Interesting (?) hand early in a MTT

[krille]

I don't have the hand history so I'll recreate the hand the best I can:

Early in a MTT, I have above average chips (2500)

I hold 2 /images/graemlins/club.gif 2 /images/graemlins/heart.gif in the BB and call a min raise from the SB (T1600) with 4 limpers.

Flop comes:

2 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 4 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 8 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

SB bets out min (50), and I raise to 200. It's folded around to the SB who reraises to 350. At this point I put him on either a big pair or a flush draw with overcards, slightly leaning towards a big pair. I push and he flips over a A /images/graemlins/spade.gif Q /images/graemlins/spade.gif. I was a 75% favourite at this point but lost on the river to the T /images/graemlins/spade.gif.

Looking back, I think I should have called the 350 on the flop and pushed on the turn if a spade did not come. He would then probably call with a big pair, and think twice about calling with the flush draw (I would be in very good shape if he did call).

Any ideas how I should have played this hand?

[etotheipi]

I think you made mostly the right move. He had horrible odds calling your all-in with just a flush draw, and he was probably further behind in the hand than he was expecting (he was probably expecting to have 2-overs to your pair). It sounded like the pot was big enough that you'd rather take it right there than to risk giving him a free card.

Although, I'm not sure if the all-in was necessary. That was a bit over-bet. Perhaps you could've re-raised 800-1K and then pushed on the turn when the spade didn't come if he had called. Obviously, you would've called if he pushed on your 1000 raise. But, that way you're still giving him improper odds to call you.

[krille]

[ QUOTE ]
I think you made mostly the right move. He had horrible odds calling your all-in with just a flush draw, and he was probably further behind in the hand than he was expecting (he was probably expecting to have 2-overs to your pair). It sounded like the pot was big enough that you'd rather take it right there than to risk giving him a free card.

Although, I'm not sure if the all-in was necessary. That was a bit over-bet. Perhaps you could've re-raised 800-1K and then pushed on the turn when the spade didn't come if he had called. Obviously, you would've called if he pushed on your 1000 raise. But, that way you're still giving him improper odds to call you.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like that idea... I would then get more out of his flush draw and still bust his overpair. I think a raise to about 700 should be enough since he only has 1600 chips, otherwise he would be too pot-committed on the turn if he did call on the flop.

Thanks for the input

[gergery]

If you're a 3:1 favorite in early middle stages of tourney, you want all the chips in the middle. You played it fine.

[swimfan]

AQs guy doesn't have horrible odds to call the all-in. More times than not AQs guy is the favorite at the flop (nut flush draw, 2 overcards), add the pot into the mix I would call the all-in. I don't like the AQs guy's min bet at the flop in first position though, this is a good hand to either check-raise or just bet 3/4 pot to pot straight out.

As for the poster, he played the hand fine. Reason why I don't like calling the flop after the AQs guy raised is you face a (relatively more) difficult decision if a spade falls on the turn. With a set, I know there is no way I'm folding...and realizing that the AQs guy will most likely call an all-in here, I like getting chips in as a 3:1 favorite.

[SossMan]

You really had no reason to put him on a flush draw, and an overpair was much, much more likely. The problem with flat calling the reraise on the flop is that your action is killed when a flush comes. If he doesn't have it, he probably won't pay you off, and when he does have it, well, you can't really fold. I would go ahead and make him put his chips in right now. You give him really bad odds if he happens to have the flush draw, and he's drawing to 2 outs if he has the overpair that he will likely not be able to fold.