AJo in BB facing sb complete

[rjb03]

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (8 handed)

MP1 (t1380)
MP2 (t2840)
CO (t1665)
Button (t1960)
SB (t1720)
Hero (t1330)
UTG (t1220)
UTG+1 (t1385)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB completes, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises to t200</font>, SB calls t150.

Flop: (t400) 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/club.gif, 6/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets t300</font>, SB calls t300.

Turn: (t1000) K/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks.

River: (t1000) 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets t150</font>, Hero calls t150.

Final Pot: t1300

Anything wrong here? I felt I had to call on the river with the A high because of how much was in the pot and how small the bet was.

[rybones]

I think your line here is good. I like the preflop raise and the raise on the flop. Even more than that, I like that you slowed down on the turn.

I do question the call on the end though. I like your line as to why you called and my guess is other will say it is the right move as well. However, If I have looked at this correctly he has you covered and his bet of 150 is the value bet he thinks you will call (this is actually my guess, you even said "I felt I had to call). To me it looks like he read you perfectly and extracted the extra 150 from you when you would have folded if he bet 200 or more?

Alternatively it is small enough that he may have been trying to entice you to re-raise a hand he had really hit.

Either way, I think this is a hand you need to fold when he bets on the river. I know, this is easier said than done. The fact is I might have called as well (and lets be honest, part of it -- at least for me -- is wanting to catch someone bluffing).

Alas, just my thoughts and comments always welcome.

Ryan

[gergery]

It certainly looks like you are beat here, but the right way to think about this is: I must call 150 to win 1150. How often am i going to have the best hand? How often am i going to chop?

If he doesn't have a K, 8, PP&gt;88, or A, you have the best hand. If he doesn't have a K,8,pp&gt;88 but does have an A, you chop. You need to chop 1 in 4 times you call, and win 1 in 7 times you call for the call to be correct.

Only you can answer that for your opponnet, but my guess is he could have a busted flush/straight draw or A6 more than 1 in 7 times, so the call may be slightly profitable.

--Greg

[rjb03]

It could have been possible given his play earlier in the tourney, but it wasn't this time. He flipped K7o.

[SmileyEH]

I would play it the same way....not sure how much that is worth /images/graemlins/smile.gif.

-SmileyEH

[eastbay]

I fold the flop here, unless there's a specific read on this guy as a maniac or a flop auto-bettor. In that case, I raise the flop, I don't call.

Without that read, it isn't worth calling off 1/4 of your stack to (maybe) see if he has the K, or try to peel off an A.

eastbay

[rjb03]

[ QUOTE ]
I fold the flop here, unless there's a specific read on this guy as a maniac or a flop auto-bettor. In that case, I raise the flop, I don't call.

Without that read, it isn't worth calling off 1/4 of your stack to (maybe) see if he has the K, or try to peel off an A.

eastbay


[/ QUOTE ]

He didn't bet the flop...so it's either check or bet for me.

[eastbay]

Oops, misread that one. In which case, your play looks fine.

However, you might consider not raising preflop for deception value. Many players will doggedly refuse to believe you have an A if you didn't raise preflop, and will insist on donating their entire stack when they catch 2nd pair on an A high flop.

eastbay

[Jason Strasser]

Deception value is a decent idea, but I like the idea of just winning the hand preflop. Most opponents will raise AX in this spot, so the times you will both flop top pair will be rare.

I definitely like the raise here. I'd be very content winning the pot right there. On the flop, I also like the bet. I like the turn check, and the river is player dependant. I like calling though in general because often when a 2-pair is on the board people will bet an ace or queen on this board. You don't need to chop or win the pot very many times to make this call on the river profitably. If your opponent is an uncreative rock, there is no need to pay him off as your pot odds aren't incredible.

-Jason