$5 NLHE 6-max: AA vs aggressive player on dry board

Hi, I was rumbling against this dude, who check raised me all in twice in about 30 hands which I both folded, he played aggressive with no fear to shove. I guess thirty hands are just to small to notice tendencies.

Full Tilt Poker , 0.05 BB (6 handed).
Hand History converter courtesy of pokerhandreplays.com

Table Information
Seat: 1 Player 1 ($7.64)
Seat: 2 Player 2 ($11.49)
Seat: 3 Hero ($8.15)
Seat: 4 Player 4 ($1.93) Dealer
Seat: 5 Player 5 ($10.09) Small Blind
Seat: 6 Player 6 ($2.55) Big Blind
Dealt to Hero

Preflop (Pot:0.07)
Player 2 FOLD
Hero RAISE $0.15
Player 4 FOLD
Player 5 RAISE $0.5
Player 1 FOLD
Hero CALL $0.35

Flop(Pot: $1.07)

Player 5 BET $0.65
Hero CALL $0.65

Turn(Pot: $2.37)

Player 5 BET $1.75
Hero CALL $1.75

River(Pot: $5.87)

Player 5 ALL-IN 7.17$
Hero 5.25$ left.

Thoughts: I just called the preflop raise to max my aces value, called the flop bet, usual cbet. I read his big bet on turn as a (semi) bluff with Ax or broadway spades or kings, queens, tens, maybe even nines or nothing. Then on river came the second King and he shoved. What would be the correct play ?

Thank you for your advice, and if I missed anything important please let me know and I will answer asap.

i'd like to think that i'd fold in that situation, but in reality i'd probably call and get rivered with four of a kind kings

Why didn't you 4 bet pre?

If you intended to play this hand with the intention of allowing your opponent to bury himself then in my opinion you have to call the river.

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I understand why you would just cold call the 3bet preflop. That decision worked out well with a dry flop and your opponent betting into you. However, I think you should have made you move a little bit sooner. Since he bet into you on the flop and turn, he clearly likes his hand. If we assume he has a strong hand along the lines of AK or KQ, then he would most likely call any reasonable raise from you. If we assume he is bluffing, he probably won't call the turn raise, but he probably wouldn't 3barrel bluff on the river anyway. So you aren't losing much value by raising on the turn.
However, as played, I think I would have to fold. Such a large river bet does seem a little bit suspicious because you would think a K would make a value bet here, but I just don't think I could call here.

re raise that turn bet.

Worst card for the way that hand played out OTR. As played I am folding.

Thanks for your posts.
Yeah Thinker that´s exactly what I wanted.
But what if he holds Queens or lower and on the river thinks it´s unlikely that I´m holding a king (KQ blocker, beeing overall kinda agressive) therefore having a decent hand ? That would make him bet the River. Is that logic plausible ?
Lets say I reraise on the turn to something reasonable and my villain stays stubborn and either calls and shoves river (assuming I check to him) or reraises all in on turn ? Is that a call or a fold ?

Looking forward to your input.

Since you are playing with 160 BB you should not be looking to trap someone pre with AA. That line should only be used with 100 BB max and against players fully capable of 3 barrelling.

As I said given the assumption at the beginning of the hand I am not folding this. I will rarely make a play like this because even with AA it makes you end up in really difficult spots. However if I do take this line then I stay committed. Perhaps I only ever fold if a 4 to a flush board opens.

Oh and as far as I am concerned if I trap pre with AA then I will not 2 bet any street unless of course I hit a set.

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Thanks for your last reply Thinker, next time I try to get it in PF.

Fold. You shall 4bet preflop or raise the flop

What would a reraise on the flop achieve ? I think that would only give away the strength of my cards. I´m way ahead against any Kx hand, only super weird straights and kings beat me. Would he call with KQ, maybe. Would he call with Queens, probably not. I think it would be the worst option to reraise the flop. Maybe explain your oppinion ?
Looking forward to it.

