$2/$4 NL
Hero ($800)
UTG Villian ($375)
Button Villian ($325)

UTG opens with a min raise. I call with 88 and the button also calls.

3 to the flop. The pot is $30. The flop comes QJ8. UTG bets $16. I call as does the button.

Pot is now $78. The turn is a 4....UTG bets $95. Whats my play here. Id like to keep the button in if he has KQ or something like that. Im not sure what he could have that he could outdaw me with. If he has T9 Im beat already. There are no other draws (the board is rainbow). I guess maybe he could have KT and be drawing.

I pushed all in, button folded but UTG called. Good or Bad?

I disagree with you Kenny about the flop play. I would have raised that flop. I know you want to conceal your sets normally but this is one time I wouldn't want too. The board has 3 to a straight and two broadway cards. If he has a bigger set I think this is a spot where you don't have to lose all your money. If he has AK I'm not giving him a free draw. Ditto with AT and KT. If he has TT/99 he has 6 outs to break you. By smooth-calling you are gonna be facing a turn bet where you still don't know where you stand. Granted, you have to expect to be ahead but I just think it makes the turn play that much harder if you don't raise the flop. Especially when any card over 8 is potentially a major scare card for you. And if he has an AA, KK, AK, AQ, KQ, QJ, QT, JT, TT, 99, etc. you WILL get action. This isn't a J82r flop where you'll only get action from AA-QQ.

On the turn I think the allin is the right play. The $95 bet reeks of AA at best as I don't think most players would overbet here with a set. If he has JJ or QQ then you probably can't get away from it at this point. Although if raised the flop to something like $45 and if he came over the top you might have been able to put him on a higher set and fold. Or if he calls your flop bet and checkraises the turn. Getting to the turn the way you did your stack has to go in IMO.

I don't really see T9 opening with a raise UTG. But JJ and QQ are definite possibilities with the call, regrettably. Any reason you didn't raise on the flop? UTG's bet is awfully small... As you know, I've been out of the loop for a while, but I would think a raise to somewhere around $45 might not be a bad idea on the flop.

Basically, what can he realistically have at that point? Ok, AK now folds, QQ and JJ obviously not, AA and KK are in a dilemma, TT or worse presumbly also fold. I tend to think pot-building and information are more important than keeping the button in the hand, but maybe I'm just out of practice... As I see it, you beat AA and KK, which are going to have some trouble getting away without losing a LOT of $$, and, given the flop, are more frequent than the scare hands JJ and QQ, to which I'm not at all sure you can realistically lay down.

Aisthesis what have you been doing all this time? Any reason why you were away from poker so long?

Aistheseis! Buddy! Where the hell have you been? Believe it or not , I was thinking of emailing you today. Now , THAT is some weird timing.

Anyway, I raised all in. The button folded and UTG called with QJ. I won the pot.