A hand that concerns me

[The Legend]

I've posted to the Home Poker forum, but this is my first time posting here, so, what up? This is a hand from my last SNG that concerned me. I want to know how you guys would play it.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

MP1 (t750)
MP2 (t615)
MP3 (t590)
CO (t760)
Button (t725)
Hero (t785)
BB (t785)
UTG (t800)
UTG+1 (t1420)
UTG+2 (t770)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A/images/graemlins/club.gif, 8/images/graemlins/club.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls t15, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, MP2 calls t15, MP3 calls t15, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t75) 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t50</font>, BB folds, UTG+1 folds, MP2 calls t50, MP3 calls t50.

Turn: (t225) T/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t125</font>, MP2 calls t125, MP3 calls t125.

River: (t600) Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 bets t425 (All-In)</font>, MP3 folds, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t1025

[microbet]

You know your kicker is weak. You made a reasonable bet on the flop, but got 2 callers. I don't think you should have bet on the turn.

[Costanza]

Probably a fold pre-flop. It might be worth completing for 5 chips if you think you might actually get paid off if you flop a flush or a boat, but what are the chances of that?

You found out why you shouldn't have played this when the flop came. There you are staring at a pair of aces and a crappy kicker. You're out of position and you let 4 other people limp into the pot with God knows what. You think you got just a big enough piece of the flop to bet, but that was mistake #2. The flop missed you. You didn't get 2 pair, you didn't get a flush draw. You got top pair crappy kicker and are likely drawing to 3 questionable outs with 4 other people in the pot.

In short, consider folding pre-flop. If you decide instead to gamble, OK, but you gotta check fold this flop.

[mackthefork]

I don't think I make the flop or turn bet, A8s i would only play past the flop if i flopped something decent like two pair 88 or a flush draw.

Just my opinion

Mack

[Pokerscott]

If you have to bet the flop, I would over bet the pot on the flop. T50 is big relative to the pot, but is not big relative to the stacks. I see a lot of people staying with draws in early rounds (I guess for implied odds) since the 2/3 pot bet is only something like T50.

If you bet out T100 on the flop and get callers, you are done with the hand unless you improve on the turn. As it developed, it cost you another T125 to reach the same conclusion...

If your question was about the river, you definitely fold. You can only beat a bluff. At least on the turn you could beat a flush draw but even that came in lol.

Pokerscott

[shoeman]

Completing from the SB is fine. I would not have bet on the flop here though. Just too many poeple in the pot on a draw heavy board with a weak kicker. Since you did bet the flop, you have to go into check/fold mode on the turn. No need to bleed chips with a poor hand this early in the tournament.

[nyc999]

[ QUOTE ]
Probably a fold pre-flop. It might be worth completing for 5 chips if you think you might actually get paid off if you flop a flush or a boat, but what are the chances of that?



[/ QUOTE ]

5 chips for a pot of 70 with A8s? With 14-1 pot odds, I'm calling that every time (unless you have some read on the BB that makes you think a raise is very probable - but highly unlikely this early in the tournament).

[PktAcesSoWht]

You definitely need to complete and see the flop. Your odds are just too good not to, no brainer there. I think that I would have checked to see what the action was and then if it was really weak, maybe make a pot raise to see where I stand, but if I got called I am done with this hand.

[The Legend]

Gotcha. Moral of the story- Don't waste chips early in the tournament with only top pair.

[shoeman]

If you have top pair in a raised pot with a good kicker, than you can come out firing. But with top pair, weak kicker and a community pot...pick a better spot.

[The Legend]

YES , that is an excellent point. I know this stuff, its just somedays my brain doesn't function correctly. I'm gonna stop playing for the rest of the day... But thanks for all the advice. Good Stuff.

[curtains]

I would definitely check this flop. You are not at all happy to see this flop, it's basically a mediocre flop in which you shuold tread very carefully. I would check and if someone bet anything reasonable I'm folding. If it's checked around and a harmless turn card comes off, then feel free to bet.

It's important that when you see a flop like this, you see it for what it is....which is a very very dangerous flop where you are unlikely to win anything.