[mipevi]

Help a guy out... What's the correct play here?

Full Tilt Poker Game #6307335491: Table Jersey - $0.10/$0.25 - No Limit Hold'em - 5:47:11 ET - 2008/05/06
Seat 1: donktronic ($19.90) HERO
Seat 2: GEO VON ($16.35)
Seat 3: Marianico ($26.45)
Seat 4: TinyYace ($28.60)
Seat 5: clkaufma ($38.80)
Seat 6: dbtmdwns ($5.25)
Seat 7: Hungry Hippo T ($47.90)
Seat 8: MaxGoblin ($5.25)
Seat 9: Jelionwyn ($4.45)
Marianico has 5 seconds left to act
Marianico posts the small blind of $0.10
TinyYace posts the big blind of $0.25
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to donktronic [Ac Qc]
clkaufma calls $0.25
dbtmdwns folds
Hungry Hippo T folds
MaxGoblin folds
Jelionwyn folds
donktronic has 15 seconds left to act
donktronic calls $0.25
GEO VON folds
Marianico calls $0.15
TinyYace has 15 seconds left to act
TinyYace checks
*** FLOP *** [As 9s 2c]
Marianico has 15 seconds left to act
Marianico checks
TinyYace checks
clkaufma bets $1
donktronic calls $1
Marianico folds
TinyYace folds
*** TURN *** [As 9s 2c] [Qh]
clkaufma checks
donktronic has 15 seconds left to act
donktronic bets $2.50
clkaufma raises to $37.55, and is all in
...

[StevenH72]

First of all, you should have raised pre-flop, especially in a late position.

Secondly, you should be raising post-flop.

Thirdly, now you are in a very tricky situation, by playing the hand badly up until now. All you are losing to is AA,QQ,99,22. I think you have to call.

[mipevi]

I agree that generally one should raise with AQ suited preflop, but I was varying my play for deception.

On the flop I should have raised to find out exactly where I am, not doing that was a mistake.

[guinness]

Originally Posted by mipevi

I agree that generally one should raise with AQ suited preflop, but I was varying my play for deception.

The hand has been disguised successfully no doubt. Due to this post I assume either a set was represented or it gets ugly for you on the river and you need justification on calling the turn, assuming you called the turn. I'd call or fold depending on the player but without any information I'd insta-call the vast majority of times. I'm apt to fold if the bet is 100x or more the BB and I'm playing great poker (personal rule...I'm sure not recommended by others). Did this get ugly on the river?

[JoseRijo]

Originally Posted by mipevi

I agree that generally one should raise with AQ suited preflop, but I was varying my play for deception.

If you want to vary your play, raise *more* hands pre-flop. Not less.

Originally Posted by mipevi

On the flop I should have raised to find out exactly where I am, not doing that was a mistake.

You should have raised on the flop because you (presumably) had the best hand. It had nothing to do with "finding out where you're at".

Any reads at all on the villain? Is he super aggressive? If not, I can almost convince myself that this is a fold.

[mipevi]

Originally Posted by JoseRijo

If you want to vary your play, raise *more* hands pre-flop. Not less.

Yes I do that too, but I don't ALWAYS go raising with the good hands. Especially a suited ace with a good kicker can win a huge pot when disguised.

Originally Posted by JoseRijo

You should have raised on the flop because you (presumably) had the best hand. It had nothing to do with "finding out where you're at".

Of course it had. If the villain would reraise me I'm getting a pretty good idea that my top pair isn't any good.

Originally Posted by JoseRijo

Any reads at all on the villain? Is he super aggressive? If not, I can almost convince myself that this is a fold.

No reads. I will post the conclusion tomorrow.

[StevenH72]

"finding out where I'm at" is a big leak in a lot of peoples games imo, Like Jose said you should raise as you (usually) have the best hand.

I don't agree with limping this pre-flop, and it is a mistake imo, I understand you want to vary your play, but you should raise less than premium hands, rather than limp with premium hands. How often have you seen people limp with AA thinking they are playing "gud pokerz, as nobodyies putting me on Acez" only to be pissed off, when they get outdrawn by 85o in the BB, and lose a Buy-in.

True you can win a big pot with a disguised premium A, but you can also lose a big pot.

The passive/timid/slow way you have played this hand may well have cost you a buy-in. There's a reason "internet players" are known to be overly aggressive.

[Sneds]

Firstly, I don't know if I'm reading this right. but doesn't the 'scary turn' give us two pair?

I think you'd always go broke with top two on an unco-ordinated board on the flop, it doesn't really change too much on the turn...esp in this situation. If he's got a set hard luck - reload and go again.

TBH I don't really think your lack of raising is a problem in this individual hand, although I don't really agree with it in essence. If you've lost to a set here, you're not folding any pocket pairs out with 4/5xBB raises anyway.

I think the main argument for raising semi-premium hands is so that you can actually build a pot.

In this situation the pot is $1 on the flop. Which means (generally) if you're betting within pot you're quite limited.

If you've raised preflop and even only got one caller - the pot is still double and therefore you can bet a larger amount within pot and generally you win more money.

But yeah - going back to the hand, I don't see much of a problem. Also the benefits of mixing up your play at 25NL are very few and far between.

[Stevo]

I agree with the first or second poster above. I would have raised preflop, but not doing so is not the end of the world - problem is after the flop, the bb could have 9/2 and you let him in with that.

On that flop, I think you have to re-raise. First better could be on a semi-bluff flush draw and if you, you need to make him pay to see it - I didn't like the call.

He pushes - I guess I might put him on Q9 or somesuch hand for just limping. I think you have to call in this spot. If he has a draw, it's a good call. If he has trips, oh well, you have outs. Thing is, I don't see how he pushes that much with trips - bet enough to make a flush draw pay.

[imthatguy]

Originally Posted by Sneds

I think you'd always go broke with top two on an unco-ordinated board on the flop, it doesn't really change too much on the turn...esp in this situation. If he's got a set hard luck - reload and go again.

This is not the route I would go if you're interested in getting better/bankroll management. It's a pretty huge raise for the size of the pot and I'd happily fold here and wait for a better spot (in which I would pf raise).