I felt like a real Calling station on this hand, I probably should have been more aggressive. I was getting too much respect for my raises all day, so I tried it differently in this hand.

PokerStars Game #2601260041: Hold'em Limit ($1/$2) - 2005/09/17 - 22:50:12 (ET)
Table 'Nemo' Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: $teveF ($60.50 in chips)
Seat 2: todaze ($21.25 in chips)
Seat 3: Phytopath ($67.50 in chips)
Seat 4: pocketaces74 ($25 in chips)
Seat 5: fatherofmany ($48.75 in chips)
Seat 6: UniBomber23 ($48 in chips)
Seat 8: PhillyBud ($23 in chips)
Seat 9: Footballman7 ($11.75 in chips)
Seat 10: dimastermind ($43.25 in chips)
todaze: posts small blind $0.50
Phytopath: posts big blind $1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Phytopath [ ]
pocketaces74: raises $1 to $2
fatherofmany: folds
UniBomber23: folds
PhillyBud: folds
Footballman7: folds
dimastermind: folds
$teveF: calls $2
todaze: folds
Phytopath: calls $1

Well AK is normally a re-raise hand for me, especially when I figure I am gonna be heads up. My raises were getting alot of respect at the table, so I decided to try and mix it up a little and just call. This player just came in about 8 hands earlier and had only folded up until this point. The UTG raise, I gave him credit for something, I was really hoping for AQ.

*** FLOP *** [ ]
Phytopath: checks
pocketaces74: bets $1
$teveF: folds
Phytopath: calls $1

well thats a pretty good flop for me, have lots of outs. I was hoping that I had 15, if more people were in the pot I would have raised, but seeing how it was HU now I figured it's till to be a calling station


*** TURN *** [ ] []
Phytopath: checks
pocketaces74: bets $2
Phytopath: calls $2

no help here

*** RIVER *** [ ] []
Phytopath: checks
pocketaces74: bets $2
Phytopath: calls $2

I decided to call because I could beat/chop several hands that a UTG raiser would raise with, or I thought I could probably win or chop the pot about 20% of the time

*** SHOW DOWN ***
pocketaces74: shows [9c 9d] (two pair, Nines and Eights)
Phytopath: mucks hand
pocketaces74 collected $15.75 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $16.50 | Rake $0.75
Board [8s 3s 7s 8d Qh]
Seat 1: $teveF (button) folded on the Flop
Seat 2: todaze (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: Phytopath (big blind) mucked [As Kh]
Seat 4: pocketaces74 showed [9c 9d] and won ($15.75) with two pair, Nines and Eights
Seat 5: fatherofmany folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: UniBomber23 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: PhillyBud folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Footballman7 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 10: dimastermind folded before Flop (didn't bet)

I am thinking I wasn't aggressive enough, this hand just kinda felt weird to me and I could have played it differently.

The problem with this hand that I see is when you didn't raise PF, you can't project any strength after the flop. If you happen to miss (like you did here), you are not going to get him to fold a pocket pair...

Had you raised PF, and came out betting the flop, he would have (probably) folded the 9's. What I found funny is you mentioned you had him on AQ, yet when the Q fell on the river, you still called, even though at that point, the only thing you could beat was a bluff ...

This hand was probably yours with the PF raise, after that you're playing a guessing game. I wouldn't have put him on 99, given you said he folded the previous 8 hands, I would have had him on a higher PP...Jacks or better, or AQs AKs...tough situation for sure...

Having said all that, I know exactly where you're coming from as far as mixing up your play...I do it a lot PF also once I notice people fold to my PF raises. You still have to get agressive after the flop to take down the hand...

If you want to get cute like that check raise the turn like a bad mutha fucka. Check calling to the river vs a player you have no reads on isn't exactly my idea of good poker. I 3bet preflop and lead 90% of flops.

I'll raise if I'm opening the pot with AK, AQ, AJs, JJ, TT. (I'm guessing the other hands are self explainatory.) If somebody opens in front of me, I have to know the player, and the people behind me.

I usually limp with the Ax's (discussed above) and may raise with the pockets to drive people out of the pot behind me. This is from EP or MP. in LP it depends on how many people are already in the hand and how many I think I can drive out (or keep in for one more bet)

If it's raised to me and I have JJ in late position, but there's already 4 people involved in the pot, I'll usually jst call and hope for the best. If the same person raises, and nobody else enters, then I'm probably raising him hoping to drive out the blinds and get heads up...depends on the table...

Originally Posted by Phytopath

, but I only need to pick up the pot occasionally to make the call profitable. As Bonch said it isn't usually the best way to play.

The only reason this is true is because of errors made on earlier streets. (I did learn something from Alex )