KQ offsuit (SB) vs. Maniac chip leader at Table (Online MTT)...

[hokie-legend]

Playing freeroll NLH on Pokerstars over the weekend. 6000 entrants down to 147 people. When this hand came up at our table of 9.

MP - Chip leader at table (~68000)
SB - Hero (~37000) KcQd
BB - (~28000)

Blinds 1000/2000 (antes 100): Folded around to chip leader in MP who limps in, folded around to me in SB. I complete the SB w/ KQ off and the BB elects to check to see free flop. The chip leader had been playing a lot of pots and just bluffing people out of the pots after the flop, turn, etc. I had been playing TAG and was getting lots of respect when I made my bets and raises. Was only playing about 13% of the hands throughout the tourney.

Flop (Qh 8d 7s): Pot(6900) I decided to check here hoping that Chip leader would raise. I wasn't too worried about the BB had been weak tight to that point and when he checked I was positive I had him beat. The chip leader did bet out like I was hoping making it 6000 to go and I smooth called him. At this point I still didn't have his hand defined so I maybe should have raised here to define my hand instead of trying to trap and just smooth call. Anyway moving on the BB folds after my call and it is heads up.

Turn (Qh 8d 7s 2d): Pot(18900): I decide to check again hoping for a bet from my opponent and then raise him. He bet out 16000 into the pot. I at this point put him on QJ, maybe he has a couple diamonds in his hand, not AQ since he didn't raise preflop, or he could have a small pair like 6's or worse. I thought for a bit and then decided to push all in for my remaining 28900.

Did I play this correctly or should I have made a different play preflop/flop/turn. Will post results after some replies. Thanks

[Maulik]

Looks fine. If you c/call the flop, lead the turn.

[seke2]

Pretty standard. Personally, I'd probably check/raise the flop instead of the turn. Your hand isn't that great and I think you need to define it before the pot gets so big that you can't get away from it. But with your reads, I don't think you're getting away here. You're up against a very loose player who has been playing a lot of marginal hands and didn't raise preflop despite a huge stack. Was he mostly limping preflop or mostly raising preflop? As long as his preflop limp isn't an abberration, I'm probably check/raising the flop all-in. Your stack isn't really big enough for a reasonable sized raise to 15000 or something without being pot committed. So either reraise to 15000 and push any turn card / call any push / push now. I don't think you're getting away with the size of this pot, your stack size, and your reads, are you?

[hokie-legend]

My opponent calls and flips up American Airlines (AA). I feel like I just took a boot to the stomach....
River is (7h) and I finish 147th. Felt like if I win this hand I have a great shot to finish in the top 27 based on how I had been playing up until this hand.

[hokie-legend]

My opponent had been limping and raising the same amount preflop....he was seeing a lot of flops. So I didn't have any reads based on that.

[seke2]

The only real question, then, was should you have gotten concerned when Villain limped preflop? Was he raising to enter most pots, or was he limping to enter most pots? That's the only spot where you could have given yourself a reason to put the brakes on here--if he wasn't limping much, and suddenly limped, I'd be real scared to put chips in the pot. Even then, you might not be able to get away from this hand.

[seke2]

Yeah, then you're screwed. It happens. Unless the limp throws up warning signals, you just have to assume he's got a low pair or suited connectors or 2 weak broadway cards or something. You were going broke here. At least you weren't drawing dead when you got your money in.

[hokie-legend]

Even though it was only a pair based on his previous playing I was gonna have a tough time getting away from this hand unless I had bet out 6000 on the flop and got reraised all in and even then I probably would have called based on his play history...