set vs set bust hand

[NNH]

How should i have played this hand. What was my biggest mistake? Thanks in advance.

Pokerstars big of $1 NL. Down to about 240. Average stack is 9k.

Hero (12212)
Villain (12384)

I have 55 in mid position. Folded to me I limp. Folds to villain who raises to 800. Blinds fold, two to the flop.

Tc 3h Qs - check check
Ah - check check
5h - I put him on AT-AK. I wasn't worried about a flush. I bet out 1k into 2125 pot. He raises to 5k. Thought about just calling, but put him on that TP or 2 and went all in. Called me w/ pocket Qs.

So did I misplay this hand. Thank ya. Oh, and managed to pull out an 8th out of 1200 at a Party $5 the other day. Thanks you 2+2 for my huge $120 prize, lol.

[Shilly]

I think this was just an unlucky hand for you. It's tough to lay your set down there the way the betting went. However, he played his cards absolutely awfully and was just asking for someone to draw out on him. Unfortunately, you couldn't have done that without quads, and it was unlucky for you to hit your set.

Perhaps just calling the river would be a good idea after he suddenly woke up.

[Zinzan]

Yep, I had similar results recently early in a tournament. Thought I was trapping, but I was the one being trapped:

***** Hand History for Game 1106120192 *****
NL Hold'em $30 Buy-in + $3 Entry Fee Trny:6766724 Level:1 Blinds(10/15) - Tuesday, October 26, 23:54:52 EDT 2004
Seat 10 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: zinzan ( $715 )
Seat 5: XPitbull ( $860 )
Seat 3: tiltem420 ( $625 )
Seat 10: aack21 ( $865 )
Seat 2: ScubaT ( $800 )
Seat 7: bobstr ( $1055 )
Seat 6: soxpats11 ( $770 )
Seat 8: RoscoePCT ( $785 )
Seat 4: Area_31 ( $800 )
Seat 9: iwasjustkidn ( $725 )
Blinds(10/15)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to zinzan [ Td Th ]
tiltem420 raises [30].
Area_31 folds.
XPitbull folds.
soxpats11 folds.
bobstr folds.
RoscoePCT folds.
iwasjustkidn raises [125]. <font color="green">this was my chance to fold, but...</font>
aack21 folds.
zinzan calls [115]. <font color="green">i call</font>
ScubaT folds.
tiltem420 calls [95].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Tc, 6d, As ] <font color="green">GREAT flop!</font>
zinzan checks. <font color="green">slowplay...</font>
tiltem420 checks.
iwasjustkidn bets [125].
zinzan calls [125]. <font color="green">just made a smooth call... let her think her AK is good /images/graemlins/smile.gif</font>
tiltem420 folds.
** Dealing Turn ** [ 5s ]
zinzan checks. <font color="green">set the trap</font>
iwasjustkidn bets [225]. <font color="green">okay, time to pounce</font>
zinzan is all-In.
iwasjustkidn calls [240]. <font color="green">got her</font>
** Dealing River ** [ 5d ]
iwasjustkidn shows [ Ac, Ad ] a full house, Aces full of fives. <font color="green">uh... who's the fish?</font>
zinzan shows [ Td, Th ] a full house, Tens full of fives.
zinzan finished in tenth place. <font color="green">i'm the fish /images/graemlins/blush.gif</font>
iwasjustkidn: tough

That's poker. Sets usually hold up when there aren't straight or flush possibilities on the board, or two pair.

This was so early in the tournament, and I had no read on my opponent. Now I know that iwasjustkidn doesn't slow-play--she made value bets all the way, and got all my chips. Noted.

-Z

[zaxx19]

Set versus Set is just like KK running into aces to me...I just shrug because i almost always want all my chips in with a set and this board...just like I want them all-in with KK.

[tigerite]

Something very similar happened to me as well in an SNG, I had TT as well and called a small preflop raise, flop came Q A x and check-check, the turn came with the beautiful (so I thought) T and then he woke up, I figured he had AQ and was stopping me drawing to a straight.

Wrong - he had QQ.

[otnemem]

While we're on the topic of set over set...

I was in the Main Draw tourney at Poker Room. The top two places out of 250-300 got airfare and buy-in into the Bellagio Five Diamond Classic. I was doing really well, 2nd place with 150 left. Get down to 80 and I'm in 20-something, but the stacks are all so close that one big hand can be a big boost. It's raised in early position. I'm in late with 10-10. Flop comes 10-7-2, two spades. EP bets. I reraise 4x. He calls. The turn is a queen. He checks, I bet half my stack, he raises me all-in and I call (obviously). I knew as soon as I called that he had the queens. So on the flop I was praying he had an overpair, but then he got there. That hand would have put me in first, but instead I busted out. Oh well.

[betgo]

You had to play back with the set. I would have made a smaller bet. Your opponent bet 1K into a 2K pot. Allin for 10K seems like a lot, although he might put you on a steal. I would probably raise another 2K, but I would have called when he would reraise.

Your opponent really slow played this.

In general, it's hard to do much about set versus set. I once lost half my stack in a cash game with 444 versus AAA. Maybe I should have read from my opponents pre and post flop betting that he had aces, but I was thinking I was in great shape versus AK or AQ.

[Cleveland Guy]

Maybe this is a bit weak thinking, but I am just calling the river raise here.

You would still have 6000 left, and I'm guessing blinds aren't more than 200/400, so that's stil 15xbb - or enough to make a serious come back with.

Yes you have a set, but it's 4th set, with a straight AND a flush possible.

Since the flop and turn were checked, a back door flush is a very real possiblity, same with KJ. He might have raised for position, and since hit didn't hit the flop, it's an easy check, then check the turn with the made straight trying to get you to bet into him.

It's always tough to lose to set over set, but I honestly think you could have just called the river raise.

[betgo]

I can see the point of just calling with the 3-flush on the board. A set or straight is unlikely. However, your opponent bets when the third heart hits, so pushing seems dangerous.

[Cleveland Guy]

If this was just set vs. set I'm probably going broke here as well.

But given the checks on the flop and turn, I'm worried about both the straight and flush, but more likely the flush (Nut Flush even?)

Also - I have been playing a lot more PLO lately, so my views might be altered by this, but I think both a flush and and straight are too likely for the push when you don't think he will fold.

I know it's odd to call off half your chips, but when half your chips still leaves you in an overall healthy spot, I'm still calling.

[stabn]

I don't think it's weak at all, it's definitely the correct play. Your opponent raised preflop and checked behind you twice. Either he bluffed after you bet 1/2 the pot on the end, he has a monster he's been checking behind to let you catch up so you can bet, or, he was on a draw. If he was on a draw he probably got there, if he had a monster you're going to lose, and if he's bluffing he won't call your bet anyway.

This is definitely a case of a worse hand not calling and a better hand not folding. Call this raise (you can't fold), but don't reraise.

[TheDrone]

I would have analyzed this hand differently. I rule out Ax (except AQ) after your opponent checked the turn. Do you check top pair with draws on the board? Very few people would. Now a big raise on the river - it's got to be a bigger hand than top pair given the flop and turn action, and AQ is the only likely two pair hand. Could be a bluff too, but I agree with the other poster that this is a call and not a push.