Idiot end

[Gamblor]

Home tournament, 4 left, stacks are, in position:

UTG: (Poster Diplomat): T2600
Button (decent but not good player): T2400
SB (Hero): T2800
Bad player (BB): T2200

Winner take all tournament.

Blinds: 25-50.

Diplomat limps UTG, Button folds, I complete with 7 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 6 /images/graemlins/spade.gif, BB checks.

3 to the flop (T150): A /images/graemlins/heart.gif T /images/graemlins/spade.gif 8 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

I check, BB bets T100, Diplomat calls. I think and call. Bad player and closing the action make this right I think, but this is the main argument I expect with this hand.

3 to the turn (T450): (A /images/graemlins/heart.gif T /images/graemlins/spade.gif 8 /images/graemlins/heart.gif) 9 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

I check, BB bets T200, Diplomat calls, I raise to T1300. BB thinks for about a minute and calls. Diplomat, slightly frustrated, folds.

2 to the river (T3250): (A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif T /images/graemlins/heart.gif 8 /images/graemlins/heart.gif 9 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif) 8 /images/graemlins/club.gif

I think, and think, and think, and push for T1350.
Comments?

[kgrad5]

i think last time i was in with the idiot end of the straight i capped the turn and flop... cant remember what happened in the hand but i know the guy i was playing against was no good

[tallstack]

Here's my 2 cents.

I think the flop call was a little bit of a reach with only 3 cards that you really like, but it's only about 4% of your stack. FWIW, I would have folded this one on the flop, but it does set up nice for maximum value on the check-raise with the BB leading.

On the turn, I would have raised to about 600-800 to suck in at least one opponent and maybe induce a re-raise. I would also consider the all-in check-raise if you wanted to end it right there and avoid all the potentially bad river cards. Since this is a winner take all tournament, I would have gone for the smaller raise to milk the pot. I think your raise did work very well, though.

On the river I would bet it out unless I got some amazing read from the BB to suggest he hit the full house. If you're beat then you can't lay it down to a 750 bet without the amazing read, and he may be pot committed with a two-pair hand.

Out of curiousity, the suits changed on the river, so which are the correct ones?

Dave S

[durron597]

My only issue with the hand is that while your turn raise was the correct amount independent of stack size, I would just push to increase fold equity, since are going to get all your chips in on the river anyway.

Edit: you are getting all your chips in on the river because you are pot commited, if that wasn't already clear.

[Gamblor]

The flop/turn are the correct suits - I first posted this then remembered there was a spade on the board.

Why call the flop bet for T100 if I'm not going to get value out of spiking an offsuit 9? A check-raise all in and getting the BB to fold makes the flop call -EV.

I raised the maximum I thought the BB, as a bad player, would call - judging by the almost full 2 minutes he thought, I was about right (phew!). But I wanted it heads up as there were a ton of river cards that hurt me. Any heart, the board pairing (which it did). I don't know if Diplomat calls a big raise like that, for half his stack, with a set, in a tournament where he's such a big favourite over the other two opponents. But I know the bad player will call with as little as a pair of Aces.

[Kaz The Original]

You know, a inside straight, by any justification, is still an inside straight.

[Gamblor]

your turn raise was the correct amount independent of stack size, I would just push to increase fold equity

If he folds the turn, doesn't that make my flop call -EV? I called T100 to close the action on the flop in a T450 pot on an 11-1 shot, meaning i needed to milk at least 700 more out of the pot.

I think, and think, and think, and push for T1350.

The thinking was whether I could get another bit of money out of the opponent, who I reiterate was a bad player who called with way too many hands.

[tallstack]

I think we are mostly agreeing here, I would likely not have gone all-in on the turn either, but I would not normally put in half my stack on any bet as a general rule. If you are not going to release in any situation, then it is fine to choose that amount based on a likely call and fire again at the river, but otherwise I would have raised lower to still get a call and give myself some room to get out of the hand if the action got crazy behind me.

Dave S

[durron597]

No, it isn't, because you have the times he makes a loose twopair/trips call to increase your EV.

[Gamblor]

I pushed my last T1350 on the river and the BB folded, but flipped up 7 /images/graemlins/heart.gif 6 /images/graemlins/heart.gif and I almost puked.

[tallstack]

Nice. Did you show him your cards?

[Gamblor]

Yeah I showed him my cards. He sat there shaking his head /images/graemlins/grin.gif and never quite recovered after losing half his stack. His play on the turn was easily push or fold, which I explained to him after the tournament was done, but he never recovered and was eliminated the next round with A6 vs. AJ.