Middle Set

[poker_bill]

Raising medium PP UTG isn't a good play normally that early in the tournament, with an M of 20. You're out of position, and opening yourself to a re-raise. Anyone that smooth calls you probably has two overs, in which you're racing, and anyone that raises probably has you beat.

You want to see a cheap flop, and hope you hit a set.

That said, once you hit your set, unless a flush or straight flop, you're going to get your money in the middle. If happen to flop the under set, oh well, it wasn't your tournament.

[Joey2Cards]

I don't think a continuation bet is a good idea here. If you do that, you're betting half of your remaining stack and your opponent will be able to see that you are intentionally committing him. He will ask himself, 'Why does he not push all-in?' and the answer will be, 'He wants me in the pot.' This has worse effect than going all-in: the hands you beat will fold and the hands that beat you will call or raise. And as you are not going anywhere but all-in from this position, this play will not help you.

You could check. This would encourage anyone with top pair to put you all-in.

I don't see anything too upsetting about pushing on the flop. Your opponent would be half expecting you to do that even if you hadn't caught.

As for pre-flop, I think you need to fold here. It'll usually be 50/50 at best if you get called. You can stand the upcoming blinds and hope for some decent cards when you're in better position to see the strength of the other players at the table.

[fybpm]

You must believe this to become a winning player over time:

Set over set doesn't exist, if you have a set, it's impossible for anyone else to have one. Obv avoid flushes and straights similarly but thats it.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

You flopped a set in a tourney. When that occurs, one of two things will happen *if* you play your hand correctly.

1. You will win a good sized pot
2. You will go broke.

If you flop a set, lose the hand, and don't get crippled or busted, you played it wrong.

[PantsOnFire]

[ QUOTE ]
You flopped a set in a tourney. When that occurs, one of two things will happen *if* you play your hand correctly.

1. You will win a good sized pot
2. You will go broke.

If you flop a set, lose the hand, and don't get crippled or busted, you played it wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]
I mostly agree with this. However, in deep stack situations like the first two levels of the tourney, can you ever lay down your set to a flush or straight?

[PantsOnFire]

You have 1100 behind and the pot is 950. So there is no sensible continuation bet you can make here other than all-in. With this hand and your tourney situation, you are going to put all your chips in on this hand and you would like his chips in there as well.

You can certainly afford to give a free card and that's exactly what I would do. Put him on some hands. Say he has Ax. If that turn card is an A, you may now get his chips in whereas on the flop he likely would have folded. Say he has 99-QQ. He probably didn't like that K. If you check he may be happy about that and if a brick hits the turn, now he may look you up. If has something like KJ, he could actually fold thinking he is outkicked. However if the turn is a K, J or brick, he may now be happy.

Actually, it does kinda depend on what type of player CO is. A bet of 400 on the flop will cause a good player to know what is about to happen. An unobservant player may call with his JJ or AT not realizing that you are committed.

All in all, I think a shove is much too hasty.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You flopped a set in a tourney. When that occurs, one of two things will happen *if* you play your hand correctly.

1. You will win a good sized pot
2. You will go broke.

If you flop a set, lose the hand, and don't get crippled or busted, you played it wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]
I mostly agree with this. However, in deep stack situations like the first two levels of the tourney, can you ever lay down your set to a flush or straight?

[/ QUOTE ]

Deep enough, if I bet the flop and get called, I may be able to lose the hand without going bust by check-calling the turn and river when a the board has 4 of a suit or to an obvious one-card straight. I may be able to fold if the bet on the river is big enough, but if opponent needs both his cards to make the str8 or flush, I'm not folding a set the vast majority of the time.

[mistere45]

Like other posts have pointed out, i think betting more than 1/4 your stack pre-flop with a medium pair UTG was not an ideal play. you are down to 15xBB stack. You cant just bet 4xBB and fold on a bad flop for you. I think four choices would have been better. Push pre-flop, fold pre-flop, limp for set-value, or limp and push a raise pre-flop.

That being said, after you have hit your set, remember your position and that you were the pre-flop raiser. This flop isnt likely to get you paid off unless opponent has A-K. I dont like slow playing or trapping in general, but this seems like a good time for it. You are playing this hand for your stack regardless, try to maximize your pot. I like check-pushing. or check-check, and value bet the turn. A check on the flop is going to get money in that pot alot more often than your push, and given your stack size, an opponent who bets here is likely getting it all in when you push.