AQ-spades in the BB

[BigEndian]

I have A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] in the BB. 2-3NL.
Four or five players limp to me and I raise 15 on top. Sometimes I’ll just call here - especially on an aggresive or loose-action table. But this was a passive enough table that I felt not taking the lead would make small children cry.

I get two callers. One of these callers (~$300 worth) is a good player who knows me pretty well and knows that I am capable of a wide range of plays. He also probably thinks that I bluff a lot - maybe even too much. The second player (~$150 worth) I had never played with before. When he first sat down, he was raising a good bit in an attempt to be table captain (unfortunately for him I was two seats to his left). After getting beaten in a lot of pots, he had pulled into a shell and was playing rather timidly.

Flop: Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (pot is ~50)
I lead out for 18. Maybe too small a bet, but I had made similar bets earlier and this was a pretty passive table - 18 was as good as 50 if players had missed the flop or had a dubious holding. The first player (who is not passive) raises to 36 and the second thinks for a little bit and just calls, I feel strength from him. I call...

Thoughts up to this point? Approaches from here on out?

- Jim

[BobboFitos]

i go all in

[AZK]

This is a hand I like to get committed with especially given opponents stacks. I probably lead for at least 40 on this flop. When villain minraises and the other guy calls, you can't really put him on a set can you? This is probably a scary board for a set and given his stack he would probably be happy to take down what's in there. It's possible he has a flush draw too, which makes it a double edge sword, because you give up the sick amount of equity you have on the flop and if you brick on the turn you don't know what the other guy has, but if you both hit spades you will take his stack...

[BigEndian]

Why? How much value do you think you gain from pushing here? And if you are behind the passive player, you're not going to be very happy with your push at all.

- Jim

[BigEndian]

I definitely had a sense of strength from him, but when he called I was a little confused. I wasn't sure if he was capable of playing a set that badly but it entered my mind as very possible.

I agree that leading for more is the typical thing to do, but my bet size was mostly based on my previous bets and a hand that I hit big and wanted action from the player who might think I bluff too much. I was hoping he would raise and I could get it heads up. I would then try to cash in on him. But when the strong feeling came from the timid overcaller, my plan changed.

- Jim

[mgsimpleton]

i lead the flop for a whole lot more than 18, then if/when you do go all in after all this, you'll sure as hell get called by hands that you beat. now i really have no clue what to do, just call and take it from there.

[Murderous]

How large is your stack? Should I assume you have the table covered?

[BigEndian]

Whoops. I'm about even with the first player - $300.

- Jim

[Murderous]

OOP, with two players to act, I probably would have CR'd this flop and folded to any measurable push-back. Overpairs and sets would, more often than not, protect against draws and depending on pot/implied odds you have an easier decision regarding whether or not you want to continue with the hand.

If you are called, you might even get a free look at the river depending on what card comes off on the turn.

Additionally, a CR on the flop and a check of any spade on the turn can be quite deceiving to a smaller flush. The other player(s) might consider you were protecting against draws and be more inclined to stack you off.

Considering the board, the hands that you are behind will define themselves more readily to a flop CR and you can minimize you losses. As it stands from the OP, you're looking at serious reverse-implied odds against two players, one of which is (if not both are) sure to see the river (likely the short stack).

Leading the flop works as well, but IMO, with two players to act, I would probably bet at least 3/4 of the pot (if not the pot). $18 on $50 with two players to act looks like a scared continuation bet to me but that is obviously image dependent.

As it stands now, you should just call and hope the turn hits you. If it doesn't hit you your next action is situational and read dependent. If it goes check-check-push, I would consider calling seeing as short stack is likely a bit tilty (from the earlier losses) and chasing some sort of draw.

[KaneKungFu123]

allin on flop