AJs UTG+1, 8 handed late in tourney

[DeeJ]

So I am about to hit the blinds which are about to go up. I'm safely in the money with an average 20k stack, 21 people left, 20 places pay. (This isn't a bad beat story, I did get some cash!)

I get dealt A/images/graemlins/spade.gif J/images/graemlins/spade.gif UTG+1. I open min-raise for 6k (most of the other players are on 20k-ish and won't easily be tempted so close to the $$).

MP1 calls (yuk!). He had about 24k, now 18k. Everyone else folds.

Flop comes down KJ5 rainbow.

Hero ?

[DeeJ]

bump (anyone?)

[Potowame]

Your in a pretty bad spot, If you bet any amount it has you pot commited. I really don't like the preflop play here that led to this tough spot post-flop.

two options.

1. push, hope he folds .....
2. check fold to a bet, which will be a push or half your stack.

[betgo]

Push preflop. Even though you are UTG, it is 7-handed and you have less than 7xBB, so you have the odds to push. You will be called by AQ, AK, and JJ-AA, but since you are suited, you are only a 7-3 underdog except against AA.

Since it is the bubble, all the more reason to push. People are more likely to fold. You won't get hands that dominate you to fold, but tossup hands like underpairs might.

I like limping better than miniraising. It is a lot easier to fold if you are raised or you miss the flop. Since it is the bubble, maybe a miniraise will pick up the blinds, though.

On the flop, I think you have to push with second pair and hope for the best.

[marrek]

I would fold in this spot. If you're going to play it, pushing all in is the right play ( so that you don't end up in the situation you ended up in), but because you're in 1st position and someone could wake up with Ak or a big pair, i would fold and wait for a better spot.

Marrek

[betgo]

[ QUOTE ]
I would fold in this spot. If you're going to play it, pushing all in is the right play ( so that you don't end up in the situation you ended up in), but because you're in 1st position and someone could wake up with Ak or a big pair, i would fold and wait for a better spot.


[/ QUOTE ]

He's actually in second position 7-handed, so there are only 5 players to act. You have to push. If someone has AK, so be it: you are a 7-1 underdog and have pot odds. You'll probably pick up the blinds.

[DeeJ]

Results and thoughts

Firstly, whilst I would be perfectly happy limping and calling a minraise with AQ or AK, I don't feel happy limping with AJ here. I am not gonna push anything except QQ-AA here on the bubble.

It would have been easier to fold but I was about to be hit by the blinds going up to 2k or something like that, so I wasn't hugely stacked.

Anyway, I bottled it insofar as I decided I would not go out on the bubble and checked. He bets 8k (he's very pot committed) and I fold. I don't know what he had. He wasn't saying /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Matt Finkelstein]

I like a continuation bet of about 6K there. 1/3 of his remaining stack. You can still get away, and see another card if he just calls. By letting him take the lead, you gave up any chance of taking this pot.

I hate pushing here because no worse hands will call and no better hands will lay down. A10 and AJ are the same this way. The min raise is better than the limp - why give the BB a chance to steal?

I have seen a worse A suited call in mp to a min raise. Not saying he had it here, but he could have had QJ, J10 or 55-1010.