10$MTT - KQs - hard decision on the river

Nimda · #1 07-17-2007, 02:38 PM

This is in the middle of the $10 20k guaranteed tourney and I am currently in the top 5 in chips with around 800 or so people left. Still a ways to go before being in the money. In this hand I dont have any specific reads on the opponent. I probably played this poorly in multiple ways but given the way it went down is a call justified?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t400 (9 handed) internettexasholdem.com

saw flop|saw showdown

UTG (t13900)
UTG+1 (t8895)
MP1 (t17785)
MP2 (t5735)
MP3 (t17373)
CO (t9045)
Button (t25590)
Hero (t48965)
BB (t9125)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
2 folds, MP1 raises to t1200, 4 folds, Hero calls t1000, BB calls t800.

Flop: (t3200) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, MP1 checks.

Turn: (t3200) A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero bets t1200, BB folds, MP1 calls t1200.

River: (t5600) J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets t2400, MP1 raises to t15360, Hero ????

SonofDjugashvili · #2 07-17-2007, 02:41 PM

Don't call raises from SB with KQ for starters. Everything possible except for KK and AK beat you and these chop. So, a fold is probably justified.

ItalianFX · #3 07-17-2007, 03:01 PM

I think you're splitting at best here. I could see JJ getting there on the river for the fullhouse, or maybe even AJ or QQ could play it this way.

I'm having a hard time folding here. You don't want to see AA, AQ, AJ, AT, QQ, TT, or JJ. You would like to see AK, KK, KQ, KJ, which MP1 might be raising. I guess there are more ways to beat you than for you to split.

I think completing with KQ is the reason why we are in this spot. You have to have a read on MP1 that he is raising a wider range than KQs to call there.

Did you feel like he was weak on the turn? What were you thinking when he called your turn bet? If he was holding an Ace, he was playing it very passively. If he was playing the straight draw with JJ, then he still played it pretty bad.

This is a tough one. I'm thinking call since you have a ton of chips, but I'm having a hard time folding.

BarryLyndon · #4 07-17-2007, 03:03 PM

I don't MIND the call from SB with KQs with your stack, blinds, MP's stack, as long as you are willing to play some poker, you can get some value out of an MP1 raise. You just have to know what you are doing afterwards [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

Flop = fine.
Turn: Interesting, I think a bet is fine, I go for 2K now, as you very likely have the best hand. I think that MP1 checking on the flop is suicide here and MOST players who have two pair or AK or whatever are going to fire something here because this is a scary board. I don't see him having AJ.
River: I check behind and call a small bet, fold to a stronger one? You're getting so little value from betting with this board unless he has a straight or an FH; either way, you're [censored]. But, mmmmaaaaaybe he fires something on a bluff and you can pick up a tiny bit of value or hopefully he just checks. I dunno. the pot's small, so getting away is really alright even if he makes a thin value bet.

Cliff notes: I don't mind KQs here, this board sucks, betting the river is a spew, but not necessarily the turn.

DeuceSeven · #5 07-17-2007, 03:06 PM

I would just check/call small bets to the river. No need to bet the river, your hand has some showdown value, the way the hand was played, I don't think many worse hands are calling and no better hands are folding. I fold to the river raise, you're beating nothing.

EDIT: calling from the blind is fine pf

LooseCaller · #6 07-17-2007, 03:33 PM

i check/call this river. otherwise, i like how you played it.

it's perfectly fine to take a flop with KQs with these stack sizes.

wulfpacker21 · #7 07-17-2007, 03:35 PM

he could easy have a king with you ... make this call