AA too aggressive?

[PokerDork]

Live 10-handed 5/10 game. This only my second orbit so I don't have any real read on my opponent other than he seems to be losing and tight. He starts this hand shortstacked, but he hasn't played a hand since I've been there.

2 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, a fold, I raise in CO with A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], button folds, sb calls, bb folds.

Flop Q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]6 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]4 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (8.5 SBs)
sb checks, MP1 checks, MP2 bets, I raise, 2 folds, MP2 3-bets, I call

Turn J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (7.25 BBs)
MP2 bets, I raise, he calls

River 7 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (11.25 BBs)
MP2 bets, I raise, he calls and is all-in.

Did I play this hand to aggressively against a unknown. Should I have capped the flop, and slowed down if he lead the turn? And, I raised the river because he only had $20 in front of him at the river, the card looked like it could not have helped him, and I've noticed that sometimes people get a little desperate when close to all-in. Comments?

[brazilio]

I generally reserve an all streets raise to his stop and go against fish who love to do that with their pairs and/or laggish donks who like doing that as well. An alternative and more popular line is to cap the flop and call down if he bets the turn, and that's generally my default. Readless I would just cap the flop and call down if he bets the turn.

He's still 4BB away from being all-in on the turn, and that's a lot you're going to have to put in, even if he is playing looser than normal.

[brettbrettr]

Should I have capped the flop, and slowed down if he lead the turn?

yup

[Webster]

You did fine - the guy was an all in guy so I put him on - - - -nothing. These guys normally are desperate and want to waste their money.

If the guy had money at the table I MIGHT have slowed down a little, after all - you ONLY have top pair and he was not scaring off.

Grinders Warehouse BLOG Edition

[man]

"I've noticed that sometimes people get a little desperate when close to all-in."

that seems to be a good reason not to bet them all-in.

I don't think you're gaining anything by capping the flop, except perhaps a cheap turn. but it also seems like a cheap turn/river isn't a high priority for you here. I'm fairly unsophisticated, but whenever a tight player three-bets this flop (esp. from early position), I have trouble putting him on AQ, KQ, or any other hand that you beat. I think that a cap might've bought you a cheap turn, and saved you a bet, but once you call the three-bet I think you have to call down the turn and river. but maybe I'm assuming too much of your opponent.

[PokerDork]

He shows 44 for a flopped set. To those who said cap the flop and slow down on the turn, if he leads, I think thats the line I like. The only reason I raised the river, is because he didn't 3-bet the turn leading me to think that if I was ahead than I still am. I wasn't sure If he would've 3-bet a set on the flop heads-up, or not, and QQ, Q6, Q4, and 64, all seemed out of the question anyway. FWIW, this player later showed himself to be looser than he appeared, and also showed himself capable of 3-betting AQ or KQ in that spot- both hands he also limps in with, but since I didn't know that at the time, I did not include it.