AJs on button with an EP opener (stars 5r - 35k)

Yoshi63 · #1 08-07-2007, 09:09 PM

This is a hand from the stars 5r 35k guarentee today. 500 players remain, 396 are paid.

Villian in MP1 had been opening a fair ammount of pots from early/middle position. If you feel inclined to reply with "fold PF," please explain why you think so.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t800 (9 handed)

Hero (t26642)
SB (t23714)
BB (t15376)
UTG (t11869)
UTG+1 (t31105)
MP1 (t31252)
MP2 (t19790)
MP3 (t16755)
CO (t33527)

Preflop: Hero is Button with J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
2 folds, MP1 raises to t2400, 3 folds, Hero calls t2400, 2 folds.

Flop: (t5400) 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
MP1 bets t2400, Hero raises to t7200, MP1 calls t4800.

Turn: (t19800) K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
MP1 checks, Hero bets t16967 (All-In)

Any thoughts on how I could have played this hand better? I considered checking through turn for pot control and to possibly induce a river bluff, but with the spade draw and the already large size of the pot opted to try and take it down now.

woodguy · #2 08-07-2007, 09:44 PM

Calling an EP raise with AJ is tough because you can often hit your hand and still be 2nd best...even if he has been opening a lot of pots.

I prefer to re-raise guys who have been opening a lot with medium strength hands since if they push its an easy fold.

Here though, you only have 31ish BB's and any re-raise commits you to calling a push, so a re-raise is out...unless you think you'd be ahead of his pushing range....then re-raise to about 10BB's so the flop push is a PSB......but I can't remember the last time I re-raised AJs intending to call a jam.

I jam over top of his open if I read him as loose with 15BBish or lower

So I like a fold PF due to your middleish stack size....to big to jam, too small to really play well post flop and potentially dominated by an EP raise.

As played, you are going to get all in at some point due to stack size vs pot size if you want to see show down, unless you just call the flop, but you've commited to playing the hand, so I don't mind the way you played it, but what is the purpose of the flop raise?

You're never folding a better hand and you can usually discount the flush draw when HU. So really you only don't want to see a K or Q on the turn, if you think you are ahead I like a call then jam the turn over a turn bet, or bet if checked to.

Back to how it went down....gotta jam the turn obv, good thing a diamond came to give you outs in case you're behind, and you might fold QQ, but I doubt it.

Regards,
Woodguy

SuperUberBob · #3 08-07-2007, 09:51 PM

I like it. Villain was obviously taking a stab at the pot on the flop and was slowed down by your raise.

I really don't think villain has a king here. He would have fired on the turn and not give a free card to a drawing hand. Although you're probably only getting called by hands you beat, I really think that villain has none of those hands (or at least has them and didn't play them well). If you are called by AK, AA, KK or a slowplayed JJ, you have outs to win the pot. I go with it.

Yoshi63 · #4 08-08-2007, 03:07 AM

Interesting responses. I've been REALLY trying hard to adjust to a more aggressive style of play, from a somewhat more nitty style I learned mostly playing limit. In doing so, at times I will get a bit spewy with my aggression. I wasn't sure if this was one of those times or not.

SuperUber - we mostly agree that by jamming this turn, we are basically turning our hand into a semi-bluff (our pair has no value). People often make this point in HH threads, and usually do so in arguement against a play like this. But when the pot starts getting big (as it has here), it makes sense to end the hand in such a fashion, right?

I had a similar type of situation arise about a month ago, where I flopped bottom 2 on an 832r board. I led out, villian raised, and I jammed (pot sized) thinking "I know this villian isn't stacking off with just 1 pair here.. so I'm never getting called by a worse hand!" So I'm not sure where I'm going with this, just that I'm somewhat confused about making mid-hand bets where you're almost certain to never get called by worse hands... and if those plays are the most correct.

Also, woodguy, you made the point of asking "what the purpose of the flop raise was." I think it was mostly for value from spade draws, or possibly a KJ/QJ that might get pushy here. The basic line of thinking is "I likely have the best hand, but am vulnerable, so I'll bet"

freeucm · #5 08-08-2007, 03:22 AM

I think u played it fine if it was a black diamond id probably check behind and reevalute river, what did he have?

SuperUberBob · #6 08-08-2007, 05:01 AM

[ QUOTE ]

SuperUber - we mostly agree that by jamming this turn, we are basically turning our hand into a semi-bluff (our pair has no value). People often make this point in HH threads, and usually do so in arguement against a play like this. But when the pot starts getting big (as it has here), it makes sense to end the hand in such a fashion, right?

[/ QUOTE ]

Keep in mind that you've committed nearly 10,000 chips by the turn, which is almost half your stack. If you were to fold here, you're left with about 16K chips, an M of about 10. Not too bad, but you've basically given up half your stack without much of a fight.

Were you planning to fold if a higher card hit the board? When I raise that much of my stack there, I'm pretty much deciding to get it all-in sometime later in the hand.

Shoving gives you the best chance to win the pot. I want to win that big pot right now. I don't want to see a non-diamond peel off on the river and face a big bet that I would have a hard time calling.