NL TT hand

Online No Limit single table tournament. Very first hand. Blinds 5/10. We all have 1000 in chips. I'm in the Small Blind with TT. One limper to the button who makes it 20. I make it 80 to go(Andy, is this a big enough raise?). The BB, limper and button all call. 4 see the flop, the pot is 320.


*** FLOP *** : [ 5s 7d 2h ]


Other than a set I think this is what I hoped for. I bet 350. Comments??


BB and Limper both fold, but the button calls. Now I'm worried. Is he stringing me along?. Hard to imagine any draw he could be on with this board.


*** TURN *** : [ 5s 7d 2h ] [ 6d ]


Here's where it became pretty unclear for me. I suspect I have to make a decision right now and bet it out or check-fold.


I checked, he checked.


*** RIVER *** : [ 5s 7d 2h 6d ] [ 7c ]


I checked again. He bet 200.


What would you do? I have 565 in front of me now.


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.


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. I called. I just can't seem to lay down good cards.


He turned over


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.


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. JJ and put me in a hole.


Fortunately on my next BB I got a free play with 9-6s and two sixes flopped, and a nine came on the turn. Two straights were out there and I tripled up and got back in the tournament.


Comments on all streets appreciated.

Hope you got back in well enough to win it. I like raising a set amount (ie: 3X) every time. That makes your first question moot. The button get very lucky slow playing his pair. He would have sent me home because I would have gone in on the flop.

I think you nhave to check call after it went check check on the turn. I would have bet here if I wasn't already in

John

John,


I am just learning no-limit (Poker in general for that matter) and I posted an AK hand a little while back where I went with the 3x standard and was told that if you are the first one in 3x is a good rule, but if you are coming over limpers and other raisers you need to make it more substantial. That's why i made it bigger (obviously still didn't scare people out). All I can imagine is that he was afraid I had a bigger pair than his, and my second check gave him the confidence to bet again.

I think your play post-flop is reasonable enough, and if you're going to raise pre-flop, 80 is about pot size.


But why do you want to raise pre-flop at all ? Your opponent is either a loose cannon who likes making it 20 with a lot of hands, or he has a raising hand and he thinks 20 is a raise. Without any information, you should tread carefully. This is going to be a difficult hand to play from the flop onwards unless you flop a Ten, as you found. Why raise at all out of position ? If nothing else you are opening yourself up to a reraise when you would have liked to see a flop cheap.


To be honest with the blinds so small compared to stacks I would probably limp with TT in the SB if there was no raise at all. I'm just playing it to flop a set.


Andy.

I agree with Andy. I am just going to call to try to flop a set. If I happen to flop an overpair, I am going to make one bet with it, but I will shut down if called.


No Limit is a game about position (as I think you also just learned). 10,10 on the button can be great. In the blind, not so great.

Once again thanks Andy. It hadn't even occurred to me to not raise. Too much Limit ring play I guess.


I'll try to bear that in mind. (At least I got the amount right )