AA v Unknown and a Calling Station

[Tony Corbett]

I'd been at this table for around 30 mins and had won a couple of pots with good hands so my image was probably that of a non fish.

The two villains were a guy who'd recently sat down and a very loose passive lucky player.

How do you play the following?

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (7 handed) converter

Preflop: Tony is MP1 with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG calls, <font color="CC3333">Tony raises</font>, <font color="666666">3 folds</font>, SB <font color="purple">(Unknown)</font> calls, BB <font color="purple">(Calling Station)</font> calls, UTG calls.

Flop: (8 SB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Unknown bets</font>, Calling Station calls, UTG folds, Tony calls.

<font color="green"> My thinking behind just calling was that I didn't want to give Unknown a chance to reraise and maybe knock out the Calling Station. The flop didn't look too scary and so I thought it was worth the risk.</font>

Turn: (5.50 BB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Unknown bets</font>, Calling Station calls, <font color="CC3333">Tony raises</font>, Unknown calls, Calling Station calls.

River: (11.50 BB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Unknown bets</font>, Calling Station calls, Tony calls.

<font color="green">At this point I put Unknown on an overpair or trips and thought the Calling Station must have been calling with something, so he could have a two or hit a backdoor flush draw. I figured a raise would only get called by a hand that beat me so I just called. </font>

Final Pot: 14.50 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 14.50 BB, between Calling Station, Tony and Unknown.</font>

[TheHip41]

[ QUOTE ]
My thinking behind just calling was that I didn't want to give Unknown a chance to reraise and maybe knock out the Calling Station.

[/ QUOTE ]

To quote Bison "BOOOOOOOOOOOOO" [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Seriously, we all know you have the best hand here, raise. If Unknown raises, do you really think a calling station isn't going to call? Come on, it's what they do. Even if he folds, so what, that's one less person to suck out your aces. Raise the flop.

[SnakeRat]

Flop is easy raise.

[Tony Corbett]

I've thought about it and if I was multitabling and just playing ABC automatic poker then it is an easy flop raise. I don't think that the raise is defintely the best way to make the most money over the long haul.

If I raise :-

I'm giving away the strength of my hand on the cheap street which could cut down on the action on later streets.

I'm giving Unknown a chance to reraise and knock out the Calling Station. I want the weak hands to stay in.

A possible continuation with the flop raise is that the flop gets capped with Unknown and Calling Station folds to the reraise. Unknown then goes into check call mode and I end up winning an extra 3.5 BB.

If I don't raise then the hand plays as it does

Unknown leads out because I've given him no reason to slow down. Calling Station is still in the hand calling and now I can raise not caring if its reraised or not. My way wins at least an extra 6BB.
Is the extra 2.5BB+ worth the risk given that the flop was rags and at least one of the two players was very poor?

Anybody have any thoughts on my river play?

Oh and just for the record
Unknown had K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]Q [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
Calling Station had Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

thanks

Tony

[All-In]

[ QUOTE ]

If I raise :-

I'm giving away the strength of my hand on the cheap street which could cut down on the action on later streets.

Tony

[/ QUOTE ]

One pair, any pair is not that strong to slow play on the flop. If you slow play here to keep people in than be prepared to have your Aces cracked frequently.

[Piiop]

I'm giving away the strength of my hand on the cheap street which could cut down on the action on later streets.

It's unlikely these players have considered the range of your potential holdings. Even if they have, raising the flop does not at all define your hand, unless you only ever raise with AA.

I'm giving Unknown a chance to reraise and knock out the Calling Station. I want the weak hands to stay in.

He's a calling station, he'll call. That's what he does. And how do you know the unknown player is going to reraise? You also can't be sure he's going to bet again on the turn, and that the calling station will call that bet.

[Bob T.]

At this point I put Unknown on an overpair or trips and thought the Calling Station must have been calling with something, so he could have a two or hit a backdoor flush draw. I figured a raise would only get called by a hand that beat me so I just called.



I've seen top pair played this way. He was planning on calling, so he just took the initiative and bet the scare card. I think it is thin, but I might have raised the river here.

[IndieMatty]

I disagree, that Raising the flop will "give away the strength of your hand";
1)You raised pre-flop:So you have already told them you have something nice.
2)And 99% of party players, and some on here, are raising their kq and above in this position too, just because they raised pre-flop. So the calling station will probably assume this, and call 2 cold anyway.


Aces are great, but in the end they are just top pair. I don't think you could be wrong by never slowplaying then.