AQ, KQx flop ~ are you willing to put your tournament on the line?

[partygirluk]

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (8 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

saw flop|<font color="#C00000">saw showdown</font>

MP1 (t1450)
MP2 (t1445)
CO <font color="#A500AF">(Villain)</font> (t3110)
Button (t2180)
SB (t870)
BB (t1530)
Hero (t1440)
UTG+1 (t1475)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A/images/graemlins/club.gif, Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t150</font>, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, CO <font color="#A500AF">(Villain)</font> calls t150, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>.

Flop: (t375) 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif, K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t300</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Villain raises to t2960</font>, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t3635
<font color="#009B00">Main Pot: t975 (t975), won by Villain.</font>
<font color="#009B00">Pot 2: t2660 (t2660), returned to Villain.</font>

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
No showdown. Villain wins t3635. </font>

Comments on all streets appreciated. I thought it was close.

[jojobinks]

nah. i like your bet on the flop. but to call all in with middle pair? seems uneccesary. then again, i'm a weak-tight results merchant, uk. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[PE101]

Nice laydown. I think you played it correctly.

[sofere]

Unless you have an extremely strong read of the villain this is an easy fold, even then its hard to call that all-in. Its way too early in the tourney to be risking you're entire stack with second pair, top kicker.

[Benholio]

I can't see playing this hand any other way. I would have probably used the exact same bet amounts even.

[partygirluk]

OK. So now assume that Villain flat calls the flop bet. What is your turn action?

[jojobinks]

[ QUOTE ]
OK. So now assume that Villain flat calls the flop bet. What is your turn action?

[/ QUOTE ]

that would look like an attempt to bleed me, without the flush draw on the board. i'd check/fold it down. unless, that is, he tries to steal on the river with a min bet.

[Benholio]

I'm with jojobinks on this one. If flat-called on the flop I will basically go into check/fold mode unless I'm facing a really tiny bet (or I improve).

[Mr_J]

I thought the general opinion was not to play AQ in early position early in the game (beginner here, not having a go)???

[etgryphon]

I think you are giving up way too much EV if you do that...
You just have to be prepared to do what partygirluk did...and not feel bad about it.

It stinks and he may have taken the pot from you but you can risk it this early.

-Gryph

[partygirluk]

I like to play AQ. The only problem is if you run into AK. Even then, you will probably get re~raised which makes for an easy muck at this stage. If he does flat call, you are in big trouble on an Axx flop, and quite possibily get stacked. But factor in the possibility of hitting your Q, or of betting out on an all rag flop and stealing the pot, and it makes it a definite + EV move.

[partygirluk]

I thought for a long time and folded. Something did not seem right about his rapid fire all in. AK would reraise preflop. KQ and KJ should fold to my raise, but hey this is a $6. I also think that KQ or KJ might deliberate longer and raise less. Still, I folded. He claimed to have had AQ. I believe him.