Question about top two---400 NL
 

SB has 250 and is bad. SB has 200 and is bad. MP has 550 and is pretty tight(25/4). I have 450 and am on the button with AJs.

MP limps. MP+2 limps and I limp on the button with AJs. Sometimes I raise, but this time I elected just to see the flop cheaply.

Flop is J74 and 2 diamonds(I have hearts). All check to me, and I fire out a pot sized bet of $20. A lot of times in this spot I fire out the full pot, so I can see where people stand in an unraised pot. I would not like to bet half, and be checkraised by someone who thinks their hand is good. If someone calls, I can always check behind the turn if need be.

SB, BB and UTG all call. I thought that SB, and BB could be on draws, or have flopped 2 pairs(they would wait for the turn I believe). MP really had me a little worried, as his overcall there I thought was odd(wouldn't he have led a draw there?).

The turn is an ace, giving me top two. Now I am sure I am ahead of the BB and SB, and am willing to go broke to them if they flopped a set, but MP is still a ?. Checked to MP who fires out $45 into a $97 pot. I thought it was a strange bet(perhaps he had nut high diamonds and hit the ace), but I didnt want to give a cheap draw to the blinds, so I raised to $150. My plan at this point was to fold to a reraise by the MP, on the thought that he limped in, and played his hand like a set, and against his reraising range I am toast. In any event, he just calls.

The river is a Q(not of diamonds). He checks to me. I thought that if he didn't have enough to push the turn, unless he had AQ of diamonds, I was still ahead, so I decided to push for 300 more into a ~400 pot or so.

I wanted to get some feedback on my thought process throughout the hand. Obviously it turned out poorly, as he showed a set of 7's. Is there any way to play it differently? Should I check the river? Or was it just right?

Thanks,
Jason

Re: Question about top two---400 NL
 

I like your line up until the river (except pre-flop). The raise on the turn is great because it gets you a free showdown. I would take it unless villain is terrible.

Re: Question about top two---400 NL
 

I see that. The question i have is, doesnt 77 know he has the nuts essentially, and 44 should be willing to go broke also? If they're not willing to get it all in on the turn, doesnt that make it considreably less likely that they have a set?

Re: Question about top two---400 NL
 

I probably value bet river against a player i dont fear. Hopefully he calls 100 with diamond draw that picked up the ace for a weak pair.

If he's super tricky, which this guy doesnt look to be from his stats, i prob fire 100. You want him to call when you're ahead, and I dont think he does with the 300 bet.

Re: Question about top two---400 NL
 

i'm having trouble deciding whether villain butchered his hand or has a masterful read on OP

Re: Question about top two---400 NL
 

[ QUOTE ]
i'm having trouble deciding whether villain butchered his hand or has a masterful read on OP

[/ QUOTE ]

the answer is C, both players butchered the hand

Re: Question about top two---400 NL
 

Not raising preflop here is giving up a lot, seriously.

I like your line postflop until the river, where I think a smaller valuebet is in order. The two-pair hands that you want to get paid off by get away here to a push.

Re: Question about top two---400 NL
 

I would bet less on the river. I don't think nut flush draws that hit their ace will call your push. Even worse 2 pair hands will fold often.

Re: Question about top two---400 NL
 

For the people advocating a smaller valuebet, do you guys fold to a raise? I really don't like a push because you're beat most of the time when you get called and a better hand isn't folding.

Re: Question about top two---400 NL
 

Yea, he played his hand pretty weird. I would def value bet this river.