Strategy question.

i was relatively short-stacked - i had about 2000 against some others who had between 4000 and 6000, and the blinds were maybe 300-600 - forty left in the tournament


i had played very few hands in total


one aggressive guy with 6000 had recently raised my blinds twice and i had had to fold to his flop bet both times


this time i had AA in the big blind and was raised by the same guy - i saw this as a way to get back a few chips so i just called - i think one limper called too


we received a non-dangerous looking low rainbow flop, and the raiser bet - i felt stack-committed now and so i just check-called in case a bet or raise would make him fold - the other guy folded


heads-up, a 10 turned, he bet, and i raised all-in


he called with his three tens and i was out of the tournament


was this just one of those hands where i was dead because of the way the cards fell, whatever i did? if i'd raised pre-flop because of our relative stack sizes presumably he would have at least called and check-called the flop? if i'd raised the low flop presumably he would have at least called?


but in general terms, did i misread the opportunity? i don't think i did misread it, in fact - but was my thinking wrong? should i have raised pre-flop in the hope he would fold another attempted steal, and been happy with "only" 600 chips for my Aces?


your strategy tuition appreciated, please


thank you

> i had about 2000 [...] the blinds were maybe 300-600


I assume this is 600-1200 limit HE.


> i just called - i think one limper called too


You don't want to slowplay your aces out of position against 2 opponents. But even under perfect conditions, if you only have 2 small bets left after the call, slowplaying is pointless: Raise and bet the flop.


> [flop] i just check-called in case a bet or raise would make him fold


That's exactly what you want him to do, after you've milked him for two bets. Raise, and hope that he mucks (unlikely, but still worth a try).


cu


Ignatius

You're dead here. Bad luck, bad rocket timing whatever. If you go all in pre-flop (my first choice) he calls you as he doesn't risk all his chips. Most people are married to 10 10 and want to see the flop at least.

Thank you, Joe. That takes the sting away a bit.


I guess I just wanted to hear that from someone else.


Shit happens. It happened.

I would have raised all-in BTF. In this scenario you still lose but would have given him the chance to fold. Your just calling now gives him a virtual free look at the flop and if over cards to his 10 flop, he can fold easily now and you win a small pot. If you go allin and he calls, he's dead to a 10 (excluding the slight chance of a str8 or a flush). And what's most important, you double up.


KC50

...that I forgot to mention. You said you thought there might have been another limper. Going allin would give him the opportunity to fold leaving dead $ in the pot.


KC50

... I think it was some kind of reverse tilt in relation to this particular player.


As I inferred, I thought he was trying another (?) steal-raise and I knew he would bet the flop. When the flop didn't look dangerous I decided to let him bet the turn too, before I raised.


I think I would have raised pre-flop if anyone else had been involved.


In future I will, whoever's involved!


Maybe.


It depends ...