Please critisise my play of this hand...

[roGER]

Hello everyone,

I'd really like some feedback on the play of this hand, as its an example of the kind of play I've been making a lot recently, and getting punished for it! Note, this is NOT a bad beat story, or a whining attempt for sympathy...

BACKGROUND:

Paradise Poker, $2-$4 Hold'Em, a tight game with some good players, average of three players seeing the flop.

THE HAND:

I'm in the big blind with AJ offsuit.

Unusually for this game, four players call and there is a raise from late/middle position (2 off the button).

All the other players left to act fold and the action comes to me. I CALL, so does everyone else, and we see the flop six handed (including me) with the first round raiser last to act.

The flop comes A, T, 6 with the A and the T suited.

I check, hoping to make a check raise and thin out the field. The action is checked to the pre-flop raiser who bets.

I make my check raise, everyone else folds (Joy!) and its heads-up against the bettor, who calls my raise.

The turn card is another 6, so the board now reads:

A T 6 6 (still with just the Ace and Ten suited).

I bet, and my opponent raises! I call.

The river comes with a four, of the same suit as the A and T, so there is now a possible flush out there. I check, my opponent checks, and there is a show-down.

He has AK, I have AJ, and of course the King kicker plays...

Questions:

1) Was I stupid to call with AJ in the big blind? Had I been to the left of the raiser and not in the big blind, I would have folded.

2) Should I have folded when raised on the turn? This is very often a sign that your opponent has something better than top-pair. I called because of the size of the pot, plus the vain hope he actually had something like KK, or QQ or something of that nature.

3) Are there any other mistakes I made playing this hand? Notice this is not a bad beat story - I was badly behind all the way, with only 3 outs (the Jacks).

All comments, no matter how rude, welcome. I've been struggling very badly for several months now, and while (like very other poker player in the world) I believe bad luck has something to do with it - I'm also looking very critically at my game.

Thanks,

- roGER

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

AJo here is a trouble hand, throwing it away to the raise preflop isn't bad.

Once you check-raised the flop, with 2 suited cards on the board, I would have checked the turn. If he checks behind, you can accurately put him on two big suited cards. If he bets into you, you can reasonably think he puts you on a flush draw, so just call with the intention of betting out if the flush card hits on the river.

Think about it. He raised preflop, yet you check-raised the flop and bet out on the turn with an A on the board. He should back down with any pair other than TT (he might call KK or QQ), but he'll definitely stick around with AK or AQ. With an A in you hand and another on the board, that's 22 ways you're behind and 12 that you're ahead. Play the flush bluff intending to check-call the river if a non flush card hits.

[Pauliman]

hello,
i agree with the advice of kurn and the possible flush draw bluff. however there could have been one more way to go about this. after the flop comes u decided to check-raise the original raiser. Instead perhaps u shoulda bet here and that woulda put the raiser on notice ( u woulda got more info from him either he calls or raises, if he raises u are beat, most likely he calls here) when turn card comes u could bet again or check and hope to get a free card. And when river comes with the flush card u will at the least save a big bet cause the AK will not likely bet into the flush board after your betting pattern( especially if u checked the turn card).

Regardless which way u did this, u were doomed, it is just a matter of saving yourself some extra bets especially at the turn and river. but by betting the flop instead of check raising i think u woulda gained alittle info and saved a bet or 2 on the way.

regards,

pauli

[DaBartman]

Just what did you think you were being raised with? Ax? An underpair? What could you beat, very little actually. What beats you - AK, AQ, AT, A6, AJ ties, all the rest are long shots. Your CR was OK, I'd do it also, but after showing strength you get raised on the turn, the bettor is not fooling. The turn is where the truth usually emerges.

P.S. Muck it after turn raise, a waste of $$ to call