Flop bluff all-in, pre bubble

[mannika]

10+1 Party MTT, down to about 70ish, 40 get paid.
Couldn't get converter to work, so I apologize for the formatting.

Blinds are at 150/300
Stacks:
UTG: 4050
Hero: 4125

Preflop:
UTG limps, gets folded around, I am in LP with T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif T/images/graemlins/heart.gif, so I raise to 1000. Folded to UTG who calls

Flop: (A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 2/images/graemlins/club.gif)
UTG leads out for 900, Hero?

My thoughts here are that UTG only limp-called preflop, so I don't put him on AK/AQ, or a high PP. I therefore put villian on mid PP, with a possible set of nines, or maybe ace, low kicker.

How do you proceed here?

I decided to push the flop, thinking that as long as he didn't have 99, he would have to fold top pair, okay kicker to the preflop raiser, and would also have to fold any pairs (excluding 99, 22). Thoughts?

[jskills]

Nothing wrong with pushing all in at that point. Your only problem could be where we would have an ace with a low kicker - and even in that case he'd have to consider folding. Pocket 9's you'll just have to risk and a lower pair than yours is just fine.

[jojobinks]

ktown ghetto, really? i work not too far away. we talking about chicago?

[Potowame]

This is a 10+1 right, okay.
First if this guy is bad enough to limp call a big raise with AX (X=crap) what makes you think that he is going to fold post flop.
Don't get me wrong I used to think that in low buy-in trnys that I have represented a hand so the will fold anythinng but a big hand , WRONGO. You basically have no folding Equity at this point he is pot committed and will call you with any two that he has.

Your kinda in a bad spot here because if you raise, you have to push and most Of the Time when a limper (bad player) leads like this the are calling your push. I would put them on a wide range of hands here and very few that you are ahead of here. and large suited , KQ, KJ, QJ or any Ace AX-AJ, most pocket pairs.

As for the Play I think a push or limp(if 3-4X raises are being called) is a better play preflop. You do have position but with a raise/call you have a tricky hand after the flop with very little stack to test the waters. With a limp behind preflop you have alot more Fold equity post flop and can get away pretty cheap if the flop comes KQ2 ect, ect. With a push you of course are getting called with Big Aces or bigger pairs, but if you are going to push this flop a preflop push is better. IMO

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Thought 1: Don't expect people at Party $10+1 to fold AJ very often if you push here.

Thought 2: He probably doesn't have a set. With a PF raiser and an A and a 2-flush on the board, a set would likely checkraise all-in.

Thought 3: If you push, there will be 6400 in the pot and it will cost him 2150 to call. He has sufficient odds to call with just a flush draw here. If his flush draw includes just one overcard to your TT, your a touch more than an 11-9 favorite. If he has something like Q /images/graemlins/diamond.gif J /images/graemlins/diamond.gif, you're a slight dog.

He may fold Axo where x<9, but I doubt he folds AT, AJ or AQ, so you have little fold equity.

I probably fold here.

[juris]

Kurn, if you had A-J and got that flop, how would you proceed? Assuming you check (which would surprise me with two diamonds) and villian pushes, would you fold?

[tiger7210]

Villain has 1/2 his stack invested at this point. I wouldn't expect him to make this fold with any Ace in his hand. I think the best you could hope for here is he is bluffing with a hand like KQs hoping you don't have the A and if you do he still has outs.

[RobGW]

Anyone who calls a raise with Ax will almost certainly call your raise here. Especially at the $10 level. UTG has half his stack in the pot. You have no fold equity here unless he is on a bluff. Do you really want to risk all your chips gambling that he is bluffing? BTW, I think pushing preflop would be better. There is $750 in the pot just waiting to be taken and you probably have the best hand.

[Sam T.]

It's tough to figure out exactly what the small bet on the flop means. My first thought is that he's got a couple of diamonds, and this is a blocking bet. (I'm not saying it's a good play, just offering it as a possibility.) On the other hand, it could also be a weak ace, or a set trying to look weak.

In any case, I think it is tough to say weather you are ahead here, but his bet does not bode well for your tens.

People will call with garbage, but they tend not to lead out the betting with it.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

1) I'd fold AJo up front preflop
2) If it were AJs, I'd raise up front preflop and tend to bet the pot on this flop. And since the pot here isn't much bigger than my whole stack, I'd push all-in.

[juris]

1. Agree.

2. Never mind.

Edited b/c I misread Kurn's post in #2.

[mannika]

[ QUOTE ]
ktown ghetto, really? i work not too far away. we talking about chicago?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope, Kingston, Ontario, just the slang name for the student housing there.

[mannika]

Thanks for all the quick replies guys.

I don't have a lot of experience in MTT, so I appreciate the responses. Essentially, what I'm hearing on the whole is: At higher buy-ins with players that are willing to lay down hands, this move would be acceptable. At least that is some comfort to me, I have yet to make the money after playing in a few small buy-in MTTs and it's getting a bit frustrating.

To those interested, he called with the AJo, which in all fairness, I can't really blame him for (although limping with AJo UTG isn't my idea of a great play).

Thanks again!