AQ - Flops top pair

[hemstock]

Button is ~ 60/15/1/40

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is SB with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP2 calls, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises</font>, Hero calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP2 calls.

Flop: (11 SB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, MP2 folds, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises</font>, Hero calls, UTG+1 calls.

Turn: (8.50 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, UTG+1 folds, Button calls.

River: (12.50 BB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises</font>, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 16.50 BB

Isnt this the perfect time for a check-raise on the flop?
Should I play any differently?
Is folding the river a big mistake?

[AlmightyJay]

I'm folding this preflop.

Barring that, I'm definitely check/raising the flop. Betting out traps the field for two bets, while check/raising forces them to call two cold. You get much more protection that way.

[tyler_cracker]

I 3-bet preflop all day long.

Since you didn't, you've got to check-raise this flop, unless Button is so LAGgy that you're going to bet/3-bet.

Obviously, things play very different after those raises. With your line, i'm completely lost by the time we get to the river. I can't fold getting 15:1 in this spot, though i think you're losing to AA/KK a majority of the time.

[tyler_cracker]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm folding this preflop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yuck. Why?

[DownUnder]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm folding this preflop.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're kidding, right?

DU

[hemstock]

If I wasn't first to act after the flop, I would propably raise. But being out of position I was affraid to.

[tyler_cracker]

[ QUOTE ]
If I wasn't first to act after the flop, I would propably raise. But being out of position I was affraid to.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sure, being OOP sucks. But would you rather be OOP against 1 opponent (who gets absolute position in this hand no matter what)? or against 4 opponents?

[Yerma]

I think you can afford to be more assertive preflop. If you think the button raises light, 3-bet. Otherwise your hand is speculative, offsuit, and played in a large field out of position--fold. Just calling is very confused strategy. You might say that it's ok to act confused since you don't know if you are ahead or behind. That must be wrong. 3-betting will probably fold the big blind at least, and sometimes another limper or two as well. That's good enough reason if you think there is a good chance you are ahead.

Having played as you did, I think check-raising the flop is normal. When you do, you are giving anyone else with a Queen a tough decision. If they call cold, as often happens, well that is a bad mistake. Let them make the big mistake. Betting and letting a weaker Queen just call is no good. Also, if you bet, a pocket pair is getting nearly the implied odds it needs to call. If it's even close, I vote for knocking that stuff out with a check-raise.

[Augster]

Yikes.

Preflop, I was going to agree with just calling from the SB with AQos, and it's 1/2, but then I re-looked at the guy's statline. I'm 3-betting a 60/15 doing a button raise. This may get it head's up. If not, AQ is still a decent hand to fall back on.

Flop, check-raise. Everyone will most likely check to the button, who will auto-bet, and you raise and then it's just you against him. Not bad with TPTK with no draws out.

The way you played it, I'd just bet out on the turn. I'd be a bit afraid of it getting checked through now with actual draws on the board.

River, one of the worst cards ever. JT now has you beat. A backdoor flush does also. Hell, he could have Q8os if he's raising on the button as a 60/15. [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] Sadly, I'm check/crying-calling the river because I just can't value-bet/fold to a raise in that situation. If it gets checked through and win, I get to see what he was playing anyway.

I'm terrible though.

*grunch*
I check\call the diamond river.
The rest is good.