[crazypete]

$100NL Cash Game. 0.5/1 blinds

First hand at the table. I post from late position. One limper. One raise to $5 from MP. I am holding 88. I call. Everyone else folds.

Flop is A82 rainbow. He checks. No matter what I bet, if he doesn't have an ace, he will fold. I figure I will take a shot that he is check raising me with a hand like AK. I purposefully overbet the pot, hoping he will think I am stealing it and come back over the top or call. I bet $15 at a $12 pot. He calls. Perfect, I might have him.

The turn is a 7 and we are still rainbow. He checks and I bet $35 into a $45 pot. He calls again. AA occurs to me now. He could have AA. I have $50 left. The pot is $115. So it doesn't really matter. I am not folding. But he could have AA damn it!

The river is a Q. He checks. Ahh, that's a relief. If he had AA, he would bet. He has the nuts and doesn't want this checked down. But he didn't bet. He doesn't have AA (or QQ for that matter), which means I have the best hand!!! Nice. I put in my last $50.

He calls. He turns over AA.

Jeez... nice play I guess. NOT! How could he not bet the river.

Should I have checked it down when the only hand that beat me was AA?

[DeepBlue]

That's unlucky, and the lack of a raise at the river was good play on his account as it fooled you into thinking he had possibly a good hand, but not the best hand. If I'd had AA, I would have thrown a few more dollars into the pot at the river, but that might have given me away and you perhaps would have folded.

Looks like you got beat by either a stupid player or a reasonably good one... harsh, but I guess we can only learn from our mistakes. I would have read it like you, if it's any consolation... well, having lost I suppose it's not really

[Chi_Town]

You were betting the hand for him... He had every reason to think that you would put in another river bet. He was disguised and made the best possible play. All your aggression let him trap you like that. He likely wanted to check-raise you, but you put all the money in for him.

The flop and turn aggression was fine, but NEVER bet on the river if the only hand that would call you is the hand that beats you. What else would possibly call another bet??? He is either beat or he has AA or QQ for a higher set.Y ou will only see a fold or an all-in situation.