Message Board : Live 1/2 NL AA overbet for value hand

Sat down with a maximum buy-in of $200 at a local casino for a live session.

From what I'd observed in the first two orbits, the table was very loose — often six players would limp to see a flop, and there would be some questionable calls if someone raised to $10 or $15 — and fairly weak; players would fold to sizeable bets on the turn or river.

Third orbit in the big blind, I look down at AA. As was common, there were five limpers when it came around to me. Not wanting to play a huge multi-way pot, I raise it up to $25. I get two callers, one UTG and the button.

Pot size: $85. I have $175 behind.

Flop is 875 rainbow. I decide to use the patented overbet for value and shove in my $175, hoping to get at most one caller drawing very thin.

UTG folds, and the button goes into the tank. He hems and haws, asking me if I have two pair or a set. He gears himself up, cuts out $175 in chips, and calls.

The turn and river blank and he shows an OESD [T6s, so he had a backdoor flush draw as well] which never made it, and I rake it a very nice pot of $435.

I go home with twice what I started with, happy to book a nice winning session.

Comments on the play of this hand?

Todd said:

It never ceases to amaze me what people will call.  I was on a .50/1 table the other night.  Folded to the SB  who completed, BB shoved for $70.  SB called off his last $55 with 45s.  BB showed JJ.  $55 on 45s with no overlay.  Why?

In any case, I don't pull that one out of the bag very often, but when it works it's pretty sweet.  It seems likely that you would have gotten at least a pot sized bet out of him.  Who knows if he would have called off the rest of his chips on the turn.  You're never getting away from the hand if you bet $70ish and he shoves, so it's not like there was a way you could get away from the hand if he happened to have 78, 77 or 88.

This last sentence is very true. I was prepared to go broke on this hand, so I varied my play and went for the home run rather than splitting up my bets into two chunks and potentially getting two callers rather than just one.

What I'm curious about is whether anyone will take the position that I misplayed the hand. I'm open to the idea if it's persuasively argued.