AA early in live freezeout

[Rekwob]

The tournament is the UK Student Poker Championships, 10k starting chips, 40 min levels, starting at 50/100, this hand was just before the end of the third level of 150/300.

I had built my stack up to 17k, only showing down one hand, AJs for TPTK against a player i knew from my university who had QJ. The rest of my chips have come from taking pots down on the flop, so my image was of a tight aggressive player. the rest of the table was fairly tight, aggressive with a hand, but shut down very quickly once they thought there was a chance someone could have a better hand. a dream table really. both players in the hand fitted this description, UTG had 7k at the start of the hand, MP had 13k.

UTG min raises to 600, i raise 2k on top. MP thinks and calls, folds round to UTG who calls.

flop is K92r. UTG checks, I push.

[boondockst]

Today is Tuesday. I live in Washington........................................ ...................Your question is? looks like it was played well...did you lose the hand or just wish you got more chips out of it?

[Rekwob]

ok basically, im beating myself up over this because MP called with KK which i think i could have put him on if i had led the flop for about half the pot and he'd moved in, but i might just be results orientated about the whole thing. i either need reassurance this was standard and i was unfortunate, or that it was quite horrible, because im 50-50 between each really

[PuertoKid]

I am not an expert MTT player, but I don't like this all in. Chances are you win this hand, but what do you gain doing this vs making a pot sized bet? I'd make a pot sized bet.

[Roman]

looks like a bad beat post to me....

You played it fine.

[skoal2k4]

[ QUOTE ]

i either need reassurance this was standard and i was unfortunate, or that it was quite horrible, because im 50-50 between each really


[/ QUOTE ]

fold PF if you're serious with that statement

[Rekwob]

ok, so its standard to lose loads of chips against a set with all these BBs. thats all you had to say.

[cferejohn]

I don't see the reason for the push really. I mean, I do want to get all the chips in probably, but I'm certainly not afraid of a free card here. I make a smaller bet to try to entice a worse hand to come over the top. The problem with the push is that you are going to get quite a few hands to fold that you'd like to stick around.

[cferejohn]

[ QUOTE ]
ok basically, im beating myself up over this because MP called with KK which i think i could have put him on if i had led the flop for about half the pot and he'd moved in, but i might just be results orientated about the whole thing. i either need reassurance this was standard and i was unfortunate, or that it was quite horrible, because im 50-50 between each really

[/ QUOTE ]

It was definitely not horrible. I think you are losing your chips here no matter what given how much went in the pot preflop and the ragged flop. However, you should try to play onthe flop in such a way as to extract maximum value when you *are* ahead, and I don't think pushing is the way to do it. Make a small bet that looks like a scared QQ or check behind, since a free card is unlikely to hurt you.

Like I said, in this situation, you probably end up getting all the chips in and losing anyway. If you get in the habit of laying down AA on flops like this with that much already in the pot, that's going to cost you more in the long run than the occasional correct "big laydown" is going to make you.