To call or not to call . . .

$75 MTT w/ R+A's. R+A period is over and blinds are 100/200. All stack sizes are b/w 6,000 to 12,000 range (M's of at least 20).

Hero is in BB w/ roughly 8,500 in chips and pocket 3's.

UTG raises to 500.
MP calls 500.
MP+2 calls 500.
Button calls 500.
SB calls 400.
Hero calls 300.

Flop: 3 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

SB checks.
Hero checks.
UTG fires out 500.
All players call.
Hero raises to 3000 total.
SB is only player who calls.

Heads up on the turn: T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] - could there have been a worse card than this one?

SB looks at me and checks.
Hero checks.

River: 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

SB goes all in and has me covered slightly.
Hero's action?
Results below and questions below.

<font color="white"> </font> I make a crying call and he turns up A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] for the nuts. I guess I was hoping for him to have QJ or something like that, even though the action is clear of a drawing hand. Should I have gone all in on flop? played it like I did? or folded to his river bet? <font color="white"> </font>

[Prime Time]

You made a good flop bet, he made a bad call.

[kuro]

I'd have got it all-in on the flop. Not to protect the hand mind you, but because these guys will call getting 2:1 or better depending on the number of callers with their draws/two pair/etc. So I'm betting to try to extract maximum value and to not give them a chance to fold on a blank turn.

In retrospect I agree 100% with your decision to push on the flop. Another bonus of this move is not having to make decisions on any other street and I'm almost guaranteed the best hand at this point.

[woodguy]

Lead the flop so you can 3 bet it.

Regards,
Woodguy