You have top pair on a 3-bet monochrome pot, what do u do?

Question

1/2, 400 effective. HU against pretty decent player. He seems pretty loose and agressive (arent they all). I havent 3-bet all that much. It seems to me that everytime he raises, he calls my 3-bet, so he raises light AND calls 3-bets light. Anyways I have AJ two spades. He raises to 6, i raise to 21.

Flop comes out QT4 all clubs. Pot is 42. I bet 30, he calls pretty fast.

turn comes out a jack of diamonds. Pot is 102. We have around 350 behind. What do we do?

Bonus: do you value middlepair more in a reraised pot than in a raised pot?

Bonus #2- What does the term "ATC" mean?

Answer 1

I don't think his call of your 30 post-flop means flush or top pair, it could easily mean flush draw, straight draw, 2nd or even bottom pair with an A.

Of course, that means he could easily have K9, J0, a pr + the draw .... a number of dangerous hands ...

I would bet out 80 or so, and fear the river.  

If he reraises my 80, I'd put him on 2 pair or top pair + the draw, and figure he's afraid of the flush draw.

Since there's not enough room left to run him off anyway, I wouldn't bother trying to guess whether a bluff might work, I'd fold.

#1 - 'Value' it more?  I'm 'happier' about it, because, depnding on the situation, I should have a much clearer idea of where I stand.  It's easier to see if I'm ahead, and easier to fold if I'm behind.

#2 - Any Two Cards, also known as Home Game 101, or at my house "They all look like Aces when you're Drunk!"

Answer 2

He calls the flop pretty fast but doesn't raise.  I'd say you should check the turn and fold if he bets.  It's a weak play but your Js aren't that strong.  You might consider calling if his bet is weak but I'd put him on a draw at that fourth club and maybe a pair of Qs.  Either way you're not in very good shape.  If you do call his turn bet you're gambling two ways:  that the 4th club doesn't hit and that he isn't holding a Q.  What can you hope for on the river?  An Ace, a third J or the K for the miracle inside straight.  Not a lot of outs, even less considering none of your river cards can be clubs.  

Bonus:  I don't value middle pair much in a raised or rerasied pot.  I'm chucking them in a reraised pot and maybe limping along to a raise.  

(Why does everyone want to win every pot they get into?  The object is to win money, not pots.  Playing weak pairs on a wing and a prayer doesn't pay off enough to make the gambling worth it.  Middle pairs with action ahead of you are almost always dogs.  Stick to stronger cards and stronger hands.)

Bonus 2:  Any Two Cards.  This whole scenario reeks of it, at least after the flop.

Answer 3

Figure he's got the flush.  Get away.  If you do call, don't get upset when you lose.

Answer 4

this is a really tricky spot...you would think that even on a single-suited flop our opponent would raise a queen here, so i think we can probably rule that out, and certainly any bigger hand that isn't a flush has to protect right here...so that narrows it down to a flopped flush or a flush draw for me, one or the other...if we check, he might check and we might have given away a free card or he might bet and we will be in total no man's land, which is why i think we need to make a strong bet right here...i like making around a pot-sized bet, $100 or so, because it is very likely we are against a flush draw and we want that hand out, and also on the off chance he has a queen he might lay it down on such a scary board to a strong bet...the only concern here is that we cost ourselves more money if we are being trapped by a made flush, but that is unlikely enough where the positives to a bigger bet outweigh the potential negatives

bonus: i do, because middle pairs in re-raised pots become much easier to play, they become more like small pairs since you know that you are facing two bigger cards or an overpair most times...in simply raised pots, especially heads-up, they become very difficult to play because you are often put into some difficult spots trying to determine whether or not your hand is good

bonus2: considering my style i'd better know this one, it's any two cards

Answer 5

When he is 3 betting light, you have to figure that his range is huge.  You could have easily C-bet into the pot and he was calling to see what you would do on the turn.  I would posture and bet 3/4 to around 75 or so.  If he raises, your dead.  But if he doesnt have a hand and he's holding A10os to maybe even 10 9 suited your way ahead and he folds most of the time if hes not loose/aggro.  This is very read dependent HU.