This is my first post and I must say the amount of information I've obtained from the site over the last month has been considerable regardless of the dismal results I've had on Bovada. I look forward to my reassignment to the states next Summer and hope to link up with some of the members on the circuit.

My hand comes from a 300 buy-in event in a town in western Czech Republic that I can't spell to the save my life at a casino that has some of the best tournament structures I've seen around Europe. Going into day 2, the blinds are 1,000-2,000 with the average stack around 120,000 and the blinds due to go up to 1,500-3,000 in 5 minutes. The villain is in the big blind with around 350,000 (table chip leader) and I'm in the cutoff with 110,000. A young German player with around 70,000 bets 5,100 in middle position and I look down at my hand to see AA. Knowing that most young inexperienced Germans play tight agressive I decide flat knowing that if I raise he is likely to fold his hand. However, the small size in his bet, given the big blind being the chip leader, also attests to the possibility that he wants to get called given the small raise. I also know that the chip leader on the button, an eastern european gentlemen who plays too many hands is also likely to call. I also know that the chip leader calls when he thinks he's behind and raises large amount when he thinks he's ahead. He does call and the board comes K64. The button checks and the German leads for 9,100. Giving the way I played the hand, I assessed the raise represents hitting the flop, but also wanting some action. I then raise right here to 25,000 in order to isolate the possibility of the big blind calling the initial bet with some sort of draw. However, the big blind immediately calls and the German player shoves for the rest of his stack. Given the likelihood this player shoves with all big kings, I go ahead and ship my stack in the middle knowing I probably have the best hand. True to his playing style the big blind snap calls my shove with the Q3 and the German has AK. The board comes the 5 and the river comes the 2 giving the big blind a straight and sending me to the rail.

The flop play was pretty standard, but the preflop call with AA creates some questions. Should I have raised a smallish amount to isolate the loose player with heaps of chips out of the pot or was the play appropriate to maximize value?  I look forward to the feedback.  

Church