Was it the right call?

[Demana]

2000/4000 blinds
Hero is big blind

Hero has AT diamonds
UTG folds, UTG+1 raises, UTG+2 folds, MP folds, MP+folds, LP folds, Button folds, SB folds, Hero calls

Hero's stack: 16000
UTG+2's stack: 40000

Flop is 2c 5s Th

UTG+2 checks
Hero goes all-in
UTG+2 calls

UTG+2 has JJ

Turn (4d) and river (Qs) help neither player

UTG+2 wins

The two questions I have are:

#1 Since it was only 20% of my stack and I thought that I had overcards (I thought it was KQ or medium/small pair for the raise), I called the raise. Was 20% to too much to risk with that hand against a raise (it was a tight table)?

#2 When UTG+2 checked, I took it as a sign of weakness and went for it with TPTK. I thought that if I checked, it would provide an opportunity for him to pair up on the turn. Was the all-in a solid, agressive move at that point in the hand?

Thanks!

[fnurt]

AT is a very, very dangerous hand to call a raise with. If you simply assume your A or T is good when you hit it, and put all your chips in, you're not going to show a net profit.

If the raise had come from a steal position like the button, that would be a different story, but this is a raise from early position. You should respect that.

"Putting" the guy on KQ or a medium pair is probably the worst part of the whole thought process. From a preflop raise, you can only put someone on a range of hands. You don't simply pick a hand you'd like for him to have and run with that assumption.

Finally, something is wrong with the story. If you were BB, why aren't you first to act after the flop? No one should be checking to you.

[SossMan]

it's your first post, so I'll go easy on you...but your play is hoooooooorrrible.

You have 4xBB. Any move should be all in or fold. You don't say how much of a raise he made, but w/ blinds of 2k/4k, the minimum would be to 8k, which is 50% of your stack. If you think you have the best hand, then go ahead and push preflop, you aren't going to fold on any flop anyway with 50% of your stack out there.

In general, though, don't make a habit of calling a raise w/ ATs (unless you are at my table)

Good luck and welcome to the forum,

SossMan

[0evg0]

[ QUOTE ]
it's your first post, so I'll go easy on you...but your play is hoooooooorrrible.

[/ QUOTE ] Wow, I don't want to see you go down hard on someone!

[Demana]

Thank you both for the advice.

I re-read Sklansky today and he even calls out how dangerous AT is. Too bad I didn't re-read it before playing that hand...

And my assumptions about the other guy's hand were so wrong. Looking back on it now, I put him on that hand specifically so that I would call his raise and play with my hand (suited cards and blondes, my biggest weaknesses...) I'll be better aware of my thought process next time.

Thanks!

btw - Sossman, can you post all of your screen names so I can avoid your tables like the plague? /images/graemlins/tongue.gif