Basic Sit 'n Go Questions Answered Here

[youbobAA]

I just couldn't lay this one down even though I may have been against a flush. Turned out to be a set. It turned out to be about the same pot odds to call and to win. What do you think, Collin? Should I have laid this down? Anyone out there could have gotten away?

PokerStars Game Tournament $5.00+$0.50 Hold'em No Limit - Level II (15/30) - 2007/11/23 - 19:56:53 (ET)
Table 1' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: knottoworr (1350 in chips)
Seat 2: malibucheeks (2350 in chips)
Seat 3: imprezza911 (1400 in chips)
Seat 4: StoneCareMan (895 in chips)
Seat 5: 2 of 2 Cats (2365 in chips)
Seat 7: Joba Rulez (1590 in chips)
Seat 8: Hero(1630 in chips)
Seat 9: DCrollin (1920 in chips)
Joba Rulez: posts small blind 15
t2wowheeler: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero[Ad As]
DCrollin: folds
knottoworr: folds
malibucheeks: folds
imprezza911: folds
StoneCareMan: calls 30
2 of 2 Cats: calls 30
Joba Rulez: calls 15
t2wowheeler: raises 150 to 180
StoneCareMan: folds
2 of 2 Cats: calls 150
Joba Rulez: folds
*** FLOP *** [Kd Jd 5d]
t2wowheeler: bets 300
2 of 2 Cats: raises 1885 to 2185 and is all-in
t2wowheeler: calls 1150 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [Kd Jd 5d] [Th]
*** RIVER *** [Kd Jd 5d Th] [7c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
t2wowheeler: shows [Ad As] (a pair of Aces)
2 of 2 Cats: shows [5c 5s] (three of a kind, Fives)
Herosaid, "vn"
2 of 2 Cats collected 3320 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3320 | Rake 0
Board [Kd Jd 5d Th 7c]
Seat 1: knottoworr folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: malibucheeks folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: imprezza911 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: StoneCareMan folded before Flop
Seat 5: 2 of 2 Cats (button) showed [5c 5s] and won (3320) with three of a kind, Fives
Seat 7: Joba Rulez (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 8: Hero(big blind) showed [Ad As] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 9: DCrollin folded before Flop (didn't bet)

[MikeBandy]

On the flop, you have pocket rockets, and a draw to the nut flush. It'd be hard to lay down.

I'm hoping that I could think it out as follows. Villain has better than a pair – probably a set or a flush (i.e., he's ahead). My backdoor straight's worthless. I don't want to get involved in a hand like this in the early stage of the SNG. Fold.

[jakkedup]

Collin, I am reluctant to go all in preflop. Is there an optimal way to play middle - high pairs?

[MrHorace]

I agree that you have to fold. It is very hard to get away from though, and I can't say I would've been able to in the heat of battle. I think it really comes down to paying very close attention to what your opponent does, and what the board says.
When I have a monster hand, my eyes glaze over, and makes this objective thinking very difficult. But that's the beauty of poker...always something to work on!