Hand from the Borgata Open Warmup

[slickpoppa]

[ QUOTE ]
Consider this a Part One post.

This tourney was $1,000+80. 10k chips to start, 40 minute levels. Blinds start at 25-50.

Level 3, 75-150. I have about 8k (cold cards, too bad b/c I was looking to splash around early on). My image is probably tight and I think it looks like I know what I'm doing even tho I've won only one pot.

Villain in this hand seems to be at least decent and is a thinking player. At the time I thought he was pretty good. We've been involved in one hand prior to this. He limped for 50 in EP, I raised to 175 in LP w/ AJ and we were heads up. Flop was QTx, he checked, I bet 250, he minraised and I called. Turn was a Jack and I folded when he bet 1500, tho I briefly considered raising (he didn't seem to like that turn card) to represent AK.

On to the hand. It folds to him in LP and he raises to 450. He had about 6500 to start the hand (I had 8k). He raised when it was folded to him on the prior hand.

I have AQ in the BB and raise it 1100 more. He calls. About 3300 in the pot.

Flop is A96 rainbow.

Can a reasonable argument be made for checking, and would you actually do that in the heat of the moment?

thanks much.

Rest of the hand to follow.

[/ QUOTE ]

First of all, I don't like the preflop reraise because it is unlikely to make him fold and you'll be out of position. Judging from your description of him and the previous hand, he doesn't seem tight enough for there to be a high probability of him folding. By reraising, you create a big pot out of position against an at least decent opponent.

Anyway, given the PF reraise, I think checking the flop might be okay if you think there is a high enough probability of him betting KK-TT. But, as others have mentioned, a flop check is unlikely to induce a bluff in this situation because you showed so much preflop strength. Another problem with checking the flop is that if he bets and you reraise, you don't give yourself a chance to get away from the hand if he has AK or a set. By betting out 1500ish, you at least give yourself a chance to get away from the hand if he moves in.

So by checking the flop and reraising the flop all-in (I assume thats the plan) you have a small chance of getting an extra 1500ish, or small chance of losing ~5500. And theres also the chance that by checking you let him catch a two outer.

So I think I prefer betting out here. I would only check if the villain is particularly aggressive, which doesnt appear to be true in this case.