Back on track

Played a lot of online tournaments today. Trying to get my way into one of
the WPT tournaments through Full Tilt Poker's Winner's Choice series. I
was playing one of the $24+2 satellites to the main $200+16 tournament.
Was down to half the field (about 40 started), when I got into an
interesting hand.

I was at about 3800 in chips, in the big blind (100/200 at that point).
Everyone folds to the button, who makes a minimum raise to 400. The table
was slightly short at 7 people. The small blind folded, and I had AKo. I
did what anyone would do, and reraised.  I made a stiff bet back at him
for 1600 total. This left me with 2200 in chips. He simply called, which
left me in amazement. I was pretty sure he was on a small pocket pair, or
a weak ace. He had just a bit more chips than me, starting the hand with
about 3900. So he was only left with 2300.

The flop comes JT2, rainbow. At this point, the pot is 3300. I am pretty
pot commited. So rather than check and let him bet into me with who knows
what, I push all my chips in. With the large reraise pre-flop, I was
already commited to racing this hand to the river.

He calls, and flips over ATo. He hit is 3 outer for middle pair on the
flop. I'm not dead, I have 7 outs left (Q for straight, and K for better
pair). I miss by the river.

Now the part that gets me is two fold. I really didn't respect this guys
cold call with just ATo after my stiff reraise. I felt he could have laid
the hand down right there. I also didn't respect his call on the flop with
just middle pair. If he was willing to go all the way with just that much
after the strength I showed pre-flop, then he should have been willing to
put it all in pre-flop. I can appreciate that he was as pot commited as I
was, but again, if you know you are commited pre-flop, don't just call,
take the plunge.

I let this go, except for the fact that this guy then attempted to tell me
how pro's will tell you to get away from AK when it doesn't hit. Now, when
the blinds are small, I can lay down AK on the flop to just about any bet
(unless of course I flop something like a nut flush draw with any two of
QJT out there for an inside straight draw aswell. However, these are the
same pro's that will tell him that he should have either folded or pushed
all-in pre-flop with his ATo after my big reraise (likely, just fold).
These are the same pro's that will tell him that he made two big mistakes
in his hand.  These are the same pro's that would agree that I was
pot-commited with my hand once I made that raise. Even if I checked, and
he bet, 7 outs is about 30% on the flop. I was getting better than 2-1 on
my money to just call his all-in, but by pushing I made a more correct
play because I put the decision on him, and he had to call with a mediocre
hand, again.

The only change I could have made in my hand was to push all-in pre-flop
instead of just making a big reraise. I played the hand "correctly" in
that I made the right move, but likely, I should have made a bigger move
and taken down the 500 that was in there, or gone broke putting all my
chips in with the best hand to begin with. I hate that when I put the rest
of my chips in, I didn't have the best of it at that time.

Oh well, on to the cash games. After my Sunday game, I've been a little
gun-shy. I've been trying to make hands that I have no business making,
looking for that quick fix of a big-pot. That made for a bad Monday night
home-game.

One Tue, I felt like I was back where I needed to be. I was laying down
hands that I should have, and putting my chips in with the best hand. I
caught a straight against a set of 4's, on the turn. Hand held up on the
river (even if it didn't, I still would have liked the initial situation).
Finally flopped a set that wasn't down to an over-set. Took down a nice
pot against two-pair. Was spotting the bluffs, recognizing the strong
hands and generally playing good poker. I love it when a plan comes
together.