AKo early in MTT - did I go too fast?

pokercurious · #1 04-16-2007, 07:57 PM

Hey all,

This is a first-time post from a consistent lurker finally deciding to be active.

The following hand is from the early stages of a satellite tourney on Absolute Poker. We've just got to the 2nd orbit when I pick up the following hand. I have no reads on specific opponents yet, but overall people are opening with soft hands.

Absolute Poker
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t20/t40
8 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: t1390
UTG+1: t1530
MP1: t895
MP2: t1965
Hero: t1470
Button: t1380
SB: t3130
BB: t1680

Pre-flop: (8 players) Hero is CO with K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
UTG calls t40 (pot was t60), UTG+1 raises to t120, 2 folds, Hero raises to t300, 4 folds, UTG+1 calls t180 (pot was t520).

Flop: J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (t700, 2 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero bets t450, UTG+1 calls t450 (pot was t1150).

Turn: Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (t1600, 2 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero is all-in t720, UTG+1 calls t720 (pot was t2320).

River: Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (t3040, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: t3040)

Results:
Final pot: t3040

My thinking on the PF raise was that it would push out drawing hands like connectors up to JT, generally leaving me against pocket pairs and Ax type hands. So my first question : was my PF raise too loose?

2nd question: is there any other way I could have profitably played post-flop?

Thanks in advance

ItalianFX · #2 04-16-2007, 09:08 PM

Preflop should probably go to like 360 or so.

The flop is questionable. I may check behind because he could be setting me up with a check-raise, but it may be a safe flop considering it's monotone and unlikely that he'll repop if he isn't holding a club.

So he calls and the turn completes our flush. The only card we are worried about is the A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and he could have a lesser club or none at all. With your stack relative to the pot, and you have the 2nd nut flush, I think you have to push. If he had the Ace, so be it.

Hercules · #3 04-16-2007, 09:20 PM

Its obv that Villain either had a FH or A of Spades...

Raise to 480PF and push any flop, maybe slowplay A/K high flops. Make this play also with QQ.
If he`s got you, then he`s got ya. You can`t win every hand.

ItalianFX · #4 04-16-2007, 09:22 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Its obv that Villain either had a FH or A of Spades...

[/ QUOTE ]

Villain can't have a FH on the turn.

furfur · #5 04-16-2007, 09:32 PM

Your line seems reasonable. You could have checked the flop for a free card though.

Hercules · #6 04-16-2007, 09:34 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Its obv that Villain either had a FH or A of Spades...

[/ QUOTE ]

Villain can't have a FH on the turn.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nice observation!

in straight english: this is prolly a bad beat post. no one is seriously c/folding the 2nd nut flush in a 15xx pot with 700 behind. If Villain had QQ or the nut flush, so be it.

furfur · #7 04-16-2007, 09:35 PM

What if he comes out betting(assuming you've made the decision to push any flop) and the flop missed you?

ItalianFX · #8 04-16-2007, 09:37 PM

[ QUOTE ]
What if he comes out betting(assuming you've made the decision to push any flop) and the flop missed you?

[/ QUOTE ]

I may slow down, but I play really tight early on and try not to gamble for all of my chips.

Hercules · #9 04-16-2007, 09:39 PM

[ QUOTE ]
What if he comes out betting(assuming you've made the decision to push any flop) and the flop missed you?

[/ QUOTE ]

If i made the reraise to 480ish and he calls me with a worse hand he`s doing a big mistake. A lead wouldnt change anything. Most of the time its a weak hand anyway and if he paired his QJ, well, i got a FD and 2 overs and i`m actually a fav. over many hands.
It will never be profitable for him to play any hand besides a big pair in this pot.

pokercurious · #10 04-16-2007, 10:28 PM

I suppose my question can be refined to this: I'm comfortable with my post-flop play, all things considered, but is it worth the reraise early in a tourney to define my hand?

Suppose I had just called the PF raise - I guess it's still tough to get away from the hand when the Qc hits, no matter how the betting goes, because I'll (almost) always have the odds to draw to the flush.

Apologies if this hand seemed trivial. I guess it seemed like a bigger deal to me because I feel as though I've been playing very well - a hand like this can be a little deflating.

Thanks again for all the input.