$55 with Aces

[TylerD]

1st round hand, I have $2000 stacks. I 3xBB raise from LP with AA, guy behind me ($1100) flat calls, SB calls.

Flop is JJQ, I bet 3/4 pot, LP flat calls (hmmm).

Turn 9 I check he bets 125 into ~400 pot, I call.

River is a blank, I check he bets all-in.

Your action? What do you think of how I played it?

[Ogre]

it seems like he would play AJ KJ QJ 99 TJ like this alot more then he would play a hand that you have beat. The only hand i could see you beating is AQ. I think i would lay this down here but its very close. the board was rainbow correct?

[TruFloridaGator]

Agreed.

[Paragon]

I basically freeze from the moment I see the flop. Maybe you're against a lone Q, but otherwise all hands are folding or trapping, unless you have certain people labelled as donks... And even if you wait a street to start betting, the Q will still pay off nicely, perhaps even moreso than if you continue bet flop.

I probably check/call flop and lead turn regardless. If LP bet flop I'll fold to a raise on turn most of the time, otherwise it depends. River I might do a blocking bet or check/call again at most. Most of the time, people slowplay and never get good value off their miracle flops... Or they start making confused bluffs. Even if lower pair spikes 2 outer on turn it will be sad, but not a tragedy.

[fnord_too]

Lay it down, you are almost always beat here. (I have confidence in that statement because I have not layed it down to this betting pattern several times). I think your line is fine, if you are super human you can lay down on the turn.

Your check is good on the river. Given the cards that are out there, and the way that your opp has been playing... I fold to any kind of bet on the river. Your beat.

And as for betting out on the river, that is also a big no no as you are only going to seemingly get called by something that beats you.

[Paragon]

I think part of the problem is the line OP took actually. Whenever you plan on calling a bet simply hoping villain slows down on the river, something went wrong in my opinion. I probably do it a lot too, but in retrospect almost always regret it.

The flop bet is dubious because the hero is not getting enough information from it... What does a smooth call mean here? Whatever it means, it's a total disaster when out of position in this scenario. Hero will be too nervous to extract maximum value, and too reluctant of villain's strength to make a tough fold.

I don't know any elegant solution, I just think hero should try to predict when a smooth call will force him to freeze up on the turn. I hate to give free cards as much as anyone else, but KT and T9 are really unlikely holdings, so we're usually only letting pairs see 1 more card by starting out cautious and checking flop. Besides, the chosen line merely gave a free card on turn instead of flop.

[TylerD]

I called because I'm and idiot it, and he showed KT, because he's an idiot.