What am I doing with these aces??
 

The original preflop raiser is a bit aggressive preflop. I think he's raising a lot of broadway combos from any position and some of the medium strength aces, and probably a number of pocket pairs as well. He's also quite aggressive postflop (willing to bluff at scary boards, loves to bet when checked to, lots of flop donking).

I checked the flop expecting villain to bet it. This flop came down good for a lot of coldcalling hands, and I wanted to see who would be coming along on the turn. I would be very concerned if the other two players called on this flop. This is a standard slowplaying situation for trip queens, so I wanted to tread a little cautiously and not over-invest on the flop.

Once it was heads up, I decided to let aggro villain keep betting into me. With the weakness of 3-betting preflop, and checking the flop, I saw no reason that he would want to slow down.

Paradise Poker 1/2 Hold'em (5 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is SB with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. MP posts a blind of $1.
<font color="#CC3333">UTG raises</font>, MP (poster) calls, Button calls, <font color="#CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG calls, MP calls, Button calls.

Flop: (13 SB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">UTG bets</font>, MP folds, Button folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (7.50 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">UTG bets</font>, Hero calls.

River: (9.50 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">UTG bets</font>, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 11.50 BB

Re: What am I doing with these aces??
 

I think you can check-raise the turn and call down if 3-bet. Villain could be betting with a number of hands you're beating here (from your description KJ, KT, AJ - A8, TT - 77, etc.) and you've probably got 6 outs if you're behind. Maybe call it 5 to be conservative, but I still think you've got to get another bet in here.

I don't know how I feel about the flop check - it seems like this is one of those situations where you know you're going to call a bet anyway, so why not bet out? A lot of hands you're beating will call you here. If you bet, UTG raises, and then someone else calls/re-raises, you can be pretty confident you're behind too.

Re: What am I doing with these aces??
 

I'm thinking you need to find a raise here. The chance that he's doing this with a K or underpair (is he able to fold that though?) seems pretty high.

Re: What am I doing with these aces??
 

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know how I feel about the flop check - it seems like this is one of those situations where you know you're going to call a bet anyway, so why not bet out? A lot of hands you're beating will call you here. If you bet, UTG raises, and then someone else calls/re-raises, you can be pretty confident you're behind too.

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The more likely scenario: I bet, villain raises, someone coldcalls... Now where am I? Am I really going to check-fold the turn because of the coldcall?

Re: What am I doing with these aces??
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I don't know how I feel about the flop check - it seems like this is one of those situations where you know you're going to call a bet anyway, so why not bet out? A lot of hands you're beating will call you here. If you bet, UTG raises, and then someone else calls/re-raises, you can be pretty confident you're behind too.

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The more likely scenario: I bet, villain raises, someone coldcalls... Now where am I? Am I really going to check-fold the turn because of the coldcall?

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That's what I'm saying - the coldcall followed by any aggression on later streets means business in my book. If you're UI on the turn, you can check/call as long it's one back to you, and you can fold pretty confidently if it's two. This may cost you an extra bet if you're behind, but you stand to win a much larger pot if you're ahead.

Re: What am I doing with these aces??
 

you're going to 3bet the flop and fold if the coldcaller raises a big bet street.
in this particular situation, you got it heads-up on the flop though, and you would prefer getting at least 2 bets in there.
alarms go off for many people when you 3bet preflop and check the flop. this kind of play will ensure that you only get action when you're behind.

Re: What am I doing with these aces??
 

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I don't know how I feel about the flop check - it seems like this is one of those situations where you know you're going to call a bet anyway, so why not bet out? A lot of hands you're beating will call you here. If you bet, UTG raises, and then someone else calls/re-raises, you can be pretty confident you're behind too.

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The more likely scenario: I bet, villain raises, someone coldcalls... Now where am I? Am I really going to check-fold the turn because of the coldcall?

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That's what I'm saying - the coldcall followed by any aggression on later streets means business in my book. If you're UI on the turn, you can check/call as long it's one back to you, and you can fold pretty confidently if it's two. This may cost you an extra bet if you're behind, but you stand to win a much larger pot if you're ahead.

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How is that different from him calling one bet and waking up on the turn? I don't think I win a much larger pot when I'm ahead because the coldcaller only has such a small range of hands if he's coldcalling the flop.

Re: What am I doing with these aces??
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think you can check-raise the turn and call down if 3-bet. Villain could be betting with a number of hands you're beating here (from your description KJ, KT, AJ - A8, TT - 77, etc.) and you've probably got 6 outs if you're behind. Maybe call it 5 to be conservative, but I still think you've got to get another bet in here.


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Agreed. I know you want to get that extra bluff bet out of him on the river, but I think he either has a weak pair or draw here enough that he's going to call you down all the way.

Re: What am I doing with these aces??
 

Often you will be up against a queen but in general you have way, way too strong of a hand to be check calling on a flop like this. Also these guys suck and if you bet and get raised and they coldcall it doesn't mean they have a queen since most of then aren't folding any gutshot here.

Re: What am I doing with these aces??
 

bet the flop? Thats my first thought anyhow. Get raised by a king probably.

get slowplayed by a queen most likly(So you can let it go or call down).

However you're line is the cheapest(lol) and kings can keep firing, Queens you're screwed by.

If you think here though on each streets.
Flop: He aint got a queen he'd prob C/r me! prob a king and i beat it.

Turn: Ohh gutshot plus i may ahead call.

River: big pot, i may win, he may be bluffing and im ahead of all but a queen and theres 2 of those out there.