A hand I liked from a $10NL session.

[frob23]

OK, here is a hand where I really liked how I played. I felt confident that I would get the max from this hand from the way I played it. This is $10NL so it's possible I would have made the same amount regardless of how I played but I think I made the maximum here.

I've been hitting hands here but have been losing. So a lot of my hands have been shown down. I think most players are aware that I have been playing strong hands. I've had to rebuy for $5 already at this point. And have lost another couple hands before this one, leaving me at the 76xBB spot I start the hand with.

1: UTG+1: $8.51
2: CO: $7.30
3: Button: $13.58
6: Hero: $7.59
7: BB: $7.52
8: UTG: $6.80

Hero: A K

I will admit, from the start, that this is one of my favorite hands. For some reason, I like it better in than any other suit. It is stupid to prefer one suit over another but I don't profess to be completely logical all the time.

Hero posts $0.05, BB posts $0.10, 3 folds, Button calls $0.10, Hero Raises $0.45, 1 fold, Button calls $0.40

I don't slow-play AKs pre-flop. I especially don't slow-play it from out of position. I make a slightly larger than normal raise here (to 5xBB) just in the hopes of ending this hand pre-flop.

Flop: Q K K (Pot: $1.10)

Hero bets $0.40, Button calls $0.40

This is a much smaller bet than I would usually make. On this table, I am already known as an aggressive player. I make pot-sized or nearly pot-sized bets whenever I have a hand. The Button has seen this on several occasions. I feel that under-betting here will lead him to believe I missed and might be scared of a King. I can't check because it would look very odd for me to check after raising large like that. I expect him to think I have an Ace-x type hand or a pair under Qs.

Turn: Q K K 3 (Pot: $1.90)

Hero bets $1.00, Button calls $1.00

This isn't a great card for my hand. It does open up a possible draw and it was unlikely to help the Button catch up. Still, the odds of him coming along with nothing at all are low. So I expect him to have a Q here or a worse K, like K-J. Of course, if he has K-Q then I am in serious trouble. But that seems pretty unlikely to me. I bet for value here and to hopefully tie him to the pot on the river.

River: Q K K 3 Q (Pot: $3.90)

Hero bets $1.50

This is the most beautiful card in the deck. I will now be splitting with any K-x type hand the Button might have but it also gives him a strong enough second best hand to stack off with if he holds a Q. I do not expect him to call all-in with a Q though. And I think he will flat call any normal sized bet... from $3-$4. And I really want to double up here if possible . I can't risk checking and having him check down because I lose value from that too. So I decide to dramatically underbet the pot. I expect him to call with a few hands that would fold to a normal bet (like T-T or something) but to raise any of the hands that might just flat call a normal bet. He thinks I am weak, I have played weak the entire hand, and I think he'll try and get value from it.

Button raises to $3.00, Hero moves all-in $5.69, Button calls $2.69

So there it is. He minraises, probably expecting to do this for value. At which point I move in, it's only $2.69 more so he calls. He might have thought he was beat but he insta-called so I don't think he thought about it much.

Hero Shows: A K
Button Shows: Q T

Turns out the turn put some extra outs up for him. But the river is what really killed him. Had I played my hand a little faster, I don't think he would have let me double through him here.

And that's it. Feel free to tell me where you see any mistakes. But I rather like how I played the hand. With my feel for the Button, I thought this was the best way to get value from him. I do realize that the flop bet gives two clubs nearly the right price to draw. But I was willing to risk a little on that street in order to increase the possibility of winning a huge pot. Had a third club came and he gone nuts, I feel confident I could have gotten away.

[RiverstarsVictim]

LOL, nice hand. It seems so natural to me though that your bets are begging to be called.

[travz21]

It was well played from the background info you gave. His raise on the river is very laughable. He's not going to get called by anything that he beats, unless he thinks you're some kind of donk that would call with A high.