2/5 NL at casino

I've been playing around 90 minutes. I've observed villain to be very loose, and frankly not a very good player - playing far too many hands, and calling raises OOP with really suspect holdings and calling bets post-flop with just gut-shots to the low end of straights, etc... I'm in EP w/ approx. $430 stack, villain has me covered.

Villain is UTG and raises $25
I am UTG+2 with K K and 3-bet to $70. My thinking, I just want to play the pot heads-up with villain. I don't want to just flat, and let someone with a weak Ace outflop me.

Folds back to villain who calls - Approx. $145 in pot.

Flop A 8 5

Villain checks. I think checking behind is too weak, and though I don't always C-bet A-high flops with KK, I C-bet $100 in this spot - mostly to try to win the pot right there, but also for my table-image for the rest of the night. Villain thinks for a bit and calls - Approx. $345 in pot.

Turn A

Villain checks. If this card is a Ten or a Queen, or pretty much any other card I strongly consider checking behind to not bloat the pot, and hope to just get a cheap showdown. However, I really think this card improves my hand. I really don't know what I think he has, but I feel like he's less likely to have a hand with an Ace in it b/c there are two on the board. I don't really want to give a free card to a flush draw, and think I can win the pot without showdown by betting here most of the time.

At this point I've got around $270 behind. If I were playing a bigger stack here I'd likely bet $175 or $200, but b/c of my stack size I think my best play is to shove here. I could check behind, but then I pretty much give up on the hand, and there's no way I can call anything on the river, and I think my hand is too strong, and the possibility of him having an Ace is too low.

Villain studies for probably 30 seconds or so and calls. He doesn't seem super-confident, but I obviously know I'm beat. I think he fears I have AK, but just can't lay his hand down b/c it's too strong.

Incidentally the river was 5. Villain has AQ

My basic question is, how is my line? Obv. he's not folding a big Ace ever, and he's probably never folding any Ace. Is my thinking flawed once the second Ace turns? Should I just be checking behind on the turn, and hoping for a free showdown, or do I get any folds ever that make my turn bet worth it?

For what it's worth, I think you played it fine, given the villain's description. He probably stacks off with 99-QQ, maybe any 8, some combo draws, etc.

I think the alternative play is to check flop, call turn and potentially call river. Against most opponents this would be my line but against this villain I probably play it the same as you.

Hmm.. you think Villain would stack off with 99-QQ to a bet flop and a shove turn here, on a double ace board?

I don't really see it. Sure he's weak, but two aces out there, hero's line is super strong. Even if Villain is not really considering opponent's hand, calling against a shove with 99, TT, or QQ on an AAxx board by the turn is scary.

I feel like once he calls you on the flop he is very likely to be holding an Ace. He raised under the gun which typically means strength and then called a 3 bet. A big part of his range is AK AQ AJ AT , Jacks , tens, Nines. This type of Villian would probably stack off pre flop with Queens or higher. I would check back on the turn and then reevaluate on the river. I understand with the Two Aces out there he is less likely to have one but when you shove the turn you get worse hands out and keep better hands calling. If he doesn't have an Ace he will think you don't have one either if you check the turn, therefore getting value on the river from his Jacks, Tens, and Nines.

Check flop

Standard is to check KK on an ace high flop. Neither of your reasons really seem to explain why you bet.

The Villain played his hand is a totally face-up manner on all streets.

You turned your show down value hand into a bluff that pretty much never succeeds; trying to fold an ace on an ace-high flop.

He wonders what everyone wonders, why you're running a multi-street bluff.

If the Villain is worried about Ace/King then you could have checked this down and saved 370 dollars.

I hope you do realize you were bluffing on the flop and turn.

Ok lets just stop for a second and pretend that the ace on the turn somehow improves your hand. So what? What is going to call this bet? Why bet the turn? You dont just bet when you have the best hand, you bet what you think your opponent will call with worse. What possible hand is he calling here ever? You 3bet preflop and he called, he doesnt have air. You cbet an ace high flop and he called, he for ****ing sure does not have air now. And then you think this turn locks your hand up for good? Dont get into the habit of just betting every single time you have some kind of hand. I see players bet A3o on a AJ86J river and are shocked when they get called by a better ace, and act like "well whaddya gon do? I *had* to bet there".

Anyway everyone knows an Ace always flops when you raise with KK right? It's ok to check here at least 50% of the time if not more. Just because you do does not mean your opponent immediately knows you dont have the ace. Remember he's still afraid of what you might do. Dont be paranoid about getting bluffed out of 3bet pots on Ace high flops, because typically YOU look like you have the ace, and are checking for whatever reason. The simply truth is they will have called preflop 99 or something and not even thinking about outplaying you postflop, they just wanted to hit a set and they missed, they're done with the hand and intend to check it to the river. Hell they'd LOVE to see a free turn/river card to try and hit.

Yes on occasion you will need to cbet these kind of boards to extra thin value from donks who just feel like being stubborn, or have some sort of draw. All this nonsense about your KK being too strong to fold on a AA board and how you cant call a river bet etc etc etc is just that, nonsense. For the most part just play your cards, you arent going to win every time you pick up AA so dont force it. You got a ****ty flop with a ****ty runout and took one stab to win it, you're done.

BTW I'm kinda drunk at the moment so rorgive some sloppy writting

I wouldn't mind 3! To $80 pre.

I'd probably check flop, it'll be hard for you to get 3/streets from a range of hands your ahead of and then bet/fold turn and river.

You realize you contradict yourself like 5 times back to back in this thought stream alone right? "I really think this card improves my hand, I dont want to get to showdown.....there's no way I can call river, because my hand is too strong (wtf?)......" There's been like 3 huge bets so far and you suddenly decide to discount him having an Ace just because another Ace hits? Combinitorics aside you do realize making trips *can* happen dont you? You dont just arbitrarily rule out certain hands based upon board texture. You need to remember what the hell went down preflop and postflop.

Honestly all in all, your line of thinking just sounds like you're in over your head. Like you've been perusing the high stakes forum and think you understand their thought processes to apply it at small stakes. Whatever it is you think you know you should probably dump a lot of it and just stick to the basics for awhile.

Grunching ...

Are you able to construct his 3-bet calling range? Since the Ad and Kd are out, I'd underwieght diamond draws and lean more toward pps.

If we bet the flop, he is likely folding under pairs (worse hands). I'd check back and try for value ott.

Turn - 2nd Ace makes it less probable he (or us) has AX, so I'd bet for thin value vs. pps and FDs.

I would pot control this spot.