First hand bust out

[Don Quixote]

I am not an experienced player at no-limit. I was playing (or rather had started to play) a freeroll at Party with about 800 other hopefuls. The only prize was a $25 value shot at a one-table qualifier for the semifinal at the PPM.

SB posted $10 and BB posted $15. Folded to me in MP where I held QQ. I raised to $80. Folded to BB who called.

Flop came 3c 9h 7h. BB checks, I bet $175, BB calls.

Turn brings a 5d. BB checks. I bet $150 and BB raises $845 all in. I call $595 all in. River comes 9d. BB turns over 8s 6h, and I am out.

I thought the preflop bet was about right because I didnt think anyone would call an all-in bet, but I wanted to limit the field to a couple of callers. I got it head up and thought I was in good shape with the flop even though it had flush and straight potential. I read the BB for big cards since he called the preflop raise. So much for a read in a freeroll, I guess :=)

Were my flop and turn bets about right, and did I have any business calling the all-in bet? My turn bet was less than the flop bet because I have trouble making the bet indicator stop exactly where I want it to.

Should I have changed my initial read on the turn when BB c/r? Should I have retired from the battlefield to fight another day?

Thanks very much.

Don Quixote

[Bozeman]

Proper money tourney play does not translate to freerolls. In this case, it is obvious you are way behind on the turn.

Craig

[ohkanada]

Preflop a pot sized raise is 55. 80 is a bit high but okay.

On the flop, a pot sized bet is 170. You again overbet the pot but this time a bet of 140 or 150 is probably going to do the same as 175. Still okay.

Now on the turn, you bet 150 which is 1/3 or less of the pot. So from your opponents standpoint you have now shown weakness( maybe on purpose to get a call). If you felt you were way ahead you should make a pot sized bet which is basically all-in. If you are not happy then check and see what happens on the river. The only thing the 5 does is make a straight for 86 or 64. I likely would have gone all-in on the turn.

But once you bet the 150 and he check-raises you all-in it is a tougher decision. A check-raise all-in is awfully strong. Is he doing it based on his hand or your weakness. Since this is a freeroll it is likely based on his hand.

Ken Poklitar

[Mark Heide]

Typically in freerolls you will have poor playing loose opponents that usually pay too much to see a flop or too much to see a turn. With only one caller in this situation I would move in the rest of my chips on the flop instead of betting $175, which is already about a quarter of your stack. Usually, loose players will call big bets before the flop, but on the flop the only way to get them to fold a draw would be to move in an amount that would threaten their existance, since poor players don't understand pot odds. Sometimes, they'll call and miss, sometimes they get lucky and flop a set, but most of the time they will fold.

Good Luck

Mark