Ultimate Bet No-Limit Hold'em, $.10 BB (9 handed) from (Format: Bet The Pot)

saw flop|saw showdown

BB ($14.75)
UTG ($7.55)
UTG+1 ($1.30)
MP1 ($15.80)
MP2 ($2.75)
MP3 ($15.60)
CO ($6.40)
Hero ($10.05)
SB ($17.50)

Preflop: Hero is Button with , .
2 folds, MP1 calls $0.10, MP2 calls $0.10, 2 folds, Hero calls $0.10, 1 fold, BB checks.

Villian is rated a calling station using the rules from this forum.

Flop: ($0.45) , , (4 players)
BB checks, MP1 bets $0.2, MP2 folds, Hero calls $0.20, BB folds.

His bet was kind of smallish and I thought he probably was betting an ace with a lower kicker than mine. I didn't raise thinking that it may be best to keep the pot small with my pair of aces. If I improve then I will step on the gas.

Turn: ($0.85) (2 players)
MP1 bets $0.85, Hero calls $0.85.

Now his bet is pot sized. I don't like calling pot sized bets on the turn with just a pair, especially from a passive calling station. Im sure another one is coming on the river.
I decided to call him down and see what he held.

River: ($2.55) (2 players)
MP1 bets $2.55, Hero calls $2.55.

Final Pot: $7.65

Play this one the same way? Thanks for any ideas.

If this guy is truly passive, I fold on the turn. You could raise the flop, but a CS will call here almost all the time anyway, so you don't get any info and build a big pot with a marginal hand. A read here would really help. His line looks like a set or 2 pair.

I put him on A8, A9, 99/22, A2 in that order. Although this could be wildly inaccurate with no read and no stats to go on.

Also...if he's got an ace you are only ahead of A3, A4, A5 and A7. You are behind all the other 7 and split AT.

Villian had A8o and hit his 2-pair so thats why the turn and river bets were pot sized. I should have went with my original thoughts and fold this on the flop.

I thought I would keep the pot smaller by calling to showdown. I completely forgot about buying a free card from my limit days. Thanks k3nt for pointing that out.

Its funny how I played a different game as this was my first session at moving up to $10nl. I ended up down 3/4 of a buy-in by not playing my game. These players don't require any adjustments to beat but I adjusted anyways.

Thanks for the info. As always its a big help.

I still think that IF you are going to limp with this hand then you need to raise a crappy 1/2 pot bet from a donk (if you're in position) on that flop. Otherwise you should just fold preflop, which is probably what I would do. I'm not saying you should raise just because you caught a piece of the flop, I just think that if you're only going to continue with the hand if you flop 2p or trips then you might as well not play it all.

And I say it isn't whether you flop trips, two-pair, a straight or middle pair, that decides if you continue with the hand or not, it is the context that decides. It will often be fine to continue with TPNK or TPTK, this just isn't one of those times.