you know your opponent is good when...

[holman3rd 0]

Trop last month..."pink game" (7.50/15.00).I'd been playing about an hour and was up maybe $50. UTG I raise AJo and get called in 2 spots (the button and the small blind).Flop comes 2 6 9 rainbow. SB checks, I bet, button calls, sb folds.Turn is a 4. I bet, button calls.River is another 4. I bet...button says, "Looks like someone overplayed AJ preflop" and then proceeds to raise.Stunned, I folded. He showed me AQo. Damn. :twisted:Please add your own anecdotes.

[wrto4556 0]

That's creepy.

[wrto4556 0]

During a tournament at PSO some guy raised and the flop comes down ragged. He got one caller. he bets and the caller thinks for a while and I say, "raise, he's got AK." and the guy raises and the original bettor folds and sais "OK, what am I thinking now." Hahahaha. Lucky guess.

[CoreyBrown 0]

I don't think I believe him to have been 100% in his mind. I see no value in his bet after the river.

[wrto4556 0]

I don't think I believe him to have been 100% in his mind. I see no value in his bet after the river.

AQ beats AJ...his raise was for value. HE RAISED A_HIGH FOR VALUE! That's good.

[CoreyBrown 0]

What value is there in that? Especially with AQ?He is either going to achieve thisAJ - on the money.....fold with nothing but ace highAny pair - will call knowing his read was WAY off the mark - negative valueAK - close but behindThe ONLY value on this bet is in fact that AJ or AJ-x being stupid enough to call the raise. Most normal people will fold just ace high.There isn't value in the bet. IF he was sure he had the hand won, he would check and take it there. Unless he thinks his oppononent is a gov agent paid to pay people off to make America happy.

[Guest]

My question is:How much were you betting? My guess is that you were a weak lead that screamed..."I HAVE AN ACE and another card that has not hit yet...boy I hope it does." Were you making it that obvious that you had AJ? That does not surprise me at all. He kept calling you. Why wouldn't you push HARD on that turn or river if you knew that your opponent also had A?. If he had anything he would have raised by now.BIG PUSH = your pot.weak lead can be used in three ways...to chase, to trap, and to steal.

[randomization 0]

While your opponent's read was good, I think Corey Brown is right. There's no reason for him to bet in that situation, because the vast majority of hands that will call him have him beat. He should've made his disparaging comment about overplaying AJ, called and dragged the pot (especially if he was going to show his AQ).

[holman3rd 0]

While your opponent's read was good, I think Corey Brown is right.  There's no reason for him to bet in that situation, because the vast majority of hands that will call him have him beat.  He should've made his disparaging comment about overplaying AJ, called and dragged the pot (especially if he was going to show his AQ).

Wow, LOL. I didn't think anyone would take this so seriously. But that's ok, I appreciate the responses.Obviously, the guy took a lucky guess. I could have been playing a number of hands the same way, including AQ & AK. I believe he put me on 2 overcards, and AJ from UTG probably had the highest likelihood of fitting the comment that he make. I mean, raising AK UTG is fine, AQ is OK, but AJ is borderline.

[Smasharoo 0]

I mean, raising AK UTG is fine, AQ is OK, but AJ is borderline.No it isn't.I raise AJ UTG all the time.It'd be borderline in a tight agressive game where you might get three-bet regularly. In a game where people cold call two with junk it's the right play.

[holman3rd 0]

I mean, raising AK UTG is fine, AQ is OK, but AJ is borderline.No it isn't.I raise AJ UTG all the time.It'd be borderline in a tight agressive game where you might get three-bet regularly.  In a game where people cold call two with junk it's the right play.

Good point on the loose games, but I have to disagree with the tight aggressive games. If your image is tight, raising AJ UTG is a good play, as you are likely to only get called/re-raised by strong hands--which provides useful info on the range of hands you are up against.Yes, I just made an argument for raising with this hand UTG, but I did say it was borderline. It's not a group 1 hand where you can say you should always raise. As with anything in poker, in depends on the players at the table (obviously).Didn't mean to imply that I was trying to state a black & white rule. Of course, raising UTG with this hand can be a good way to mix up your game a bit if the table think's you're a rock.

[CoreyBrown 0]

Good point on the loose games, but I have to disagree with the tight aggressive games. If your image is tight, raising AJ UTG is a good play, as you are likely to only get called/re-raised by strong hands--which provides useful info on the range of hands you are up against.  

Not completely true. If you play a tight as nuts game, I know you to be playing strong hands. Strong aces and high pockets. ESPECIALLY if you are raising from UTG. I'm going to call you with my 87 off suit, if no high cards come down, even if I didn't hit, I am going to bet and probably push you off your overs. This is why we vary our hands.

[Smasharoo 0]

This is why we vary our hands.This is why we threebet AK on a ragged flop we don't hit actually.

