Sometimes AK is enough, part 2

Tulalip $1/$3

Villain: $400; very very aggressive player, usually a $3/$5 player. I've played him a few times. I wonder sometimes if he's just aggressive for aggressiveness sake (which also makes me wonder if I sometimes have that tendency)

Hero: $500; LAG. Really mixing it up tonight, probably gambooling a bit more than I ought to. IM(not so)HO villain and I are the 2 best players at the table, and while I usually try to avoid playing really good players, I'll sometimes get involved because: a) it's fun and challenging, and b) sometimes you think you have the best hand.

Villain raises to $15 in LP; Hero looks down OTB at AhKh. I don't want to build a huge pot against him, so I decide to just take a flop. Blinds fold.


POT: $34
FLOP: J29 rainbow (one heart)

Villain bets $20; Hero calls.

I decide to take one off here for two reasons: 1) he c-bets almost every flop he raises, and 2) I'm in position, and can try to represent on the turn. I'm thinking if an 8 or K comes off I can represent a straight. Of course, if an A or K come off I'm probably good, plus I do have backdoor flush possibilities. My call, too, could shut him down if he's missed, and allow me perhaps a free river. And, too, sometimes AK is good enough for a showdown.


POT: $74
TURN: [J29] 5 (no heart)

Villain bets $50. Hero calls.

I watch him watch the board, and count out his bet, and pick up something. At least I think I do. There was a look on his face as he pushed his chips that was different than the confident/cocky look he usually has. I don't think he has anything, so I call.


POT: $174
RIVER: [J295] 5

Villain stares at the board for a beat, cuts out $75, and pushes it into the pot with 2 hands. I grab a stack of $100 from my stack, and - I kid you not - he grimaced, ever so slightly. I was considering calling before the grimace, but now I'm leaning more that way. I'm not sure how capable he is of giving false tells, so I'm not ready yet, but I count out the $75, and move it away from my stack (but not forward, AND not over the commitment line). I'm looking at the pot and the board, going back through what he might have, but as I moved the chips away from my stack, he says "You're good," so I immediately push the chips out front, and he mucks.

I had seen him muck more than once that evening after an opponent called a river bet, so I was pretty sure that he would do just that again. I thought I'd be OK at showdown, too. I never have to turn my cards over since he mucked. His wife was seated right next to him and she said, "Why'd you muck?" to which he replied "Because if he can call me there he has to have me beat." I stack the chips, and as the next hand is being dealt I ask him if he had a pair, and he said of course.

Take-away: don't muck your hand until:
1) your oponent shows you the winner,
2) your oponent has mucked, OR
3) the dealer is pushing chips to you.