Opponent was a bad player, saw him call all inns with AQ on J95 board and such.

I think I played this hand perfectly and I had just bad luck, but to be sure I post it here.





Oh yeah, if people want to ask why I didn't bet this flop ( I suspect that, that question will come ), this is because I thought the chances were big that he totally missed this flop and that if he has an ace or nothing he will be forced to bet anyway.

This a classic position, you put him on nothing so you go all in , he did raise perhaps a middle pair? At 20 $ that could even be to good so, yes , yet the flop raise may mean AQ also whatever?

But after the spoiler you are up agaisnt major fools he raises with that pre as a bluff say, then continues flop side you call has a draw as a semi bluff but you being covered cannot cause the mistake grando reraising he calling/he lucky he cannot loss it all! My advice is if you ever get in the same situation and can reraise make sure you do. (The pre flop large shows he is not beating you) so i agree keep it up

86 is also possible but after the raise very unlikely: keep his name (follow lucky people they give away money)

You replied three times and I understand exactly zero of them

It's a hard one!! I'm not a fan calling off my stack with ace queen (especially with it being so early in the tournie) I have to say, but like you said I think the earlier call by him influenced your decision. Even after the flop he had 20 outs (if I'm right) so you work out the percentage. Finally even if you bet the flop or shove the chances are if he called earlier with hitting nothing and holding just ace high, he's snapping you off with the straight and flush draws. Just unlucky unfortunately

You acknowledge in your post that one other way you could have played this is to bet the flop. That would have been the most conventional move.

I'll come back to that, but I take it that your question in the thread title is whether you should have done something else preflop, or after the Villain bets the flop.

Your read is that the Villain is loose / bad, the type who makes / calls big bets when weak.

Preflop: Even though it is early, you have a premium hand and an opportunity to isolate a loose / bad player in a big pot. Sounds good to me.

Postflop: After you trap, by checking the flop on a wet board, what is a loose / bad (or even loose / decent) player going all in with here?
My guesses, in order of what I think is most probable to least probable:

1. An A with a weaker kicker. Villain thinks that you would have bet the flop to protect your hand if you had an A. And he wants to protect his hand in case you are drawing. There's a good chance he had an A in his hand when he called preflop, and only one kicker is better than yours.
2. A pocket or non-pocket underpair. Again, Villain thinks you don't have an A and wants to protect his hand. There's a good chance he had QQ, JJ, or any pocket pair when he called you preflop, and some chance of, for example K9, because he's terrible and his dog is his best friend and K9 sounds like 'canine'.
3. A draw, or draws, as a semi-bluff. There's a good chance he called you with two high suited cards pre-flop.
4. Two pair, with A7 or A9 in his pocket somewhat probable.
5. AK in his pocket.
6. A pure bluff, since your check on the flop makes it look like you are afraid of the A.
7. A set.
8. AQ in his pocket.

You are ahead, or even money, against the three most probable scenarios, and also two of five less probable scenarios.

As it was, his very improbable combination flush and straight draws with low suited gappers were a coin flip on the flop against your top pair. You would have been right to call even if you knew what he had.

So I think the only part of your play here that was questionable was the check on the flop, given the draws on the board. Trapping, on a wet board, early, is maybe reasonable against a loose / bad Villain if he is truly hyper-aggressive. Otherwise, no.

The pot is substantial already, your hand is unlikely to improve, and if he is loose he is likely to call your flop bet. If you bet the flop and:

- Villain folds, you win and do not need to worry about what he might find on later streets.
- Villain calls with a weaker hand, you are happy.
- Villain calls with a stronger hand, you are in the same situation as if he had bet into your trap and you called.

Raise smaller pre. That way you can cbet/fold cheaper if you miss and still easily get it in when you hit.

You described villain as calling off light rather then betting light (both may be the case, i guess). That combined with the drawheavy board I think checking is a mistake.

If he does like to bet light, checking is ok, but c/r isn't imo. Let him spew the rest of his stack on the turn rather then getting him to fold his air.

Thoughts on flatting pre? As played, you are building a big pot in early stages against a suspected station, with a hand that is difficult to play OOP.