10 10 heads up

[Rico Suave]

I open raise UTG+1 with 10 /images/graemlins/club.gif 10 /images/graemlins/heart.gif, EP cold calls and the rest fold. EP is quite aggressive and not afraid to use the raise button.

Heads up for the Flop K/images/graemlins/heart.gif Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif

I do not like this much at all. Because it is heads up I bet out and hope to take it down now, EP raises. Not sure what to do here, I typically lay this down with 2 overcards and a raise. but heads up with my holding the 10/images/graemlins/heart.gif(which might be good if another heart falls) I decide to call.

Turn: 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif
I check, EP bets, I call

River: 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif
I check, EP bets, I call.

Should I lay this one down to heads up flop raise?

--Rico

[lil']

Based on your description of your opponent, you are going to get raised if you bet the flop almost every time. Since you have the flush draw, you'd be forced to call the raise. I guess I would just go into check-call mode right from the flop, since your flop bet will get popped and the two overcards prevent you from 3-betting it.

[slavic]

If he is really aggressive and will bet every time even with a bluff or a wired underpair just call him down. Your hand is too good to fold.

[chesspain]

I think you played it fine, although I might have even checkraised the turn, if you thought there was any chance he might have layed the hand down right there, given your pair, your draw to the third best flush, and now the possibility for a boat.

[lil']

Putting any more money into the pot than you have to against an aggressive player in this spot is too risky.

HPFAP suggests checking a hand with outs, and betting a hand with no outs. On the turn, he has outs to a flush and he wants to see the river as cheaply as possible. If he bets, he will be forced to call a raise and wish he hadn't bet. Following this logic, a check-raise would be even worse.

[chesspain]

A checkraise is only foolish if you assume that your opponent will reraise and has you beaten. Hero should at least be contemplating the type of hand opponent might have, and the possibility that the opponent would lay down to a checkraise if opponent believes his hand is second best and not likely to improve.

[Mike28a]

Did he show the A /images/graemlins/heart.gifJ /images/graemlins/heart.gif?

[lil']

If he has a big heart draw (we'll assume it's big since he called an EP raise) he's not folding.
If he has a flush you are screwed.
If he has a bluff with nothing you want him to continue to bluff with nothing.

The only better hand you can conceiveably run off is a queen with the other card not being a heart. Check-raising is an option, but a very risky and expensive one.

Calling him down is much cheaper and safer.

[Rico Suave]

Thanks for all of the comments.

My opposition took it down with A /images/graemlins/heart.gif Q /images/graemlins/club.gif.

He had me all the way and I paid him off.

[Rico Suave]

I called this down because
1.) he was an aggressive player and I thought his raise did not necessarily mean I was behind. ( I had folded a lot at this table and he could be making a play at me)
2.) I had a draw to the 3rd nut flush.

If I were to change the situation and say that EP was a fairly passive player and he raised me on the flop, would that change the way you play the hand?

--Rico

[Louie Landale]

Heads up against an aggressive player you can go to the river with red 2s. It is VERY unlikely he has a bigger pair AND a bigger draw.

Key phrase is "heads-up".

- Louie