Another intersting hand

[hansarnic]

$100 rebuy, 20 left, 10 pay, blinds 300/600 no ante, I am T20k (about average).

UTG (Very LAG – T35k) opens for T1800. I am UTG+1 with A /images/graemlins/spade.gif Q /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. He’s been open-raising with lots of hands from all positions. I’m confident I have the best hand, but with 8 left to act, many of whom cover me, I just call.

Comments?

It’s folded to SB (T20kish) who calls, BB folds.

Flop (6k) is A /images/graemlins/club.gif 9 /images/graemlins/club.gif 5 /images/graemlins/heart.gif. Checked to me I bet T4.5k.

Comments? 6-8k better?

SB calls, UTG passes.

Turn (15k) is J /images/graemlins/club.gif and SB bets 3.5k into me.

Other relevent info - SB is a decent player. I have been caught bluffing at a couple of pots on the flop recently.

What would you do?

[soxfan70]

If you're going to make the pre-flop call, and the raiser checked that flop to you, I like overbetting the pot, not underbetting it. If you thought you had the best hand preflop, you have to think you still have the best hand, and want to make others pay for their flush draw. Just my opinion.

[Squirrel]

1) With your stack relative to the blinds, I am definitely folding preflop. I admit I play tighter than most preflop in NL tournies, but certainly with over 30 Big Blinds in your stack a better situation will arise than AQ UTG+1 against an UTG raiser (loose or not). If I call a raise with AQo, with chips in front of me, I have to KNOW I'll have position on the field. This certainly isn't the case here. How do you like your hand if someone comes over the top, or better yet, 2 people in later position call also? When you have chips in front of you, AQ in EP is trash.

2) I probably bet a little more on the flop (pot or therabouts), but I have no problem with your bet.

3) Boy that's a small bet by the SB, but I still find it hard to believe you have the best hand. The fact that a good player called a fairly large bet without closing the flop action scares me. My gut feeling is that he is hoping for a call.

If he isn't the type of player to fire another barrel on the river if he misses or was bluffing or has a mediocre hand, I call with the intention of folding to a decent sized river bet.

If he is, I do one of those small, slow-you-down raises with the intention of folding to a reraise. I don't think a good player commits his chips with a hand you beat. I then check the river no matter what. (I may shove if another club hits and he is visibly unhappy)

I'm not really proud of my number 3 answer, but thst's why I try to avoid situations like this.