$10 NLHE Full Ring: Aces UTG+2 in a tight game

[TheBigFinn]

Hero UTG+2, $11.53 Holding AcAd
Villain CO, $10, posts a dime
Villain Big Blind, $17.02
BB and SB post as does the Villain who just entered the game. Folds to Hero with Hero bets $0.45 which is a little light, but I was hoping to keep some players in. Villain in the CO calls as does the BB Villain.
$1.33 in the pot, Flop comes, and BB Villain min bets a dime. It doesn't look like the board hit anyone. There is a flush and a low straight draw, but both look unlikely. I assume a raise will fold out the field, so Hero calls as does CO Villain.
$1.61 in the pot and the turn comes BB Villain checks and Hero bets $0,80. CO Villain re-raise to $2.01 and BB folds. Not what I was expecting. I don't think there were many 8s in her range and was thinking she is putting me on two hard cards and trying to buy the pot. Hero SHOVES and CO Villain insta-calls. Uh Uh. $19.46 in the pot and Villain shows down. for 3 of a kind. Worse she has one of my aces. As I look back there are many places I should have played better..

1. Preflop, Should the raise have been larger, given the pot was bigger by the posted BB?
2. Was calling the flop to keep players in wrong? Villain could have been holding A9 instead of A8
3. If I had raised as the cards lay, both would have folded.
4. Should Hero have called the re-raise on the turn and evaluated on the river?

Spoiler

The river brought the final ace and Hero spiked the one outer.

 

[fundiver199]

Preflop
Opening to 4,5BB is fine, when there is a poster.

Flop
When someone min-donks, you should just ignore it and pretend, they checked. This is not the best board for aces, but I would still put in a standard C-bet rather than giving two opponents an almost free chance to draw out on me. Wanting to "keep them in" in an absolutely terrible thought process here. Your hand is far to weak to slowplay, so if anything you are pot controlling, which can be ok. But against two fishy opponents I prefer to bet for value. They can have a lot of single pair, pair + gutshot or flushdraws, they will continue with.

Turn
Its fine to bet now, but when you get raised, its definitely only a call. Jamming it in here is an overplay and will only get you action, when you are behind.

 

[Hermus]

1. Preflop, Should the raise have been larger, given the pot was bigger by the posted BB?
2. Was calling the flop to keep players in wrong? Villain could have been holding A9 instead of A8
3. If I had raised as the cards lay, both would have folded.
4. Should Hero have called the re-raise on the turn and evaluated on the river?

1. No. Standard open +1 bb for every limp/post so 4.5bb is fine

2. Yes. AA is always vulnerable on a wet board with callers pre-flop. You don't really have any implied odds because any ace is a big scare card for villain's range. Holding the Ac is relevant, but I'm much happier turning my weaker offsuit ace combos with the Ac into bluffs. The reversed implied odds of an additional club, or another low card to the straight are huge with any overpair, and especially AA if you have trouble folding them.

3. Yes but. You're not playing against A8. You're playing the entirety of the villain's range in this spot. Fact of the matter is, you're happy to see folds because this board doesn't favour AA.

4. I don't know. Tbh not betting the flop just makes this spot very awkward. We don't want to see an 8, we don't particularly like seeing a club, another card to the straight is a nightmare. With any of those cards coming in taking a check/call line seems better. We downgrade our beloved AA to a bluff catcher, but I don't think we can do any better in this spot.