blonde poker forum

First post take it easy please. Thoughts on all 3 streets. One of those pots that i feel i failed to win. I think the turn is bad (but any bet screams strength only getting action from AQ + ?) Plan was to raise river before the action unfolded before me. What do they have please ? Is this a trivial fold ?

PokerStars Hand #99003637267:  Hold'em No Limit ($0.10/$0.25 USD) - 2013/05/23 14:59:26 ET
Table 'Alemannia III' 6-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: jeronima09 ($26.53 in chips)
Seat 3: Tomatoma37 ($26.22 in chips)
Seat 4: cr1803 ($30.02 in chips)
Seat 5: noschtedder ($50.20 in chips)
Seat 6: Fenito63 ($27.71 in chips)
Fenito63: posts small blind $0.10
jeronima09: posts big blind $0.25
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to cr1803 [8s 8c]
Tomatoma37: raises $0.50 to $0.75
cr1803: calls $0.75
noschtedder: folds
Fenito63: calls $0.65
jeronima09: folds
*** FLOP *** [5s 8h Ad]
Fenito63: checks
Tomatoma37: bets $1.50
cr1803: calls $1.50
Fenito63: calls $1.50
*** TURN *** [5s 8h Ad] [2s]
Fenito63: checks
Tomatoma37: checks
cr1803: checks
*** RIVER *** [5s 8h Ad 2s] [Ks]
Fenito63: bets $3.25
Tomatoma37: raises $4.50 to $7.75
cr1803: folds
Fenito63: folds
Uncalled bet ($4.50) returned to Tomatoma37
Tomatoma37 collected $12.89 from pot
Tomatoma37: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $13.50 | Rake $0.61
Board [5s 8h Ad 2s Ks]
Seat 1: jeronima09 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: Tomatoma37 collected ($12.89)
Seat 4: cr1803 folded on the River
Seat 5: noschtedder (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Fenito63 (small blind) folded on the River

I think calling is fine pre.

Bet turn always.  I would even raise the flop sometimes*, doesn't get much better than a set on an ace high board.  

The river betting in front of you is horrid like you say.   You have shown so little strength, which means your set could be good.  It just looks like somebody has backdoored the flush, the ace of spades is out and the betting isn't capped.  Fold, kick yourself and hope they don't show the bluff.

Think you lost it on the earlier streets

* ninja edit, but that is what I intended to say.

Pre is ok. Calling flop is good, we shouldn't be raising anything. Should definitely bet the turn when checked to, its 25nl, trying to be tricky by checking behind nutted hands in these spots is almost always gonna be a mistake just value bet and let people pay you off.

River fold is probably fine, I'd sort of expect UTG to barrel the turn fairly frequently with spades but that definitely doesn't mean he won't have spades here and he is just never bluffing and AK almost always bets the turn. SB can still easily have flushes

Having said this, I might not fold in game

this... bet turn ainec.

river action at this level is generally very face up hand strength.

In game it felt like seat 3 was raising for value!  As played the only hands he is doing this with IMO are AK and KK, what conceivable spade combo can he have ? The SB snap folded which hurt. I think at these stakes folding is good as it feels to marginal to call when there a much more +EV spots available

This kind of thinking is incorrect. In cash games you can always buy more chips so busting a buy in shouldn't force you to leave the game so you'll be able to carry on playing even if you lose and take the better spots as well as this one. All +ev spots are good. The only time this thinking might be correct is if you're taking a shot in a really soft game that you're not rolled for (or maybe there is an argument for it in some mtt spots but mtts are stupid anyway)

I would definitely raise the flop. No-one's folding a good ace and sometimes no-one's folding any ace at all, and bad aces won't necessarily pay you off in a multiway pot. There is a draw you could feasibly be raising, and people like to put you on draws when they can. If you flat and the turn is a 4/6/7/9 or a high card that doesn't give villain two pair he will likely slow down.

The turn is a mustbet. Worse hands than AQ will definitely call, and most of them are drawing very slim. Your hand does look strong but there's no reason to assume your opponents can handread. Against competent opponents you would occasionally check back very strong but vulnerable hands, to strengthen your checkback range, and to get paid off, but it's much lower ev than the standard of betting a set when checked to and should only be used as a variation play. You're also giving a free card to potential flush draws, of which there is 6s7s, 8sXs and AsXs - lots of hands that are in bad shape vs you and will at least call a bet.