I think I'm starting to learn

[Cleveland Guy]

I'm looking for feedback, but I think I'm finally starting to learn, it's not always about maximizing your chips, but also about not getting to short of a stack.

MTT on pokerroom - 10+1 , mid staged blinds are 75-150. I have about 3500.

I get KK UTG. (I'm working on my UTG play, and I've gotten way to many premium hands here, kinda hate it). I minraise to 300. and get a caller from LP and the SB and BB.

My thinking is anything other than an A on the board and I'm check raising.

Flop comes Axx. I check, guy in LP goes all in for about 1400. Folds to me - and I think for a long hard while. Tell the table what I have and fold. I got yelled at for not calling.

My thoughts were - I had a plan of how to play this hand - and it included no A (unless I spiked a K on the flop too). Seeing exactly the one card I didn't want to I layed down. I have no idea what he had - but good lay down?

[La Brujita]

Its a good laydown but I don't like telling the opponents you layed down kk. It gives too much info including the following:

1. if you miniraise you might have a monster

2. people can get you to laydown big hands, they might be more willing to bet into you (this can be a double edged sword but I prefer to have opponents laying down hands rather than betting into me)

[JARID]

[ QUOTE ]
I get KK UTG. (I'm working on my UTG play, and I've gotten way to many premium hands here, kinda hate it). I minraise to 300. and get a caller from LP and the SB and BB.


[/ QUOTE ]

Personally I don't min raise. I either shoot for a limp re-raise utg, or issue out a standard raise ~3xbb. If someone else has a good hand (QQ, AK, JJ, TT, AA(yikes))I think they will still play back at you.


[ QUOTE ]
Flop comes Axx. I check, guy in LP goes all in for about 1400. Folds to me - and I think for a long hard while. Tell the table what I have and fold. I got yelled at for not calling.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't like giving up the information here in this situation. You open your self up to criticism from the table coaches. Also, what if you say, laying down KK and as he is dragging the pot he flashes his 99, or just says, wow you had me beat and then you are all tied up in a bunch of verbal gymnastics that you are better off avoiding. Maybe, if he flashes his A as he drags the pot, then you can say, um....KK. I wouldn't even do that though.
As a side note, I think it is abit lame for them to flame you for laying down the KK there. They might have been taking shots at you, but overall good laydown IMO.

-Jarid

[Cleveland Guy]

[ QUOTE ]
Its a good laydown but I don't like telling the opponents you layed down kk. It gives too much info including the following:

1. if you miniraise you might have a monster

2. people can get you to laydown big hands, they might be more willing to bet into you (this can be a double edged sword but I prefer to have opponents laying down hands rather than betting into me)

[/ QUOTE ]

I was going for number 2. and It worked. About 2 orbits later I got QQ in UTG +1. did my same play - got a couple calls. Flop came 10xx. Guy pushes with his A10 and I call.

Maybe I got lucky - but it worked in this case.

P.S - I went on to finish 15th. Decent cash but not great

[Mawnstroe]

Well, IMHO, KK's a monster hand so why not use it...especially pre-flop. Don't miniraise...even if you only get the blinds with a large raise or you have someone go all-in on you, it's best to deal with it pre-flop.

I'd rather have the blinds and antes than risk losing them plus a miniraise to a loser with Ace-rag on the flop.

That's my two-cents. Good luck! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Johnsears]

You played it exactly right.
an all-in a minraised multiway pot on a flop of axx and your kk is definitely beat.

and minraising utg with kk is a great way to play it imo.
its KK. you WANT action.

[Cleveland Guy]

[ QUOTE ]
You played it exactly right.
an all-in a minraised multiway pot on a flop of axx and your kk is definitely beat.

and minraising utg with kk is a great way to play it imo.
its KK. you WANT action.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the feedback - It made it nice that I released this hand and later went on to place.

There was nothing to say the player with Ax wouldn't have called a bigger bet - in which case he would have been pot committed, so I would have gone all in with him and lost a lot more chips.

[RavenJackson]

I agree with most of the comments. Monster hands UTG suck. The flop took the "monster" out of your hand. I would have made the same call. I would not have shown my cards, as this would provide to much info.

[SpeakEasy]

Early stage of tournament, no one has much of a lead yet. I get AA UTG. My standard raise is 3X BB. I think, "Okay, this one time, I'm going to slow play, like some recommend on 2+2." I limp in, hoping for any kind of raise. Five other callers, plus BB. No raise. Oh, crap.

Flop is 3-7-4. SB goes all in.

I think, "He's got a small/medium pocket pair. I've got him trapped." I call, I have him barely covered.

SB turns over 37, for two pair. Board doesn't pair. Oh the humanity...

Learn from your mistakes. No more limping early with AA.

[maddo]

"Flop comes Axx."

Firstly, I'm pretty much a novice so maybe I've got this all wrong? But...

You didn't say what the xx was, and what suits the cards were. Or by xx do you mean nothing that could possibly give any decent draw? But, is it possible the LP was on a good draw? Maybe some combination of flush or straight draw possibly with a made pair? Did he limp with a PP and made a set and didn't want to give anyone else a cheap draw? Maybe he thought no one had an ace as there was no pre-flop raise? Surely he didn't need to have an Ace in this spot to push?

Cheers.

**NM**

[Cleveland Guy]

Maddo - the Axx was meant that the xx are nothing special. I think it was like a-8-4. And I should have said it was a rainbow flop. So no real draw.

I did minraise the pot - so he had to have "something" to call. He was a shorter stack at the table - and that's a lot of chips to push in if you fear you might get called.

Either an Ace or a set- I was behind, so I still think it makes a good lay down.