[Andrew Fletcher]

Pre-Flop Action: No one seems to have a problem with the size of my raise. JJ is a strong hand in the CO and I wanted to get max value for it.

Flop: That is not a good flop for me for a variety of reasons. I am either WB/WA of any holding that villian might have which he'll put money in the pot with. Although his check says weakness, who knows what it really means. I don't have any specific reads on villian and I have an agressive table image. He might be checking to me hoping that I'll bet so he can raise. Checking that flop takes advantage of his weakness and does not allow him to push me off the best hand with a re-raise. If I build a pot with a flop bet and then he leads a non-jack the turn, I've got to let my hand go.

Turn: People think I should have raised the turn, since I showed weakness on the flop and now villian is trying to bluff. I don't think I actually showed weakness on the flop and villian is making a mistake by betting into me with a bluff. I haven't defined by hand except for a PF raise of 5xBB. His $1 bet is a bet into the dark. He might want me to re-raise him so he can fold and he might just want me to go away. By calling, I am doing neither of the things he wants. If he is value betting, a call keeps the pot sized small. Since he'll interpret my flop check as weakness, there is a good possiblity that he is bluffing and thefore I should try to see a showdown as cheaply as possible.

River: The J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] is a dream card for me. It completes a variety of possible holdings like A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]-x[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] that are possible but also gives me the likely best hand. Given how I played the hand, it is impossible for him to put me on jacks. If he has either a flush or AQ, he'll have to pay me off. Obviously, his failure to either call or re-raise my river bet shows that he had been bluffing throughout the hand.

In short, I got villian to bluff into the pot and he wouldn't have done that if I had led the flop. I kept the pot small when I wasn't sure of my strength and kept villian from bluffing me off the best hand. If he has held either AQ or a flush draw, I took advantage of his errors post flop and got myself in a situation where I could take his stack.

Villian folded and didn't show. He was bluffing and I doubt he would have called my flop bet.