Value Bet the River?

Planet Poker 5 handed. The game had been fairly tight/aggressive, but has loosened up quite a bit of late.

UTG calls, I raise second in with AhJc. Button calls two cold.

Small blind calls BB 3 bets. UTG calls, I call, button caps, everyone calls.


Flop comes:


Ac8d5c


UTG bets, I raise, button calls two cold. SB folds, BB calls two cold, and UTG calls.


Turn is:


2s


UTG checks I bet. Button calls, BB folds, and UTG calls.


River is


5d


UTG checks, I check, button checks. UTG doesn't show button had a pair of 8s.


I though for sure the button or UTG had put on some sort of massive slow play. I just didn't see how I could have been called with a worse hand on the river. My staying in the action pre-flop was questionable, but I got caught up in the installment plan, and it was possible I had the best hand preflop because the game had gotten rather loose. Other than the river, I don't really have a problem with the way I played the hand. Comments?

I agree with you. You played the hand correctly except for the river. I think you missed a bet here. UTG would have raised before the flop with a bigger ace. So you have him. The button would have raised somewhere in the hand with an ace with a better kicker. The person to be worried about is the bb. Once he folds you should fell confident your hand is goo. The river looks like a good card for you. You don't have to worry about anybody hitting there kicker for 2 pair becuase the 5 matches one on the board. Its possibe someone has 5, but not likely. Bet and hope to get called!