I love it when a plan comes together

[GatorJH]

Any thoughts/ideas on how I played this hand?
Absolute Poker
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t25/t50
9 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: t1505
Hero: t1530
MP1: t2805
MP2: t1285
MP3: t2520
CO: t840
Button: t940
SB: t1115
BB: t960

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is UTG+1 with A A
UTG calls t50, Hero raises to t200, 2 folds, MP3 calls t200, 5 folds.

Flop: 9 3 A (t525, 2 players)
Hero bets t50, MP3 calls t50.

Turn: 4 (t625, 2 players)
Hero bets t150, MP3 raises to t300, Hero calls t150.

River: Q (t1225, 2 players)
Hero bets t300, MP3 raises all-in t1970, Hero calls all-in t680.
Uncalled bets: t990 returned to MP3.

Results:
Final pot: t3185
MP3 Shows Qc Qs
Hero Shows Ah Ac

[konahead]

Sweet. Any more aggressive and opp would have folded. He certainly wouldn't call preflop with 2,5. And you couldn't have asked for a better river card.

wp - nh.

edit - in thinking about this some more, a turn check might have sucked in the opp better, but in the end it didn't matter. But a turn check would be like "I'm min-betting the flop cuz I have no ace and I'm afraid to bet again on the turn. You want the pot? Take it..." Opp would almost definitely bet bigger than you did, but your call would slow him right down again. Not sure which is the better line. Probably the way you played it, unless opp is really aggro.

[Gareth]

As played, I think you should be checking the river here.

[konahead]

Checking the river would be terrible unless you were 100% sure opp would bet - and you're never 100% sure.....

[GatorJH]

As played, I think you should be checking the river here.

I had made weak bets every round before this so a check would seem suspicious and in many cases (as Kona mentioned) induce a check behind me.

Why would you check the river? If you have been betting to this point with an A on the board why would the Q be a scare card that would prevent you from betting?

[Gareth]

As played, I think you should be checking the river here.

I had made weak bets every round before this so a check would seem suspicious and in many cases (as Kona mentioned) induce a check behind me.

Why would you check the river? If you have been betting to this point with an A on the board why would the Q be a scare card that would prevent you from betting?

Think about what your opponent is thinking here - with him minraising you on the turn he must think he has the best hand "if you just call" his raise. Which you did, now on the river with you betting out you have alerted him to the fact that you do have the A.

The only reason he went all in was because he hit his Q and put you on AK - do you think he will call if his Q doesn't hit.

Just look at your betting pattern - Preflop - Strong, Flop - Weak, Turn- weak - weak, River - value bet (Alarm Bells for opponent) - this screams i've slow played a monster.

Check to him on the river and let him bet - If you believe he would just check behind then raise on the turn.

[Gareth]

Checking the river would be terrible unless you were 100% sure opp would bet - and you're never 100% sure.....

then why not raise on the turn? Since your OOP

what is the goal in this hand?

[Sighman23]

I like your bet on the river. You still have to try and get some money out of him. If the player has nothing, he will probably check behind you. If he thinks you are bluffing, at least you will get a call and get some more money out of him. And if he hit a hand, like he did, you will get all his money.

I think he actually made a mistake by raising you on the river. If I was him, I would have called the $300 and went on to the next hand. Knowing that if I go all in, you will probably only call if you have me beat.