I would be 4 betting pre all day here. I have to 4 bet my aces to balance my 4 bet bluffs. If you stand up to aggressive players preflop it does your table image a power and if he is that agg he will likely get into a preflop raising war which is what you want.
As played I think I would fold the river and a K on the river is the only card
that would lead me to fold... any other card im calling... unlucky.

4 bet pre.

As played: Fold the river. Unfortunate river card.

I'm never folding anywhere. Anyone who advises you to do so is burning money.

4-betting pre or getting it in on the flop. Don't care which. Just get the money in fast.

Why not 4bet preflop, or at least raise the flop?

Hi Figaroo2, can you really 4-bet light in 5NL against "normal" aggros ? That sounds way to risky for me. Great analysis at the end, you can only play the cards you are given, right : ).

Sil3ntness: Thanks for your comment, I think 4 betting was the solution to that hand, everything would be fine afterwards.

c9h13no3: You want me to 3bet/4bet get it in and not fold to any reraise ? Sounds very viable, that way I would have avoided the river decision.

Tomnovember: PF I wanted to trap, because he seemed to play aggressive, betting a lot to muscle people out of the pot. Committed to that strategy I simply didn't want to give away the strength of my hand on the flop.

Yeah 4betting light at 5nl isn't the greatest idea, reserve only for the most aggressive 3 bettors. But I agree with C9 about getting it in as early as possible. If he has AK hes calling a 4 bet or 5 bet shoving and if he calls a 4 bet he aint going to fold any K on that flop so you must raise the flop. If you had 4 bet its easier to then just shove on the flop. If he draws out later so be it.

Ugh. My gut tells me you're beat most of the time. He's got to assume you're hangin' on for dear life with some weakish Kx hand. But given your description of villains play along with the excruciatingly passive way you played the hand I think you have to call.

Schnorzel said:

c9h13no3: You want me to 3bet/4bet get it in and not fold to any reraise ? Sounds very viable, that way I would have avoided the river decision.

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You don't have to 4-bet. But if you just call his 3-bet, you need to be raising that flop.

Aces have the most value early in the hand (preflop & the flop), so put the money in while their value is highest. If you wait until the river, your opponent may have caught up.

c9h13no3 said:

You don't have to 4-bet. But if you just call his 3-bet, you need to be raising that flop.

Aces have the most value early in the hand (preflop & the flop), so put the money in while their value is highest. If you wait until the river, your opponent may have caught up.

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If he believes his opponent can't fold KQ or QQ in that spot then he should 2 bet the flop otherwise what's the point? We are representing 44/55 by raising the flop when in reality our hand is much weaker. Not every agro player is a calling station because if he was one then he should be 4 bet pre every single time here.

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Schnorzel said:

Hi Figaroo2, can you really 4-bet light in 5NL against "normal" aggros ? That sounds way to risky for me. Great analysis at the end, you can only play the cards you are given, right : ).

Sil3ntness: Thanks for your comment, I think 4 betting was the solution to that hand, everything would be fine afterwards.

c9h13no3: You want me to 3bet/4bet get it in and not fold to any reraise ? Sounds very viable, that way I would have avoided the river decision.

Tomnovember: PF I wanted to trap, because he seemed to play aggressive, betting a lot to muscle people out of the pot. Committed to that strategy I simply didn't want to give away the strength of my hand on the flop.

Click to expand...

I've 4 bet someone with QJs because they kept 3 betting me. They snap folded to the 4 bet.

Then again I'm not sure about 5 NL however if people are constantly 3 betting you because you always call or fold then you need to widen your 4 bet range. Worst case scenario they shove over your 4 bet. Majority of the time I 4 bet for 25 BBs (if we're talking equal 100 BB stacks) that way if they do 5 bet me or shove over my 4 bet I only lose a quarter of my stack.

Do this with your AA,KK, etc hands and your bluff hands. Mainly you want hands that bluff well (SCs, low pocket pairs, A suited hands, K suited hands. A & K suited hands are blockers to AA & KK. However don't be surprised if you still run into AA & KK when you have those hands. You're just using those 4 bet bluffing hands against maniac LAGs that love to 3 bet all the time. If they don't fold to 4 bets... you should be 4 betting every time with premium hands