Betting A-high for value

[Cosimo]

A4s; not that strong, but the two to my immediate left are very tight and the BB are very tight -- they're all like 18/0 or 17/8. The SB (villain) is very loose and passive, and the button is semiloose. I thought that I'd get it HU with the SB, or maybe with one other with a weak hand.

Question 1: Open-fold? I'm looking for more raises (I'm at about 7.5%) so stuff like this seems to be the type of hand that I need to start raising.

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, SB (vLA-Fish) calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>.

Button dropped, but Fishy called. 74/15 or so. He likes to raise post-flop with any small piece of the board, no matter how scary it is. He's been running well -- lucky for me, as he's been taking money from others and dumping it to me.

Flop: (5 SB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
vLA-Fish checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, vLA-Fish calls.

Question 2: Bet, I presume? If he had a six, my read says that he would have bet out.

Turn: (3.50 BB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
vLA-Fish checks, Hero ...

Question 3: Same deal?

[Fantam]

Yes I think that I would bet the turn.

Based on your read of SB, I think that its more likely that he has 2 random cards, as opposed to a 2,6 or pocket pair, and you dont want to give him a free opportunity to pair up on the river.

I think that A4s is a bit too weak to be raising with from MP, espescially when you think that 2 of your opponents might call. However I think that you can open raise marginal hands like this more profitably from late position.

[ QUOTE ]
Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, SB (vLA-Fish) calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>.

Button dropped, but Fishy called. 74/15 or so. He likes to raise post-flop with any small piece of the board, no matter how scary it is. He's been running well -- lucky for me, as he's been taking money from others and dumping it to me.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like this play, assuming your reads of the table are correct.

[ QUOTE ]
Flop: (5 SB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
vLA-Fish checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, vLA-Fish calls.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like the bet, if the fish is as aggresive as you say, then there is no way he wouldn't have raised if he hit any part of that pot. And you can rule out any pocket pair. So with your ace as the kicker, after the flop, you could figure you have this pot.

Roberto