Bubble hand

[sofere]

This is a hand where I really pissed myself off...what are you're thoughts on what Hero should do?

Table has been pretty tight lately, I've been playing a little loose and buying a lot of pots fairly cheaply. BB is pretty much ABC type player.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (4 handed)

Button (t2525)
Hero (t2850)
BB (t2220)
UTG (t5905)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
UTG calls t200, Button folds, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t575) 9/images/graemlins/club.gif, 2/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets t400</font>, BB folds, <font color="CC3333">UTG raises to t800</font>, Hero calls t400.

Turn: (t2175) 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero?

I'm also questioning my postflop play...should I have just mucked this?

[2planka]

Calling on the bubble with a weak hand out of position is bad. Fold it preflop or come in for a raise. Without reads, I fold.

You're out of position. UTG has limped in (is this normal or does it tell you something). BB is still to act. If you're going to play it, raise it here to try to isolate UTG or maybe even win the pot (500, if I count right) right here. Make it 1K to go. Find out some information. Edit: may even be push/fold time here - just noticed UTG's stack.

What does his min-raise mean? You can't find out by calling his flop min-raise. Pop him back or fold. Again, i probably fold this.

Now you're in trouble on the turn. Push it all in or check/fold.

You could have avoided a tough hand by folding OR raising preflop. Calling is not good.

[Subby]

I would have raised out of the SB. Then I put big stack on a draw and PUSH.

Of course, it isn't my money /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[sofere]

This was my reasoning:
Preflop:
I didn't want to raise this preflop with the big stack limping b/c I was pretty sure he would have called and I wanted to keep the pot small so I might be able to steal it later with a partial hit. If I missed, easy fold...otherwise I test the waters.

Flop...I decided to bet to reduce pot odds for flush draw. Probably should've folded to the raise as he either had me beat with a better ace or was on a draw for 10+ high flush, I decide to call and see if another /images/graemlins/club.gif comes out. Of course he might have already made his flush.

Turn...If it didn't 2 pair me, I think i would've bet 400, hoping for a fold. Fold to reraise or if called check-fold river. I hit 2pair and decide to push.

Comments on my rationale?

Results in white <font color="white">

Turn: (t2175) 6(Spade) (2 players)
Hero bets t1825 (All-In), UTG calls t1825.

River: (t5825) K(club) (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t5825
Main Pot: t5825 (t5825), between Hero and UTG. Pot won by UTG (t5825).

Hero has 6h Ah (two pair, aces and sixes).
UTG has 8c 5c (flush, ace high).
Outcome: UTG wins t5825. </font>

[2planka]

Haven't looked at your results yet because I'm not sure I agree with a couple things you say.

[ QUOTE ]
I didn't want to raise this preflop with the big stack limping b/c I was pretty sure he would have called and I wanted to keep the pot small so I might be able to steal it later with a partial hit. If I missed, easy fold...otherwise I test the waters

[/ QUOTE ]

I think your reasoning is too weak (i.e. not aggressive enough) and your call is too loose (not a good enough hand) based on your rationale.

On the bubble, out of position, against a big stack, with one player still to act, I think you can't afford to "test the waters." It's too expensive to do so. Adjust your starting requirements for situations like this. Then either put the other guy to the test or fold and wait for a better hand. Edit: Of your three options, calling is the worst play.

[ QUOTE ]
Flop...I decided to bet to reduce pot odds for flush draw. Probably should've folded to the raise as he either had me beat with a better ace or was on a draw for 10+ high flush, I decide to call and see if another comes out. Of course he might have already made his flush.


[/ QUOTE ]

You have a coordinated flop here. You bet roughly 1/2 the pot (is this enough to scare away a flush draw?) and UTG raises. What did you think he had? As I see it all in or check/ fold are your options. Again, my preference is the latter.

[ QUOTE ]
Turn...If it didn't 2 pair me, I think i would've bet 400, hoping for a fold. Fold to reraise or if called check-fold river. I hit 2pair and decide to push.


[/ QUOTE ]

Don't hope here. The passive play preflop has come back to haunt you. You made your hand but I suspect it's the second best hand. You've trapped yourself.

You opponent has shown strength. He's got you covered. You now have to make a decision for all your chips and you don't really know where you stand. Not the best time to have to shove the stack. Especially since if you're wrong, you just made money for everyone else still at the table.

Good hand to post, though. Gain some more experinece, tighten up, and play more aggressively on the bubble.

[sofere]

Thank you for your post Kilgore. When I looked back at the hand, I agree with just about everything you said. My thinking at the time was that I had been aggressive for a while so I should not raise. Pretty piss poor rationale for calling, especially when playing aggressive preflop had been working so well.

If you look at the results, a preflop raise would've almost definitely made him fold his hand. I think one of my leaks in bubble situations is that I'll play a little loose aggressive for a while and start taking some blinds or buying small pots, but then people start calling and I get scared off of raising. The main problem is instead of folding, I'll just call.

I never really have this problem early in the game where I always play pretty TAG.

[2planka]

Search the "gap" or "gap concept" in the tournament poker forums. Should be a good place to start working on it.