Firing the 3rd shell

[Siawyn]

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (8 handed) converter

saw flop|<font color="#C00000">saw showdown</font>

CO ($26.40)
<font color="#C00000">Button :#A500AF(Villian)/ ($89.80)</font>
SB ($77.20)
BB ($65.20)
UTG ($19.55)
UTG+1 ($24.70)
MP1 ($11.55)
<font color="#C00000">Hero ($48.75)</font>

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $2</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Button :#A500AF(Villian)/ calls $2, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>.

The guy is an unknown to me so far, but calling on the button doesn't really give me an idea what his hand is - just that he has position and likes his cards.

Flop: ($4.75) 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $4</font>, Villian calls $4.

Okay, this is a good flop for ace-high. Standard pot-ish bet here to either take it down, or not terribly unhappy if I get called. What if I get raised though? How hard do you play this kind of hand here out of position?

Turn: ($12.75) 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $10</font>, Villian calls $10.

At this point I've quite clearly ruled out him having an overpair, I'm pretty sure I would have heard about it already. I'm trying to put him on an actual hand but the range I come up with is a pair like 66/77 or maybe a draw too, along with a hand like AT.. but I would have thought I would have been raised on the flop if he held that hand.

River: ($32.75) T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>

Allright.. missed at the river. Do you take another stab at this? What would be a good size bet? I actually DO like seeing the T come off because it's much less likely he was calling me down with top pair and he has to consider that maybe I was betting top pair myself.

My main problem was not knowing if the guy was really solid, or a calling station, or loose yet. How do you approach such a hand with an unknown? This is a situation that is fairly common online for me since you are always running into unknowns.

Do you play this any differently on other streets?

[tripdad]

i kinda like your bet on the river here, though if you have any read on your opponent, that may change. the pot is large enough IMO to take a stab at it, and the half pot bet is dead on.

as for your question as to "what if i get raised" after your bet on the flop, the only thing you are behind here is a set. even then, you have outs. with the pot odds you are receiving, your money needs to be in the middle of the table nearly every time in that situation.

cheers!

[amoeba]

I think the 10 is a bad card for you.

you preflop raised. He can't put you on AT or TT. so another 10 does nothing for you.

Its more likely to give him trips.

you want an overcard to the T I think to bluff the river.