how should I have played this?

[Under Control]

Empire 5 handed $50 buyin

Hero is CO with AhJh, UTG limps, I raise to 4, BB calls, UTG calls

Flop (12) J74 clubs
BB checks, Hero bets 11, BB folds, UTG calls

Turn (34) 5h
Villain checks, Hero bets 25, Villain calls

River (84)3d
Villain checks, Hero goes all in for 13, Villain calls

Results in white:
<font color="white"> Villain shows Kh Kc </font>

On the turn/flop I put him on a flush draw or a Jack with a lower kicker, possibly a set also. My first thought after the hand was that I should have checked behind him on the river b/c I was probably beat, or gone all in on the turn to apply maximum pressure. Any thoughts?

[Garland]

With your stacks and the draw possibilities out there, I think you played this fine.

Garland

[bsiu5]

couple things, i like your preflop raise and pot size bet on the flop. ok now, since you got one caller, what do you think he'd call with. i'd put him on over pockets, a set, nut flush, or pair of jacks high-kicker maybe club. out of those possibilities, which hand are you beating right now... only the pair of jacks, but he would smooth call getting great odds to catch a flush as well.

If you would call hoping your flush hits or hoping for your over cards, can i play on your table.

he checks the turn, why not check. and just check call his river bet if it's not expensive. you have position on him you don't have to bet if you don't want to.

Also he played bad as well by not raising preflop with his KK.

[Fairless]

i don't like this raise pre-flop w/AJ
this is a type of hand that when you raise your getting rid of hands you dominate and being called by hands that dominate you. The guy did play KK a little slow but i have noticed this quite often online. Alot of passive players will just let you run over them and check call all the way. Post-flop i fire one time if i have postion if smooth called you have to shut it down. For me this is the hardest thing to do in poker.

just my thoughts [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[bsiu5]

fairless, granted he has KK which he played wrong. but your telling him not to raise AJs in MP. say he limps as does everybody else. now you got top pair and you let someone in the blinds pick up 2 pair. now what you gonna do? raise with only AK, and pockets JJ and up.

[Under Control]

I had been raising the blinds from CO and the button alot and the game was 5 handed so people were making much looser calls than usual. If I flop my ace I want to be able to raise w/ confidence that 2 pair is unlikely, so I'm pretty sure the pf raise was ok. And as for shutting down, I usually do, but in this case i felt betting was correct because
A. I could represent a set or a flush
B. I needed to charge the Kc and Ac to draw against me

Although I agree with you that by the river it was very very likely I was beaten so that was probably not a good bet.

[Fairless]

you guys can raise w/AJ if you want
i raise sometimes myself if i feel the game is right
all i'm saying is this hand and hands like it seem to put me in situations where i've got to make some close decisions for my stack. In big bet i hate stacking off w/top pair even though sometimes you have to take a stand against some players. Maybe i'm weak tight but when i've got AJ's im looking for two pair or better myself before i stack off

just my thoughts

[SkippingGoat]

Not sure if you noticed but the game is only 5 handed. Raising AJs is fine especially with good position. I'd be willing to raise ANY suited ace if I'm first in the pot in late position.