Top pair. OESD. Huge pot.

[kyro]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Button (t955)
SB (t540)
BB (t1055)
UTG (t1280)
UTG+1 (t1575)
UTG+2 (t1485)
Hero (t975)
MP2 (t1005)
MP3 (t590)
CO (t540)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with K/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 raises to t60</font>, UTG+2 calls t60, Hero calls t60, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 raises to t100</font>, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, UTG+1 calls t40, UTG+2 calls t40, Hero calls t40.

Flop: (t445) K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, T/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 bets t100</font>, UTG+2 calls t100, Hero??

Initial PF call is....well....debatable. Call of the reraise is a no-brainer. UTG+1 busted out of my other tournament on a ridiculously dumb call. So we show him no credit. Push or fold this flop?

[Karak567]

I fold pre-flop but since you already know that...

push it!

[Scuba Chuck]

[ QUOTE ]
I fold pre-flop but since you already know that...

push it!

[/ QUOTE ]

[Sidekick]

I would have folded this preflop, but since that is past...

I think the key to this hand is what are your reads on UTG+2 and MP3? You should have some idea on UTG+2 at least since he has accumulated a decent chip stack.

Without any reads on these two players I would push. I wouldn't be thrilled with it given the board and the preflop action, but given that you know UTG+1 makes bad calls I would figure in that there is a reasonable chance that he calls with a much worse hand.

This hand seems too strong to fold and calling here just seems wrong.

Hope this helps.

[gumpzilla]

I don't particularly dislike the PF call, and I think you should definitely push this flop. You're likely either way ahead or slightly behind. (EDIT: And I think you'll have a relatively hard time getting your straight paid by more conventional means; four cards to broadway on the board is kind of ominous. A flush hitting probably crimps your action as well.)

[captZEEbo1]

My guess is that you'll end up with about a 30-40% chance to triple on through as I doubt you can win this pot without showdown. What's the buyin anyways?

[Scuba Chuck]

I'm pretty sure I can give Lorinda's answer.

If money per hour is your primary objective, PUSH!

Scuba

[kyro]

So nobody is worried that our diamond outs may not be good?

[jgunnip]

Definitely pushing if it's a rainbow flop. But I'm probably calling this one and pushing any non-diamond turn. I don't have much experience at the 55 level or higher but I'm sure a PF call like this is absolutely necessary from time to time since the competition is tougher and more observant. Or are the 55s still pretty weak?

[Phill S]

[ QUOTE ]
Definitely pushing if it's a rainbow flop. But I'm probably calling this one and pushing any non-diamond turn. I don't have much experience at the 55 level or higher but I'm sure a PF call like this is absolutely necessary from time to time since the competition is tougher and more observant. Or are the 55s still pretty weak?

[/ QUOTE ]

I like your line post flop.

As for KQ, i divorced myself from than hand early-game long ago. If you wanna keep playing it, then i dont think you played it wrong preflop - the one thing im not keen on is how early your position is.

Phill

[ilya]

I think you should fold. Your hand seems marginal to me. It's pretty likely that your 1-card straight draw is to a split. Someone could easily have two pair, a set, or a straight already given the board &amp; the preflop action. There's also the diamond re-draw in case YHIG and/or your straight outs are clean.

[kyro]

I folded. I guess my problem with the hand is that if I'm going to play KQ for a raise, these are the hands I should be pushing hard. I'm pushing any rainbow flop or if the /images/graemlins/club.gif is a /images/graemlins/spade.gif, but in hindsight, I probably should have just folded PF.

[4T25Q85]

can someone explain to me why playing KQs pf is bad, this is a pretty good hand at the low levels I play, is it THAT much tighter higher up?

[adanthar]

I didn't read this post, either, but push

kinda fake edit: skimmed it, push

real edit: folding PF is right, but it's not THAT right. If I knew for sure there'd be no raise behind I'd think about it. If I was on the button or even BB I'd call for sure. Reason: Quite simply, minraises by donkeys don't dominate your hand.

[durron597]

[ QUOTE ]
I think you should fold. Your hand seems marginal to me. It's pretty likely that your 1-card straight draw is to a split. Someone could easily have two pair, a set, or a straight already given the board &amp; the preflop action. There's also the diamond re-draw in case YHIG and/or your straight outs are clean.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is yet another reason why you should just fold preflop.

[poboys]

[ QUOTE ]
I folded. I guess my problem with the hand is that if I'm going to play KQ for a raise, these are the hands I should be pushing hard. I'm pushing any rainbow flop or if the /images/graemlins/club.gif is a /images/graemlins/spade.gif, but in hindsight, I probably should have just folded PF.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you answered your own question well. If you are going to pay T100 to see a flop, hit top pair AND be open-ended only to fold, then why even bother playing KQs in this scenario?

What would be the scariest flop that keep you around?

[kyro]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I folded. I guess my problem with the hand is that if I'm going to play KQ for a raise, these are the hands I should be pushing hard. I'm pushing any rainbow flop or if the /images/graemlins/club.gif is a /images/graemlins/spade.gif, but in hindsight, I probably should have just folded PF.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you answered your own question well. If you are going to pay T100 to see a flop, hit top pair AND be open-ended only to fold, then why even bother playing KQs in this scenario?

What would be the scariest flop that keep you around?

[/ QUOTE ]

I did answer my own question, but it's nice to get assurance from everyone else. I was fairly peeved at myself after thinking about it, regardless of whether I hit or not.

[Sidekick]

[ QUOTE ]
can someone explain to me why playing KQs pf is bad, this is a pretty good hand at the low levels I play, is it THAT much tighter higher up?

[/ QUOTE ]

Even at the lower levels KQ is a trouble hand. The problem with KQ is that it is easy to get a flop that looks good, but where you are in fact dominated and you wind up losing lots to all of your chips.

The only reason some people have success with KQ at the lower buy ins is that they happen to run across someone occasionally who thinks that Kx (or even Qx) is a killer hand and bets strongly when they flop a pair of Ks with no kicker.

This hand is a good example of the situations that KQ can land you in. If someone has AK or AQ then the OP is in real trouble. Even if someone doesn't hold AK or AQ to dominate him here, if someone holds JJ or TT (which given the preflop betting is quite possible), then hero is again behind.

OP also has to worry about the flush draw that is on the board. OP could push, hit his straight and still lose to the flush. Even if you change the diamonds to a possible spade flush, given the preflop action someone could be working on the nut flush rather than the K high flush.

As the blinds increase you have to take these chances, but early in the tournament a lot of people try and avoid these marginal situations which are common with KQ.

Hope this helps explain some of the reason to avoid KQ early.