Tripsing the Light Fantastic

[samsonite2100]

Sorry for the stupid title--just another HH for review. Good line? Likey or no?

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

BB ($44.15)
UTG ($9.84)
UTG+1 ($38.95)
MP1 ($78.51)
MP2 ($14.85)
Hero ($59.09)
Button ($57.93)
SB ($33.20)

Preflop: Hero is CO with A, Q. UTG posts a blind of $0.50. SB posts a blind of $0.25.
1 fold, MP1 calls $0.50, 1 fold, Hero raises to $2.25, 2 folds, UTG (poster) calls $1.75, MP1 calls $1.75.

Flop: ($7) Q, Q, 9 (4 players)
UTG checks, MP1 checks, Hero bets $4, UTG folds, MP1 calls $4.

Turn: ($15) K (3 players)
MP1 checks, Hero bets $10, MP1 calls $10.

River: ($35) 6 (3 players)
MP1 bets $15, Hero calls $15.

Final Pot: $65

[gabe]

i think i push river

[bair]

agreed, looks like a blocking bet

[martindcx1e]

i push river

[samsonite2100]

Well, for some reason, perhaps my innate paranoia, I thought I smelled a boat. I guess my reasoning was that on a non-drawing board, his flop check/call indicates trips. Going back to the PF action, what hand might MP limp with and then call a raise? I started thinking KQ on the turn, when he flat called a $10 bet. Then the river bet which looks like it wants to be called.

Anyway, he did, in fact, have KQ. I'm not posting this to say how great my reading skills are--the fact that all of you say push the river makes me think I might be losing value on similar hands by being overcautious. Is a push on the river pretty much standard here?

[WildBobAA]

Why push river? Seems like you'd get worse hands to fold and better hands to call.

[samsonite2100]

Well, anyone with a Q and bad kicker will probably pay off, right?

[Stripclubjunkie]

I'd push the river too...

[WildBobAA]

Well, anyone with a Q and bad kicker will probably pay off, right?

So you're hoping he has QJ or QT? If he's playing QJ or QT for 4.5x raises PF, you're probably going to get his money eventually anyway. I just don't see much value in a push.

[samsonite2100]

Yeah, you're right. Anyway, I'm playing devil's advocate. My thinking ran along the same lines, which is why I just called down.

[lolzzz_321]

Standard.

[Lodogg]

Why push river? Seems like you'd get worse hands to fold and better hands to call.

I agree....I like it the whole way. Well played hand IMO.