Hand from 1/2 NL Live

Hero is in the BB with AJo and $240 stack.
Villain is UTG and makes it $20 straight, 4 callers to me, I call. Everyone covers Hero who is short stack.

Flop comes: 8d Ah 5h (pot $120)

Hero checks, UTG bets $100, everyone folds to Hero who goes all in for $227. Another $127 for Villain to call.

Villain thinks and calls.

Turn is: Jc

River is: blank

Hero has two pair (A's and J's)
Villain has a set of J's

What the heck was villain thinking calling my all in raise?
Did I play this wrong? I probably should have fired into the pot on the flop first.

Any comments appreciated.

Hero checks and

Wow. So it's a 1/2 game, its raised to 10bb, and there are 5 callers? What kind of crazy game do you play in.

That being said, I fold preflop. But as it was played, I'm not a fan of the push. Given his raise, and his bet, there's really nothing indicating that your AJ might be good.

His call is questionable, but IMO, so is your push. (unless you have some reads on the guy)

[PinkSteel]

You want to play AJo in a raised pot OOP with a field of five? I fold it preflop.

[mosuavea]

I am dumping this preflop and while his call is questionable, I really don't like the push, you're dominated way too often to think AJ is good.

[NickPoker]

I agree with the others you both played it poorly. He shouldn't have called your push, but you also made two mistakes
1. Calling preflop - AJ is too hard to play in tis situation,IMO.
2. Pushing all in when you could easily be dominated.

Otherwise I would have folded this hand twice, preflop,and to the $100 post flop bet.

Thanks guys for the input.
I was actually the Villain in this hand.
After the flop, I wanted to try and represent a TPTK hand who was betting the $100 to try and protect my hand against a flush draw.

A flush draw is exactly what I put my opponent on, after all, I raised preflop and come out with a bet of $100.
How can he possibbly think that his AJ is good? when I could easily have AK, AQ, AA?

When he made the push and came over the top, i thought he was either bluffing or going to try and gamble on a flush draw with his remaining chips. I put him on KQh hand.

I will admit though, the call on my end was horrible but I got lucky. BUT, i feel that his call on the flop was very bad.

[fuzzbox]

Players who call for $20 preflop with AJo and hit their top card are not likely to fold after this event. After all, they have top pair !!

If they believe that they might be dominated, then they should fold preflop. Since they do not, its best to not try to bluff at A-high boards when UTG Vs 4 callers with JJ, and its even better if you dont call when you are being told loud and clear that some1 has an Ace.

Thats my experience with these games. I bet you find that a guy will call with A5s in the same spot, and he probably makes the same play on the flop. After all, he hit his Ace, and thats *good* right ?

[colehard]

I am pretty sure I would have given up JJ on this flop. What are the chances that no-one has an A? If they have one and they called PF then they are calling again (except for the few nuts that call with Axs and then fold if they don't make their flush draw or 2 pair). A smaller flop bet would have got non ace holders out and could have still priced out the draw. Then it is an easier fold when reraised by the inevitable ace.

[ QUOTE ]
I am pretty sure I would have given up JJ on this flop. What are the chances that no-one has an A? If they have one and they called PF then they are calling again (except for the few nuts that call with Axs and then fold if they don't make their flush draw or 2 pair). A smaller flop bet would have got non ace holders out and could have still priced out the draw. Then it is an easier fold when reraised by the inevitable ace.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know, a smaller riase would have been better here, would have been easier to fold if unimproved. But the pot already contains $120, what would be a better bet?

Also, I think this would have been a perfect time to take advantage of my tight table image.

[SpaceAce]

[ QUOTE ]

Otherwise I would have folded this hand twice, preflop,and to the $100 post flop bet.

[/ QUOTE ]


You can't be serious. Whether or not you think Hero should be in this hand, he is. Now he flops top pair, decent kicker and you expect him to fold for an underbet of $100 into a $120 pot after everyone else has gotten out of the way and Hero has only about the size of the pot behind? That's ridiculous. The time to get out of this hand is before you call the pre-flop raise, not after you've you've hit the flop.

You should have folded pre-flop but once you saw that flop, there's not much chance of keeping your money out of the middle. Don't call raises with AJo, especially not out of position against multiple opponents. You're not calling $20 pre-flop with $220 more behind because you have odds to fish for a AAJ flop, so all this "fold the flop" stuff is total bunk in my opinion but you wouldn't have had this problem if you'd just gone away pre-flop.

Mr. Miyagi say: "Best defense: No be there!"

SpaceAce