Button Play early on at Final Table

[rainman3000]

Quick question about the following play shortly after starting the Final table of a 32 man event.

Payouts for final table are:

1-210
2-125
3-75
4-55
5-40
6-25
7-10

There are 38400 chips in play with small stacks (T1000) in seats 1,3,6 and 9. Large stacks (T8000) in seats 4,6 and 8. I am in seat 2 and on the button. Blinds are at 100/200. Seats 5 and 6 fold. Seat 7 is fourth in chips with about T6000 and calls the 200, Seat 8, 9 and 1 fold. I have T4500 and pick up As, Ks. I have been playing tight for the last hour (I had also knocked out 3 players in the last 2 levels with AA and KK(twice)) and decided to make a move to get in a better chip position so I bet T2000. SB, BB Fold and seat 7 takes a few minutes and calls.

Flop comes down 10s, 3s, 10h and seat 7 checks. I throw out a 500 raise and seat 7 calls. Turn comes up Kd and Seat 7 checks again, I push in.

Seat 7 flips over Ac, 10d and the river comes up 4h.

My logic during the hand was as follows:

After he called the preflop raise I put him on QQ, JJ, AK, AQ or AJ. He is typically tight and hardly ever plays Ax or pairs between 6 and 2 against a large raise. Previous history also had him typically raising preflop with AA, KK, AK or any pairs 10 to 7, so I figured I was anywhere from a very slight underdog to a 3 to 1 favorite.

Post flop I tried to see if he would play the check raise card or fold. I figured I was sitting good with the number of outs so made the small raise to try and get additonal info.

After the turn I figured him for low pair and the 10s on the board and I thought with the K I could push him away with the all in.

My inital thought was by taking him down or even getting a chunk of chips I would be in better position to reach the top 3 rather than the potential 5th through 7th.

Would you have played this differently or do you think this play was OK based on the situation?

Was his call preflop questionable based on the situation?

[remen]

Preflop: Your raise was FAR too large. You raised 10xbb and nearly 1/2 of your stack (pot committing yourself without a made hand). I think a raise to 800 or so would be good. It is enough that it should make him fold weak drawing hands, but it also lets you get away from the hand if you miss the flop and he bets hard.

Flop: This flop isn't bad for your hand at all, unless he has a 10 of course. Once he checks, I would push all in here. There is 4300 in the pot and you only have 2500 left in your stack. With the nut flush draw and overcards, I push and hope he doesn't have a 10.

Turn: I don't think the hand should have gotten this far, but since it did your play here is correct. With so much money in the pot compared to what is in your stack, the rest of your stack definetly should be going into the pot.

As for his preflop call, it was definetly very questionable. Against an average opponent, most decent poker players muck ATo to a very large raise. You said you were also playing tight and had shown down premium hands. This should have given him even more reason to fold. He happened to get very lucky on the flop.

I think the main mistake you made on this hand, was making such a large preflop raise that you committed yourself to the pot without a made hand.

[rainman3000]

Thanks for the remarks

After thinking about it, I agree a 3x to 5x BB bet would have probably done what I was trying to do. I pride myself on being able to read hands pretty well and this one just passed me by.

When the 10's flopped I figured there was about a 1 in 6 chance that he was holding it.

I guess if I was to do it over I would follow your plan or after really thinking about the odds I would have pushed all in preflop and a) hope for the fold or b) take the 63% chance of catching an A or K vs. his .9% chance of having AA or KK