AK vs. possible table sheriff ($25 NL)

I'm posting about this hand for two reasons:

1) Advice/feedback on how to play the villain if my read is correct.

2) Is my read likely correct in the first place?

$25 NL, Hero has preflop raised two of the last three hands (from button and big blind), taking the pots with standard continuation bets. Hero played mid-LAG for this table session, under 25% VPIP but over 10% PFR. I only had 16 hands at this table with villain, during which he was 56/18/1.6

Relevant stacks: Hero $27.50, Villain has over $45.

Hero is UTG with Ac Kd.

Hero raises to $1, MP folds, CO folds, Villain on the button pauses about 7-8 seconds and reraises to $3, blinds fold.

* What is the line you would take with someone who you think is suspicious of your raise and might be playing table sheriff? When he made the reraise, for a total range, I put him on AK-AQ, 99-JJ, maybe also AJ or KQ. For some reason, though, I just didn't think he had a super premium hand preflop, but a hand that he didn't want to slowplay and let me continuation bet into him on a tricky flop. I think he wanted to put me on the back foot and take the initiative in the hand. I just thought that if he had QQ-AA, he'd call, see a flop, and play back at me or try to "walk-the-dog" me on a non-threatening board after I cbet. If my read is right, do I set him all in and make him race or fold, or call and see a flop?

I decided to call the reraise and see a flop.


Flop ($6.15): Kd 5c 2h

I get a pretty good flop for my hand, TPTK with no obvious draws. I decide to check to him and let him bet it and decide from there. He bets $6, about the size of the pot.

* Raise him or call here?

I decided to just call and bet into him on a non-scary turn and see what he did then.


Turn ($18): Ks 5c 2h (Qc)

Turn looks innocent enough. I bet $9 (about half-pot), leaving myself a little over $9 behind. I wanted to confuse him and maybe get him to call, thinking I was bluffing a missed ace-high, a just picked-up club draw, or something. Villain paused long enough for the time-to-act message to pop up, and called, which made me really start to wonder what he had and if my read was right.


River ($36): Ks 5c 2h Qc (Kh)

I think for about two seconds about checking and letting him bluff at it/bet it if he has it, but I decide he won't bet something that can't beat three kings, so I stick my last $9 and change in. At least I can beat aces now if he's got that.

Results later on.

Push the flop when he bets $6

[GoCubsGo]

I see no reason to do that. Pushing the flop folds most of his possible hands, some of them which we could milk for some more money. The only reason to push would be to protect our hand. What are why trying to protect against? Against this type of player, we do not need to try any fancy plays. Just keep pounding on him little by little and he will come along. Don't stick it all in at once and scare him away.

Any raise commits you.

Looks like all good plays to me. What are the results? Did he have qq?

[nietzreznor]

[ QUOTE ]
Push the flop when he bets $6


[/ QUOTE ]

This would be okay if he will call with very little, but on a drawless board like this, you're probably just going to fold everything you beat and get called by stuff that beats you.

[GoCubsGo]

[ QUOTE ]
Any raise commits you.

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I agree with that. But how does that change anything? In some cases, it is good to push for exactly the reason you stated. Any raise commits you so you're going to put it all in anyway, may as well get in all in while you're likely to be ahead. But in this situation, there is a very strong chance that we have villain dominated. If he is drawing to 3 outs, why even risk losing him? Of course we know we are getting it all in no matter what, but he doesn't. String him along, keep the bets looking small, and let him wonder how he ended up getting his whole stack in with such a trashy hand on the river.

And for what it's worth, I lead the flop. If I do check, I don't check raise. Lead the turn. We can get his stack in without showing so much strength. It probably backfired this time when villain showed KQ, but pushing the flop is longterm -EV against this type of opponent.

[nietzreznor]

1) The way you played it looks okay. If villain is aggro enough, I might c/r the turn all-in. Or sometimes I open push the turn. Against this guy, your line works fine. If you think he might be calling a bit loose against you, then I have no problem getting all in with AK here. Oh, and I would almost never c/r the flop on that board. I think c/c is definitely the play there.

2) As for whether or not your read is likely to be correct, only you can answer that question.

Thanks for the confirmation, folks. The way I played it was the only way I could think of to play it, and it accomplished what I wanted to.

Villain had 77 (?!?!?!?) and MHIVG