Always be aggressive?

[BradleyT]

I wanted to raise the turn rather than the flop to make it more expensive for draws to get there and also to get more money in my pot when I took it down.

Anyone raise the flop immediately rather than waiting till it's more expensive(heh, if you consider one buck more expensive)? Anyone raise the river too?

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (7 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: BradleyT is Button with A/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
UTG calls, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, CO folds, <font color="CC3333">BradleyT raises</font>, SB folds, BB folds, UTG calls, MP2 calls.

Flop: (7.50 SB) 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif, T/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">UTG bets</font>, MP2 calls, BradleyT calls.

Turn: (5.25 BB) 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">UTG bets</font>, MP2 calls, <font color="CC3333">BradleyT raises</font>, UTG calls, MP2 calls.

River: (11.25 BB) 8/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(3 players) </font>
UTG checks, <font color="CC3333">MP2 bets</font>, BradleyT calls, UTG calls.

Final Pot: 14.25 BB
<font color="#990066">Main Pot: 14.25 BB, between MP2, BradleyT and UTG.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by MP2 (14.25 BB).</font>

Results in white below: <font color="white">
UTG shows Qc Ah (one pair, aces).
MP2 shows Qh Jc (straight, queen high).
BradleyT shows Ac Ad (three of a kind, aces).
Outcome: MP2 wins 14.25 BB. </font>

[JohnShaft]

I think you played it fine. Though there is a lot of scary Turns there's still a lot of bricks you can raise. And I don't think raising this flop is going to accomplish that much. Given that the bet is coming through MP2 I think it makes it much preferable to call and Raise the Turn. (And I almost never advocate waiting for the Turn to raise with a set).

The River bet, would I raise it? No. Without looking I thought to myself MP2 has played this exactly like QJ, and if he has it it is the nuts and you are getting 3-bet 100% of the time. Not that I'm quick to put people on the nuts either.
The added factor that if you're ahead a Raise will probably get you 2 bets from MP2. And if you Call you'll probably get them same 2 bets from MP2 and UTG heavily leans it to a call, for me (even though you have close to the nuts).
MP2 let you get away from this cheaply as the River is crying out to be Checkraised.

[vulturesrow]

I wouldve raised the flop immediately personally. I think you need to start charing the draws immediately IMHO.

[bernie]

Yep. No way am i raising the river after MP just wakes up and bets. It would stop me cold. I'd be, 'wtf!?!' Id call out of curiousity. He didnt chase all that way with 88 to try and bet it. Not after all the power shown. He has to figure there's going to be at least a caller or 2 here.

He did miss a great opp. to c/r.

b

[BigBaitsim (milo)]

I raise the flop, but only raise the river if I miss the straight on the board.

[JTG51]

Waiting is fine, as long as you raise the flop some of the time also.

Notice that waiting for the turn is a lot better here than if you had JJ and the flop was JsTs4h or something similar. In that case if UTG has a top pair hand like QJ, he'll often check if an overcard comes. In the real hand there's no chance of that happening. He's almost sure to bet the turn again.