Live tourny about 4hrs. ago

[jlocdog]

Lake Tahoe $70 no rebuy tournament.
73 players.....1800 in chips.....

Blinds at 400/800.....35 or so remain
I am chip leader of table with 15000 or so. I very well might be CL of tourny at this point. No worse than 3rd atleast.

Little insight....I am dominating table. Everytime I show down, it is a monster. This is allowing me to get away with a lot of positional betting and taking down alot of pots. Average stack at this point is about 4000 or so. On the hand immedietly preceeding this one guy goes all in for 1300. Next guy calls leaving 1500 behind. I push with KK. Everyone folds around to caller who pushes. I win. Them both out.

Now I am in the CO and it is folded to me. I look down and find two red aces. Very sweet. I decide to raise to 1600. I do this because I am trying to represent a steal and a bully. My raises though quite frequent have been garnering alot of respect (from all the good hands I've shown) and I felt that this hand was too strong to just take the blinds. Button folds and SB looks me over.

Read on SB....I have played with this guy many times before. Both in tournaments, and in cash games ranging from 3-6 to 15-30 to the 2/5 no limit they spread. I am very familiar with his play and I have to assume he knows me a little. He is very tight. Doesn't get out of line ever. Plays his good hands strong. Lays down marginals (A9,QJ,etc..)and won't bluff into a raise. Oh and by the way, he has about 11000 so he is other CL at table. Only guy that can hurt me.

Back to the hand. He thinks for a moment and just calls. BB folds. Right away I rule out AA(cause I got em),KK,QQ,and AK. I believe he would reraise with these hands. Remember he bets his strong hands. I have shown strength with my raise and he wouldn't slowplay here with a big hand. Just by calling my raise (mini as it may be) he has to have one of the following I think. PP (less than QQ), AQ,AJ,KQ,KJs,KTs (pushing it),QTs (really pushing it).

Flop comes K Q 4 rainbow. (pot is 4000 for math impaired) He bets 1500 into me! What to do?

If raise, how much? If call or called and turn is T! Now what? What if he continues to bet into you? Fold? Call? Allin?...

Please help break this puzzle. (I asked him after the tiourny what he had and he told me as he neveer showed)

[Elon_Poker23]

Although I don't think my play is the right one - I would prolly call here for a number of reasons. Kinda tired to explain but if u want me to just ask... hope it worked out : )

[betgo]

Raise to 5000 and push the turn. You are not getting away from this or slow playing it.

[jlocdog]

Why can't I get away from this?

[betgo]

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Why can't I get away from this?

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I am sure that villain had KQ or 44, but you couldn't know that. You also have outs versus 2-pair. The money is not deep enought to fold AA postflop in this situation.

[jlocdog]

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Why can't I get away from this?

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I am sure that villain had KQ or 44, but you couldn't know that. You also have outs versus 2-pair. The money is not deep enought to fold AA postflop in this situation.

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First off, you just said there is a good chance he has me dominated with top two or a set. So why wouldn't I dump if I know he's ahead. Or atleast call and try to keep the pot to a minimum

Secondly, what do you mean the money isn't deep enough? If the pot gats any larger, than I might feel compelled to call because it has grown to a point where I can't lay my hand down. Plus I have a huge stack in relation to the field AND have been dominating them.. Why not continue on my merry way. Plus the bettor has a ton of chips and this could get quite messy as the pot grows and the cards turn. Plus he is betting into me. Warning signals right off the bat. Plus What if the turn card is a ten? Now there is three to a straight and many combinations of twopair that fit my opponents range.

I think I can get away from this.

[betgo]

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[ QUOTE ]
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Why can't I get away from this?

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I am sure that villain had KQ or 44, but you couldn't know that. You also have outs versus 2-pair. The money is not deep enought to fold AA postflop in this situation.

