Hi guys, here's sorta a "different" problem. I play limit very aggressively and am experimenting with playing more passively in certain select situations. Wanted to get some thoughts on this hand.
Live $6-12 game. My image is aggressive and probably semi-loose. I had been stealing alot of blinds and got caught stealing with A5o on a board of AK5 when other guy had AK in the BB, and it was commented on by several players who had folded preflop and villian was listening.
Villian is a solid player, I've played with him at higher limits and stay out of his way in marginal situations, thankfully the rest of the table is complete idiots so the table was still good..
Dealt to me in late middle position:
I raise first in, everybody else folds, villian is SB and coldcalls, BB folds.
Flop: (headsup)
Villian checks, I bet $6, he checkraises to $12.
Well I quickly evaluated the situation and decided he had 1 of three types of hands for him to checkraise with and felt I was way behnind / way ahead.
1) AA KK QQ AQ less likely 66- the fact that he coldcalled out of the SB seemed suspicious to me as I would expect him to raise most hands he would coldcall with (as this is correct play out of the SB in almost alll circumstances, as coldcalling gives the BB too good of odds and he probably put me on a stealraise), so when he coldcalled part of me put him on a very strong hand like one of these.
2) a middle pair like 99, 88 or a dominated hand like KQ QT Q9 and he was trying to see where I was at or get me out thinking I missed, in other words hands I am ahead of and want to massage maximal bets out of him
3) A complete bluff i.e. he had a hand like JT
I felt like I was going to the river regardless of the turn and river since I had such a strong hand and it was headsup in a steal situation and I couldn't fold to a reraise.
Anyway, back to the hand:
I smooth called his flop checkraise since I felt that if he had #2 he might fold to the three bet on the flop (and if a complete bluff #3 he would fold) and decidied since he was an aggressive player, I would just let him bet the hand for me if I was ahead and minimize my losses if I was behind since there was no draws on the board.
Turn:
He bets $12, I call $12
River:
He bets $12, I call $12
What do you think of this play? At the time I thought it was really brilliant since I thought he would throw away his hand at any point I raised if he was beat, and reraise if he was ahead - note that there was two very important considerations:
1) there are essentially no draws anywhere
2) he was a strong player capable of knowing if he as ahead or behind
If these considerations weren't present I wouldn't have taken this line.
But now that I've thought more, I am wondering IF I won the hand if I would have left a bet on the table, maybe should be raising the turn or river (clearly not the flop).
So which is it:
1) I am brilliiant, play it like I did
2) raise the turn, intending to call down if I am three bet
3) raise the river, intending to call down if I am three bet
Thanks! I think this is a very interesting hand so I hope we get a good discussion!