WA/WB with awkward stacks nearing bubble, UB $109

[DonT77]

UB 100+9, about 40 players remain, top 30 pay. Blinds at 300/600 with ~50 ante. Tough Aggressive Big-Stack (36K in chips) in the CO (25/15/2.5) raised to 2000. Folded to me in the BB with 8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]8 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and 18000 chips, I had a Tight Image mostly due to bad cards (10/8/2) but I have restolen twice in the last 4 orbits although not against CO. What is my play PF?

My thoughts - if I re-raise to 6000 (1/3 of my stack), LP Bully will likely call and try to pressure me ATF - which unless I flop a set will be tough for me to play, especially OOP. If I push, then he probably calls me with hands that beat me and folds most others - so I don't think risking 18000 (30BBs) to win ~3400 is such a great deal in this spot. I also felt that folding was too weak, so I just called. Pot = 4800.

The flop came 6 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]6 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. I checked, CO bet 3000 – now what? I've been reading a lot lately how if you are way ahead or way behind (either you have a few outs or your opponent does) you should often check-call because if you bet then you allow your opponent to play perfectly against you or an aggressive opponent may even get you to fold a better hand (there are also pot control benefits by checking when OOP), but if you check-call then you allow your opponent to make a mistake by c-betting when he is behind yet you lose about the same if you are ahead. So I called. Pot = 10800, I had 11000 behind.

The turn was an 5 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. I checked, and CO checked behind.

The river was a J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], putting 3-to-a-flush on board. I made a blocking bet of 2500 which I thought also looked like a suck-bet if I rivered a flush. LP put me all-in. Now the board was paired and the flush came in and there were two overcards to my pair, so I don't know how I could call here, and playing in WA/WB fashion I never got either of our hands defined - so I folded after dropping about 42% of my stack in the hand.

The way I played this hand doesn't feel right, but better plays are still not clear to me - Comments on all streets greatly appreciated.

[Chief911]

Don,

I'll take a shot.

I think you are in a very rough situation, but with the situation you described, I think you should feel more comfortable in this situation.

Prefop - I think you need to raise here. If he pushes, then you have a tough decision to make, and I think I would call here alot, but I'm trying to tighten up. You have the image of a restealer in this persons mind, so you have to think you might get atleast called here and have to play OOP. But, regardless, I think raising is the correct play, unless you decide that implied odds govern calling and chk/folding non-set boards.

Flop is a pretty good flop for you. There is over 12k in the pot. I think you have to gamble here, and go ahead and get all your chips in. While it may appear it allows your opponent to play "perfect" I think odds that you are ahead already, or can get 99TTJJ to possibly fold are decent the way you played it. You might even get hands like Kx-KJ to fold here.

Regardless, once you chk/called the flop, you only could be doing so if you felt that your hand was best. So you have to put it in on the turn.

On the river, you have given him every green light to push you off a hand, and that's what he does. I either check/call a small bet, or dont check behind on the turn.

You were aggressive preflop then lost your heart on the flop. I think you have to follow through with what you are representing, and get it in.

One last thought. What hands have you beat that can call a push on the flop? AK, AA, KK, QQ, KQ, 6x. I mostly rule out AK in this situation, because almost ALWAYS the CO is going to push preflop if he has AK, as he figures if the flop is A or K high, he wont get action.

Nick

[DonT77]

Thanks Chief!

I still don't know if I like the PF re-raise with these stack sizes - because it gives me no room ATF, but seeing how things worked out it certainly couldn't have been any worse.

I agree ATF, as played, I probably should have gone for the AI check-raise or gone AI ATT.

Live and learn.