Top Pair in a Cordial Game

[parappa]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (6 handed)

Button (t2330)
SB (t3875)
Hero (t620)
UTG (t545)
MP (t300)
CO (t330)

Preflop: Hero is BB with J/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
UTG folds, MP folds, CO calls t50, Button calls t50, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (t200) 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, T/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks, CO checks, Button checks.

Turn: (t200) 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets t50</font>, Hero calls t50, CO calls t50, Button calls t50.

River: (t400) A/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks, CO checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets t600</font>, SB folds,


Your move?


Thanks.

[holeplug]

Fold. Looks like the button picked up two pair.

[2planka]

Fold. You misplayed the hand all the way. Keep the record intact.

You let your opponents in cheaply when you had a playable hand and 12xBB in your stack. What were you afraid of? Even pushing preflop would have been a better play than simply calling the BB. Heck, pushing on the flop would be better.

Seems like you're playing scared. Muck the hand, pull yourself together, and be prepared to shove the stack.

[parappa]

I was the BB. I fold this hand in EP at this stage in a 5+1 if I'm not in the blind. Perhaps I should've raised; my thinking was that no one was going to fold, so a 3xbb raise to 150 was just putting more chips at risk.

On the flop, no one who hits even bottom pair is going to fold to my pot-sized bet, and I don't have a hand yet.

My typical thinking is that I should take free cards when I can get them because they're going to pay me off when I hit and someone must have something.

As it turns out, I managed to play it much worse than that. I called the all-in, thinking that if someone had hit the board, I'dve known about it by now (which is generally true at this level, they would've bet 30 or something), and that it was better than 50/50 that he had a smaller ace than mine. He had AQ.

I'm very clear that I should've folded the river, but could you tell me how I should've played it from the start? Should I put in the big bet even if no one will fold, reasoning that I probably have the best hand, or better, hoping to get reraised by the AQ so I can fold? Should I put in a big bet on the flop with the same idea?

[BrettK]

I don't think he should raise with AJo out of position, six-handed, with 12xBB left. Even if it's a mistake, it's not a huge one. Additionally, there's no way I'd push on that flop. I like the way he played the hand, and I recommend folding on the river.

Brett

[Hood]

[ QUOTE ]
Fold. You misplayed the hand all the way. Keep the record intact.

You let your opponents in cheaply when you had a playable hand and 12xBB in your stack. What were you afraid of? Even pushing preflop would have been a better play than simply calling the BB. Heck, pushing on the flop would be better.

Seems like you're playing scared. Muck the hand, pull yourself together, and be prepared to shove the stack.

[/ QUOTE ]

I disagree with pretty much everything here. I like the way it was played.

[2planka]

Apologies. Must have been feeling sarcastic this morning. Mea culpa.

I understand the OP's thinking now, though I still think he's playing a little scared. His explanation of the situation is important. If a standard pf raise isn't getting anyone out based on play to this point in the tourney, then I'm on board with his rationale. Just lay it down to the big bet on the river.

I'll check the sarcasm at the door from now on.

[parappa]

FWIW, I liked the sarcasm /images/graemlins/grin.gif