Playing QQ from BB, aggressive player to your left

[dark_horse]

here's another 1/2 hand from last night's live game.

the most aggressive player at the 10-handed table is sitting directly to my left. aggressive but thoughtful, not a maniac. i think he's stolen a few pots, but has also bet big when he had big hands. he raises from UTG to $24, a big raise for the table, when the average raises were between $10-$15. i'm thinking he has a middle pair and doesn't want big cards to call. that's typically what a raise like that means.

i'm in the BB and it's folded around to me. i have QQ. i consider reraising but want to just call and see the flop heads up, to see if i can get more money out of him in case the flop gives him an overpair as well. i don't think he has KK/AA in fear of losing action. so now the pot has $49.

the flop brings an ace, but no draws. i check, and he bets $30.
your action?

[Mackerel]

I doubt that you're going to get much more out of him if you're ahead here, so I probably just take a passive, call/check-call the turn, line to try to get him to bet again with his under pair. Then I'd evaluate the river between a moderate value bet (most likely) or another check. Of course, the danger in that line is that you won't know if he hits a set (and you risk letting him hit for free on the turn), but it will extract the most if your read is correct and you are ahead.

If this opponenet was passive, I'd probably just CR the flop to end it and not risk the suckout.

[brettthomas]

I aggree with the previous. I think it comes down to your read on him. If there is a reasonable chance he will fire again, check. Otherwise take it down w/ a CR.

[dark_horse]

but how can i be so sure he doesn't have an ace? if i know he'll bet at me regardless, do i want to pay off future streets not really knowing if i had the best hand? wouldn't some sort of bet (either betting out or c/r) on the flop be almost required to find out if my hand is any good?

the problem here is, i had a read preflop (middle pair), but when the ace came, i got scared and abandoned my read.

[brettthomas]

Well, you don't of course, but i like your read PF. How often do you see a big opening raise like that utg from an unpaired A? He's only going to get action from superior hands or (another) AK.

[brettthomas]

Also, if he has AQ or less, there may also be some equity from calling the flop and taking it away on the turn or, if your stacks a deep enough, the river(unles you don't think he will lay down TPGK). He must respect your hand after your pf call. What was your table image?

[dark_horse]

my table image was tight. perhaps a bit weak-tight postflop. after his bet of $30, i check-raised to $75, which was basically a pot sized raise. he mucked his pocket tens face up and i showed him and the table my queens. someone made a comment "how did they both know?" i'm not sure if it was sarcastic.

anyway maybe that wasn't the best line, as he's not a passive player. i could have continued to call down his bets, but bets generally get larger with each street because of the pot swelling, and i didn't want to deal with that. if he comes over the top i muck. if he calls i'm very confused.

someone mentioned value betting on the river. that's a classy play. not sure if i could handle it though with the ace out there.

[brettthomas]

I think you played it well. Although, I also think there is a great value (with high variance) in letting aggressive players keep the lead when there is a strong probability of them holding an under-pair. If he convinces himself that you're weak, and will lay down, you take a lot from him. The situation, your and his table image, indicate this was that kind of a hand.