Kind of an odd question

[Skater T]

This question has to do wiht pot odds, and dealing with idiots at micro-limit.

I had A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif A /images/graemlins/club.gif in middle position. UTG bets, I raise, two players cold call, UTG reraises, I cap, other two call. On the flop there are 16SB in the pot plus the blinds.

Flop A/images/graemlins/heart.gif 5 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif
UTG checks, I bet, the guy behind me raises, UTG folds, the betting is then capped/called. Note: I had noticed this player raising waaaay too much preflop with AXs, so I had a hunch he had hit two pair on the flop, which puts him drawing dead. As such I'm not afraid of him as his betting into me is wanted.

Turn 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif

I bet, he raises, cap/call.

River J/images/graemlins/spade.gif

I bet my three aces and he raises, it caps, then he reveals a runner runner flush to beat me.
The question is then, was I right to put him on two pair, should i have bet differently especially given the fact that he bet into me with his backdoor flush draw? Also, since the pot was very large, was I giving him better odds to draw out on me by betting back at him?

Please let me konw what you think.
Thanks.

[SoCalPat]

Outside of 34, you had the nuts on every street ... up to the river. So playing it any other way likely would have been less than optimal.

When he raises the river, it's time to throw your initial read away. He could have had A /images/graemlins/spade.gif 2 /images/graemlins/spade.gif ... covering both your initial read AND making the nuts on the river.

I wouldn't have 3-bet the river, otherwise, you played it perfectly. Just don't get married to your reads and not allow yourself some flexibility on further streets.

[Guido]

You played it fine IMO. Just bet out on the river and call a raise, don't 3-bet.

[lil']

Also, since the pot was very large, was I giving him better odds to draw out on me by betting back at him?

Don't ever think this. You forced him to put large sums of money in the pot when he was drawing nearly dead. This is a good thing.

[Louie Landale]

Yes, overly aggressive players can find LOTS of non-nut hands to be overly aggressive with. Fear of the straight is irrationaly against this player. And against most other players.

Yes, you are giving him better pot odds to draw on the river if you cap the two previous rounds. So what. Maximizing your opponent's investment while you have the best hand is a good thing. If you FAIL to cap it early, YOU are making a HUGE mistake just to make the opponent make a slightly less-good call on the turn.

At some point you need to start figuing the opponent knows you've got trip Aces. After capping the 3 previous rounds, even my Mother would figure that out. This makes your 3-bet on the river pretty bad, along with the "fact" that players tend to raise more liberally on the turn than the river, and rightfully so.

Spend more time figuring out "what you are representing", which translates to "what does the opponent think I have".

- Louie