How would you play?

***** Hand History for Game 1900037240 *****
$50 NL Hold'em - Friday, April 15, 19:39:17 EDT 2005
Table Table 36969 (6 max) (Real Money)
Seat 1 is the button
Total number of players : 5
Seat 6: SmackinYaUp ( $75.9 )
Seat 3: cantomia ( $168.45 )
Seat 4: joemoney4 ( $74.8 )
Seat 1: Frankiee ( $46.3 )
Seat 2: shadyjas ( $42.25 )
shadyjas posts small blind [$0.25].
cantomia posts big blind [$0.5].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to SmackinYaUp [ As Qc ]
joemoney4 raises [$1].
SmackinYaUp raises [$2].
Frankiee folds.
shadyjas folds.
cantomia folds.
joemoney4 calls [$1].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Ah, Qs, 4c ]
radnuke has joined the table.
joemoney4 checks.
SmackinYaUp bets [$2].
joemoney4 calls [$2].
** Dealing Turn ** [ Jc ]
joemoney4 checks.
SmackinYaUp bets [$3].
joemoney4 calls [$3].
** Dealing River ** [ 9c ]
joemoney4 bets [$7].
SmackinYaUp calls [$7].
joemoney4 shows [ Ac, Jd ] two pairs, aces and jacks.
SmackinYaUp shows [ As, Qc ] two pairs, aces and queens.
SmackinYaUp wins $27.35 from the main pot with two pairs, aces and queens.

Initially, I put him on an AK, or A lower kicker so should I have raised his river bet? I figured my hand was good, but I didnt want to push my luck too far.

My 2 cents?

You have an awesome flop, no OESD, no Flush Draw. Maybe you didn't want to spook him. You have only 3 other hands to worry about (AA, QQ, 44) , and his preflop behavior didn't look like any of them. OK bet, but taking it down here with a pot-sized bet would be understandable, maybe desireable -- what cards don't you want to see? K, J, T, 4?

Turn, second club comes, and it's a jack (a crazy-hopeful KT would have lit up here). I'd either potsized bet to take the hand (and with the hand he had, he may have called or folded -- either is OK,) or check raised him (but if he was on the draw, the possible free card would be risky.) You are giving him odds to call on flush with the less-than-half-pot-sized bet, and he does call. You still don't want to see -- K, 4, J, T, and now any club.

River, here comes the club. If he'd had AXclub, you're screwed. And he bet out on the scare card. And the bet size looked like he wanted you to call. So at this point, yes, I'd have merely called.

I think I'd have tried to take it at the flop and the turn, and the river was too far down the wrong road.

My two cents.

what about me just calling the river?

Originally Posted by eeeee

River, here comes the club. If he'd had AXclub, you're screwed. And he bet out on the scare card. And the bet size looked like he wanted you to call. So at this point, yes, I'd have merely called.

But that's just me, the noob.

How would I have played it? Better!

You can value bet the turn for more. You know that.

-'rilla