[/ QUOTE ]

First off, you just said there is a good chance he has me dominated with top two or a set. So why wouldn't I dump if I know he's ahead. Or atleast call and try to keep the pot to a minimum

Secondly, what do you mean the money isn't deep enough? If the pot gats any larger, than I might feel compelled to call because it has grown to a point where I can't lay my hand down. Plus I have a huge stack in relation to the field AND have been dominating them.. Why not continue on my merry way. Plus the bettor has a ton of chips and this could get quite messy as the pot grows and the cards turn. Plus he is betting into me. Warning signals right off the bat. Plus What if the turn card is a ten? Now there is three to a straight and many combinations of twopair that fit my opponents range.

I think I can get away from this.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know that he is ahead from the fact that you posted it, the way you presented it, and your asking why you can't get away from it.

I'm sorry you lost the hand. The lead into the raiser could be a big hand, but you can't fold overpairs to probe bets.

With deep money, you could call all the way with an over pair. Here, if villain has you beat, he will get allin eventually. You can't let him draw out if you are ahead.

Don't worry about this hand. This happens.

[donpeters]

In my opinion, your minimum raise to 1600 preflop is your biggest flaw here. By raising only the minimum, you are giving the SB 2.33-1 on his money to just call. And then if he calls, the BB would be getting 5-1 for his call. Not to mention, there are some very juicy implied odds because of the chips to have.

IMO, you are giving both blinds a great opportunity to call here with very marginal hands and draw out on you. KQ is very likely here, as is 44. I'm not sure as to whether the SB is the type of player to slowplay a set on a raindow flop or top two. He could have a hand like AK, KJ and be leading out with a bet about 1/3 the pot to see where he is at in the hand. If you come over the top here, he may easily fold. I don't think calling is an option here. I believe you should either raise to 5000 or fold. If you raise to 5000, you're opponent should fold if he has a hand weaker than a KQ or 44. If he just calls, you can see what plays out on the turn. If he comes back over the top of you, you can dump the hand and leave yourself with 8400 in chips. That wouldn't seem too bad as you said you were pretty much running over the table.

Let us know what happened and how things played out.

[betgo]

[ QUOTE ]
In my opinion, your minimum raise to 1600 preflop is your biggest flaw here. By raising only the minimum, you are giving the SB 2.33-1 on his money to just call. And then if he calls, the BB would be getting 5-1 for his call. Not to mention, there are some very juicy implied odds because of the chips to have.

IMO, you are giving both blinds a great opportunity to call here with very marginal hands and draw out on you. KQ is very likely here, as is 44. I'm not sure as to whether the SB is the type of player to slowplay a set on a raindow flop or top two. He could have a hand like AK, KJ and be leading out with a bet about 1/3 the pot to see where he is at in the hand. If you come over the top here, he may easily fold. I don't think calling is an option here. I believe you should either raise to 5000 or fold. If you raise to 5000, you're opponent should fold if he has a hand weaker than a KQ or 44. If he just calls, you can see what plays out on the turn. If he comes back over the top of you, you can dump the hand and leave yourself with 8400 in chips. That wouldn't seem too bad as you said you were pretty much running over the table.

Let us know what happened and how things played out.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hero had AA. He wanted to be called. If he had JJ, then I would say the miniraise was a mistake. Here you want marginal hands to call you. You don't want to pick up the blinds. Since hero is an agressive big stack, the miniraise could look like a cheap steal attempt rather than a monster. Sometimes people will call and outdraw you. Other times they will call and make top pair and bust out. Miniraising with AA is kind of standard. I don't play that way, but I don't know if it was bad.

[RichC.]

How is minraising with AA standard? All you do is give marginal drawing hands a cheap flop and these are the best hands to crack AA. If you just make the standard raise for the table then it will appear to be a steal but at the same time will not give your hand away. Just by betting each hand you have the same way limits your opponents ability to read you. Sure you want to mix it up, but this is mixing it up, if you open raise every hand the same then suddenly 65o and AA will appear the same, thus disguising your hand and misleading your opponents.