AJs a.k.a. the bluffcatcher ?!?

[Che]

Amusing hand from Friday night's $100+9 on Party. Blinds 25/50.

saw flop|<font color="C00000">saw showdown</font>

<font color="C00000">Button (t3955)</font>
SB (t915)
BB (t2290)
UTG (t2300)
<font color="C00000">Hero (t2270)</font>
MP1 (t1235)
MP2 (t770)
MP3 (t1650)
CO (t1785)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with J/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="666666">1 fold</font>, Hero calls t50, <font color="666666">4 folds</font>, Button calls t50, <font color="666666">1 fold</font>, BB checks,

Flop: (t175) K/images/graemlins/club.gif, 6/images/graemlins/club.gif, 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero checks, Button checks.

Turn: (t175) 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets t50</font>, BB calls t50, Hero calls t50.

River: (t325) 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets t175</font>, BB folds, Hero calls t175.

Final Pot: t675

What do you think?

Che

[La Brujita]

FWIW here are my thoughts:

I would have open raised rather than open limped preflop but probably not a huge deal either way. I very rarely or almost never open limp with big suited aces after the blinds are 25-50.

The hand is frankly a bit confusing because you might be bluff catching against a busted flush draw but wouldn't he bet the flop to see the next cards free?

He makes a decent sized bet on the river and frankly I let this go pretty much all the time. The place I would have gotten aggressive was either betting the turn after an apparent blank hits following the flop checks or raising the turn.

Best Regards

[filsho]

Looks ok, but then I get scared of trip 6s/7s or a king. Hard to guess at really. There is obviously a good chance your beat, but the betting does seem like he's trying to bet just enough to try &amp; take down the pot without being contested. My thoughts at least.

[GoldenHorde]

Looks alot like a bluff but why not raise? I see too many hands he might have limped in on the button with that won't stand up to a raise but might have you beat if you just call.

[ron dogg]

I actually like the limp this early in the tourney. Why commit chips out of position with a hand that needs help to win usually? I probably fold the turn here and give it to him. If you caught his bluff, good read.

That is all,
R-

[Kirkrrr]

On the turn, I'd raise to Pot. If he stops, hesitates, and calls fire another 2/3xPot on the river if a blank hits... actually, pretty much regardless of what hits since I seriously doubt he has a [censored] thing. Then again, I usually play pretty LAG in the beginning of the tournament/SnG's anyway trying to build up an image that may pay off later; so if I happened to be in the hand and faced precisely action of that sort, I'd do the same thing with 7,2o as I've done before (it works especially great if you show the cards after they fold, I think).

Just my thoughts.

Kirk R.

[Che]

Thanks to all who took a stab at this oddball hand.

Opponent had J /images/graemlins/club.gif T /images/graemlins/club.gif for the missed flush draw so I won it. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ QUOTE ]
The hand is frankly a bit confusing because you might be bluff catching against a busted flush draw but wouldn't he bet the flop to see the next cards free?

[/ QUOTE ]

I would have, but I guess everyone doesn't see it that way. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif His play, especially the turn minbet, strongly indicated draw based on his earlier play.

[ QUOTE ]
The place I would have gotten aggressive was either betting the turn after an apparent blank hits following the flop checks or raising the turn.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would have check-raised the turn if the blind folded, but I didn't want to fire at two players. My typical tourney at Party lately has gone something like this: I build a big stack, I bluff off a big chunk on one ill conceived bluff and then go card dead and struggle to just make the money. I'm trying to avoid bluffing multiple players and just value bet more since Party players tend to call.

[ QUOTE ]
Looks alot like a bluff but why not raise?

[/ QUOTE ]

He often played weakly (e.g. we checked to him twice and he minbets?) but he didn't seem dumb. I think he would have checked a weak hand to get the free showdown if he had bottom pair. I thought his bet was either a stone bluff or a slowplayed set. With the odds he gave me, it was an easy call IMHO.

As for the PF limp, I've also added that to my Party gameplan since a 3xBB raise from EP usually gets 2+ callers so I save the raises for hands that want callers. I really don't want to play AJ for a big pot out of position.

I would fire at the flop if I had raised PF, but when I limp and miss I usually just wait for a better opportunity. When I back into a win like this, it's just bonus money.

Overall, I posted this because it's fun to talk about an oddball hand every once in a while. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Thoughts?

Che

[Tosh]

The only questionable play is the river call and really I think thats read dependant. It is probably a call that will show profit.

[SossMan]

FWIW, his turn bet is pretty bad.

I like the way you played it. Limping w/ AJs in EP early in the tourney is okay since you will get paid off by a lot of LP aces/jacks w/ worse kickers who come in late.
It's hard to get paid off when you are ahead when you flop an A when you raise from EP, so I like it.

[vandalay]

Weaklead for sure, either busted club draw or a low pair...
but since your posting, I am guessing he had a big pile of nothing....