[holman3rd 0]

This is why we vary our hands.This is why we threebet AK on a ragged flop we don't hit actually.

I think we agree for than we think. :-)

[MrConceit 0]

I mean, raising AK UTG is fine, AQ is OK, but AJ is borderline.No it isn't.I raise AJ UTG all the time.It'd be borderline in a tight agressive game where you might get three-bet regularly.  In a game where people cold call two with junk it's the right play.

Saying you raise AJo UTG all the time is fine and good, but does that mean it isn't a borderline choice in whether or not to raise it? I limp it all the time too, and raise it the other amounts of the time. It really depends on what the table is like or what your mood is. If the table is tight but somewhat aggressive, and almost nobody plays until the button/CO, they often raise with Arag vs my AJo. I find this to be kind of fun. It's an added deception and usually nets me more money. The typical players I play against don't seem to respect any limp, regardless of whether your UTG or in mid. So if nobody raised and only 1 limper, they'll raise trash in late. A circumstance I don't mind being in with a reasonable but not amazingly strong hand. If I miss the flop I can gladly fold. But if I hit an ace it's usually great fun.

[JFarrell20 1]

Are you kidding me? lol. This sounds made up. He says you 'overplayed' AJ, however he's only playing AQ? And calling with it??? lol. You should have reported him to the floor man because he has X-Ray vision.

[wrto4556 0]

While your opponent's read was good, I think Corey Brown is right. There's no reason for him to bet in that situation, because the vast majority of hands that will call him have him beat. He should've made his disparaging comment about overplaying AJ, called and dragged the pot (especially if he was going to show his AQ).

Psychological warfare.

[randomization 0]

Good call. After all, by announcing he's calling you for a bluff and betting, he's given you a chance to bet again if you're not bluffing. So it's a pretty gutsy move.

[wrto4556 0]

Good call. After all, by announcing he's calling you for a bluff and betting, he's given you a chance to bet again if you're not bluffing. So it's a pretty gutsy move.

My ego would have screamed "re-raise".

[Chip_and_a_Chair 0]

You should have taken a similar stab in the dark, re-raised, and then said, "Yeah, but can you really call my 'A J' re-raise with just an A Q?" Of course, you'd have no way of knowing for certain what he had, but it would make for a great scene straight out of "Tilt." Of course, it would also have to be no-limit for any real effect. Sorry, that's the medication rambling...Anywho, I like a reraise here, because it sounds like his comment about overplaying A J was designed as much to get information out of you as to rattle you. Flip down the shades, re-raise, and let him chew on whether your pre-flop raise meant pocket pair. If he calls or raises back at you, give him credit for having the balls to trust his read even after your actions contradict it.

[holman3rd 0]

My question is:How much were you betting?  My guess is that you were a weak lead that screamed..."I HAVE AN ACE and another card that has not hit yet...boy I hope it does."  Were you making it that obvious that you had AJ?  That does not surprise me at all.  He kept calling you.  Why wouldn't you push HARD on that turn or river if you knew that your opponent also had A?.  If he had anything he would have raised by now.BIG PUSH = your pot.weak lead can be used in three ways...to chase, to trap, and to steal.

You guys realize that this is a limit game, right? I can't push any harder than lead betting when heads up.

[holman3rd 0]

You should have taken a similar stab in the dark, re-raised, and then said, "Yeah, but can you really call my 'A J' re-raise with just an A Q?"  Of course, you'd have no way of knowing for certain what he had, but it would make for a great scene straight out of "Tilt."  Of course, it would also have to be no-limit for any real effect.  Sorry, that's the medication rambling...Anywho, I like a reraise here, because it sounds like his comment about overplaying A J was designed as much to get information out of you as to rattle you.  Flip down the shades, re-raise, and let him chew on whether your pre-flop raise meant pocket pair.  If he calls or raises back at you, give him credit for having the balls to trust his read even after your actions contradict it.

I have to agree here. I guess I was just so stunned that I mucked without even thinking.And no, this isn't made up.

[Petoria 0]

The only way the opponent with AQ gets any value out of this play is if he has somethin better than AQ, most likely a high PP. If you're on a complete steal with A-high you fold anyway, if you have a pair or AK, you reraise and he knows you have a piece of the board, but unlikely a big piece with the board as is. If I were playing, I would put my opponent on either a PP or a complete bluff. Bluff is unlikely because you want to call with AK. I would want to get into more pots with this opponent. My guess is that this opponent can make good reads but is flawed in other aspects of his play. But I guess, even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.

[TeeSludge 0]

Are you sure you were playing at the Trop? They haven't spread the pink game to my knowledge in a long time...

[holman3rd 0]

Are you sure you were playing at the Trop? They haven't spread the pink game to my knowledge in a long time...

Positive. We had to ask them to spread it.