Flopped Top two pair -4 handed

I was at the Harrah's East Chicago Casino last night playing $20-40 Hold 'em. The game got down to 4 handed. I'm wondering if I played the following hand correctly. I'm on the button. A loose aggressive player limps in under the gun. I raise on the button with A-Q offsuit. The two blinds call. The flop comes A-Q-3 rainbow. They check to me, I bet, and they both fold. This bothers me because, a few rounds earlier, I had raised with an A-9, flopped two pair, and had no one call. I figure that someone should at least call 4-handed. For Sunglasses Mike: the players were Tuan, Tony S (obviously, the loose agreesive player), and some tighter player that I had never seen before.


I figure I could have checked, and hoped to check someone into a pair or two pair. I don't want to check someone into trips, or into a BS straight draw. Also, since it's short handed, I figured they'd realize that I automatically bet even if I missed the flop, so they might be more likely to call me down.


Any opinions are appreciated.

Ted

I think a flop containing both an ace and a queen means you are likely to have players stay with you, especially in a shorthanded game so I would bet the flop with the top two. If no one can call your flop bet, this means that no one had anything and you were not going to make much money on this hand regardless of what you did. At best, you might get a "curiosity call" at some point. But I think the pot is large enough at this point to merit betting your hand rather than slow playing.

Ted,


I bet; I ALWAYS bet, because I "always" bet the flop after my preflop raise(OK, maybe not always). A check looks suspicious; don't worry about it, they probably didn't have anything; but when they do--start makin'em pay right away. Besides, what if one of them had bottom pair and you check them into trips--then how do you feel?


Mike

Its true -- Iron Mike ALWAYS bets the flop...


I think you have to bet here as well. I have nothing to add to what others have said.


-CW

I can't see how are you aren't going to bet in a shorthanded game. Shorthanded Holdem is a game of aggression and not trapping.


If they are going to folding when you raise preflop when you bet the flop you are going to make alot of money...

What is IMHO, also IMO?

Hey Will, unless you're Kelly,


What's up?


Mike