Quote:
Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is Button with A K
UTG folds, CO calls $1.00, Hero raises to $3.50, 2 folds, CO calls $2.50.
Flop:8 K 5 ($9.50, 2 players)
CO bets $4.50, Hero raises to $11.00, CO raises $25.00. Hero folds.
Uncalled bets: $14.00 returned to CO.
Ok, let me break this down a bit. First, the Cut Off limped from an early position, then cold called a 3.5x raise. This in itself doesn't mean much at all, he could have a huge range of hands. Personally, I put him on any mid-range pocket pair , a suited connector, or a couple of paint cards which didn't deserve a raise.
The flop is a rainbow, un-coordinated board, which gives you top pair, top kicker. $$$$$$$$$$, right?
Then the formerly passive CO bets into you. This is where alarm bells should start going off. You do the right thing, being aggressive, and raise up your TPTK.
Villain then 3 bets you. The range of hands which have you beat here (because 9/10 you probably will be) are: 88,55, KK, AA, K8, K5, 85.
Because you are up against a tagg, we can safely rule out them limp/calling K8, K5 and 85. KK is unlikely, because you hold one K, and another is on the board. You may also be able to eliminate AA and KK if you don't think that villain could resist raising every time he got monsters pre flop.
This leaves a set of 8s, or a set of 5s. Both of which you are very, very behind.
Looking again at UTG's betting should I have been suspicious of the set with him leading into me on the flop and turn? The only thing that he didn't do was reraise my turn raise.