Table Old - $0.25/$0.50 - No Limit Hold'em

This one worked out, but I’m questioning if it was the right play or bet size on the flop. Playing over the hand on the tracker, I’m left with the following thoughts of the unknowns and my play.

The room was a min - max buy in of $35 & $50. This hand was around the 120th of the session.

I’m thinking his starting hand was possibly, A K, or Pocket JJ’s. Or lower? I’m really thinking a lower pocket pair. I only had about 50 hands of stats on him, not much. His reaction to my re-raise was one of the highest pre-flop 3 bet of the session he made. The feeling was his raise wasn’t consistent with the flow of the session or his play. I’ve stolen a few blinds from him in that 50 hand stretch, but we didn’t mix it up yet . The stats I did have, his numbers were shaping up for solid play. Tight! If he continued with that approach, I projected his 100 hand range would be in the 15% opening hand range, a little less than half that for PFR(I have not configured my tracker yet, still learning). These factors combined is why his pre-flop raise didn’t feel like a normal play, but more like a move.

If he had something really strong, I though $4.75 was good value to leave as the opening raise (Relative, but a session flow based assumption). With a $10 total pre flop pot, the pot could go as high as needed if he called and his hand was actually in that 15% range and improved (Opinion).

So my thought process was, why would he want to chase me away with a raise to $14.50. He put me in a position that if I did call, and he didn’t have a C-bet playable hand for that pot size, it was a one move strategy for him. My decision to call was based on the story not making sense, and having AQo, although out of that 15% hand range, they’re still over cards to his perceived lower pair. Now instead of playing with a pre flop pot of $10, he’s now juicing it to around $29 if I call, and he’s left with around $39 behind and me with $51, an I’m out of position. Unsettling, but going with a read.

Okay so enough with the back drop, feel free to comment on anything, but the flop texture was favorable for my hand playing against a perceived lower pocket pair. Hitting top pair with best kicker was close to ideal, I’m thinking. So wondering if the flop pot bet was too much.

I didn’t want this hand to go on, and didn’t want to face a re-raise for a drawing hand by leading out with a 2/3 or ½ pot bet. I was satisfied to take the current pot and move on the next hand. I wanted to make a decsion to move all in or or fold. Again, I believe his playing ability to be solid, hence the conclusion his pre flop activity was just a move, and he was good enough to get away from a less than nut hand, therefore he wouldn’t shove. But, committing the remaining half of my stack on a pair is not a place I’d like to find myself often.

It was largest flop bet of the session for me, probably the largest in the last 50 hands leading in to this hand for the table. Yeah, I just checked, it was. I guess there never is a right answer to these situation, but just curious for other thoughts and things to consider with the flop bet or my just call for his preflop raise for that matter. Any all angles, perspectives or questions welcome.

Full Tilt Poker Game #28328209394: Table Old - $0.25/$0.50 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:23:08 ET - 2011/02/18
Seat 1: Wiki Loa ($57.25)
Seat 2: nypokerstar1019 ($59.85)
Seat 3: josefigueroa_dz ($50.50)
Seat 4: dlwlgns ($44.95)
Seat 5: DrewTheBear ($66.45)
Seat 6: Rompe Call Ace ($53.75)
Seat 7: 2Ty3aBPyKaBe ($98.25)
Seat 8: vizer02 ($51.50)
Seat 9: JakeV84 ($32.70)
dlwlgns posts the small blind of $0.25
DrewTheBear posts the big blind of $0.50
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to DrewTheBear [Qd As]
Rompe Call Ace has 15 seconds left to act
Rompe Call Ace raises to $1.50
2Ty3aBPyKaBe folds
JakeV84: I could fire another one
vizer02 folds
JakeV84 folds
Wiki Loa folds
nypokerstar1019 folds
josefigueroa_dz folds
dlwlgns folds
JakeV84: but im only getting called by better hands
DrewTheBear raises to $4.75
Wiki Loa: in your head would be best spot
Rompe Call Ace has 15 seconds left to act
Rompe Call Ace raises to $14.50
DrewTheBear has 15 seconds left to act
Wiki Loa: put your sorry %&@ out of its misery
DrewTheBear calls $9.75
*** FLOP *** [4h Th Qc]
DrewTheBear has 15 seconds left to act
DrewTheBear bets $25.50
Rompe Call Ace has 15 seconds left to act
Rompe Call Ace has requested TIME
JakeV84: heres a dumb question
Wiki Loa: your full of them
Rompe Call Ace folds
Rompe Call Ace adds $10.75
Uncalled bet of $25.50 returned to DrewTheBear
DrewTheBear mucks
DrewTheBear wins the pot ($27.80)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $29.25 | Rake $1.45
Board: [4h Th Qc]
Seat 1: Wiki Loa didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: nypokerstar1019 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: josefigueroa_dz (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: dlwlgns (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: DrewTheBear (big blind) collected ($27.80), mucked
Seat 6: Rompe Call Ace folded on the Flop
Seat 7: 2Ty3aBPyKaBe didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: vizer02 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: JakeV84 didn't bet (folded)

I would have checked raise to him let him to the betting, top pair w/ top kicker yea you would have got more money out of him. imo.