Local house game in Pacific Beach, mostly a mix of younger guys all with a lot of playing experience against each other. Buy-in $200, blinds $1/2.

I've got about $250 or so, there is a double SB and everyone folds to the button who folds - I say jokingly to the second SB - "no chop, just fold - i want my two dollers!" (John Cusack "Better Off Dead" paperboy-style).

He raises it to $8 total (He started the hand with a little over $100), I just call with 7[s]6[s].

Flop is A[s]10[s]7[c].

He leads $10 making the pot $27. At this point I'm not really liking my spot that much - I've played with this guy in the past and if he raises out of the blind there and leads out at that flop, he's got an Ace there like < 75% of the time. Also, especially cuz he's short-stacked, I feel like he'll call a push thinking I'm semi-bluffing a flush-draw.

Am I just forced to just raise (something less than all-in) and call a push everyone single time here, since I know he isn't folding any Ace to me and I lose all the value in my hand against a shorty if I just call with a hand like a pair and flush draw on a board like that one?

If you don't think he pays your flush off when it hits, you should definitely raise the flop.

It doesn't make a HUGE difference whether you push or raise smaller, but if you think he'd fold to a smaller raise (fearing a big hand) and call a push (putting you on a flush draw), then you should raise smaller. If it's the other way around, you should push.

Basically whatever you think has the highest % chance of getting him to a fold his hand.

I decided to raise it $40 on top of his $10. He ended up taking forever and going all in for $50 more which I insta-called.

Before he turned over his hand he says "I just don't think you got it, I think you're on the flush-draw."

So apparently to him, it looked more like a bluff when I raise to $50 (total) then if I had shoved for $100 into a pot of $27. That just confuses the $hit out of me - I mean, if I had a set or a big Ace, why would I open shove - wouldn't I play it exactly like I played my 7[s]6[s]?

In the end I think I just gave him to much credit - he's a solid player but he makes really strange plays every now and then for almost no reason whatsover; almost as if he just wants to prove he can make tough calls in marginal situations.

He ended up flipping over A-3 offsuit! Gotta love the respect I get in this game, considering everyone knows I'm usually one of the tightest guys at the table. Friggin' ridiculous how some people completely ignore your table image to make these calls sometimes - he's got $18 invested and the worst thing I could be holding is the very hand I have - no way I raise him as a shorty with just a flush draw - I've either got a big Ace, a set or a pair and a flush draw.

In the end I rivered the 9[s] and stacked him.

I am assuming for the way the hand played out the villain here is Steve though it could be Abbot, I actually think the smaller raise looks less like a draw than the overpush. Knowing Steve when he is short he is just waiting for a hand to gamble with so he can potentially double up. I think it might have a lot less to do with some kind of tell you gave off and more that he was looking for a spot to get all his chips in with. Either way you play the hand fine, you are ahead on the flop, but you cant smooth call because that looks like a draw and when the spade hits you get no action. Another option that I like is looking at his chips asking him for a count and then kinda shrugging and then push, it looks less like a draw and more like you decided he is short enough there was no reason to not push him in now. Either way get all your chips in the middle and you are ok either way.