Slowplaying HU early in game

[tminus]

I usually play tight agro at 10's/20's and lately been experimenting with AA or KK by limping if I'm HU with someone. Here's my rationale:
(1) With such a small field, odds are against foe holding a decent hand worth reraising with
(2) Most people are not blind stealing in early levels so a raise looks real
(3) for the reasons 1 ands 2 foe will most likely fold if raised preflop
(4) im likely to gather more chips post flop
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Here is an example:
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

CO (t815)
Button (t770)
Hero (t785)
BB (t1175)
UTG (t785)
UTG+1 (t620)
MP1 (t1640)
MP2 (t800)
MP3 (t610)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">7 folds</font>, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t25.00) J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">BB bets t100</font>, Hero calls t100.

Turn: (t225.00) 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">BB bets t100</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero all in</font>

[octaveshift]

looks like the converter botched this. WTF is going on?

[Bigwig]

I don't mind this move, but I prefer it at the higher blind levels. The stacks are so shallow that I prefer a smaller than normal raise preflop. But limping is fine.

One thing to remember: when playing a hand this way you MUST be prepared to let it go postflop. Even against one opponent.

[tminus]

i didnt feel threatened by this flop, only two jacks left in the deck giving him 4% of holding one and im halfway to nut flush

whatcha do on the turn?

[david050173]

[ QUOTE ]
i didnt feel threatened by this flop, only two jacks left in the deck giving him 4% of holding one and im halfway to nut flush

whatcha do on the turn?

[/ QUOTE ]

His odds of having a jack are higher than 2/47 since he is more likely to bet if he has one. The raise looks a bit big but maybe he thinks you are a calling station. On the turn I doubt your getting a jack to fold and I don't think a flush has every been folded on PP when only 3 flush cards are on the board. He is either bluffing and has nothing or you are not getting called. What is the point of this bet?

[tminus]

[/ QUOTE ]
His odds of having a jack are higher than 2/47 since he is more likely to bet if he has one.

[/ QUOTE ]

his bet doesnt change the odds, it could mean a number of things. so you think he either hit a flush or has the jack?
how would you have handled the flop ?

[the_joker]

[ QUOTE ]
whatcha do on the turn?

[/ QUOTE ]

Check and call since you're not likely to be outdrawn and you're not going to fold, and also you could be beaten.

In general I think slowplaying early is too risky.

[mlagoo]

[ QUOTE ]
What is the point of this bet?

[/ QUOTE ]

This is my question too. What is the point of your allin here? Only a hand that beats you will call almost without exception (with the small exception of some donk with an 8 calling). And it's not as though you are pushing to eliminate draws -- you've got the nut draw! I don't really understand this bet at all.

[tminus]

i thought his flop bet was a bluff, that i had him beat, and that he may very well call

[introv]

No, he thinks he will only call you if he has a jack or a flush and fold any hands that you are ahead of.

You are really going to struggle to get any more chips out of him here because any raise on your part will probably make him fold anything but a jack or a flush. Maybe a raise on the turn might tell you where you are, but if he comes back over the top you've missed an opportunity to re-outdraw. So, after slowplaying all this way and getting into a situation where you are either way ahead or a bit behind I would call the turn and call the river, unless an ace pops up.

disclaimer: I don't really like playing this way because you have no idea where you are, so my advice may be off on this one.

[Shajen]

Are you constantly limping with AA KK or do you mix it up?

If you are mixing it up, then I don't really see anything wrong with this play.


Edit: Of course, if the villain is a decent player, then the only hand that calls your all in has you beat.

[the_joker]

Why would he call if he's bluffing?

[Insty]

[ QUOTE ]
lately been experimenting with AA or KK by limping if I'm HU with someone

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't like it. It's way to easy to lose your entire stack to some monkey who flops 2 pair.
I also don't like it because when I reraise all in with my AKs I get called as a huge dog.

I just wish I got AA or KK often enough to do this experiment. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[tminus]

i almost always play these hands agro but there have been a few situations where Im short handed or HU and not getting action with the typical 3-6 bet raise

[tminus]

yeah, i think you're right especially being so early in the game...HU at the end of the game is another story though as the blinds are up there

[JerseyTom]

It's really tricky to slowplay OOP; you can't show down cheaply on scary boards (I think this qualifies as a 'scary' board...).

Unless this guy is a total donk (certainly not out of the question...), there are very few worse hands with which he calls your turn C/R all-in (maybe something like A8?).

He's been betting pretty liberally into a small pot. I'd be lost here and maybe just try to call down. If I don't hit one of my 11 outs on the river (2 A's and 9 spades) and he pushes, it's going to be tough, but I call. If I lose, well, that's always a danger in slowplaying...


Tom

[HesseJam]

calling on the turn is better for above mentioned reason that he should call the all-in only with a better hand.
It is more likely that the call will trigger a half-assed bluff bet on the river which you call (raise?).

[jedi]

[ QUOTE ]
i thought his flop bet was a bluff, that i had him beat, and that he may very well call

[/ QUOTE ]

Why would he call if he was bluffing?