Bellagio Saturday $1,000 tournament.

[amb]

OK, here is the situation. Bellagio $1,000 around 100 entries (of which I am one). I think I am a good player (though everyone who plays this game thinks they are good). My strengths are I am tight and aggressive (but not super creative thus my weakness; predictable). Weak tight would probably be more than accurate.

At the table are three pros that I recognize (only 1 by name Allen Cunningham) and a couple that say they play for a living. There are also three amateurs which (I think) really makes for a nice texture.

For the first couple of rounds I cheaply played some small PP’s and SC’s cheaply on the button and got some chips. Also had one of the most predictable players in the world (bet if he hit, check called if he hit mid-pair or was on a draw, and c/f when he missed) sitting two seats to my right. Got a lot of chips from him.

Situation:
Moved to a new table, blinds 100/200/25. Average chip stack around $8,000.

MP2 (8,000) -
SB (10,000) –
BB (ME) (8,500) –

Dealt to ME: AKs

This is the first hand after getting moved to the new table, I played some with MP2 and was confident I was in front of his range. Have no read on SB but he is a ‘pro’ (Celine Dions husband Rene).

MP2 Raises to $600, SB Calls $600, BB (ME) Raises to $2,200.

MP2 makes me count my chips thinks about it for a minute and folds.

SB Pushes without any thought.

I call.

I like my PFR; I had a read on MP2 and even being the tight/weak player I am I have no skill playing pots out of position.

My question is what do you think about the call of SB’s push? After the first break I really did think my best chance of finishing in the money would be to take a chance to get some chips because I was so out-classed in this tournament.

Dumb?

Thanks,

Tim

[Photoc]

Try the MTT forum above. You'll get more and better replies from the tourney specialists there to be honest.

[Nate.]

amb --

Call. I'd raise more in the first place, also -- $2200 is just a little light and might induce more correct calls from pairs.

Rene has played lots of poker but he's no poker pro. Anyway, for this fold to correct he has to not play hardly anything other than AA/KK like this. Even if he did flat-call and then decide to stop slowplaying in this heads-up situation, he would have to be uber-nitty about preflop commitment to have a range against which you can't call getting 2-1.

--Nate

[NaturalSelection]

Rene was playing very tight saturday (I was also at that table), but of course you didn't know that. I liked your call in that spot, although I agree you could have raised a bit more PF.

Side note: I doubled him up at the FT a few hands before we chopped (his KJ vs my AQ), allowing him to get an extra 2K or so, scoring a couple Celine tickets in the process for me and the lady friend for our next trip. -EV call turns into +EV for me!

[magicratx]

[ QUOTE ]
Rene was playing very tight saturday (I was also at that table), but of course you didn't know that. I liked your call in that spot, although I agree you could have raised a bit more PF.

Side note: I doubled him up at the FT a few hands before we chopped (his KJ vs my AQ), allowing him to get an extra 2K or so, scoring a couple Celine tickets in the process for me and the lady friend for our next trip. -EV call turns into +EV for me!

[/ QUOTE ]

Celine Dion tickets = +EV?!?!?!?!?

[NaturalSelection]

lol, yes. Making the fiance happier than she has ever been before is +EV, she LOVES Celine.

[bav]

[ QUOTE ]
blinds 100/200/25.
MP2 (8,000) -
SB (10,000) –
BB (ME) (8,500) –
MP2 Raises to $600, SB Calls $600, BB (ME) Raises to $2,200.

MP2 makes me count my chips thinks about it for a minute and folds.

SB Pushes without any thought.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm fine with calling this. I don't think SB was slow-playing AA or KK hoping you'd raise so he could re-pop it. SB has one of those "I hope it's a coinflip" hands (AK,AQ,QQ,JJ sort). So either you're flipping slightly behind, or you're dominating (with some small possibility SB was slow-playing AA or KK). And since you say you felt like you were outclassed at the table, flipping is perhaps a good choice.

I'm also ok if you don't want to flip with the blinds still at 100/200 when you'll have 6000 left. That's enough to work with and find a better spot.

[Dave D]

This hand is really really standard, sorry you lost.

With the dead money in the pot, it's an auto call, as others have said you're only worried about AA/KK. You're not even really behind KK pot odds wise (2:1).

I don't like playing a flop after having raised over 1/4 of my stack, so I would have just pushed when it gets to me. 20% of my stack is ok to raise with QQ, KK, AA.

Overall: boring.