TT MP1 late in $5 re-buy. How's my line?

JoshNjuice · #1 12-29-2006, 01:39 AM

20 left in the daily Stars $5 re-buy (started with ~2500). Next money jump is when we get down to 18.

My table image is basically uber-TAG. I've seen something like 9% of flops for the tourney and it's been decreasing. I have not been stealing and have only shown down very good hands. About four hands earlier, I doubled-up through the villain with KK vs. his TT (he raised, I pushed, he called--standard).

Villain is playing way too loose and is trying to steal too frequently. He's shown down some questionable hands and made some strange calls on all-ins.

My pre-flop raise is standard for this part of the tourney. I'm basically hoping to take the blinds, but open to gaining information depending on who calls or raises. I would make this same raise with AA. (Any thoughts on this?)

My read on villain when he calls is that he has a medium pair or possibly AK/AQ. I'm confident he would re-raise with anything 99+.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t40000 - 2000 ante(7 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

saw flop|saw showdown

CO (t338632)
Button (t616665)
SB (t880680)
BB (t358576)
UTG (t815428)
Hero (t809264)
MP2 (t794693)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
1 fold, Hero raises to t100000, 2 folds, Button calls t100000, 2 folds.

Flop: (t212000) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets t600000

Thoughts on pre- and post-flop play would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

JoshNjuice

nath · #2 12-29-2006, 01:43 AM

If he tries to steal too much postflop I would often check-raise all-in here. If you expect him to snap call you push with a worse hand, sure. If you expect him to bluff-push over your raise too often, bet and let him.

JoshNjuice · #3 12-29-2006, 01:51 AM

[ QUOTE ]
If he tries to steal too much postflop I would often check-raise all-in here. If you expect him to snap call you push with a worse hand, sure. If you expect him to bluff-push over your raise too often, bet and let him.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nath, I should clarify that I've noticed he's been stealing too much PRE-flop. We haven't been playing a lot post-flop for a while. He does seem to overvalue weak hands/draws, but that's a read based on a pretty small sample size.

I'm basically pushing here because I figure I'm ahead of his range of hands, the pot is large (1/3 of my remaining stack) and I'd like to just end it now. I'm not really pushing hoping he'll call with a worse hand, I just don't want him seeing any more cards since I feel I'm probably ahead.

Also, I don't have enough of a read to think he would bluff if checked to here, so I'm thinking he'll check it through if he missed.

Is my thinking wrong here?

beenben · #4 12-29-2006, 01:56 AM

pre-flop is fine; flop I don't like the push b/c only better hands will call you - AJ and sets. Bet half the pot, see what he does.

BriPlay · #5 12-29-2006, 02:10 AM

i like your line.
since he calls PF and not reraise chance of AK AQ or even midpair like 99 or 88 is higher.

Personally I'd prob bet a little more PF (like 120-150k)
flop is fine IMHO

nath · #6 12-29-2006, 09:48 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If he tries to steal too much postflop I would often check-raise all-in here. If you expect him to snap call you push with a worse hand, sure. If you expect him to bluff-push over your raise too often, bet and let him.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nath, I should clarify that I've noticed he's been stealing too much PRE-flop. We haven't been playing a lot post-flop for a while. He does seem to overvalue weak hands/draws, but that's a read based on a pretty small sample size.

I'm basically pushing here because I figure I'm ahead of his range of hands, the pot is large (1/3 of my remaining stack) and I'd like to just end it now. I'm not really pushing hoping he'll call with a worse hand, I just don't want him seeing any more cards since I feel I'm probably ahead.

Also, I don't have enough of a read to think he would bluff if checked to here, so I'm thinking he'll check it through if he missed.

Is my thinking wrong here?

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't think pushing is necessary. It takes away his chance to bluff or mistakenly push a 9. You're pretty much ensuring you only get it in against better hands, and this isn't a dangerous board where you have to worry about protecting your hand.

Just make a normal bet and go from there.

betgo · #7 12-29-2006, 09:56 AM

Why push here? I think you are afraid to play a flop with an aggressive player. You can play this a lot of ways. Lead out 1/2 pot - pot. Or check with the idea of checkraising or check/calling.

In general this is not that coordinated a flop, and therefore not a good flop to overbet with any hand.

Fiksdal · #8 12-29-2006, 10:20 AM

Seriously, your bet on this flop will very rarely get called by hands you beat. And also very rarely fold out any hands that have you beat. So it's a terrible bet!

I like leading for 3/4 pot a lot more.

qwertyui9 · #9 12-29-2006, 12:05 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Seriously, your bet on this flop will very rarely get called by hands you beat. And also very rarely fold out any hands that have you beat. So it's a terrible bet!

[/ QUOTE ]

I Agree with this. If the guy has bet when checked to a lot on the flop which a lot of players like the one you describe do i crai most of the time here. Betting that big only gets called by a J or better.

JoshNjuice · #10 12-29-2006, 11:33 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Why push here? I think you are afraid to play a flop with an aggressive player. You can play this a lot of ways. Lead out 1/2 pot - pot. Or check with the idea of checkraising or check/calling.

In general this is not that coordinated a flop, and therefore not a good flop to overbet with any hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

Betgo, thanks for your input.

I feel that I should clarify: this opponent was LAG pre-flop, but was not particularly aggressive post-flop. He was raising/calling pre-flop with a lot of hands, but not being particularly aggressive post-flop. He would play passively post-flop, which led me to believe that he might call a "reasonable" bet (1/2- full pot) with a lot of hands (AK, AQ, 88, 77), but would probably only bet or raise with solid hands. So, if we were much deeper, I'd be ok with making a decent bet, then playing from there, if called or raised. But because he could call with a bunch of hands, and I would have trouble putting him on a hand if a card 7 or higher came off on the turn, I figured I'd simply end it while I was very likely ahead and take the large pot.

On the flop, there's about 275K in the pot and he has about 515K remaining. If I bet 1/2 pot (I'll say 150K), then the pot is 425K and he has only 515K remaining. If he calls, the pot is 575K and he has 365K remaining. So, what would my play be on the turn against his range of hands?

I am not afraid to play post-flop with aggressive players. This overbet is not the way I'd typically play this hand in this situation. This was not a bet for value inasmuch as I wasn't hoping to get called by a worse hand or fold better hands. I was thinking, "I'm very likely ahead. The pot is large. I want to end this now." I was counting on the fact that I would only get called with a Jack or better, and since it was extremely unlikely that he had made Jacks or better, but could improve on the next card (with the range I put him on, I have reason to fear more half the deck: A, K, Q, 8, 7, and maybe 6) I was looking to end the hand immediately.

If y'all will humor me, I'd like to get some more info on how you would play this hand given different bet sizes on the flop. What's your plan for the remainder of the hand against the opponent I've described in the following situations? :

1) I bet half pot (150K) and he pushes (another 365K to call and the pot is 940K).
2) I bet half pot (150K) and he calls (pot is now 575K and he has 365K behind).
3) I bet pot (275K) and he pushes (pot is 1.065M and it's 240K to call).*
4) I check and he checks behind.
5) I check, he bets half pot (150K) making the pot 575K and it's 150K to call.

I'd like to emphasize that I think he checks through with hands that have totally whiffed, while he bets with hands that probably beat me. He's loose pre-flop, so I'm putting him on AQ+, ~77+.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your insight. I'm not trying to be stubborn, just trying to improve my game.

JoshNjuice