KK faces early aggression

[The Setup]

Early in a tournament I receive KK, first 2 fold and I raise the standard 3BB from third position, the button calls and the BB calls. This is only the second hand in the tournament so all stacks are roughly at the 1000 mark.

Pot is approx. 280

Flop: 9, 5, 8 two spades

BB checks, I bet 120, button raises to 400 and BB folds. Easy fold right?

This might be a basic question but I just want to be sure.

[Nick B.]

Fold /images/graemlins/confused.gif? Does that mean all in in scotland??

[DasLeben]

POOOOOSH.

[The Setup]

No. Fold means the same thing. My thinking was that by raising preflop in early position and betting the flop for the button to raise 400 which is about half his chips he must have at least two pair or more likely a set. What sort of hand range do you think my opponent could have? Am I giving my opponent too much respect by believing a set is likely?

[shejk]

It's a push. If he had a set he'd probably play it differently. This looks like something like a lower overpair which you trapped into raising with that small pot bet.

[shejk]

Actually, against some opponents they might do this with any piece of the board. You represtented either a big pair or two high cards, remember?

[Nick B.]

[ QUOTE ]
No. Fold means the same thing. My thinking was that by raising preflop in early position and betting the flop for the button to raise 400 which is about half his chips he must have at least two pair or more likely a set. What sort of hand range do you think my opponent could have? Am I giving my opponent too much respect by believing a set is likely?

[/ QUOTE ]

If he has a set, well [censored] happens, go get in a new sng. Otherwise, it is very likely you are ahead. Fearing sets isn't a good way to play.

[introv]

Why bet so low on the flop? Did you think that through before making the bet?

That looks quite weak given the straight and flush possibilities on board. I might do this in the hopes of getting played back at by a hand I crush. If I'd done this, and someone raised me to 400 I'd be jumping for joy as I jammed all my chips in the pot ... you should be too!

If it was so that you could get away cheaply if reraised then shame on you! /images/graemlins/mad.gif

[Kama45]

Bet the pot.

Once raised, pooooosh!

[The Setup]

Thanks for the reply. I usually bet around half the pot in these situations. I didn't want to chase both my opponents out the pot with my Kings. With a hand like TT or JJ I am more likely to bet larger on the flop and no I did not bet in the hopes of getting away cheap when faced with aggression /images/graemlins/wink.gif. I think I just got caught off-guard with the size of raise and automatically assumed a set. Though if my opponent had raised all-in then I'd definately feel a lot better about my hand.

[bluefeet]

IMO a pot size bet would have been more appropriate with both a straight and flush draw (not that Button still wouldn't have raised mind you). The raise is actually good news - less, BB gets in for cheap on his draw.

The 3x PF raise sadly probaly didn't communicate anything to Button (we've all see KQo, A4o, etc. getting raised like this early in the tourney).

Your less than 1/2 pot bet probably told Button, "hey, I missed the flop, but I still have two overs dammit".

Button says "Yeah, but I have A9...I'm not waiting for you!" - and put in a raise accordingly.

I would put him all-in assuming your KK is still far ahead.

(He could very well put this raise out there holding a set. If that were the case, he has no interest in seeing the turn either. If so, I'd just have to chalk that up to bad luck. I still push).

[introv]

I'm totally with you on your line of thinking (very fishy raise amount). However, it was obviously your intention to disguise the strength of your hand (you didn't want to chase them out), so you have to bear in mind that his response is based on you having a weak hand.

What buyin is this anyway?

[The Setup]

Who's raise! Mine or my opponents? /images/graemlins/smile.gif The buyin was £50 + £5 ($100 + $9)