Advice on AQ

[pokernicus]

I agree with how you played this hand. You beat a wide range of possible hands on the river, so it's a good value bet.

On the river, I pretty much call 100% of the time (especially absent any reads). In live games you tend to see much more maniac-like play -- and I've definitely seen check-raise bluffs on the river. In the worst case you lose an extra bet, but you'll get to see your opponent's cards (and can muck your own) which might be valuable for future reference.

[jedi]

I play the hand the same way as you. Call the river bet, expect to lose, but when you win, "Woohoo!"

Because of the pot size, the "Woohoo"s will more than make up for your "D'ohs" in the long run.

[jedi]

[ QUOTE ]
In the senario originally posted, I don't see how one can believe they're ahead with any confidence.
I see players all the time be over aggressive and over play wrong hands.

[/ QUOTE ]

On the river, which is where the discussion is, I wouldn't believe hero is ahead either, which means he should not RAISE with his hand. However, it's a clear call, given the size of the pot and the weird way that villain played his hand. Call, expect to lose, but you'll win enough to make it worth it.

[KHALI]

I think villians hand range in this situation is large as this could easily be a value type raise(sweetener like JTsuited) with a weird suited connector all the way up to big hand. Could narrow it down versus tight player but unknown???
I think that every street but the flop was played strangely enough to create doubt and I would call almost all the time here knowing I am probably beat. As other poster said a river check raise is rarely bluff but in this case it could be a strange desperation move to get you to fold in big pot.
I would also bet this river without much hesitation.

This hand reminds of a hand from Harrington's first book where an innocent looking card hits on river and villian wakes up. He says there is enough doubt to call. I will try to find page number.
Then again turn check call looks like a hand looking for help on river. Can't see pocket 6's not getting more bets in on turn with draws out there but is villian is maniacish could he have played a very strange 67suited or even A8,A6suited? Interested in result. But I call to see for sure. Rambling.

[KNOCKAHOMA]

I call his raise, he may have AK and waited until the river to check raise. I wouldn't be scared of the second 6 with his pre-flop three bet, he could have three bet with pocket JJ and hit his set on the flop. There is a decent chance you are still good so I would definetly just call the river raise.

[KNOCKAHOMA]

Adding to my original post I also don't understand the flop call with basically nothing in AQ and a three bet from the BB pre-flop.

[GoblinMason (Craig)]

reads would be awesome!

Sorry I forgot to mention that I had absolutely no read on this player. It was his first or second orbit in the games and I had never played with him before so I had really nothing to go on. Also, I noticed that pretty much everyone said to call here, which kind of surprised me. When I was thinking over whether to call or not, I focused mainly on two things:
First and foremost, what hand is he three betting with pre-flop that i beat with AQ. If I don't even consider that fact that he just check-raised the river on me, My range of hands is AA-JJ, and AK. Even if I throw in the small likelyhood that he is three-betting a smaller pair or something like AJs or ATs, I'm most likely looking at two hands I beat; KK and QQ.
Second, what types of hands is he most likely to be taking this weird line with. Until the river, my best guess is KK or QQ. When he check-raises the river, i definetly lean toward AK, AA, and JJ, with a smaller chance of AQ or AJ (maybe giving him too much credit, but I don't see him three betting these preflop with so many players). I beat none of these hands.
From my experiences with small stakes, a lot of players will slowplay monster hands, and the line that he took, in hindsight, seems to be the most profitable way to play his hand if he hand a monster (ie. AA or JJ).
The more and more I analyze this hand, the more I think that a call on the river only has value in the fact that I get to see what hand he played this way. Does anyone else agree that a fold is best here?

[ QUOTE ]
Adding to my original post I also don't understand the flop call with basically nothing in AQ and a three bet from the BB pre-flop.

[/ QUOTE ]

When I originally stated this, I didn't read the hand right. You have the luxury of seeing the rest of the responses explaining my error. Reread the whole thread and then maybe your mind will change.

In summary, with 19 to 1 odds, he has more than enough outs to call.

[MJL]

Well played on your part. Looks like someone who thinks he's tricky. Most would have popped you on the turn with AK or a set. He hasn't been sitting long enough to know if he can count on you to be very aggressive and check as much as he did. He may have seen the second 6 as an opportunity to bluff. I see this happening a lot with inexpierienced players who want to be tricky. So he is either A. a Donk who 3bet with X6. B. A Tricky Donk who missed bets with a monster or C. A Tricky Donk who will lose another bet by a foolish play on the river. You only have to be right 1 out of 13 times for this call to pay off.