BORGATA Main Event Hand

[Doylestown]

Very end of day 1. Hero is sitting on @60K which is above the 45K avg. Villain is sitting on @33K.

Blinds are 500/1000 w/100 ante
Hero is dealt AK suited in middle position and open raises to 4K. Villain on the button reraises to 14K. Blinds both fold.

What's your line?

[hockey coach]

Some read analysis would be helpful here - but I'll make some normalizing assumtions: 4K has been the standard table opener - nothing signaled by your opening raise; you haven't been particularly aggro/tight so your raise is being respected but doesn't necessarily imply monster given your position; likewise villian hasn't been overly aggro/tight. Given those assumptions:

14K reraise strikes me as discouraging action so prob not AA or KK - most likely range: AQ+, 99-QQ. While he has less than an avg stack his M is still fine - he shouldn't be feeling desparate.

He's only got 19K behind so he's committed unless the flop looks horrible to him and you lead out - so I think you can add his 19k into your implied odds if you hit your hand.

I call the 10k and plan to: check/fold a complete whiff, check/call his push if an A or K fall, lead out if I hit a a semi-bluff flop. If I don't put him on AA/KK then I'm getting the right price to hit my hand and the 10k call doesn't dramatically alter my chip position (the check/fold on a whiff sounds weak/tight but I don't think it is given the stack sizes). I don't like pushing here - you have no fold equity and are -EV to his range (at least where I put him). I won't argue too strongly that a fold is wrong - I think it's acceptable here.

How'd you make out in the tourney?

HC

[FGators]

I would follow hockey coach's advice. He's got a ton of chips to just push. I would call and get aggressive if I hit my hand. Give him credit if you whiff.

[stevepa]

Push. Calling and check-folding if you miss is pretty bad.

Steve

[FGators]

If this guy is a loose player that will raise with a lot of hands then I would be more likely to push and see him call with a hand that we have beat. If he's tight I would like to call and play poker.

If he has done this with AJ, A10, KQ, AQ and smaller pairs then push.

[stevepa]

[ QUOTE ]
If this guy is a loose player that will raise with a lot of hands then I would be more likely to push and see him call with a hand that we have beat. If he's tight I would like to call and play poker.

If he has done this with AJ, A10, KQ, AQ and smaller pairs then push.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is no playing poker. That's the point. The pot will be 30k, he'll have 19k, he's pushing any flop and you're check-folding the best hand too often. Plus if he ever gets away from his hand (like 99-QQ) when the flop is Axx or AKx, then calling is even worse. Just shove the chips in now.

Steve

[The Bear]

Agreed, but I'll say that calling and check-folding unimproved is TERRIBLE.

[bruce]

He's risking 25% of his stack to see a flop which he'll whiff 1/3 of the time. If he were more shortstacked or more deepstacked I would push and at least get to see all five
cards.

Bruce

[woodguy]

[ QUOTE ]

Some read analysis would be helpful here - but I'll make some normalizing assumtions: 4K has been the standard table opener - nothing signaled by your opening raise; you haven't been particularly aggro/tight so your raise is being respected but doesn't necessarily imply monster given your position; likewise villian hasn't been overly aggro/tight. Given those assumptions:

14K reraise strikes me as discouraging action so prob not AA or KK - most likely range: AQ+, 99-QQ. While he has less than an avg stack his M is still fine - he shouldn't be feeling desparate.

He's only got 19K behind so he's committed unless the flop looks horrible to him and you lead out - so I think you can add his 19k into your implied odds if you hit your hand.

I call the 10k and plan to: check/fold a complete whiff, check/call his push if an A or K fall, lead out if I hit a a semi-bluff flop. If I don't put him on AA/KK then I'm getting the right price to hit my hand and the 10k call doesn't dramatically alter my chip position (the check/fold on a whiff sounds weak/tight but I don't think it is given the stack sizes). I don't like pushing here - you have no fold equity and are -EV to his range (at least where I put him). I won't argue too strongly that a fold is wrong - I think it's acceptable here.

How'd you make out in the tourney?

HC

[/ QUOTE ]

If you call, you are only getting action if you are beaten.

You will miss 2/3 of the time you call, so calling off 25% of your stack to simply check/fold 2/3 of the time, and not get paid the other 1/3 is thoroughly bleh.

A read here is helpfull (i.e. his frequency of raising a PFR in position)

If he was uber-tight I may fold, if he any indication that he may have less than a premium hand I push.

I push because:

a) he may fold
b) I may have him dominated
c) I may split and have a freeroll to my flush
d) I get paid off by PP< AA/KK when an A or K flops
e) I'm short-but not broke if I lose
f) Putting in the last raise makes this game easier to play

Regards,
Woodguy

[Maulik]

Woodguy gives the best line for playing this hand OOP.