Sat down the other night and in the first orbit in the bb I picked up AQ off in a 1/3 game. Old guy UTG +2, min raises to $6. 4 others call and I make the call in the bb. I thought about a 3bet here, but didnt pull the trigger.

V in the hand is 75+ with a stack of about $250. I cover.

$36 in the pot and the flip comes out A52r. I check. V bets $25. Everyone else folds, I call.

$86 in the pot. Turn is another A.

I checked it over to the V again. He checks.

River: Q.

I thought about checking a third time hoping he'd fire with any ace, but I decided to lead for $75.

ant different lines you would have taken? Bet the turn?

old guy probably had a 1010- QQ hand. I doubt that type of player is putting any more $ in the pot regardless. And since it's in your 1st orbit, you dont likely have any info to counter that.

You seem to be aware that this is generally a 3 betting position, esp. with all the dead money out there. I would make it $36. But as a new player oop, I could see the case for just calling.

AP post flop (other than river sizing) I don't have an issue with it. He bet into 5 players otf, which would indicate he isn't bluffing.

Checking the river to induce seems bad, since I don't think he'll bluff or bet his worse hands often enough, and you may miss value. I would bet slightly smaller to give him more of an option to call his JJ - KK type hands, but you don't want to bet so small as to under charge his Ax hands that might just call your bet. $60 seems fair.

Definitely agree with Tilty here. Raising on the flop is relatively pointless once everyone else has folded. He only likely has AK-AJ that ever call and AJ might fold still. Nothing really worth driving him off of either.

Turn indicates he gives up and we want to induce a call from weaker. I'd actually lean towards 45 or so because I really never expect him to have Ax here. Hopefully he has QQ. :P

I would have raised pre. If this type situation comes up again, where I have KK, I want them to know I could be holding nothing but AQ on a J75 flop.

I'd bet the turn for the same meta-game reasons. It doesn't have to go to showdown. You simply show your AQ if everyone folds OTT.

I find there are usually 3+ players who are watching a new player in a small stakes game. They are usually your better players at the table. Being cognizant of who is not in the hand, but paying attention to the hand unfold, gives you some info.

I'm guessing we don't have any history with the opener nor have a handle on the table dynamics (like whether he minraises with his big pairs a lot, especially at this aggro 3betty table where he's expecting a 3bet?). Typically with $250 stacks I'd definitely be 3betting here (it's a perfect spot to setup a desirable SPR for our hand), but if we don't have any clue what is going on I could see flatting (although we're going to be left in an SPR 7 multiway pot, which is gross with a TP hand). Depending on stack sizes, I'd probably lean towards a raise to $75 to setup a PSB shove on any flop.

Any reads at all on Villain other than he's an old guy? Is he really playing AJ/AT like this? I might just nit check/fold the flop.

I'm also checking the turn.

On the river, it's most likely he either has absolute junk (like an underpair or complete air) or he has a nuttish hand that he was slowplaying (AK/55/22). I'm guessing air ain't gonna bluff all that much once they check back the turn (but they might). The underpair is instachecking back hoping they are good and might call a small bet. The monsters are going to bet and probably call a check/raise, and they'll also call any bet (such as a shove). Overall, I *think* our best option is to shove, but I could see arguments for doing otherwise.

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