15 man tourney
7 man table

Blinds: 25 - 50

Stacks:
Me = 6500
Button = 3000
(Average = 3000)

I hold A 5
Folded to me in the cut-off.
I open raise to 150.
Button reraises the minimum to 300.
Blinds fold.
I call.

Pot = 675
Flop: A Q 7

I check.
Button bets 600.
I call.

Pot = 1875
Turn: 2

I check.
Button checks.

Pot = 1875
River: 3

I bet 375.

=======================

Read:
Button is a professional player.
He is tight and careful, but will not accept being pushed around.
I had been raising preflop often, and he may not be giving me credit preflop for anything on this hand.
He sees me as a LAG.


My thoughts:

My cards and my play had been very successful thus far, giving me a large early chip lead over everyone.
I raise preflop hoping to pick up the blinds immediately (or at worst, buy the button).

When Button announces raise, I am willing to toss my hand before the flop.
But when the raise is the minimum, I am happy to see a flop with my big stack.

When I hit the A on the flop, I pass up a lot of the hands that would have 3bet me.
I know that Button will bet this flop regardless of what he has to see where he is at.
His large, pot sized flop bet does not convince me that I am behind.
I feel that I will get my answer on the turn.

His check on the turn leads me to believe he either has a pocket pair (that I beat), or a middle-Ace that he lacks confidence in (which beats me).

I do not wish to risk much more money with my marginal hand out of position.
My small river bet hopes for 2 things:
- It may work as a block bet if I am behind. I'd rather lose 375 than check-call a more typical 900 chip bet from Villain.
- It gives me a little value if I am ahead. Villain would have trouble folding his Kings to this small bet.

================

Is my logic sound on this hand?
Do you play it softer and fold somewhere?
Do you play it harder and raise somewhere to gain info?

Please advise.

--CM

First off, stealing the blinds isn't too profitable at the early levels before the antes come into play. If you are going to play the hand, I like your preflop raise to buy the button as you said. Secondly, his check on the turn seems like he wants to see a cheap showdown. I think it's possible for him to have a variety of hands including the ace with a weak kicker, something like QJ or a underpair to the queen. Also, I like your lead on the river although you could have made it a little bigger. I think if you are planning on calling a bet from him then you should bet it yourself. When you check, you allow your opponents to show down their weaker hands (i.e. queen or underpair), but bet their better hands. By betting you lose the same amount when youre behind, but make more when you are ahead.

I like everything you have said as far as your thought process goes and it is pretty much spot on except i hate the size of your river bet. This bet will not accomplish anything other than telling villian you are weak. A good player will realise that this is a blocking bet from a weak ace or KK and will raise you all day and all night with hands that you beat. Your line is excellant but your bet size on the end is very exploitable. You need to bet an amount that discourages villian from making a move at this pot with a worse hand because he will be in 2 minds at to whether you are blocking and value betting. With 1875 in the pot you need to bet at least 900 to accomplish what you have set out to do by betting the river.

+1