AA vs drawy board

[BelgoSuisse]

As you may know, I'm really more of a SNG specialist, but I'd like to learn how to master cash games, so I do give it a try from time to time.

One thing that does baffle me is how to play big pocket pairs. Here follows an example. Villain is 22/6/1.2/139. He has lost one big pot earlier with a rivered straight that was beaten by a flush since the flop.

I guess my preflop raise and flop bet are OK

I start getting confused on the turn. I gives a straight to villain if he has a 6 and a flush if he has two hearts, but it also gives me a nut flush draw as I have Ah. Should I bet the turn, check call as I did, check fold?

Then on the river I would certainly fold if a blank came, but the A gives me a set that beats two-pairs and lower sets, altough i'm still behind straights and flushes.

full tilt poker Game #6196142077: Table Oso Blanca - $0.10/$0.25 - No Limit Hold'em - 10:57:34 ET - 2008/04/27
Seat 1: NCWolfpack44 ($25.15)
Seat 2: JensPikenes ($23.30)
Seat 3: metastase333 ($30.95)
Seat 4: McCauley617 ($14.90)
Seat 5: juannitoo ($33.30)
Seat 6: Gunaj ($24.15)
Seat 7: BelgoSuisse ($48)
Seat 8: zabbi100 ($25.55)
Seat 9: yekrats ($9.20)
McCauley617 posts the small blind of $0.10
juannitoo posts the big blind of $0.25
5 seconds left to act
JensPikenes posts a dead small blind of $0.10
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BelgoSuisse [Ah Ad]
Gunaj folds
BelgoSuisse raises to $0.75
zabbi100 calls $0.75
yekrats folds
NCWolfpack44 folds
JensPikenes calls $0.75
metastase333 folds
McCauley617 folds
yekrats is sitting out
juannitoo folds
*** FLOP *** [5h 9s 8h]
BelgoSuisse bets $2.70
zabbi100 folds
JensPikenes calls $2.70
*** TURN *** [5h 9s 8h] [7h]
BelgoSuisse checks
JensPikenes bets $4
BelgoSuisse calls $4
*** RIVER *** [5h 9s 8h 7h] [As]
BelgoSuisse has 15 seconds left to act
BelgoSuisse checks
JensPikenes bets $15
BelgoSuisse has 15 seconds left to act
BelgoSuisse has requested TIME

 

[c9h13no3]

Here's the things that I take issue with:

1) Since you're a tournament player, postflop play is probably not your strong point. Thus, I'd raise it up to ~1$ PF. Small point, but it does two good things for you. It helps you get money in while you're ahead, and it may help avoid a calling spree. I generally raise larger from early position anyways with the hands that I do play.

2) The overbet on the flop wasn't totally necessary. Just throw out your usual c-bet. Of course, if they'll call a potsized bet & chase, then by all means Just make sure you don't have a tell where you'll overbet the pot with a real hand & when you're c-betting with AK you bet 1/2 the pot. I, personally, pick up on that pretty fast.

3) The turn card was TERRIBLE. JT, heart draws, 97, 56, and 87 all hit the turn, and that's a big part of villain's range that he calls on the flop with. These semi-laggy 22% VPIP will play those connectors to a raise. At this point in the hand we're looking to make our nut flush cheaply. I think a c/c is definitely the right play here.

4) The ace is one of those really bad cards for us, that could end up tying us on to the hand when we're beaten. He's giving you 2:1 pot odds here, which I think makes this a pretty close decision. Lets see what we can beat that he would call with on the flop, and then bet the turn in an inviting manner with: 98, 97, 87, 9T, 57, 55, 77+ or a hand like J9 (altho, I think J9 or JJ checks behind on the river with the ace). JT, two hearts has us beaten. I think this is a fold, considering he bet so big on the river. The pot is ~$16, and he dumped $15 into it, so we're getting ~2:1. This is pretty ugly, and I'm not sure we're winning 50% of the time. I cry a lot, and then I probably find a call here. But I wouldn't fault a fold either that much.

Whatever happens (fold or call), I think we're going to be crying while doing it.

 

[BelgoSuisse]

4) The ace is one of those really bad cards for us, that could end up tying us on to the hand when we're beaten. He's giving you 2:1 pot odds here, which I think makes this a pretty close decision. Lets see what we can beat that he would call with on the flop, and then bet the turn in an inviting manner with: 98, 97, 87, 9T, 57, 55, 77+ or a hand like J9 (altho, I think J9 or JJ checks behind on the river with the ace). JT, two hearts has us beaten. I think this is a fold, considering he bet so big on the river. The pot is ~$16, and he dumped $15 into it, so we're getting ~2:1. This is pretty ugly, and I'm not sure we're winning 50% of the time. I cry a lot, and then I probably find a call here. But I wouldn't fault a fold either that much.

Whatever happens (fold or call), I think we're going to be crying while doing it.

We actually only need to win 33% of the time to make this a call, right? And I totally agree this is either a crying call or a crying fold.