AJs from the SB vs. a raise

[bdk3clash]

OK call preflop? Should I have raised/folded?

OK turn laydown? If it matters, EP1 was short-stacked but not severely so.

Party Poker 1/2 (10 handed)
bdk3clash has J/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif and is SB

UTG raises, EP1 calls, Button folds, bdk3clash calls, BB calls

Flop(8 SB): 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif, J/images/graemlins/club.gif, T/images/graemlins/club.gif

bdk3clash checks, BB folds, UTG bets, EP1 calls, bdk3clash raises, UTG calls, EP1 calls

Turn(7 BB): 7/images/graemlins/club.gif

bdk3clash bets, UTG calls, EP1 raises, bdk3clash folds, UTG calls

River(12 BB): 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

UTG checks, EP1 bets, UTG folds

[jdl22]

The pot was huge (11 bb by my count, 12 if UTG calls) and you had TPTK. Since UTG didn't reraise your checkraise I doubt he has a pair over yours. While it seems he would only have raised if he had made a straight and/or flush or a set with this big pot I think you should lean toward staying in.

[Brian]

Hi bdk,

Muck this pre-Flop to a legitimate raise. And most UTG raises are legitimate. The rest seems fine to me lacking a read on EP1.

-Brian

[chesspain]

PF: Although I would like to have at least one more coldcaller in front of me, I think that the call is O.K., since the pot is giving you 5.5:1 to call, with it being 6.5:1 if BB calls.

Flop: I don't know about the checkraise here. I might just bet out, in order to increase the likelihood that EP1 will be forced to call two bets if UTG raises. This increase your chances of winning this pot, although in this specific hand it probably will not clean up overcard outs, since if UTG has AK or AQ then the Broadway kicker he is not holding will make him a str8 if it falls.

Turn: It doesn't look like UTG has an overpair, based upon his failure to cap your checkraise on the flop, although some players with an overpair do get frozen when they are checkraised, meaning that you can't rule-out the possibility that you are still behind UTG. However, the fact the EP1 has now come alive on the turn, in spite of the action you and UTG have been giving, makes one think he really likes his hand at this point. In fact, I can't imagine that he could be semi-bluffing, since he had to assume that both UTG and you would each call for one more bet.

You are getting 10:1 when the action comes back to you, although unless EP1 is getting all excited about an unlikely two-pair, you are now drawing dead to a flush. In addition, one would think that if he had flopped two-pair or a set that he would have raised on the flop in order to try to push you out of the hand. Furthermore, the fact the he raised when this flush card hit meant that he's not afraid of a flush dominating his hand, likely because he does have a flush. Even if he is only holding two-pair, the pot is barely laying you enough to call, not even considering the distinct possibility that you are drawing dead or extremely thin.

Consequently, I think that the fold is fine.