Final 2 tables, , good flop but awkward to play...

[smittyuiop]

13 left i think in the $17.5k, a $24 900 person donkament. I have the CL at this point but have been playing pretty tight which is why I raised this hand. Villain isn't that good, pretty straightforward, maybe a little scared of playing big pots.
Full Tilt Poker, NL Hold'em Tournament, 5,000/10,000 Blinds, 1,000 Ante, 6 Players
LegoPoker Hand History Converter

SB: 163,616
BB: 245,616
Hero (UTG): 372,596
MP: 233,064
CO: 47,272
BTN: 171,691

Pre-Flop: (21,000) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] dealt to Hero (UTG)
<font color="red">Hero raises to 28,000</font>, MP calls 28,000, 4 folds

Flop: (77,000) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Hero ...

He's got a little over 200k. What line do you take here. The problem is that even though I'm in decent shape against just about anything, I'm also not better than 55% against anything and I feel I have a pretty good edge and really want to minimize volatility. I don't want to call a push from something like QJ or AJ that could shove but might not be able to call a shove. So yeah, what line do you take.

[Dunkman]

Umm did you get bored? I don't mind you raising a wide range UTG with the big stack, but Q5s?

As for the hand, I think you have to lead for near pot. Going for a CRAI really looks like a draw and I think you'll get called a lot, and life really sucks if he checks behind. By betting, don't give him the illusion of FE on a shove, and it looks like you hit hard but you're scared of draws. If he didn't hit hard, or doesn't have a big draw, he may be inclined to let it go. As an aside, you're looking to minimize volatility yet you raised UTG with Q5s? Volatile situations are what you always end up in when you raise junk. Anyway, bet 70k or whatever and call a shove obv.

[smittyuiop]

Well as for playing Q5s the other stacks are such that they're mostly either shoving or folding so if I'm not callign a shove my hand doesn't really matter, and with them seeming tight trying to make FT and me having a tight image seemed like a good spot to pick up blinds or take down flop with a CB. In that sense raising junk where I'm either gonna take down blinds or fold to a raise in a situation where the former will happen frequently enough to make it +cEV is pretty low volatility. Raising AT or 77 where you could easily end up with half your stack in the middle seems way higher volatility to me.

[AhabCaptain]

I think this is the worst case that can happen when you steal with crap : hitting a strong draw. It is very tempting to even go allin here representing exactly what you have but I also think that a bigger than average cbet will do the job. If you get reraised you will probably have to call but at least you will have the odds and a really strong draw to fall back onto.

[pped5700]

echo the above...

Your about 3-1 effective SPR on the flop. Open-shoving with a strong draw at this SPR always puts your opponent in tough spot, as you have a lot of FE, and even when called, usually have at a minimum ~33% equity; you likely have more here. Leading for ~70k and calling a shove is fine too.

[swede554]

Pot the flop, call a push.

[smittyuiop]

Yeah, I like the line of betting 70k and obv calling a push. In the hand though I went for a CRAI thinking there might be some hands that he could shove over a bet but might not be able to call an all in (and any hand strong enough to call my CRAI is strong enough to shove over my bet so I'm getting it in no matter what) plus it would give me some info on his hand to see how he reacted. So anyway...

Full Tilt Poker, NL Hold'em Tournament, 5,000/10,000 Blinds, 1,000 Ante, 6 Players
LegoPoker Hand History Converter

SB: 163,616
BB: 245,616
Hero (UTG): 372,596
MP: 233,064
CO: 47,272
BTN: 171,691

Pre-Flop: (21,000) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] dealt to Hero (UTG)
<font color="red">Hero raises to 28,000</font>, MP calls 28,000, 4 folds

Flop: (77,000) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Hero checks, MP checks

Turn: (77,000) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">Hero bets 48,000</font>, MP calls 48,000

River: (173,000) 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Hero ...

He's got just under pot left, 150-160k. His check on the flop and call on the turn were fairly quick. Give up or fire again? Is he calling river with anything he called the turn, or if he was strong enough to call the river would he have bet the flop?

[WuTank]

I open push.
Going for a cr and risking a brick turn or even worse a card which hits your hand but kills your action.
Since you are callin a raise anyways i would try to maximise my Fe by just pushing.
Taking down this pot with your chip lead is fine, no need to bet small and call a shove from Kx even though you are a small fav, risking your great position in a donkament on a 55/45 is imho -EV compared that you can take this pot down fairly easily.
Anyways, if villian wants to let this pot escalate there is nothing you can do about it and have to play it.

[gimmetheloot]

yeah dude im either open pushing or c/r the flop, and if he doesnt comply w/ a flop bet im just check-folding it down.