Anything I could do?

Hi,


I played a pot limit HE tourney last night. I won an enormous pot very early on and then got rags for a couple of hours but managed to steer my way around the others and get to the final. So here I am, 6 players left, 150k in play, I have 9.5k along with 2 others, and 3 chip leaders have about 40k each. The real money is in the top three places with no major jumps until there.


I have K6 in the blind (1k, leaving me 8.5). Two callers and I see a free flop of A 9 6, two clubs.


Having bottom pair, I check. It's checked around. Next card is 6c giving me trips but putting a flush out.


The second limper came to the table with over 50% of the chips and has been giving it away by betting with rubbish and calling with 7high on the river etc. So I check, hoping he'll bet and I can take down a nice pot.


It's checked around.


Last card is a K, giving me a full house. Now I really want him to swing at it, so I bet 1k (the minimum) inviting him over the top.


The first limper raises 3k more. Oops, forgot about him. He's a good player with a big stack and he's been folding everything at the final, barely making a move. But he's checked the flop and the turn. Hmmmm.


What to do? There are two other short stacks who can easily go broke before me, but that would only put me 4th and I want to go for 3rd or better if I can. On the other hand, the former chip leader is throwing a party. The raiser is playing very solid.


What's more, I have the Kc so he can't have the nut flush.


What should I do here? Other comments on my play of the hand are very welcome too.


Guy.

I don't understand Guy - I must be missing something. I can't see any possible reason why you wouldn't just reraise all-in, with a full house in this spot.


Andy.

I'm guessing K-K is out, and "Anything I could do" means "Is there any way I could have avoided going broke in this spot?". But I might be wrong.


Regards,

Richard

Yes, you're right Richard, I gave it away in the subject line.


I was just wondering whether a real player, as opposed to someone like me, might just call rather than reraising all in.


So, I'm probably out-thinking myself again, but can you really expect anyone to call my reraise with a hand I can beat? If I didn't have the Kc, one might imagine a caller with the nut flush.


What do you think about this as a case for just calling?


I did reraise of course, and my opponent showed a house of nines, having flopped a set and filled on 4th street. He was evidently waiting for the third player to get excited, same as I was.


I immediately thought "Oh well, never mind, nothing you could have done differently", but the following morning I started to question my reraise.


Guy.

Guy,


You are a real player. You play poker and you're real :-).


What I'm trying to say is that good players, even great players, do not possess magic powers. Personally I can't see how anyone can get away from this hand with any chips without missing the boat on a lot of similar opportunities. A very tight or passive player might just call - but that player would surely be losing out on chips in many other situations, if you see what I mean.


Andy.

Sometimes we suffer from the old fancy play syndrome. Just bet the turn. You have a set and the nut flush draw. If the player with the set of 9's is good enough to only call and trap you on the river, such is poker.


On the other hand, what else could he have but a higher boat to raise the river?

Believe me in the games over here, people can raise with all sorts of hands in that kind of spot. However you are right that a bet on the turn might be better.


Andy.

Thanks for your comments, Andy and iblucky.

I feel reassured about the play on the river now, especially because I can't imagine ever doing it differently in the future: no matter how hard I try to consider alternative plays, the little voice in my head keeps saying "Full house, woo-hoo!"


Yes, I should have bet the turn. Same outcome in this case, but if the 9s weren't out there, the other player would doubtless have called because there was another card to come and he hates putting a hand down before the river.


Cheers,


Guy.