Satiivas
Enthusiast
Silver Level
Your min re raise is essentially slow playing the best starting hand.My thought process for this hand
PREFLOP
Holding AA in the big blind against an unknown UTG raiser- sometimes dreams do come true. I didn't want to call and slowplay, because I felt that considering our stack sizes, he will either check-fold on so many flops, or make a small c-bet and give up on many turns. So, I contemplated between re-raising small or going all-in. I chose the first option, as I thought going all in for 20BB gets way too many folds whereas clicking back might induce him to shove with worse hands, f.e lower pairs, Kx and also the few Ax combos, which I know he couldn't have many as I was holding two of them. But, instead he called, I guess correctly given such a good price. (?)
You are exactly in a way ahead way behind situation. In fact even when has a King it doesn't make sense for him to cbet. I would only cbet with a 7s full of kings in his spot to extract value from the insane amount of Ks in your range.My thought process for this hand
FLOP
I felt, that this is kind of the "either way ahead or way behind" types of flop, meaning he either has a king or he doesn't. I started with a check
My thought process for this hand
TURN
Now this is a spot for me. After thinking for a while, I decided to check again, because:
1)In case he picked up a flush draw, he will most likely bet it himself anyway and probably bomb the river, considering how weakly I had played my hand.
2)One more chance to bluff his nothings.
3)One more confirmation, that his one pair type of hands are probably good.
4)Against a slowplayed king, I might save some chips, in case he decides to go weird and go for a super small bet or something (low stakes, anything can happen).
After his 1/2 pot bet, I decided to call and not to raise mainly for the same reasons I gave above: against a flush draw, the outcome would probably be the same anyway, so it wouldn't matter if I call or go all-in, I just feel he would fold so many worse hands to my jam.
Your min re raise is essentially slow playing the best starting hand.
And he called correctly given the price.
You are exactly in a way ahead way behind situation. In fact even when has a King it doesn't make sense for him to cbet. I would only cbet with a 7s full of kings in his spot to extract value from the insane amount of Ks in your range.
Again, you dont wan't to call here. If you check raise jam the pot is big enough that even if he folds air, that has no chance to improve you have taken down a good pot. (you go from 20bb to 32.5bb) nh! well played!
Also, if he calls you with straight/flush/worse 2 pairs/ and flush draws with a gutshot here this is exactly what you want. Sure sometimes he will improve and beat you.
The outcome isn't the same whether you call or shove in the long run. When you shove, you remove alot of villains potential to realize his equity.
When you call, and check river, villain will check back with a lot of his missed hands and low value hands. Your Aces are only good for bluff catching now, you are pot committed, and only have essentially top pair in a 3bet pot on the river and cant fold to a river bet.
Folding the turn is ok, especially because of the trap you are in on almost every river.
Your point 4) is invalid when you are this short in chips. You are trying to play pot control but even with the small bets he made on the turn and river, when you check called both, you were left with 4bb.
Your though process overall makes a lot of sense if you are really deep stacked in a tournament or playing a cash game.
Very interesting and difficult hand in my opinion..here are my thoughts..