AQ in the BB

[rtucker5]

Live NL at the Bellagio $2/$5 blinds.

UTG+1 ($1K+) raises to $15 and gets 1 MP ($200ish) caller. Folded to me ($600ish) in the BB and I call the extra $10 with AQo. The flop comes down Q 6 3 rainbow. I check, PFR bets $25, MP makes it $60 straight. After a brief deliberation I call. PFR mucks. Turn K. I move all in.

UTG + 1 was a bit of a bully and MP was a reasonable player that was fairly tight. I wanted to post this hand because I thought my decisions on all streets were debatable. Any thoughts?

[tree_stump]

I'm not familiar with the Bellagio games, but if the UTG player is a bully like you say, calling probably wasn't a bad move preflop. However, remember that MP has called, and a tight player probably has something in that situation, so AQo could be a problem. After the flop, you're not worried about any draws (because it's highly unlikely either player has 47 after a preflop raise) so, when the MP raises I think you have to put him on one of three hands - Q with a good kicker (where you should have him outkicked), a set of 6s or a set of 3s. Therefore, I'd probably raise the flop and put MP all in, since he's down to about 125 at this point anyway. Hopefully he mucks it, and if he doesn't, well, you're hoping you're facing QJ or QK (until the turn, anyway). As for your move on the turn, I probably wouldn't have, because we're assuming that a possibly hand for MP on the flop is Q with a good kicker... you have AQ, so if we discount that for the reduced odds, we're looking at a set or KQ for MP. So you played right into his strength by going all in after the overcard fell. But again, that's all based on the fact that you said he was a pretty solid player. In loose games at FW, I wouldn't be able to say the same thing.

[schwza]

i like the call pre-flop, and i like the check on the flop. when it comes back to you, though, i'd make it $150 or so - enough that it's essentially puting MP all-in but such that you won't lose too much if utg comes over the top and have to fold.

as you played it, i would check-fold on the turn. given that this guy called a pre-flop raise, you're probably behind by now if you weren't before. i can't think of any reasonable hand that could call you on the turn that you're ahead of. pretty much all you can hope for is something like 88 that raised on the flop to find out where he was. if that's the case, the K might scare him into checking it down, which would be great for you.

why'd you push there?

[rtucker5]

[ QUOTE ]
why'd you push there?

[/ QUOTE ]

I pushed on the turn because I felt I had a chance to get him to lay down AQ if that's what he had. I didn't put him on a set because I don't think a set raises the drawless flop. After the PFR mucked on the flop I had pretty much decided I was pushing no matter what fell on the turn.

[renolite]

What was the result of the hand?