Final Table $30k Pacific - What to do?

[mjm]

9 Players remain. 2 players with $200k+ in chips, 1 of them (villan) playing very aggressive, taking lots of blinds. Other 7 players all between $50k-$85k. Blinds $2,500-$5,000.

Hero is on the button with $55k, dealt AJs.

UTG+1 (Villan, aggressive chip leader calls), folded to hero calls, sb calls, bb checks.

Pot ($20k)

Flop A,7,2 (all hearts)

UTG+1 bets $30k, Hero ???

Hero's attitude is that a top 3 finish would constitute a good prize. The difference between finishing 9th and 4th is not of much concern to Hero.

[mjm]

Should also have said table is playing very conservatively with any raise pre-flop usually taking the pot, and villan has been taking full advantage of this.

[dmk]

either fold or push preflop. calling 10% of your stack is bad.

If youre gonna call pre-flop here, I think you need to get away from it. With four people in, someone could easily have two hearts or the king and stay in.

I think your choices are:
1) raise pre-flop, probably face one guy and try to gauge what his raise means.

2) call and get away after he bets

3) Go all-in bfore the flop and probably pick up the blinds and his call. If he calls you, its possible you're ahead, and though it might be a coinflip you just said the difference in 4th and 9th means nothing so if you double up you are in position to win.

Like anything in poker, there is a lot of gray. He could have AK, AQ or two hearts and youre screwed. Or someone else could have two hearts.

The way you played it, it has cost you nothing but the call, so just go away and chalk it up to experience.

It's also somewhat out of character for Villain to just call here from early position. When I see a dominant big stack do this, I think he's holding a premium pocket pair, hoping to ambush several limpers on the flop.

Your best play is raising on the button to get rid of the two blinds (who are likely to fold after an aggressive player limps and a raise).