FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes AKx
 

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $30/$60
9 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is Button with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
2 folds, <font color="#cc0000">MP1 raises to $120</font>, 3 folds, Hero calls, SB folds, BB calls.

Flop: A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] ($390, 3 players)
BB checks, <font color="#cc0000">MP1 bets $300</font>, Hero calls, BB folds.

Turn: 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($990, 2 players)
MP1 checks, Hero checks.

River: 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ($990, 2 players)
<font color="#cc0000">MP1 bets $720</font>, Hero calls.

Results:
Final pot: $2430

No particular reads on Villain, he was 25/8 over the last 65 hands, had shown no special moves at all.

Comments?

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes AKx
 

looks ok.

EDIT: I like the turn check to induce bluff as well

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes AKx
 

Fold pre-flop.

As played, fold flop.

As played, bet turn 1/2 pot.

As played, call river.

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes
 

Tackleberry--

I think I would've played this pretty much the same way you did. It seems pretty standard, but the fact that you posted it leads me to believe villain showed down a better hand--trips, maybe, or AQ/AK. Unfortunately, reads on the villain would be very useful here, but I can understand why you might not have them this early.

Without specific reads on the villain, I would probably defer to reads on the tournament competition. In a microstakes tourney like a 4/180, I'm probably going to call this down since a lot of weak aces are probably in the villain's range.

I've never played MTT's with buyins this high, but I have to believe that a villain at these stakes probably won't be betting AT this strongly here. In that case, it looks like there are fewer hands we can beat that are building a pot like this.

Like you, I think I'd be suspicious of his flop bet, which might be an attempt to buy the pot with a middle PP, though it's a little on the large side for this.

I agree with tomek on your turn check, which I think helps to control the pot size. However, you could make the argument that a bet on the turn will help "define your hand," in Harrington's words. If you're raised, you're probably done with the hand, since that's an unlikely play for a weaker ace or a middle PP like 88 on that board. If he calls, I think he's likely to check to you on the river, allowing you to check behind and keep the pot small. If he calls on the turn and bets the river, I'm probably calling a percentage of the time, depending on the size of his river bet. As played, though, I think you were correct to call his river bet.

If he showed down 66, 99, A6, or A9, that's just unlucky. Your check on the turn might have given him a free card, but it wasn't dangerous since he didn't have a lot of outs. 33 I'd probably pay off--at least we kept the pot small by checking the turn. AK/AQ I'm unhappy to see at showdown, but I'm not sure I see him checking the turn with these hands.

This is all, of course, IMHO. Overall, I think your line was pretty good here.

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes
 

are you Tacklebox M?

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes AKx
 

[ QUOTE ]
Fold pre-flop.

As played, fold flop.

As played, bet turn 1/2 pot.

As played, call river.

[/ QUOTE ]

wtf

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes AKx
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Fold pre-flop.

As played, fold flop.

As played, bet turn 1/2 pot.

As played, call river.

[/ QUOTE ]

wtf

[/ QUOTE ]

This is fine. Don't listen to whatever the [censored] is up there. It might be nice for you to post stack sizes.

Barry

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes AKx
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Fold pre-flop.

As played, fold flop.

As played, bet turn 1/2 pot.

As played, call river.

[/ QUOTE ]

wtf

[/ QUOTE ]

This is fine. Don't listen to whatever the [censored] is up there. It might be nice for you to post stack sizes.

Barry

[/ QUOTE ]

Most players are better off not calling raises with AJo in the early levels. The problem is not so much that you aren't EV+ against a reasonable estimation of the raiser's range; rather, the problem is that most players can easily wander into playing for a large pot without being able ascertain that they're not behind a bigger ace. Expert post-flop players can make this call, but for most players it's better to stay away and fold pre-flop.

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes
 

[ QUOTE ]
[...]It seems pretty standard, but the fact that you posted it leads me to believe villain showed down a better hand--trips, maybe, or AQ/AK.[...]

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, thanks to all posters - especially those who bear me out on this!!

To solve the results - I won that hand, Villain showed 44. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I just wanted to know if my line was reasonable at all.

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes
 

[ QUOTE ]
are you Tacklebox M?

[/ QUOTE ]

No.

Wait a minute - did he play like an expert, winning some major tourney recently? In this case it could be me! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes
 

Would have played the same.
Btw: why not post this in HSMTT?

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
are you Tacklebox M?

[/ QUOTE ]

No.

Wait a minute - did he play like an expert, winning some major tourney recently? In this case it could be me! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

He was in the leaderboard yesterday for a long time, figured tackleberry tackle box.

Whatever, how did you do? 149th for me.

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes
 

Grats!!!

I did not well yesterday. First I lost nearly my whole stack with the other hand posted and then I finally busted (as about 2,700th) when I open-pushed as the shortstack with AJ from the button, was called by 66 in the BB which held up. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes
 

I play the hand the same the majority of the time. Though a pre flop 3-bet in position (btn) is probably &gt; call if he's been min raising pre a lot...

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes
 

[ QUOTE ]
I play the hand the same the majority of the time. Though a pre flop 3-bet in position (btn) is probably &gt; call if he's been min raising pre a lot...

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, if he's been [censored] around too much, 3-bet preflop is much better with AJo.

Barry

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes
 

I think I play it pretty much the same. Feel pretty comfortable about my post-flop play, and I don't apply the gap concept on min-raises this early. Especially from mid position, a min-raise can be anything from a suited connector to a small pair. However, info on stack sizes would be nice...

Re: FTOPS #6 (322$): AJo on the button, facing a pf-raise, flop comes
 

Stack sizes were around 3,5k each (Villain and me).

What would we try to accomplish with a 3-bet? It surely was no valuebet, so what do we expect? After having studied several 2+2-posts about marginal hands like AJ I was pretty convinced that it was correct to just keep the pot small and see what the flop brings. Or am I wrong here?