ME Bust Hand

[AcesUp]

Looking for some feedback on my main event bust hand...

Moved to a new table during the fourth round (100-200 blinds + $25 ante). Player on my right seems pretty typical -- about 28 years old, relatively conservative, but isn't scared to take calculated risks. The only hand I've seen him play to conclusion was making bets on the turn and river with 88 on a board of 2 5 6 7 J, and losing to pocket tens. He lost a big pot with that one, but I don't put him on tilt.

He's the small blind, I'm the big blind. We both have about T7000 left, though he has me covered by a couple hundred dollars.

Folded around to him, and he raises to T400.

I look down at T9o (with 9c), and call.

Flop is Tx 8c 3c.

Opponent bets T650 and I call.

Turn is the Ac, putting the potential flush out there. Opponent checks and I bet T1300. Opponent thinks for about 15 seconds and calls.

River is the Ad. Opponent checks and I go all-in with a pot-sized bet of about T4500.

Opponent thinks for about 30 seconds, puts in a crying call, and takes the pot with QhTc (his Q kicker beats my 9).

I likely put him on the ten with the flush draw, with the possibility that he had the eight with the flush draw, and a smaller possibility that he had an overpair to the tens. Didn't think he could call with any of those hands (obviously I was wrong), so I thought the river bet was reasonable. In retrospect, probably should have either raised the flop to see where I was, or check down the river after he called on the turn.

Thoughts on how I played this?


-Aces

[sirio11]

Hi

Since you have the flush draw going with your pair in the turn, your bet is ok if you know he's not likely check-raising you, but I still prefer checking here. I don't like at all your bet in the river, if he has a TJ,TQ,TK he almost has to call because of the size of the pot and his stack, so your bet is basically a value bet in case he has something like 99 (not likely, you have a 9) or K8,98. But your hand is not strong enough to value bet in this spot; for example, if you have TK, then the value betting is ok, since he likely does not have an overpair.

[nolanfan34]

I also like checking behind on the turn. I really would want to keep the pot somewhat small there. And as Sirio said, getting check-raised there would make me throw up in my mouth a little bit.

On the river, I actually don't like the pot sized all-in bet. You've somewhat represented an Ace on the turn with your bet. But now, with another Ace on the river, you're making a pot sized bet? I think he may have considered folding perhaps if it looked like you were trying to make a value bet on the river, say you bet 2000 or something like that.

But if I was in his shoes, I think the all-in bet would be a little bit suspicious. Still a tough call to make, but that could have swung it in the direction of a call.

Finally, making what looks like a smaller value bet there at least leaves you with 10x BB. Just my 2 cents, tough hand.