Bad Bluff or Bad Call?

Hand History driven straight to this forum with DriveHUD Poker Tracking Software

NL Holdem $1,400(BB)
EP ($292542) [VPIP: 25,8% | PFR: 12,9% | AGG: 26,3% | 3-Bet: 0% | hands: 31]
HERO ($94062) [VPIP: 24,3% | PFR: 16,7% | AGG: 24,3% | 3-Bet: 6,2% | Hands: 344]
HJ ($78971) [VPIP: 20,7% | PFR: 17,2% | AGG: 35% | 3-Bet: 14,8% | Hands: 58]
CO ($46575) [VPIP: 0% | PFR: 0% | AGG: 0% | 3-Bet: 0% | Hands: 9]
BTN ($45555) [VPIP: 25% | PFR: 0% | AGG: 0% | 3-Bet: 0% | Hands: 4]
SB ($34682) [VPIP: 18,2% | PFR: 9,1% | AGG: 0% | 3-Bet: 0% | Hands: 11]
BB ($76557) [VPIP: 25% | PFR: 21,4% | AGG: 66,7% | 3-Bet: 20% | Hands: 28]
UTG ($52975) [VPIP: 50% | PFR: 25% | AGG: 66,7% | 3-Bet: 0% | Hands: 4]

Dealt to Hero: A:diamond: Q:spade:

UTG Calls $1400, EP Folds, HERO Raises To $4375, HJ Folds, CO Folds, BTN Folds, SB Folds, BB Calls $2800, UTG Calls $2800

Hero SPR on Flop: [3,31 effective]
Flop ($14700): J:diamond: 9:spade: 5:club:
BB Checks, UTG Bets $4550 (Rem. Stack: 44050), HERO Calls $4550 (Rem. Stack: 85137), BB Folds

Turn ($23800): J:diamond: 9:spade: 5:club: T:club:
UTG Bets $11900 (Rem. Stack: 32150), HERO Calls $11900 (Rem. Stack: 73237)

River ($47600): J:diamond: 9:spade: 5:club: T:club: J:spade:
UTG Checks, HERO Bets $37800 (Rem. Stack: 35437), UTG Calls $32150 (allin)

Well, I see two bad calls and one bad bluff. UTG was first in the pot with a limp but he smooth called your raise. You can limit his range right now by throwing out the top premium hands. When the flop comes it hits his range right smack in the middle. And, when he bets a third of the pot into you what were you thinking. Do you guess a bluff and therefore only called? If you guess it's not a bluff then you must assume the flop hit his hand.

You had to know he was already ahead of you...his bet looked a lot more like a value bet than a bluff. So, if you were going to bluff here was the time to do it with a big over the top bet. You may have pushed him off his nine. Your call only convinced him he had the better hand. And then he bets half pot on the turn....your behind but hoping to catch a straight on the river? Again you call. Now you're dead in the water and your bluff comes 2 streets too late and it makes no sense. Your story simply isn't believable after the path betting line you took.

I think you should have folded on the turn . You had to know you were behind . You were a 4-1 dog and only getting 3-1 on your money . Should have been an easy fold .

The Bet

If deciding to bluff on that hand, would have checked to him first to see his action. And then pulled the trigger from there. If you bet on the flop, it cant be an obvious bluff.:wavey:

What's next? Apparently, he showed you a jack or at least AK.

I killed a sea of time trying to guess which hand you depicted when you went all-in. Suppose you hit a set after the flop, on the turn when the board becomes dangerous, just calling looks illogical. If you have a straight, then all-in chips don’t get them, which means you just have nothing. I understand that not everything goes smoothly in my reasoning, but having at least something I would call.