Is this as bad as bad as I think it was?

[w_raedy99]

I played in the 10:00 EST $30+3 large multi-table at party last night, the ones that usually have 1500-1600+ people. About 2 hands before the final table I was at around t103,000 and feeling very good about my chances and then this hand happened. In retrospect I think I played it poorly but also think it is a somewhat common situation, up to a point.

Down to 5 people at our table. I am dealt K9h. BB is t8,000. It is folded to me on the button, I raise it to t20,000 (note: in SNG's I make larger raises but seemed to notice that smaller raises worked well in MTT, maybe I am wrong). I get called by BB.

Flop comes: Qh 7c 4h

Player checks to me and I decide to follow up my pre-flop aggression and bet t20,000 again and player calls again. A blank comes, I think a 3c. Player checks and I decide to fire t20,000 again (note: this is where I really start to fault my play. I think I was just hoping he was going to fold). He calls. River comes another blank, Td or something I think. He checks to me again but I simply check it not wanting to bleed myself any further (do you think an all-in would've worked? I kind've doubt it). He shows AQo for TPTK.

In retrospect I pretty sure most people would be aggressive with 4 to the flush on the flop. But I am not sure if I like my aggression after that. Is this just one of those common scenario's that sometimes pays off the flush well and sometimes pays off TPTK well?

I managed to still get 10th and collect ~$430 in profit but in retrospect I feel this hand cost me some serious $$$ and was wondering just how bad others thought it was (P.S. I am a 'big boy' and can handle harsh critique).

I think the one thing I really failed to do is think about the 'VALUE' of all those chips I was firing in. At t103,000 I am comfortable at the final table and definitely not a small stack but at the same time blinds don't look too paltry. This was only my third large tournament (have placed 51st, 534th, and 10th) and I think I need to learn more about 'chip management'.

Will

[durron597]

I play this hand exactly as you do except I bet very slightly more (like 5k more) on the flop, until the turn. When he checks to me again I check behind, because I probably cannot push him off the hand. When the river blanks, I concede defeat and check/fold. Though I might move all-in on the river against the right player; but against most players/unknown I do as described above.

[kickindickie]

I disagree with your post flop play. You flopped a monster draw and were given the opportunity to look for free. If you bet and he folds you win a relatively small pot (not that it was that small), and if you bet and get CR all in (which is what I would have done if in that situation), your are left in a very uncomfortable position. Do you want to risk your stack on a 2:1 draw? As DS says, you want to avoid betting/raising hands that hate a re-raise.

[ron dogg]

Ok, not too bad. Like the preflop, and would have fired at flop more than your raise preflop(players will see an equal amount as a sign of weakness). The reason I don't like your turn bet is the flop texture. The only draw out there is a flush draw of which you have 2 of them. For my money, he HAS to have a piece of it to call the flop bet. He let you off the hook here so to speak by not betting his own hand here and giving you a free look at the river card. If that's a heart, you bust him, and it would be his fault.

Nice job on your finish.
Ron-

[rocflight]

I agree with previous posters that your bet at the flop looked more like a test shot than one that indicated strength. Your opponent would correctly put you on a draw or a bottom to mid pair here.

His call on the flop, in my opinion, does not give too much information of his hand strength. For all I know, he could be on a draw himself, hit a small piece of the flop or have top pair. Since a blank card hit the turn, you should either check and consider folding to a bet here. Since your flop bet didn't show much strength, I don't think a more aggressive bet here is justified. It's almost impossible to sell that the 3c helped your hand. Your opponent probably figure that if you had made a set on the flop or had an over pair, you'd have been more aggressive given the heart draw on the board. At this point, the villain should have pushed to drive you off the heart draw, which he didn't do.

Given the flop and turn action, I think you made the correct play to check down the river because you really have not shown any strength throughout and almost any sized bet on the river would smell like a bluff attempt. You would only push if you put your opponent on a flush draw as well.

[RobGW]

Did the BB have 80,000? If so then he called 1/4 of his stack preflop and another 1/4 of his stack on the flop. This alone says he is not going anywhere. Did you have an image of an aggressive player? Is he a tight player? Once he calls on the flop, I think you should give him credit for something. If he is willing to give you a free card to bust him then why not take it?

[w_raedy99]

Thank you everyone for the responses. Most of them have been basically exactly what I expected. Action ok (maybe some suggestions to make small changes but nothing huge) before the turn. When I bet on the turn, I agree it was a BIG mistake.

Villian actually had around t205,000 so t40,000 all together is 1/4 of his stack. Before this I had seen him be aggrssive as well, with the 5 of us there was a lot of stealing and post flop aggressiveness occurring. I did not have a great read on him but honestly did not ASSUME his call pre-flop showed great strength anyway.

Will

[Vince Lepore]

Big Mistake! What would you have done if he check raised you all in or just a considerable amount on the flop? Which is what you would have faced if I had that A,Q and the right way to play his hand.

The only hands you would bet here would be a hand that figured to be best or one that had little if any chance of being the best and little if any chance to improve to a winning hand.

BTW - I may have played in the same tourney. I finished in the pack somewhere out of the money so what do I know.

Vince
Vince

[TheJackal]

I think you played the hand quite well... The only thing I would have done differently would be to check the turn when another blank hit and take a free card because at this point all you have is king high. If your opponent has a good hand like KQ AQ or maybe even QJ, he would not fold to another 20k bet on the turn (which he didn't) since you would be underbetting the pot if you had a big hand... I would have checked the turn, probably just called if a king hit the river if he bet, if he checked when the flush hit, I'd bet another 20k, because anything bigger he might not call, and I'd fold anything else if he came out firing. It's easy to look at these kind of situations in retrospect, but as you play more poker and similar situations come up, it becomes much easier...

[betgo]

I might have pushed on the flop with the semibluff. You had 46% chances as it was. It was likely your opponent didn't have a pair and would fold. In this case you would bust out that way, but it is still a good play.

I would check the turn. What do you do if your opponent checkraises you allin. You want to see the river card and try to hit your flush. The turn bet is not likley to make your opponent fold unless you have him beat with king high.

[bigfishead]

wholeheartedly agree with everything you said Vince. I too would have made you pay to draw with a check raise on the flop. You were lucky to get out that cheaply.

The guy with AQ played this very poorly post-flop.