PP $10 SNG: Top 2 pair vs. straight and/or flush draws -- Level 1

[gotham]

Wondering what the correct play is given the vulnerability of the hand and the relatively deep stacks (and please comment on initial check)...

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (9 handed)

MP3 (t800)
CO (t770)
Button (t435)
Hero (t785)
BB (t800)
UTG (t1170)
UTG+1 (t800)
MP1 (t1640)
MP2 (t800)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
UTG calls t15, UTG+1 calls t15, MP1 folds, MP2 calls t15, MP3 calls t15, CO folds, Button calls t15, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t105) K/images/graemlins/club.gif, 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(7 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">BB bets t80</font>, UTG calls t80, UTG+1 folds, <font color="CC3333">MP2 raises to t400</font>, MP3 folds, Button folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero ...

[lastchance]

I like trying to check-raise here. At this point, yeah, push, or fold, depending on how much you think the other guy sucks (AKA, is he willing make that raise with TPNK or worse?). I've seen some awful play on party, and here, you can easily get called by worse hands. I push, and hope the guy doesn't have a set or a straight.

[Aceten1]

In an unraised pot, you can pretty much expect to find anything out there. The flop offers potential to so many hands that even a bet by you or a check raise isn't going to tell you where you stand. However, I'd rather bet post-flop and fold to an aggressive raise than push and pray after checking.

I'm probably much too conservative a player, but if I had checked as you did, I'd fold to that t400 bet.

GM

[DyessMan89]

I would call on the flop. The only hands that have you beat are a set and J,10. (which is unlikley)

However, if the turn card is infact a spade, then I would fold, and if its a blank and theres still rapid betting, someone prolly had a set or a straight on the flop. Tough decision.

[rjb03]

[ QUOTE ]
I would call on the flop. The only hands that have you beat are a set and J,10. (which is unlikley)

However, if the turn card is infact a spade, then I would fold, and if its a blank and theres still rapid betting, someone prolly had a set or a straight on the flop. Tough decision.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't call off half of your stack and plan on folding to a river spade. Push or fold on the flop.

[NotMitch]

[ QUOTE ]
I would call on the flop. The only hands that have you beat are a set and J,10. (which is unlikley)

However, if the turn card is infact a spade, then I would fold, and if its a blank and theres still rapid betting, someone prolly had a set or a straight on the flop. Tough decision.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why is J10 unlikely?

[willperkins]

I would fold. He did not raise preflop so I assume he does not have AK, AA, KK or QQ. I can't imagine him raising you with KJ, so I will put him on 99 or J T.

[top6]

I would look at like this. There is an excellent chance that I have the best hand, and there is an excellent chance (given the quality of play - especially early on - in a $10 SNG) that a worse hand will call. If I double up, I am almost certain to make the money. Therefore, I push.

Against known players, or in a field more likely to be filled with good players, I would probably fold to bet that large. (Although it depends on the player - betting 400 into that pot seems to me like someone with a K wanting to get rid of any straight or flush draws. However, given the unknown of the players who haven't acted yet, I would likely fold in a "normal field.")

[gotham]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (9 handed)

MP3 (t800)
CO (t770)
Button (t435)
Hero (t785)
BB (t800)
UTG (t1170)
UTG+1 (t800)
MP1 (t1640)
MP2 (t800)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
UTG calls t15, UTG+1 calls t15, MP1 folds, MP2 calls t15, MP3 calls t15, CO folds, Button calls t15, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t105) K/images/graemlins/club.gif, 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(7 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">BB bets t80</font>, UTG calls t80, UTG+1 folds, <font color="CC3333">MP2 raises to t400</font>, MP3 folds, Button folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises to t770 (All-In)</font>, BB folds, UTG folds, MP2 calls t370.

Turn: (t1805) 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

River: (t1805) Q/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: t1805
<font color="green">Main Pot: t1805 (t1805), between Hero and MP2.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by Hero (t1805).</font>

Results in white below: <font color="white">
Hero has Ks Qh (full house, queens full of kings).
MP2 has Js Kd (two pair, kings and queens).
Outcome: Hero wins t1805. </font>


I chose to push because:

a) I believed it was likely that I had the best hand - while the raise from MP2 was somewhat worrisome, the massive overbet struck me as an attempt to protect a weak hand such as top pair, weak kicker or (albeit less likely) as a semi-bluff from a draw. While I did fear a made straight, I believed such a hand wouldn't show such strength this early (though I realize this could be flawed reasoning given the flush draw).

b) I thought that even if I was up against a draw that hit, I still had outs (though admittedly slim) to beat a straight (backdoor king-high flush) or a flush (by pairing a king or queen).

c) I felt that even though MP2 had committed a sizable amount of his stack on the flop raise, I felt my push still had fold equity given that it was so early in the SNG (it was the first hand) and the blinds were still low enough for him to fold and still have a chance to recover.

Obviously my read of the oversized raise was correct in this instance but any thoughts on my overall rationale?