KK ($22)

[brimstone1]

First of all, I have taken your valuable advice ("the blessing of 2+2") and have moved on to the $22s -- first impression is that there's a whole lot more bluffing going on, we'll see how it changes with time.

Anyway, here's a situation I see popping up lately.

Now, I'm aware that KK is quite powerful (duh), and I should put my money in the pot when the odds are on my side, but, here is a situation I see popping up quite frequently.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

UTG (t790)
UTG+1 (t1275)
MP1 (t1545)
MP2 (t230)
MP3 (t770)
CO (t985)
Hero (t830)
SB (t1250)
BB (t325)

Preflop: Hero is Button with K/images/graemlins/heart.gif, K/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 raises to t60</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, MP3 calls t60, CO calls t60, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t200</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, UTG+1 folds, MP3 calls t140, CO calls t140.

With the callers, I'm thinking AK, AQ, high PPs.

When CO went all-in on the flop, I immediately thought the worst -- JJ... crossed my fingers and fired.

Flop: (t705) 5/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
MP3 checks, <font color="#CC3333">CO bets t785 (All-In)</font>, Hero calls t630 (All-In), MP3 folds.

Turn: (t2120) 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players, 2 all-in)</font>

River: (t2120) 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players, 2 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: t2120


He showed <font color="white">QQ</font>.

So, I'll give him credit, he didn't necessarily play this wrong.

But, this felt like gambling on my behalf, as I had absolutely no reads. I felt awkward -- we study the game to lessen the gamble side, I shouldn't be making "yeah, sure" calls.

Is there a cookie-cutter solution to this problem?
I know the game gets its complexity from not having any specific solutions, but what would you do?

I guess calling him there would be the correct move about %70-80 of the time.

This hand was just an example, I see this situation happening with TT-KK when you hold an absolute overpair over a rainbow uncoordinated flop and someone infront of you goes all-in.

Any thoughts on the hand (my play, his) are appreciated.

[DasLeben]

The cookie cutter solution for me: I never lay this down at low-buyins. If he has JJ, I go broke every time with my overpair.

By the way, kudos for posting a hand that you won. That's so rare these days. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Karak567]

This is a standard play.

[gildwulf]

Instacall. I have seen AJ and KJ do this kind of play at least half a dozen times. I think you are giving too much credit to your opponents at the 22s...just gotta roll the dice:)

Zach

[lastchance]

There's t210 in the pot preflop. Might be good to push?

And yeah, don't fold this postflop. You get shown a Jack more than enough of the time to make this profitable. If they've got you beat, they've got you beat.

[microbet]

The push there is very very rarely trips. Trips are more likely to try and slowplay here.

[brimstone1]

Thanks for the kind words guys -- your "backup" is dearly appreciated.

[JJJeroen]

Call.
If he had a set then I guess a c/r allin would be more appropriate. There is a small chance he has a straight draw, but considering the preflop action that's highly unlikely IMHO.

I'd call and expect to see something like AJ or so.

Nice hand.

[45suited]

[ QUOTE ]
There's t210 in the pot preflop. Might be good to push?

And yeah, don't fold this postflop. You get shown a Jack more than enough of the time to make this profitable. If they've got you beat, they've got you beat.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree with the call 100%, but I also would consider a bigger pre-flop raise. If not all-in, then to ~250. Maybe that's splitting hairs a little, I just think that at the 11s and 22s, they're going to call you anyway, so go ahead and raise a little more than the "book" might say. Plus, there's enough in this pot pre-flop that I'd just as soon play the hand heads-up. Just my opinion...

[Scuba Chuck]

CO pushing is the least of your worries. You (should) know you already have him beat. AFTER you call, your only "worry" is IF MP3 calls.

If you can't see this, put yourself in CO shoes on the flop. If you had JJ with this flop, how would you play it?

Scuba

[jgunnip]

I agree this is an easy call.

But say the J was an A and CO pushed. Is this an easy fold? I know it probably should be but I really do just hate laying down KK. Is it just something that has to be hardwired into my head?

And I agree w/45suited that rasing more before the flop would have been more ideal.