HUSNG - $22 Turbo - Am I playing this too passively?

[greggg230]

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (2 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

BB (t1520)
Hero (t1480)

Preflop: Hero is Button with J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t60</font>, <font color="#CC3333">BB raises to t160</font>, Hero calls t100.

Flop: (t320) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero checks.

Turn: (t320) J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets t120</font>, Hero calls t120.

River: (t560) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets t1240 (All-In)</font>, Hero calls t1200 (All-In).

Final Pot: t2960

I actually wasn't slow-playing here. I thought the 3-bet / check on the flop indicated a set almost certainly, and so I didn't want to get it all-in on the flop or turn, even with two pair and a flush draw. This is the 2nd hand of the SNG, so I don't really know much about my opponent.

1) Call pre-flop is fine, right? He's not making a very large raise, and stacks are still deep and I'm in position.

2) Do you bet the flop? I was about 80% sure he'd raise me, so I decided to take the free card instead and hope to outdraw him.

3) On the turn, if I raise, I think I'm only folding out hands I have beat - like a scared QQ or KK - and getting action from hands like AJ, TT, or AJ. I can still take a relatively cheap card and try to fill up or hit my flush. Further, if he has QQ or KK, I could hit the money card - the Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] or K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] and stack him.

River is pretty obvious.

Thoughts?

[TNixon]

[ QUOTE ]
I thought the 3-bet / check on the flop indicated a set almost certainly

[/ QUOTE ]
You're probably reading way too much suspicion in here. Putting somebody on a set, in the second hand of a tourney, just because they checked after 3-betting, seems a little off-the-wall. Most people's 3-bet range is pretty wide, and I see people check/fold all the time after 3 betting and missing the flop.

It's much more likely that they're just 3-betting light than that they flopped a set. Of course, there aren't really many ways for this flop to miss a non-donktard 3-better entirely, but there are lots more hands that are going to check/call than there are hands that will check-raise, and at least on FT, there are plenty of donktards who will 3-bet all sorts of random [censored] they shouldn't even be playing out of position, much less 3-betting with.

Can't really say much else since you're not playing on full tilt, and I really think there's enough of a difference between the players on the two sites that it matters.

[mjws00]

Heh. 'Checks the flop so I put him on a set' [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I bet this flop. I have a piece and for all he knows it is an ACE. I want to be able to bet it when I have AA or TT. Plus I am going to hammer flops a LOT when I miss and expect him to fold. Second I want to start building a decent pot in case I hit two pair or my flush comes in... If he crai on the second hand after 3 betting, dump it and get a read for later.

I raise this turn. Yeah we fold out some hands we beat, but too many cards are going to kill our action if we don't get some money in this pot. Two pair with a decent fd is strong enough for me to play. No way am I letting him block this for 1/3. Don't know if I could get away from it if he shoves, but might make a weak tight fold. Our edge comes from reading opponents and exploiting weakness. 2 hands in I don't know if he just got lucky or is an aggrodonk. Matches where I call an early shove in &lt; 5 hands with two pair often end badly [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

We can't expect him to shove this river often. Decent value bet is 1/2-3/4 pot. I lose this one if it is AJ, AA. Only way out for me was to raise it early and meet extreme aggression with no reads. The passive line leaves us with no clue and a hand we have to go broke with.

Second hand I'll pop your 3bb autoraise all day long and see if you dump it. If he can crai after a light 3bet with air... we'll likely have a good match, but I don't go broke there with bottom pair.

Just two bits.

Mike