Thanks for all the comments.
Playing online, you have to make this decision in about 15 seconds
But there are only a limited number of card combinations he can have, and after this kind of incident I always wonder 'Was the information there?' The way I see it now based on what you say:
A. He can be doing 'random' or just pulling a move, maybe against what he sees as a SB steal in a 3-way race. This is unlikely since he has shown solid play before, sees me as a tight player now raising, and when showing strength before has had the cards to back it up.
B. Cards:
*Random junk: he doesn't play them. If intending to steal with them, why not steal preflop, it's only against the blinds, with position.NO
*Small to mid, maybe suited connectors. Limp with the intention of seeing a cheap flop. This would elicit a fold to a decent raise, or a call at best in the hope of hitting the flop, with best position. He goes all-in against a raise. NO
*22-77 He's limping hoping to hit a set. Would still only fold, or flat call a raise, hoping to make set or maybe use position on flop to steal. He's good enough to know that his reraise against his raise here is going to be called and small pairs are probably beat. NO
88-QQ Would have raised preflop against blinds, hoping to take it down then and there with what is probably the best hand. Did not raise, so NO.
Paint: JK QK,AJ,AK,AQ etc. As above. Has been shown to do it before. NO.
The only cards left are AA KK. He is an aggressive solid player, these tend to slow-play monsters. He has a mid-range stack facing threatening blind levels, as big a danger as passivity is scaring folk away, especially only 3 handed, with big preflop raises. Limp. Very good chance he has AA KK therefore. So he limps. When threatened, sees his chance to get it all right there against one opponent, so pushes. Once he has pushed, chances of AA KK go right up to about 95%.
I call, he has AA, hits set, it's all over. My call seemed ok at the time, actually it's indefensible. Medium stacked QQ looks like a monster, but the worst hand in poker is always the second best hand.
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