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View Full Version : Was I Destined to Go Broke?


rgschackelford
07-30-2005, 08:17 PM
Howdy all,

I recently got my friend into playing tournaments, and last night (about 4:30 AM) we played in a small buy-in online tournament. He was controlling the computer, and was starting to get used to the slider. In case you haven't assumed yet, this was NL hold 'em. We start with 1500 in chips.

About 15 minutes in, his stack was down to about 1400, and was on the button, with TADA! AKs. My mouth was watering. The player in second position with a stack of just under 600 pushes all in, and is called by the player in 4th position. There wasn't enough time to go through the verbalization of what to do, so I told him to just call, with the intent of playing big if you flop an ace or king. He calls, and the pot contains approx 1700.

Flop: A-J-x, rainbow

Monster flop. I decided that since he was new he shouldn't try any fancy shmancy trapping play, and just bet out. Since any reasonable bet would pot commit him, I said just shove in, and let the good Lord (and the poker gods) decide the outcome. He pushes all in, and the guy in 4th position calls. He flips over pocket jacks for a set, while the all-in player flips over 77 for a near hopless running 7-7 to stay alive (Also, a backdoor straight draw may have been there for him, depending on what x was. I didn't happen to see the card.)

Turn and River: A-y

He busts out early. Here's why I think most (if not all) players would bust out here:

1) The initial all-in was from someone desperate or presumably on tilt, and probably had a marginal holding, like a low pair or Ax, and the call was going off the same reasoning, so AA or KK is not as likely as it might be (besides he has one of the aces and one of the kings in his hand), so AK is probably getting favorable odds preflop.

2) It is almost impossible to read someone for a set (especially when the pot is as massive as it was, and conclude with enough accuracy that you should fold top pair with top kicker).

3) If we had trapped, and he bet small so not to knock us out, or checked to let us catch up, the turn card, giving us trips, would have said that we go all the way with this.

The only way out is reading one of the two for AA or KK (and we'd even be getting pot odds against KK) preflop, and getting out of the way.

Let me know what you all think about this one.

Rusty G.

ZBTHorton
07-30-2005, 08:20 PM
You should have pushed PF and just let the cards kill you.

By the way..your mouth shouldn't water with AKs. :-)

woodguy
07-30-2005, 08:30 PM
Calling off ~1/2 your stack when you are going to miss the flop 2/3 of the time is bad.

Push PF.

Regards,
Woodguy

rgschackelford
07-30-2005, 08:55 PM
If I were at the helm, I probably would have pushed preflop. AKs is one of the premium hands, and I don't mind going all the way with it. If someone else had raised all in or very big before me, I would probably fold, because aces would almost have to be out there somewhere, but I'm overthinking this a little. He didn't push because time was running out on him to make a decision, and I didn't want to have this gem to be folded.

Also, I had the intentions of a stop-and-go, and push in on any flop (maybe the guy has AK, as well, or AQ).

And one more thing, I don't like the call with pocket jacks. I like the all-in reraise for the isolation. He called the 600, and he's almost committed himself to the hand. Push in and knock all but AA and KK.

Rusty G.

jvphish
07-30-2005, 09:03 PM
you sound like a dumb ass.

rgschackelford
07-30-2005, 09:08 PM
Huh? That seemed uncalled for. Besides, that doesn't give me any strategic advice. Better luck next time at your responses. Maybe, eventually, you might be able to be of help to people.

Rusty G.

KyleM
07-30-2005, 09:15 PM
[ QUOTE ]
you sound like a dumb ass.

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jvphish
07-30-2005, 09:26 PM
[ QUOTE ]
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you sound like a dumb ass.

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[/ QUOTE ]

KyleM
07-30-2005, 09:41 PM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
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you sound like a dumb ass.

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rgschackelford
07-30-2005, 09:43 PM
Hey, when did Beavis and Butt-Head register for this message board?

KyleM
07-30-2005, 10:01 PM
6/14 and 5/24. Dumbass.

rgschackelford
07-30-2005, 10:10 PM
Just checking, cornholio. Do you need TP for your bunghole?

On an unrelated note, could we PLEASE talk about the hand, and not resort to calling each other names, like 8-year olds?

Rusty G.

ekky
07-30-2005, 10:14 PM
What is there to talk about on the hand? you hit an Ace and lost to a set.. that pretty much sums it up.

rgschackelford
07-30-2005, 10:18 PM
Yes, but 1) was my buddy going to go broke on that hand, or 2) was there another reasonable way to play that, so that he wouldn't have gone broke, and if so, how?

Rusty G.

fnurt
07-30-2005, 10:24 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Calling off ~1/2 your stack when you are going to miss the flop 2/3 of the time is bad.

Push PF.

Regards,
Woodguy

[/ QUOTE ]

This is the correct answer. You might have been destined to go broke either way, but that shouldn't stop you from making the right play.

ekky
07-30-2005, 10:33 PM
[ QUOTE ]
2) was there another reasonable way to play that, so that he wouldn't have gone broke, and if so, how?


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he could have folded pre-flop or on the flop, that would have stopped him from going broke.

However, both of these moves are too weak, so no, he doesn't avoid going bust here.

I would have moved in pre-flop however. AK needs to see 5 cards to extract the most value out of it, and pocket pairs ( generally) prefer to see flops before acting for all the chips. By just calling, you played into the (likely) PP from the caller previous to you.

Don't play in a way that gives them help, play to maximise your own hand.

KyleM
07-31-2005, 12:56 AM
[ QUOTE ]
Just checking, cornholio. Do you need TP for your bunghole?

On an unrelated note, could we PLEASE talk about the hand, and not resort to calling each other names, like 8-year olds?

Rusty G.

[/ QUOTE ]

Now that the hand has been further discussed, do you realize that you sound like a dumbass?