonable amounts on every street. So, bet the flop for at least $8 ($27.25 if he calls). Bet the turn for about 1/2 pot, say $14 ($55.25 if he calls). 1/4 pot blocking bet, say $14, on the river - and make a judgement call if villain comes over the top. This line puts you in for $36 post flop. Unfortunately, you are just about pot committed with this line, so it would be hard to get away from a villain slow playing a set, for example, if he calls/calls/pushes on the river. Nevertheless, taking the constant pressure line, you are usually able to fold if villain goes all-in over the top unless you strongly suspect a missed flush draw bluff on the river.

An alternate line, that I usually take despite the draws on board, would be to bet the flop, check/call the turn and block the river. This second line risks (1) giving a free card if villain is a "chaser" and (2) showing weakness that villain might try to exploit if he's a "bluffer."

A third line would be to bet the flop, 1/2 pot the turn, and check/call a non-flush river.

In all three lines, you need to probably fold to a push raise from villain unless you have a read that he is bluffing with nothing but 9 outs or less often enough to make a call +EV vs this villain.

I use all three lines. Given the stack sizes, I think I like the third line best in this hand: bet the flop, 1/2 pot the turn, and check/call the river.

Note that in all cases I don't advocate checking the flop.

No matter what, I bet that flop. Since it's draw heavy, I like a 2/3 pot bet. Since you're stereotyping your villian as solid, a call should tell you that he's not sitting on garbage or even a primary draw. You'd have to put him on an OP (KK), TP, a set, or a big draw (straight flush). If he's an aware player, he's got to think that you would have bet an over-pair or even a set with that draw heavy flop. You're turn bet may have looked like a delayed continuation bet in which case he may have pounced with air. When you called his turn raise, he knew you had something. That /images/graemlins/spade.gif on the end may have scared him out of trying to steal.

[Guin]

Albert,

Totally agree with everyone on not checking the flop. Sometimes I start to get cute and figured that a check would look weak and setup a nice c/r to reapply pressure. I would say that I would normally take the first line you mentioned which is constant pressure on all streets but it does leave someone pot committed. I have found that I have been paying off sets recently which also played on my mind.

Strange thing is that I wouldn't have had an issue betting with an AK so I don't know why I was playing it differently this time.

Guin