Top pair in an unraised pot

[woodguy]

I hate playing KJo at all, let alone out of position, but the pot was laying me 12:1, I think its against the law to fold here.

When ever I complete from the SB due to pot odds, I tell myself 2 pair or better, or lay it down

$30 +3 SnG
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

UTG+1 (t1075)
MP1 (t1260)
MP2 (t1240)
MP3 (t520)
CO (t775)
Button (t960)
Hero (t825)
BB (t745)
UTG (t600)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K/images/graemlins/spade.gif, J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
UTG calls t30, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 calls t30, MP3 calls t30, CO calls t30, Button folds, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t180) 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(6 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets t125</font>, BB folds, UTG calls t125, MP2 calls t125, MP3 folds, CO folds.

Hmmm, top pair with good kicker, with straight and flush draws, I can definitely go broke here.
I figure a bet would weed out the weird draws and if anyone raised I would lay down.

Is my flop bet correct?


Turn: (t555) 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets t670 (All-In)</font>, UTG folds, MP2 calls t670.

Pretty ragged card, but adds a heart draw if anyone called with Jx /images/graemlins/heart.gif

I figure my J is probably good due to no raises on the flop, and I pray that someone didn't limp with AJ or hit two pair.

There's 555 in the pot, I figure I have to make a play.

I'm hoping they all fold.

Was this move correct?

River: (t1895) 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: t1895
<font color="green">Main Pot: t1895 (t1895), between MP2 and Hero.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by Hero (t1895).</font>

Results in white below: <font color="white">
MP2 shows As 9s (one pair, nines).
Hero shows Ks Jd (one pair, jacks).
Outcome: Hero wins t1895. </font>

Even though the result was good, I still feel like a made a mistake or two here.

Does anyone agree?

regards,
woodguy

[woodguy]

bump

[Martin Aigner]

I´d bet more on the flop (potsize) and go all in with what I´m pretty sure is the best hand on the turn.

Best regards

Martin Aigner

[Unarmed]

Anyone C/R the flop given the amount of people (5) to act after hero? Someone will likely take a stab at it I would think and you're likely ahead. I'd be more comfortable folding to a reraise of my C/R (likely a monster) than a simple raise of my bet. (whch could be J-lower than K) Of course the C/R costs more...

[Jason Strasser]

Hey Woodguy.

Your bet on the flop is too small. Here I either take 2 lines:

1) Bet pot, maybe slightly more.
2) Check and decide to raise or fold.

The reason you bet pot is because you want to be able to assume that if someone calls you, you are likely behind, and you want to force the draw to make a bad play. I prefer checking, because then if some lag bets in position, I can raise him confidently.

I think marginal hands like this you have to play. I call here with tons of hands (liks 64s).

Your play here is of course read dependant. If a solid player simply cold calls my bet on a board like this, I'm very prepared to check/fold. If your opponent would do this with a 9, a jack with a worse kicker, or a draw, then you played the turn perfectly.

Good play, I'm going to assume you had some sort of loose passive read on your opponents. Bet a little more on the flop, if you choose to bet it.

-Jason

[woodguy]

That play makes sense too.

It was too early for reads, but I figured this early in an SnG, most are going to fold to a 2/3 pot bet with only pair or better calling (or a dumbass with a flush draw /images/graemlins/grin.gif)

You are right in that the c/r will make me more pot committed on the flop, and I'd like to see the turn before playing top pair that strong.

Is this too weak?

I have no problem laying this down and playing from a shorter stack this early.

Is that weak-tight?

Thanks for the response.

regards,
woodguy

[woodguy]

Jason,

Thanks for the reply.

The more I think about it, the more I like the check/raise, but like I said in another response, I don't like getting PC'd with top pair this early in the hand as unraised pots usually eat top pair for breakfast.

Is this thinking weak?

I'm glad I decided to post this regardless of the outcome, as my play seem speculative and really bothered me.

(went on to a 2nd in this SnG BTW)

regards,
woodguy

[Martin Aigner]

Nope, checkraising in NL isn´t as strong as it is in limit. Furhtermore, with that many possible draws out there you would be happy to just pick up the pot.

Best regards

Martin Aigner