It's Day 2 of the Parx $1200 this past weekend. Hero has 307k, good for 11th of the 70 players who began the day. Villain is a local tourney pro who won a tournament at the Borgata last month and has six figures in tourney winnings according to Hendon Mob. He has 477k and is in 4th place, so we're both looking pretty good relative to the rest of the field. Villain is the only guy at the table who has me covered. The top 26 get paid and while cashing would be nice, I am more concerned with making the final table and the ~$7,000 that comes along with it. Winner gets ~$79k.

Fourth pot of the day. Blinds are 2500/5k/a500. I folded the first three hands, including my big blind. Action folds to villain in the cutoff, who raises to 10.5k (barely a minraise). This is the first pot that he has played. I am pretty sure we have never played at the same table.

I find red aces in the small blind and I reraise to 35.5k. Villain asks how much it is and calls pretty quickly.

The heads up flop is 5-9-8 with two clubs.

What is your plan for this hand, knowing that he is the only guy who can bust you and that the next closest stack at your table has 257k (and is seated across the table from you)?

If you bet, what do you do if he raises? If you check, how do you respond to a bet?

Thanks in advance.

You have to go with aces on this flop. Line depends on opponent.

If you really don't want to bust, then just flat call initially, and often check/call 3 streets.

I busted 15th in that tourney, pretty sure villain here is Kane Kalas, who ended up winning. He's good. usually hyper aggro, and is going to flat wide ip this deep (something like 22-TT, A2s-AQs, K8s+,KTo+, Q8s+, QT0+, J8s+, JTo, T8s+,97s+,86s+, 75s+,65s), raise or float flops that are good for his range, and put pressure on you on a ton of turns and rivers.

I think your best line here is 1/2 pot cbet, and c/shove any turn.

The above line is perfect vs a guy floating a small bet then leading most checked turns. Of course you do could bust a decent % of time but you have a big overlay and are a good fav vs his range that gets it in on the flop or turn even if you don't have the Ac. Sounds like he has a lot of preflop combos and that will include lots of flush draws, 4 combos 76s (maybe), 9 sets, maybe 3 two pair combos.

The 3b is fine because he has room to 4b and flat lots of stuff in position that you crush.

~75k in pot pf and you have roughly 275k back. I think against this sort of player I really like a 1/4 - 1/3 pot bet which he will likely pounce on and you can c/r all in on flop and stack up 30%+ if he folds. If he calls jam any non scary turn.

nope, villain is aaron mermelstein who ended up slowrolling hero pretty hard here when his aces weren't any good


just bet, don't do any checkraise nonsense.

lol curious to hear the hand >AA here that ended up slowrolling

76s, preferably cc.

Correct. I guess you were at the table? Are you J.M. ?

Villain had 55 after commenting that this was "going to be a hero call"

Glad hero posted here instead of opting to become a serial killer based on the results of this hand

You have AA OOP against the only guy who can double you up, too

lol needs more love

Does he mean that I may have been justified in going crazy b/c I lost this hand?

Yes, thank you for pointing that out.

he's saying it cause i told them you basically got slowrolled

Check call flop and turn. Fold to a river shove

You have to be kidding? This is PURELY results oriented advice.

There is no way you play this way not knowing the results.

Unlucky is all it is.

Sooo many holdings you crush, so few you go busto to.

As OP got it in, he played his hand correctly vs. the range of V esp. on that flop texture.

This hand is not posted if OP didn't bust.