Hand with aggression / hand-reading questions

[JMBills]

I've been at this table for about 15 hands and I've noticed there're a few loose players and a few tight players. I'm still edgy about dealing with tight-aggressive players.

Party Poker 0.5/1 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button 3-bets</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero caps</font>, Button calls.

I haven't seen the Button take down any pots or show down any cards before this.
I somewhat regretted capping preflop instantly, because I cannot narrow down what my opponent has at all.

Flop: (9.50 SB) K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises</font>, Hero calls.

I hit my king, so I bet, but the button isn't scared by that at all. There're two clubs on the board, I think, perhaps he has AK of clubs. I'll admit I didn't 3-bet because I was plain baffled / scared of what the opponent might have to beat me (the possibilities seemed limitless).

Question 1: Heads-up is this a 3-bet opportunity?

Turn: (6.75 BB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, Button checks.

After the button checked, I thought: Ooook so he just successfully used a free-card play on me, now I am nearly 100% sure he is on a flush draw.

Question 2: 3 to a straight on board, 2-flush, I have top pair best kicker still. Had he bet, should I have folded? Should I have bet out here?

River: (6.75 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets</font>, Hero calls.

The final flush card hit and I know I'm beat, but I called out of stubbornness to know what this opponent was playing so aggressively with preflop/on the flop-- and it wasn't what I thought it was.


Against passive players I have a pretty high level of confidence but against aggression I start to lose track of what my opponents could have and miss some angles.

I'd appreciate any input on this particular situation and generalizations, this is what I would consider a marginal situation worth posting, but if it's the same old drill and I'm just too dumb to realize it, my bad.

[UncleSalty]

I think this is a classic opportunity to apply the clarkmeister theorum. You are HU, OOP, and the 4th flush card just hit the river. If I am correct you should bet the river and fold to a raise.

However, I'm a little confused by whether Clarkmeister applies when the hand was already HU on the flop. Betting the flop HU should indicate to the villain that you're not on a flush draw, so I don't know if it's considered correct to bet the river in this case.

Can anyone clarify here?

[zuluking]

This is a .50/1 hand that you are over-analyzing too much.

I would 3-bet the flop, call his cap and bet out on the turn. If he raises the turn, I would check/call the river UNLESS the 4th club hit (which it did here) then I would bet out.

[JMBills]

Clarkmeister's Theorum is for a four-flush board, this is a 3-flush board. I did say that the "final flush card hit" which, upon retrospect, clearly illustrates my incorrect, weak-tight line of thinking that I'm trying to correct.

I was thinking: Suddenly, I'm heads-up, so every mistake I make is more profound than if there're a bunch of weaker players in the hand too.

When you're heads-up with somebody, the chances of them having a drawing hand is actually less than betting into a field of 4 and getting only a single call on a flop like this though, right? So 3-betting makes even more sense.

My short-handed play is sorely lacking in general, looking back at my post again I feel like a complete tard for not playing that more aggressively. Of course top pair is strong heads-up...

[TripleH68]

3-bet the flop and lead the turn. If villain raises the turn, then slow down.

[zuluking]

[ QUOTE ]
Clarkmeister's Theorum is for a four-flush board, this is a 3-flush board.

[/ QUOTE ]

Holy $hit Batman! I gotta quit the beers tonight. sorry.