My Key WSOP Hands

[hockey1]

Just busted out of the Limit HE $2000 event. There were basically 3 key hands. The third there was obviously nothing I could do about. What do you all think of the first two?

HAND 1

Early 2nd level. I have about the 2000 chips I started with.

Preflop: Super-funny super LAGgy New York guy limps UTG, David Pham raises, I 3 bet from SB with QQ. LAGgy calls, Pham re-raises, I cap. All call.

FLOP: AA6. I check. Laggy bets, Pham raises. I . . .?


HAND 2

Third level (blinds 50/100). I'm at about 1700 chips. 3 limpers to me and I raise with AK in the SB. All call. Flop is Q rag rag rainbow. I bet. Tight-ish UTG guy raises. Not-so-good Asian guy 3 bets. I . . . ?


HAND 3

Level 4. I have about 1450 chips. UTG (not so good asian guy) raises, I 3 bet with black kings. All fold and he calls. Flop: 652 rainbow. Check bet call. Turn: T. Check bet call. River: 7. He checks, I bet, he raises, I re-raise all in. He takes the pot with 777. Man, that sucked.

[TStoneMBD]

1: i dont like your flop check. pham is going to raise the lags bet when action gets to him so you cant automatically assume that youre beat. would lag really bet this flop with a hand behind yours? this is what you get for checking. if you think the lag could be betting a worse hand then i 3bet and go to showdown unless the lag makes it to the turn and youre popped again.

hand 2: fold

hand 3: i think its -ev to reraise that river but youre going allin so i guess. either way youre going broke because of this hand.

[srolle]

i think check-raising with a 3-bet is a good move too. Pham could have a hand, or he could be playing lag. i dont know if i'd go to river. If pham reraises, i'd probably call and look for a q (23 sb's in the pot), then fold if one doesnt come. would pham cap with JJ, TT? i honestly have no idea. It seems like KK is the only hand he could have where this move could work, or the other queens of course. I dont think you get re-bluffed enough with hands you can beat to make calling down right. i could be comlpetely wrong of course.

[La Brujita]

1. I would lead out flop.

2. I mighta limped preflop. I think this may be one place where a tourney is a bit different. How loose were limpers-ie what was pot equity edge?

Fold after action.

Just my two cents.

[TStoneMBD]

i dont know much about tournaments, but i dont think completing with AK here is a good play. his preflop equity edge is too large for him to completing here imo.

[La Brujita]

As an explanation for limping ak here, I would say the following are some considerations:

1. your stack is not that big and it might allow you to get away more cheaply if you miss. Playing AK out of position as the aggressor is tough here against good opponents. If the stacks were smaller I would say raise it up and gamble with your edge. If the stacks were much deeper you could play it like a cash game but this just seems like a 'tweener.

2. Its a bit weird since normally players shouldn't limp at that level of blinds, but rather open raise. I am not sure about calculating the pot equity edge in other words. If they are truly bad players than a raise might well be better but if they have decent hands not sure. One dude is described as tightish.

3. If the pot is smaller it might let you win a pot rather than tying in a QJs type hand.

None of that is definitive and I don't know the correct answer, just giving my thoughts.

[Masquerade]

I feel your pain. I had AA, KK and JJ cracked early in the $1500 Limit event and there's no way back. We got 1500 chips, you got 2000, but I feel this is too low.

[JasonP530]

You can raise preflop with the AK hand. You cannot bet it in the tournament because you cant afford to give up the chips in situations like that. Even with just one call, you would bet the turn, and lose a decent portion of your stack most of the time.

[hockey1]

[ QUOTE ]
Just busted out of the Limit HE $2000 event. There were basically 3 key hands. The third there was obviously nothing I could do about. What do you all think of the first two?

HAND 1

Early 2nd level. I have about the 2000 chips I started with.

Preflop: Super-funny super LAGgy New York guy limps UTG, David Pham raises, I 3 bet from SB with QQ. LAGgy calls, Pham re-raises, I cap. All call.

