Bleh, I botched this AJo BB play

[PokerNoob]

Party Poker 2/4 (9 handed) Aggressive game, with a good bit of bluffing and blind stealing. Very tight game at times.

Hero has J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif and is BB

MP3 limps, Button raises, SB folds, Hero calls, MP3 calls

Flop(6 1/2 SB): A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif

Hero checks, MP3 checks, Button bets, Hero calls, MP3 folds

Turn(4 1/4 BB): 2/images/graemlins/club.gif

Hero checks, Button bets, Hero raises, Button calls

River(8 1/4 BB): 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif

Hero checks, Button checks


It turned out that Button had a legitimate raising hand, AKs. I thought he would have something decent, but perhaps not that good. If I could play it over again, I would reraise preflop and get concerned if he caps. After that, I don't know what. If I led out betting, opponent would call to the river and outkick, perhaps even raising the river if he felt frisky. I think a flop checkraise might be the best play, although it could look like a free card play for the heart flush and a reraise from him may not be that strong of a hand. If a heart hits the turn, a great place for me to semi bluff. My turn checkraise froze him, but the river rag didn't help. Since he called the checkraise, I was pretty sure he had an Ace and something. He would call down anyway if I led out with a bet.

How do you play this? Is there any option besides just going into calldown mode?

[wontons]

Why would you go for the checkraise on the turn and then CHECK on the river...I don't see the 4 that came down on the river to be a scare card esp when the guy raised preflop..how does this 4 change your play....from leading out on the river...INFOOOOORRRRMMMM MEEEEEE.

[PokerNoob]

It was a "prove you at least have an ace" play. He did. At that point, his pf raise looks legit, so there's a good chance I'm outkicked. I checked the river, feeling a weaker hand wouldn't call (maybe a pocket pair calls here because he doesn't know when he's beat, but I hadn't detected that from this player) and an ace better kicker (or two pair) would call. Put yourself in his shoes. I've been told to slow down once, but called the raise with TPTK. You're gonna lay it down for a river bet? No. Now back to me. I'm over 50% sure he's got AK, AQ or AJ. Why bet the river?

[Gravy (Gravy Smoothie)]

Flat call the raise preflop, bet out on the flop, call his raise, and check/call the turn and river if you don't improve. Expect to be shown AA/AK/AQ/AJ.

[Brian]

Hi PokerNoob,

[ QUOTE ]
Why bet the river?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because 95% of the time, you aren't going to get a free showdown against a better hand. And a worse hand, such as KK-99, or ATs, will check it through. This person checking his AK on the River is definitely an exception.

-Brian

[PokerNoob]

Brian,

I was pretty well convinced he had a better hand or a push. Maybe I was too quick to make that judgement. I am trying to get away from calling stationitis and I'm wondering if this is the kind of hand you just have to go into betdown or calldown mode with.

[Brian]

Hi PokerNoob,

Even if you are fairly certain that he has a better hand than you do, as long as you don't expect a raise, you should bet the River. This is because if you check, he will bet if he has a better hand, and he will check through if he has a worse hand. In other words, you still lose the 1 big bet if he has the better hand, but you also lose 1 big bet if you allow him to get a free showdown with ATs (or any worse Ace for that matter), or any high pocket pair.

This concept is discussed in detail in Theory of Poker in the "Heads up on the end" chapter. But basically, if you are first to act heads-up on the River, you have to value bet a lot more hands than you other wise would because when you check, you are giving your opponent the option of whether or not he wants to value bet you.

-Brian

[chesspain]

[ QUOTE ]
Flat call the raise preflop, bet out on the flop, call his raise, and check/call the turn and river if you don't improve. Expect to be shown AA/AK/AQ/AJ.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't see any lumps in Gravy's analysis...this plan looks good to me /images/graemlins/smirk.gif