$100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

$100 NL 6max

Tough player minraises UTG. I'm not sure what this is, but my notes on him are that he's "Very aggressive postflop, capable of raising weak beats w/ out a hand."

We're playing 5 handed. I consider reraising with AQ on the button, but elect to just call and take a flop. The blinds come along.

Flop is A-T-7 rainbow $8 in pot

Check, check, tough player bets $8. I call. Blinds fold.

$24 in pot

Turn is another A, putting two hearts up there. He deliberates and bets $20. I'm really not sure if I push or just call here. He's probably capable of firing again on a draw here, but I have no evidence to support this. I elect to call.

River is an offsuit J, $62 in pot. He best $50. I think and fold.

Comments?

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

if he is minraising he is not a tough player. Raise the turn, call the river, esp with your read.

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

Your cold calls look like a weak ace. In most instances I would think AQ AK reraises a min bet with position in a 5 handed game. Since you did not, it would be tough to put you on that strong of a hand, and so I think you should call the river bet.

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

[ QUOTE ]
if he is minraising he is not a tough player.

[/ QUOTE ] I disagree. Minraising UTG doesn't preclude him from being both a tight player preflop and a very aggressive player postflop, especially with position. These qualities make him somebody I would prefer to not have at my table, which qualifies him as a "tough player" in my book.


[ QUOTE ]
Raise the turn, call the river, esp with your read.

[/ QUOTE ] What are you putting him on that I'm beating by the river?

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

What hand are you putting him on that you fold? Why call two pot size bets and fold to a third? IF you think you are beat then just fold the turn.
You should be raising that turn, but if you decide to call the turn you need to call a reasonable river bet, which his was.

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

Well, the straight draw got there + I'm no longer beating AJ. It's a bad river card.

[ QUOTE ]
You should be raising that turn

[/ QUOTE ]
Perhaps you're right.

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

[ QUOTE ]
Well, the straight draw got there + I'm no longer beating AJ. It's a bad river card.

[ QUOTE ]
You should be raising that turn

[/ QUOTE ]
Perhaps you're right.

[/ QUOTE ]

I actually like the turn call. Obviously, also call the river. If he gay raised a weaker A PF, he wont have you on AQ, as he would have expected you to do something at some point. I think this is a textbook hand of when you just call down when someones doing the betting for you.

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

Its ok to make a "bad call" on the river.

6 max is aggressive enough, and you really don't have enough info to make this laydown.

You can actually minraise the turn also to freeze him up, then evaluate if you want to value bet the river if he calls.

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

[ QUOTE ]
What hand are you putting him on that you fold? Why call two pot size bets and fold to a third? IF you think you are beat then just fold the turn.
You should be raising that turn, but if you decide to call the turn you need to call a reasonable river bet, which his was.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have trouble putting him on anything because you never once got aggro here. He could have a weaker ace, air, a better ace, but im not folding AQ with the line you took. Now if you raised the flop and he still pulled something like this, it becomes much more borderline.

Edit: River is closer than I thought, but the fact that he has NO clue you have trips makes me think call. I really think you need to get your money in on the turn here. And strongly consider reraising preflop.

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

The 3 hands I most likely put him on, given the min-raise, are 77, AT and 98. The first two are both very strong made hands and that board only has one real draw, so the betting pattern seems to be he has a made hand and figures you for a made hand.

The other, much more unlikely alternative in my opinion, is 9 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. That's a hand that wants a multi-way juiced pot, which the min-raise seems to have accomplished, and then he plays it very hard and fast. The two hearts on the turn give him enough outs to continue representing at least TP, but the paired board would give him pause.

In any of these, you are beat by the river. The only hands you beat at the moment are the case-ace, non-king-kicker and some horrifically overplayed high PP. Because you were calling all along, the most obvious draw hit, and he fired out anyway... he probably has even that beat.

Also, I would strongly considering reraising pre-flop. You made no attempt to define his hand and AQ is a dangerous hand to play without some idea of what he has. Calling seems the best way to get hit w/AK.

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

[ QUOTE ]
You can actually minraise the turn also to freeze him up, then evaluate if you want to value bet the river if he calls.

[/ QUOTE ]
Hmmm... this is an idea, but the problem w/ it IMO is that bloats the pot and gives him odds to draw with an OESD if that is what he infact has.

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

Good post cormia. I think he'd be much more likely to minraise something like AK or 98 then AT, but that's just a guess. Reraising preflop is definitely my standard play here, I just wasn't sure what to make of the minraise so I opted to play cautiously.

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

[ QUOTE ]
River is closer than I thought, but the fact that he has NO clue you have trips makes me think call

[/ QUOTE ]
I really thing he knows where I'm at in this hand on the river. He might not know how good my kicker is, but he probably knows that I have at least an ace.

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

[ QUOTE ]

I actually like the turn call. Obviously, also call the river.

[/ QUOTE ]
I really don't see anything other than A/rag that I'm beating by the river, and I really don't think A-rag comes out firing $50 on the river.

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

It highly depends on your read on this opponent especially what his bet size means.
Without a read, I think pot bet on all street is at least an ace. You are ahead some behind some.
I also like a turn min raise. I like the call more if he is speeding. But if he is good, you have to define your hand at one point.

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

you will see a pocket pair alot here in my experience, something like 88/99 that decides he might be good when the 2nd A hits. ties in with the min raise pf as well. when you call the turn he prolly puts you on some sort of A an trys to get you off it on the river.

the interesting thing is if you call with AQ you should prolly be calling with any A. i dont think he bets that big with a weak A on the river. i think you will either see JJ or a a pair that has missed.

does he think your capable of laying down a weak Axs? i would prolly call, i think your good 50% of the time which is enough.

paul

edit: hmmm KQ/78 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] also got there on the river and also tie in with the action. maybe its closer than i thought. tough hand......

Re: $100 NL - AQ versus tough player
 

[ QUOTE ]
Very aggressive postflop, capable of raising weak beats w/ out a hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds like you're beating a bluff too.