Did I Play This Wrong?

[Syntonic 0]

I've been playing poker for about 5 months or so, and after thinking about this hand a bit more, I think I should have possibly mucked before the flop. On the flop I put him on either AK or AJ, possibly even JJ. What do you think?PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2 BB (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)SB ($180.20)BB ($207.45)UTG ($201.65)UTG+1 ($304.10)MP1 ($287.05)MP2 ($313.70)MP3 ($296.05)CO ($197)Hero ($120.15)Preflop: Hero is Button with Q, A. 6 folds, Hero raises to $6, SB raises to $10, 1 fold, Hero raises to $16, SB raises to $30, Hero calls $14.Flop: ($62) A, 5, J(2 players)SB bets $90, Hero folds.Final Pot: $152

[Merby 3]

I recommend posting any NLHE hands directly in the NLHE strat forum instead of general strat forum: you'll get a lot more responses a lot faster.Without reads of the SB playing style, I cannot give you a full answer. Have you been raising his blind often? Is he making a stand? Is he loose? etc.That being, said, I think there is a lot we already know about the SB. He's min-raising your raise OOP with the BB left to act. You will *never* fold to a minraise here, so his bet has no fold equity for you. He just wants to get the BB to fold but wants you to stick around. This is a donk move OOP and often means either AA or KK, although it can also be a variety of garbage hands (if he is fed up with having his blind raised, but he has no concept of pricing out his opponents with big raises).Once you are facing his min-reraise (to $10 preflop), it is decision time. I recommend just calling here: you have position on him, and the flop will be heads-up with you holding AQ(s). If that occurred, your flop decision would be much easier (the pot going to the flop would be $22, he would probably lead the flop for $18-ish, and you can stick in a nice raise here or choose to call and reevaluate on the turn).*If* you choose to reraise preflop, you must make it a raise that will define both your hands (you chose to reraise $6 to $16 to go. This means he is being asked to call $6 into a pot of $28... pretty good odds, *even* with him being OOP). If I reraise here (and as I said before, I would lean heavily to just calling his pre-flop reraise to $10), then I am putting him to the test with a raise of around $30-$40 total. In this situation, if you raise to $30 total, then he is faced with calling another $20 OOP into a pot of $42. Although he is getting 2-1, he knows he is playing out of position against a button who *likes* his hand. I hope that helps,Merby

[simo_8ball 0]

Don't re-reraise tiny preflop, either call or make a proper raise.I think you're fine calling the raise to $30, although it would help if you had a full stack.Unless he's making a strange bet with KK/QQ on that flop you are beat. I think you see AK a lot if you call.Oh, and don't post this in General Strat - post it in the No Limit Texas Hold'em forum.

[Kid DynOmite 0]

The general rule when you're playing against bad players is the following: play big pots only when you have really big hands. Here, you have a solid hand that you should see a flop with (not a hand you can stack him with unless you get an AQx flop or a kj10 flop). I would call his little re raise and wait to see what he does on a flop where the pot is not as big. His hand really does feel like a very poorly played AK, but I guess JJ is also possible. I think the odds of him having KK or QQ after the flop are far lower... It'd be a REALLY ballsy play. I wouldn't reraise preflop. I'd just feel him out after you flop tp/2ndkicker.

[GabeTheKid 0]

I've been playing poker for about 5 months or so, and after thinking about this hand a bit more, I think I should have possibly mucked before the flop. On the flop I put him on either AK or AJ, possibly even JJ. What do you think?PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2 BB (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)SB ($180.20)BB ($207.45)UTG ($201.65)UTG+1 ($304.10)MP1 ($287.05)MP2 ($313.70)MP3 ($296.05)CO ($197)Hero ($120.15)Preflop: Hero is Button with Q, A. 6 folds, Hero raises to $6, SB raises to $10, 1 fold, Hero raises to $16, SB raises to $30, Hero calls $14.Flop: ($62) A, 5, J(2 players)SB bets $90, Hero folds.Final Pot: $152

You misplayed the hand. After he reraises you to 10, just call. What's with the raise to 16? seriously. He probably has AK here, not AJ. It also depends on reads on that player. I think you have to change your views on AQ. AQ is not the nuts preflop. As for the flop bet of 90, putting you all in, I see nothing that he does this with that you beat assuming he's a competent player. And you provided us with no reads.

[whiterice714 0]

personally i'd have just called the $10 PF & taken the flop...like merby said that will control the pot size & you still have a decent hand in position. see the flop & the action he leads w/ & it'll make your decision MUCH easier.i can really only see him having AK / AA / JJ after the way this was played...i can easily see him having QQ/KK as well, but then that flop bet doesn't make much sense for those hands... unless he's just angry he didn't stick it in PF & HOPES you dont have an A - aka superdonk... you've got to ask yourself "what do i really beat here?"the anser being A 10 suited... not too many players are going to 4bet PF w/ A 10 suited... even A J has you crushed right now... unless you're vs the same hand & playing for a chop, i think this is an easy fold w/ teh pot that size & action that took place.don't worry, after my first 5 months i couldn't have made that laydown- "it's A Q ssooooooted!" haha... always remember "it's better to make a bad fold than it is to make a bad call";]

[Jennings7 0]

Well, pretty much repeating what has already been said but you definitely should have either flat called the raise to 10 or made a big enough reraise to find out where you are at. His overbet on the flop is either an advanced play trying to conceal a huge hand by making it look like he is buying it or a complete donk bet with KK or QQ. I wish I knew more about the player to really answer this question. I just can't see this guy betting 90 into 62 with AA or JJ. His best play with those hands it to check to you almost every time on that flop and most likely push when you bet your AQ (as you should). I've seen players do what he did with KK before, but most likely you are way behind to AK.

[Syntonic 0]

Thanks for all the replies.It was late last night, but from what I remember the guy was in a fairly big pot and took a big hit to his chip stack. He sat at 40-50 for awhile and just recently got about the same amount as I. Looking back on it, the reraise was just too small, and not needed. It seemed like a lot of hands that I came in for a raise, he would either call or reraise me, which was annoying because he had position in most cases. I wasn't terribly impressed with how he was playing up until then - I remember several times when I had a middle pocket pair, and the board would be like K22, or something along those lines. He would fire on the flop, I would call him, on the turn he would either check or bet a very small amount into the pot, and I would repop it or bet a reasonable amount and take it.