AA not re-raised and a tricky board

[tetsuo]

I'd only seen this opponent play a few hands, so no real read.

I decided not to re-raise my AA for a change. In the few re-raises I'd made I didn't get any callers. Mistake?

I didn't believe he'd made the flush, and by checking I was hoping I'd be representing the possibility of one. I didn't believe he had an 8, more likely a pair or A9+ or something like that.

Anyway, I went into check-and-call because the price seemed too cheap not to, given my read and despite the horrible board. Mistake?

How did I play it? Good, OK, bad, terrible?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (7 handed)

saw flop|saw showdown

BB ($29)
UTG ($19.25)
MP1 ($77.55)
MP2 ($38.40)
CO ($38.75)
Button ($31.85)
Hero ($102.05)

Preflop: Hero is SB with , .
1 fold, MP1 calls $0.50, 1 fold, CO raises to $2, 1 fold, Hero calls $1.75, 1 fold, MP1 calls $1.50.

Flop: ($6.50) , , (3 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets $1.5, CO raises to $4, Hero raises to $10, MP1 folds, CO calls $6.

Turn: ($28) (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $7, Hero calls $7.

River: ($42) (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $10, Hero calls $10.

Final Pot: $62

Results in white below:
CO has 6d 6s (full house, sixes full of eights).
Hero has Ah Ad (two pair, aces and eights).
Outcome: CO wins $62.

[briachek]

I still reraise preflop but that just me. Calling isn't bad to trap since it will likely be only 3 handed. You need to check raise that flop more. I make it about 12-14 on the flop. If you don't feel he has the flush, lead into him again on the turn in case he has it. If he raises you, you know but he shouldn't get to that turn after the flop. Turns out after the flop, you lost as little money as possible to show it down. I would have lost more or folded.

[tetsuo]

What is the standard rule of thumb for a check-raise amount on the flop?

If he bets small, raise to the size of the pot?

If he bets big.. raise a multiple of his bet?

If he bets half the pot..

etc?

[rdale]

At these stakes I almost always make it big preflop to a raise and a re-raise. I move in with AA and get called a bunch especially to this action, usually by KK-JJ and sometimes by 66 that feels like taking a big coinflip. Heck, if they fold now you get an average AA pot for these stakes with out a rake so that isn't such a bad thing.

The times I don't re-raise AA, I limped UTG, very aggressive button that hits any piece of it with QT that he raised will give me his stack. Other wise I'm trying to get all the money in preflop because if you set up KK/QQ be reluctant to call.

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Re-raising on the flop:
I make it the pot and the opponents bet most frequently as a rule. I might have pushed at that flop as I was pretty convinced he had KK-JJ, and if he had TT or 87 more power to him.

[tetsuo]

Yeah, good point about going all-in after a re-raise.

So I should stick to raise, re-raise or re-reraise all-in, with a rare limp, but only from UTG.. You think that's best?

[briachek]

As for making a check raise, I look at the size of the pot and how many people. In this case, the pot is $12 when it gets to you on the flop so I would make it at least $12. Often its about 3x the amount of the bet/raise so 4x3=12. If you think your hand is good, I'd rather error on the side of caution and bet more. If they fold, i still win but I want to make sure its expensive enough that they shouldn't draw.

I agree with rdale about reraising preflop. I don't trap really unless its heads up and I have a good read that they have a big PP that I can get money out of them after the flop that I couldn't preflop. Its funny at the $50 and $25 levels, you can just move in preflop with AA and still get called a lot.