200 SNG hand

[Jason Strasser]

Blinds are 15/30. I have 1k in MP. I limp behind an UTG limp with AJs. Button also limps, blinds come along. 5 to the flop, 150 in the pot.


Flop JJ5, with 2 diamonds. Checked to me, I bet 150. Button who has 2k at the start of the hand, and seeme reasonable calls. The rest fold.

Turn: 9 diamonds. I check, he checks.

River: 2 diamonds. I check, he puts me all-in, I fold.

I figured my opponent for a flush draw, which is why I got scared on the turn. I'm wondering if I got pushed off the better hand. I didn't want to fold to a raise on the turn, but I didn't feel comfortable getting it all in when that diamond came out.

Comments appreciated.

[Desdia72]

i would have bet the turn and looked for a call or a reraise. i played a hand like this with trip Jacks where i raised pf, bet strong on the flop (Jack gave me trips but flop had two diamonds) and the guy called, check the turn which was another diamond, he bet and i reraised him (he called), river hit forth diamond and i knew i had to laydown the trips. i check the river, he bets strong and i fold. guy shows me his hand- A x low, the Ace being a diamond for the nut flush.

[Dominic]

I can't question your play here, Jason...just one of those time you have to lay it down - even if there's a possibility you're laying down the winner.

If this was raised pre-flop I can see you playing it differently, but the other guy could literally have anything, including a boat. (Of course, if he does, I'm sure he's mini-betting the river in the hopes you come over the top of him with the flush). As to why he goes all-in if he has a flush, maybe it's a poor flush and he's overbetting in the hopes you lay down a slightly better flush. Not a good play on his part, but it's possible.

The only way I call his bet is if I have a great read on him and know what he normally does in this situation. Otherwise, fold. It's still early.

Lay it down and move on. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Dominic]

I don't mind this play, either...bet the turn and see what he does...fold to a re-raise.

[durron597]

I would say that he could have anything there, though with a board 4-flush he very easily could have a diamond and thus you cannot call.

I would have bet 200 on the flop (since you have a made hand and you really want to get the draws out of the way) and pushed in on the turn.

[durron597]

You don't have enough chips to bet the turn. There is 450 in the pot and you only have 800 or so behind; if you're not going to push the turn you can't bet it at all.

[Jason Strasser]

Yeah. The interesting part of this hand is obviously the turn. The river is straightforward IMO. If it was a non diamond turn I would've pushed. Anyone have a good argument for betting the turn? And if I did, how much? And do I fold to a reraise?

[Cleveland Guy]

I like the check turn. I know this level is way over my head, but I'm trying to think what he would call you on here. And I somehow don't think he would have a low flush draw. Maybe A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif and the case J? more than likely I someohow think he had A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 5x.

Either way- I don't think your gonna push him off on the turn, so I don't like the bet.

[NegativeEV]

My first thought- fire another shot on the turn. After thinking this through I'm not sure as I follow the following logic trail. The pot is T450 on the turn and a 1/2 pot bet shows weakness IMO so that is not the right play. Anything more than 1/2 pot and you're committed so you might as well push if you're going to bet. You don't want to push as a flush is one of the few likely hands given the call on the flop (i.e. what would someone call a pot sized bet with when the two J's show that they would NOT have raised with preflop- flush draw, maybe KJ,AJ,QJ). Since there was no raise preflop (eliminates AA-QQ from his holdings), and you know where three of the J's are (reduces the chances he has one), I think you are left with a flush draw as the likely calling hand on the flop. I like the play and the fold.

[Desdia72]

i favor PSs starting chips. after betting the size of the pot and getting called, yes you could bet again on the turn (which is what i would most likely do). however, because of Party's structure, it leaves you with the dilemma of HOW MUCH to bet. IMO, Party's structure can hender a good player's ability to outplay an opponent postflop in a sticky situation such as this. (is this a perfect example of Folding Equity at work?)

[durron597]

As I said in my other post, I think you can safely put him off a flush draw a large percentage of the time if you overbet the pot on the flop. Also, I think you have to push on the turn, because he would be absolutely correct to bet the river if you check to him twice.

And it has to be a push, because the pot will always be at least half your stack by the turn, and obviously you shouldn't bet half your stack.

[tallstack]

If I am the button (and a reasonable player), then I either have a fush draw or 55. I would raise on the flop with a J, especially since if I call your bet any flush draw is now getting proper odds. Anything else I would have raised PF or folded in a 5-way hand on the flop.

If I had the flush draw then the turn completed it, and if I have the 55 then all that I care is that the turn card was low.

I may be giving the button too much credit here, but I don't think you have the best hand on the turn here. It was a rather strange bet on the river, but I still don't think you can call it.

Dave S

[patrick dicaprio]

if he is a reasonable player he can only really call on the flop with a J or a draw or a pair higher than Jacks hoping you are betting a smaller pair. on teh turn i would at least make a bet so that you dont have these lingering doubts, since it is tough to see him raising you in that spot without a hand that beats you.

Pat