Telling a Consistent Story

I'm playing in a $5 MTT Freezeout right now and a hand just came up that i thought i would discuss.

The situation is that its fairly early in the tournament, i dont yet have an image, nor does any other player at the table. I don't recognize any of the people at the table and i dont have any notes on them. I havent been playing too many hands because i had to take out the dog and had to do something else. The blinds are at 25/50 and i have 1300 in chips. I'm in pretty good shape still and dont need to make any drastic plays. So we go to the hand..

Dealt to trixter23 [7c 5s]
dapper4: calls
EL CAP 2006: raises 50 to 100
trixter23: calls 50
dapper4: calls 50

So im in the BB and a guy from the cutoff mini raises $50 to $100. Even though i have a pretty crappy hand in the 7c 5s, its mathematically wrong to fold here. The other limper calls and we see a flop.

*** FLOP *** [2d 7h Jc]

trixter23: checks
dapper4: checks
EL CAP 2006: bets 50
trixter23: calls 50
dapper4: calls 50

I check and the mini raiser, makes yet another mini raise at the pot here to 50. What do you guys put him on here? If he had a set, i doubt he would be betting out on that board. Did he miss and is making a continuation bet? Does he have a Jack? I dont really know yet. But what i do know is he bet 50 into a pot of 300. With 2nd pair and those odds im not going anywhere.

*** TURN *** [2d 7h Jc] [Qc]

trixter23: checks
dapper4: checks
EL CAP 2006: checks

What was so special about this Qc that made him check? Did he finally hit something? Or did he give up at the fact that he still has nothing that he cant bet out.

*** RIVER *** [2d 7h Jc Qc] [4s]

trixter23: checks
dapper4: checks
EL CAP 2006: bets 250
trixter23: calls 250
dapper4: folds

So the 4s rattles off on the river. That couldn't have helped him. So when the Qc comes off he checks and the 4s comes he bets out again. Does he think we are afraid of the board and wont call here? Im not sure. Something about his play didn't make sense. If he bets the turn, i go away. I'll be convinced he has a better hand. I actually put him on a busted back door flush draw of some kind. The 2nd club comes to him on the turn, and he decided he wanted to take a free card on the river to see if he gets there. But most likely he isnt going to get paid off if he makes it.

*** SHOW DOWN ***
EL CAP 2006: shows [Ah Ks] (high card Ace)
trixter23: shows [7c 5s] (a pair of Sevens)
trixter23 collected 975 from pot

Well we werent right, but we werent wrong either. He shows AK for a weakly played hand on his part. We take down 975 chips, which is 475 or so net at the 25/50 level. Little pots like these do a lot for ya. For one, they boost your confidence. They also give you a great read on the player for the future. Not only in the same tournament, but other ones you may see him in. Take notes, or even post the HH from that hand in the note box. The more knowledge you have about a player, and how he plays particular hands will help you out in the long run.

Good luck to you all