busted with a pair of deuces

I would like to hear some opinions on my play of the following hand:

Down to 2 tables of a 5 table small NLHE tournament that pays to 9 places, though only 1st or 2nd are worth anything ($1400 and $685). It's a $50 buy in tournament with one $40 rebuy that gets you T1500 total in chips. Blinds are 100/200 and I'm in the cutoff with about $4000 which is a medium-large stack and look down at pocket deuces. There are 3 callers in front of me and I am 90% sure that both blinds will call without raising... the button is already motioning a fold. So I call. The big blind, who is the overwhelming chip leader, but a very loose passive player, raises $500 and everybody folds to me. I have a very good read on this player, and I know he doesnt have a pair. With a big pair or AK he would have shoved in all his chips, and with a small-medium pair he would just have called. I put him pretty solidly on two medium-high connecters, like 10-J or J-Q. I decided to go all-in and force him into a decision... I figured he would have a very hard time calling with the hand I put him on, and since I was sure he didn't have a pair, I was at worst an 11-10 favorite if he called. Well he called, turned over 10-J and hit a 10 on the turn to bust me. He went on to win. I really liked the play, despite the results, but maybe I was wrong. I would like to hear some arguements against it.


-Craig H

Craig,


I dont believe that you should have moved all in preflop. I think you should have waited on the flop, and if u knew ur read was absolutly correct then u could have put pressure on him to release it on the flop. It is true that 22 is a favourite over 10 J suited, but only a slight favourite. This is a tournament not a ring game, in tournaments it's really never about long term you have to play the hand your dealt. Now if you were considering a flush draw then odds would come into it, but hands like 22 vs J10 were your only a slight favourite i would risk my chips in a tournament and i would wait for a better situation to move in. I like the way you read your opponent and his style of play, so if i played your hand i would wait until the flop, if the flop wasn't threatning then i would make my move, utleast then he has seen that his hand is not worth anything.


Take care

With all those players in preflop and your "90% guess that the blinds wouldn't raise" (which in fact the BB did!) limping with 22 is ok. But you're looking to hit a set on the flop or somehow on the turn, if you get a free card on the flop. Other than that, this hand is pretty much crap! Any 2 random cards will hit more often than not with that many players in and then you're beat.


Once the big blind raises, and everyone folds, you HAVE to muck. Even if your read is as good as you indicate it was (and I'm sorry, but you'd have to be Houdini to put the BB on medium suited connectors, EXCLUSIVELY, given all the other action) you're only a slight favorite and are pretty much going to be unable to take "any heat" from an agressive player on a scary flop. Even if I really have a bead on the play of a given opponent, I'd have to give a pre-flop raiser, in this spot, at minimum, an ace or small pair.


I don't mean to be insulting, but I just can't believe anyone can be that good at reading an opponent for medium suited connectors given the pre-flop play. I have a feeling that you made a good guess, one of several possibilities, and are trying to justify guessing right but still getting beat. In my humble opinion. You made a marginal call, got lucky as to his true holding, then got drawn out on, on a basic 50/50 hand, and got beat.


I must be honest and say that a fold was in order on this hand once he raised.


Keep playing hard!

2-2 is not a great hand but has some advantages.

Try to believe that instead of the lesser pair you have 2 tens or 2 jacks...the hand doesn't change very much. I lost almost the same number of hands having 2 deuces (or a small pair) than a pocket tens or jacks. The problem with the last 2 hands is that you are more committed after the flop where it's easier to throw away the deuces. (I'm not talking when you are low in chips forced to go all-in)

2-2 is definitely a RAISING preflop hand. With a fair raise you can push out the higher medium pair such as fives, 6s or 7s and you put in a trouble decision the holder of hands like A-9, A-10 and lessere big cards (K-J, Q-J etc). If you are called you have to well evaluate the hand after the flop comes (very easy IMO).

Calling with that pair of deuces is out of order. You look at a board with 3 obvious overcards and if you don't hit a straight, a straight draw or a set you are done with it. If you raise with those deuces and get called you have to decide if firing another bet is worth to win the pot (it's very difficult to call a bet with a flop of 3-8-10 for example with K-J even if the holder of KJ is the chip leader).


PS: 2-2 is not exactly 11 to 10 favorite vs 2 higher cards (you may look at a board of 4-4-3-3-x or and lose the pot where a pair of 5-5 would have been the winning hand.


Marco

I'm talking that I would have raised FIRST not reraising after the blind raise.


marco

If you trust your read then surely it is much better to flat call his 500 raise. You have position on later rounds and you have a good idea what he holds whereas he will not be at all sure about your holding. A good player might be able to put you on a small/medium pair but not many good players will raise out of the BB with JT when 4 or 5 players have already called.


If you think you're better than this guy then back yourself to outplay him on the flop and beyond.


Andy.

It's not that I'm Houdini or anything, it's just that when you've been playing with someone in a tournament for a while you start to get a good lock on some reads. In this particular case, due to many factors, I had a very strong read and thought I could get him to lay it down. In a four hour little tournament like this I might only have a really solid read like this once or twice... which is why I took my shot. Still... a mistake it seems. Thanks for the input.


Craig H