Limit HE tourney hand

Last night I played in a $100 + $10 play money satellite on pokerroom.com. With 5 players left, the following hand arose. The "prize" structure is such that 3rd gets 20% of the buy -in, 2nd 30% and 1st 50% (200, 300 and 500 of play money respectively). I was in the BB with T1068 after posting the T200 BB (limits were 200-400). There was one very short stack (T400 or so), 2 of us around 1200, and 2 bigger stacks. All folded to the SB who had double my stack and she (the avatar was a lady I have no idea about the player's actual gender) called. This player was very loose and had been hitting inside straights and flushes frequently but due to risky play had been up and down like a yo-yo (she had at one point in excess of T4500).


My hand was Ad Jc, and I decided to raise if she only called which is what happened. I felt pretty sure I had the better hand as I had seen this player raise with worse hands than this in multi-way pots, surely she would have raised against only me (this was my read anyway, not a certainty though). She called the raise as I knew she would. I felt she would with anything at this point.


Queston 1: Given I knew she would call with anything was a raise here prudent?


The flop comes 2h Jh 7s. My opponent bets out. I know this player loves flush and straight draws and will bet and raise as if they are made hands. I have top pair, best kicker and feel I must raise in case she is betting a flush draw or middle/bottom pair/top pair worse kicker. My fears were a set (unlikely, I am almost positive she would have raised pre-flop with any pair), or a crummy 2-pair. I was afraid of the flush draw too though, but I feel I must make her pay if she is indeed on the come. She would have checked with nothing as I had seen no bluffs from her so she had to have something and I felt it most likely was a pair or a flush draw.


2. I felt almost certain I had the best hand at this point, again was the raise against this bet prudent?


My opponent, to my surprise, re-raised me. I am down to T468 now. A call puts me down T268; if I cap it, of course I am basically all-in. A fold leaves me with a bit of a stack to play.


3. What is your play here?


Despite the fact that this was a play money tournament with little on the line, I take these seriously. Feel free to criticize any aspect of my play given the information and my thoughts during the hand. Any and all comments are appreciated. The results will be immediately posted below.

After my opponent's raise, I still felt I had the best hand and capped it, leaving me only T68 left. Naturally she called.


The turn was the 4h, giving the dreaded 3 flush. She bets out again and I call, praying she didn't have the flush. Last card was 9h (wonderful) and I know I have lost. As it turns out the turn burned me anyway. My opponent revealed Ah 7h and busted me out with the nut flush.


So there you have it. Should I hand my head in shame for being too aggressive knowing if she had me beat or draws out on me I am out, or did I put my money in at the right time and it simply wasn't my day?

This is short-handed play preflop, and heads-up by the time it gets around to you. You are pretty sure you're ahead, and probably a 2:1 favorite or more. Of course you try and get all the money in.


I mean, if you flat-called the flop, could you really fold when the heart of straightening card hits the turn? Whichever one hits, she could have the other draw; or, even worse, she could have top pair with a worse kicker or second pair or less, and you'd be folding when you were ahead and had her drawing very slim.


There generally is no getting away from these situations, so you play them the best you can and hope it works out.


If you had played it more passively, you would've been more likely to lose, and you would have won less when you did win. Generally not a good combination. The only time to play a hand passively is when you know they'll reraise if ahead and fold if behind, AND that they'll continue to bet their worse hand if you only call. In those situations, you win more when you win, lose less when you lose, and very occasionally turn a winner into a loser (because they hit a 3-outer or such).


Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

> Last night I played in a $100 + $10 play money satellite on pokerroom.com.


Those play money tourneys may be fun, but they have nothing to do with the real thing. Their daily freerolls are somewhat better in that respect (esp. if you make it to the later stages), so I'd recommend playing those if you want to improve your game w/o having to risk your own money.


> Q1) Given I knew she would call with anything was a raise here prudent?


Even if she had raised herself, raising or reraising is a must. Many players will raise a small stack here with almost any two cards and heads-up, AJ is a monster.


> Q2) I felt almost certain I had the best hand at this point, again was the raise against this bet prudent?


Once you got top-pair best kicker, your money is going in. Raise with the intention to get the rest in on turn. In your spot with 1/3 of your stack already in, any pair and any two overcards with an ace commit you to the pot.


> Q2). What is your play here?


Cap it and move in on turn, no matter what.


cu


Ignatius