FLOP: AA6. I check. Laggy bets, Pham raises. I . . .?


HAND 2

Third level (blinds 50/100). I'm at about 1700 chips. 3 limpers to me and I raise with AK in the SB. All call. Flop is Q rag rag rainbow. I bet. Tight-ish UTG guy raises. Not-so-good Asian guy 3 bets. I . . . ?


HAND 3

Level 4. I have about 1450 chips. UTG (not so good asian guy) raises, I 3 bet with black kings. All fold and he calls. Flop: 652 rainbow. Check bet call. Turn: T. Check bet call. River: 7. He checks, I bet, he raises, I re-raise all in. He takes the pot with 777. Man, that sucked.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the responses everyone.

HAND 1: In hindsight I agree that a bet out on the flop was the much better play, but then hindsight is 20/20. LAG scared me because he could easily have played an A the way he did, and then I must admit that Pham's flop raise threw me off.

RESULT: I folded. LAG had a 6 (with an off-suit 9 or some weird thing) and Pham had 77. I got pwned.


HAND 2: I think the flop bet here was OK. My image was super-tight (due to the fact that I was playing pretty cautiously and getting no cards at all). I figure Anyone without a Q probably folds to my bet here.

RESULT: 3 bettor had Q9o and, of course, turn J, river T.

All I can say is I learned one hell of a lot in just the 4+ hours I played. Although there were a few soft spots, this was no Party 30/60 game. Luckily, back at the Bellagio, the 30/60 games are pretty much like Party 30/60 games -- maybe softer.

[arkady]

Don't think Pham raises trip aces on that flop. He either has a higher pair or a really good 6. Your check made it difficult for you, but you can call here and pop river. folding would be crazy.

[obi---one]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


Although there were a few soft spots, this was no Party 30/60 game.

[/ QUOTE ]


Party 30-60 rules

[elindauer]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't think Pham raises trip aces on that flop. He either has a higher pair or a really good 6. Your check made it difficult for you, but you can call here and pop river. folding would be crazy.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought this too, but with so many bets going in preflop, Pham would be making a mistake not to raise, as he is giving players the proper odds to draw to a set.

I too think thought that it was quite likely QQ was good, but with two players showing strength on the flop, I'm not interested in raising the river, and I may lay it down on the turn depending on the action.

-Eric

[esspo]

Hand 1 - call down and its not close. I would advocate 3-betting, but you don't know for sure what the NY guy has. David Pham is a strong player I assume, and strong players know there isn't much reason to get aggro holding an A when on A flops, much less two. Why would he want to drive you out? I would be more concerned if it was checked to you, the laggy NY guy checkraises then Pham cold calls.

Hand 2 - Fold and its not close.

Hand 3 - I wouldn't have reraised. Not so good [any enthnicity] guys don't checkraise the river without 2 pair or better.

[hockey1]

[ QUOTE ]


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Don't think Pham raises trip aces on that flop. He either has a higher pair or a really good 6. Your check made it difficult for you, but you can call here and pop river. folding would be crazy.


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I thought this too, but with so many bets going in preflop, Pham would be making a mistake not to raise, as he is giving players the proper odds to draw to a set.

I too think thought that it was quite likely QQ was good, but with two players showing strength on the flop, I'm not interested in raising the river, and I may lay it down on the turn depending on the action.

-Eric

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, given the dynamic between LAG and Pham, I don't think he'd have played trips any way but fast. The two had been going at it every hand, often 3 or even 4 betting with as little as second pair. If Pham had just called that would've telegraphed trips much more than just a call.

[In fact, just a few hands earlier LAG filled up on the turn and just called Pham's bet, then went for a c/r on the river, which Pham didn't oblige when he just checked through with trips. Once the hands were shown, Pham immediately said he knew LAG had the boat by his meek play, and that if LAG had just kept pumping the pot he probably would've capped the turn and the river. Like I said, this guy is scary good.]