.5/1 on Absolute....maybe it was .25/.50, either way...

RISE is BB with 7 8

PF: folds to button who raises, RISE calls

Flop: (4.5 SB) 2 7 K rainbow
RISE checks, button bets, RISE raises, button 3-bets, RISE calls

Turn: (5.25 BB) 9
RISE checks, button bets, RISE calls

River: (7.25 BB) 5
RISE checks, button checks

Final pot: 7.25 BB

Reads: no real reads, the guy recognized my name from these forums and said he was a lurker. He seemed like a pretty solid player.
We were discussing the hand, he said he would've played it the same only probably folded to the 3-bet. I said I wasn't going to fold middle pair HU against a blind steal.

Thoughts?

I know it's not super important, but did you hit a spade on the flop? Sounds like not, but just want to be clear.

there was one spade on the flop, but not another one on the turn. no flush draw by the river. Also, board cards aren't exact, but my pair and the K I do remember, and picking up a gutshot on the turn I remember.

check/call the flop.

bet/call the turn.

You didn't show the turn gut-shot in the hand you posted. =)

And yeah, idiot's line actual looks scarier to the opponent in my opinion.

the reason I take this line (beside the fact that Schneids told me to) is because:

1) no free cards on the turn
2) people pay off with more hands. Everyone check/raises the flop with pairs, donkbetting the turn looks suspicious. People will raise with garbage or call down more liberally...sure, you pay people off sometimes, but that's poker.
3) it sets up cheaper bluffs later on.