AQo in the SB -- earlyish in the Paradise $150

[theantelope]

Sorry, I can't get Bison's HH converter to work right now.

Here's what happened--I'll write my rationale in the results post.

Blinds are 100/200. I think average stack is about 3000, but may be anywhere between 2400 and 3400--can't recall.

Villian (UTG+2) (T5905) raises to 400.
Folded to me (T6125) in the SB, with AQo.
BB has (T3925).

I elect to just call. BB folds.

Pot is T1000

Flop: A T 6 rainbow.

I check.
Villian checks.

Turn: Ac Ts 6h 9s

I check.
Villian bets T650. Pot is now T1650.
I raise to T1900.
Villian raises all-in.

Your play, if you think I played it fine until that point?
Your alternate play, if you think I screwed it up earlier in the hand?

Results to follow.

[zaxx19]

I sometimes check the ace too but I think the correct play is to try and take it down right here. pots already pretty big and if he is THAT scared of an ace you arent gonna get a ton of chips anyway unless he makes a set or something else big. If he had AK your screwed from the preflop call on. So why check??

[M.B.E.]

It depends a lot on the particular player. Does he frequently raise the minimum, or are his preflop raises generally more than that? His check on the flop after raising preflop smells like a slowplay, but it's hard to believe he has AA since they'd be the only two aces left in the deck. I wouldn't be at all surprised, however, if he had AT or TT. In any event when the action gets back to you it is about 4000 to call and the pot is 9000. It's difficult but you probably have to muck, because he should have AQ badly beat when he has reraised after you showed strength by checkraising.

Your check on the flop was fine -- you can decide whether to checkcall, checkraise, or checkfold based on how much your opponent bets. After he checks the flop you should bet the turn, with the intention of folding if raised. I don't really like your turn checkraise.

But this is all assuming you don't have any read on your opponent. If your opponent is on the aggressive side and frequently bluffs all in, then of course you should call when he reraises you on the turn.

[holman3rd]

[ QUOTE ]
...but it's hard to believe he has AA since they'd be the only two aces left in the deck.

[/ QUOTE ]

How does the fact that 2 other aces are out affect the odds that he has AA?

[schwza]

that's an interesting hand. i'd probably fold pre-flop, but that could be cause i'm a girlie man. i don't have interest in playing a possibly-dominated hand for a raise out of position.

here's my prefered line: check the flop. if bet into, call, lead any turn, fold to a raise. check-call the river. i think it would be tough for the villain to bet the flop on a bluff and then bluff-raise a stop-n-go'er so i think the fold is pretty safe. but i also think that a weak ace would likely call the turn bet, so you get some value from a worse made hand. this also charges the draws.

if the flop is checked through, i'd lead the turn, especially this turn. there are a lot of cards you don't want to see at this point. what was your plan if the turn got checked through? bet and hope the guy caught some piece of the flop?

given that you check-raised and got 3-bet all-in, i think you have to fold. you've shown quite a bit of strength and villain does not seem fazed.

villain's raise is 3600 more into a pot of 4800 (incl. villain's call but not the raise), so it's close to a pot bet to you. i know i would never make this 3-bet bluff, and i wouldn't bet AJ or less for value in his shoes.

[kuro]

pre-flop: With AQo I think you need to re-raise and fold to a significant re-re-raise. AQ is a tough hand because if you hit your Q you can go broke against an overpair and if you hit your A you can go broke against AK. So I think you've almost always got to find out where you are pre-flop.

[M.B.E.]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
...but it's hard to believe he has AA since they'd be the only two aces left in the deck.

[/ QUOTE ]

How does the fact that 2 other aces are out affect the odds that he has AA?

[/ QUOTE ]
Apply Bayes' Theorem.