Vexxing pocket Q's in NL HE......

Final 2 tables @ Poker Stars $30 buyin NL HE tournament. Have already made the money, as a graduated payout was in place: 10th-18th paid $54. Payout goes to $81 for 9th, but as usual, the real money is in top 3 places: $1237, $787, & $517. Have been in survival mode short-stacked & down to the felt more than once, and have managed to build my stack to10k with a miracle hit on river to get a set, which put me in about 10th stack position with 12 players left. It is a fairly strong 7 player table, with some loose and aggressive play thrown in for good measure by a couple of players.


Blinds are 1k/2k, with 100 ante. It is my BB & I post the 2k, leaving me with about 8.5K. I look down and find QQ. UTG calls the 2k. UTG + 2 raises to 4k. All fold to me. It is my move, & here are my thoughts:


UTG (1 4 me) is aggressive and could be limping with a wide range of hands, but as he is short stacked, I would put him on at least Kx and probably Ax.or maybe a medium pair. My read is that he would raise with pp10 or above in that situation. UTG +2 (vegas flash) is somewhat a puzzle to me. He has been calling/chasing & hitting with a wide variety of hands. To the moans & groans of many observers, he has ko'd a few players with miracle hits. He is now reasonably big stacked, and has shown that he is not afraid to use his stack size to steal. IMO, I am now faced with playing with the 2 most unpredictable players (no offense intended) at the table, with pocket Q's, one of my least favorite NL hands.


Given all the above, I pause and think " I don't want to play against both of them", so I push allin, in an attempt to take it right there, or at the least, get it heads up. Below is the hand transcript:


PokerStars Game #8789304: Tournament #1591, Hold'em No Limit - Level X

(1000/2000) - 2002/04/16 - 01:29:24 (EST)

Table '1591 5' Seat #1 is the button

Seat 1: Rnogmblr (24528 in chips)

Seat 3: halfbreed (26292 in chips)

Seat 5: Myrtle (10492 in chips)

Seat 6: 1 4 me (6267 in chips)

Seat 7: PreNut (29887 in chips)

Seat 8: vegas flash (26446 in chips)

Seat 9: no deals7 (21073 in chips)

Rnogmblr: posts the ante 100

halfbreed: posts the ante 100

Myrtle: posts the ante 100

1 4 me: posts the ante 100

PreNut: posts the ante 100

vegas flash: posts the ante 100

no deals7: posts the ante 100

halfbreed: posts small blind 1000

Myrtle: posts big blind 2000

*** HOLE CARDS ***

Dealt to Myrtle [Qh Qd]

1 4 me: calls 2000

PreNut: folds

vegas flash: raises 2000 to 4000

no deals7: folds

Rnogmblr: folds

halfbreed: folds

Myrtle: raises 6392 to 10392 and is all-in

1 4 me: folds

vegas flash: calls 6392

*** FLOP *** [Kh 7c 9d]

*** TURN *** [Kh 7c 9d] [8s]

*** RIVER *** [Kh 7c 9d 8s] [6c]

*** SHOW DOWN ***

Myrtle: shows [Qh Qd] (a pair of Queens)

vegas flash: shows [Ad Tc] (a straight, Six to Ten)

PreNut said, "geeez"

vegas flash collected 24484 from pot

halfbreed said, "wow"

*** SUMMARY ***

Total pot 24484 | Rake 0

Board [Kh 7c 9d 8s 6c]

Seat 1: Rnogmblr (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Seat 3: halfbreed (small blind) folded before Flop

Seat 5: Myrtle (big blind) showed [Qh Qd] and lost with a pair of Queens

Seat 6: 1 4 me folded before Flop

Seat 7: PreNut folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Seat 8: vegas flash showed [Ad Tc] and won (24484) with a straight, Six toTen

Seat 9: no deals7 folded before Flop (didn't bet)


A player from the rail (who's play I respect) commented that a better play would have been for me to flat call and then push allin on the flop. After the results of the hand, I agreed with her statement, but upon further reflection, given all of the circumstances, I now revert to liking my play better, regardless of outcome.


This leads to the question (which has been well discussed) of playing pocket Q's in NL HE, and how (in some opinions) there is no correct way to play them.


I would ask all readers for their thoughts/comments on the above.


Thanks Much

if he's willing to commit half his stack w/ AT, I like the all-in raise. If he will only call you with AK or better, then you might want to see the flop, but I still like getting the other player out. Deffinately a tough situation, but a great chance to double up and give you a shot at winning the tourney.

I would definitely go all in. Like you stated, it's a much better situation heads up and who knows, maybe you can win preflop.

I don't like the advice that you were given. Because he is one of the chip leaders he would probably still call, especially since the play that was advised to you, could be interpreted as a bluff.

That really is some tough luck, but we have all been there.


Enrique

You played the hand perfectly: your reads were correct, your game-plan worked out and you got your money in as a 5:2 favorite. No need to second guess yourself.


IMO, calling would have been a huge mistake b/c (1) you almost certainly have the best hand, (2) you're out of position, (3) you should try to get it heads up (you stand a excellent chance that any overcard would kill you otherwise) and (4) as you have a made hand, you don't want to give your opponent a chance to get away from the hand when he misses the flop.


cu


Ignatius

I would go all in too, for the good reasons stated above.


Now that the payout structure has changed a lot of the stuff I was saying a few weeks ago about playing like a super-satellite no longer applies. There is now much less of a premium on survival at the last two tables.


Andy.