Comments on this play please

[davidross]

Online NL Pokerstars freeroll WSOP qualifier.
I have really been struggling in these tournaments, going card dead around teh 3rd level every time. I'm not sure if I played this very well or not.

BLinds are 25/50.
One limper(2385)to me in MP. I have 2035. I have A /forums/images/icons/club.gif T /forums/images/icons/club.gif and I make it 200 to go. All fold to the BB(2610) who calls the 150. Limper calls too.

Flop 4 /forums/images/icons/club.gif Q /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 6 /forums/images/icons/club.gif

Both check to me. I thought about pushing in but decided to bet 700 (Pot is 625). BB calls and the limper folds.

Turn [4 /forums/images/icons/club.gif Q /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 6 /forums/images/icons/club.gif] 7 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif

He pushed all in and I folded.

Comments?

[balt999]

davidross,

Preflop..What position were you in? In EP-MP..I'm more inclined to limp hoping to see the flop cheaply, but if you were in LP...I think you raised enough...

I like your pot sized raise...you have the nut flush draw, but you would like to win the pot right there..

I think you made the right move folding on the turn. I think it's too early in the tournament to gamble with your flush draw...In addition, since the BB cold called your raise, you have to put him on a big hand...maybe Top 2 or a set..

[Rich P.]

I think the problem you face here is with whether to play conservatively to perserve you chips or play agressively to either win or go home.

In this situation you are faced with one limper in early position and the blinds. The questions is: Do you have the best hand? What hand would the limper limp with? You have to assume the blinds have random holdings; there's always the risk that they don't. Here is my first consideration.

Considering that one player has already limped, you can expect him to call most medium bets. Your advantage in NL is that you can make a bet large enough to make it a mistake for your opponent to call. I'm not sure you did that here.

If you think you have the best hand here, you probably should have bet more, perhaps as much as $400. (I don't play much NL so this is a guesstimate.) This would have put pressure on the BB and EP. A call of $400 indicates a big hand. A call of 150 with 325 already in the pot might be giving the BB, and then especially the EP, the right odds to draw.

A limp in this situation is reasonable, too. Since you must be consider that the limper may be slowplaying a big hand, a limp will take advantage of his mistake in allowing you to see the flop cheaply. This will encourage others to call behind you giving you the appropriate odds to draw.

On the turn I think you made the right decision. You were four in one to hit. The problem is that you now have left yourself with 1135, which is enough at that level to play with. Your opponent probably put you on a flush draw and bet all in knowing you could not call. Survival is paramount. You might have, however, avoided this problem had you played pre-flop differently.

All Comments Appreciated.

[Greg (FossilMan)]

I would more often limp with this hand after a previous limper. You still have 40x the blinds, so raising and winning preflop (which is probably the best result if you raise preflop at all) only increases your stack by about 6%.

I would rather limp in, entice others to limp in, and hope to double through somebody else who came in with smaller clubs. Or, catch a flop of ATx vs. somebody holding Ax. While these things won't happen a lot, they do occur enough to justify a limp for 1/40th of your stack with this hand.

Also, you might get some clear-cut steal opportunities postflop. Just be careful when the flop is Axy or the like, and you have top pair, T kicker with no real draw.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[ohkanada]

With a limper, I would just call.

Although betting 700 into a 625 pot is fine, does betting 450 or 500 hurt anything? One doesn't always need to bet the pot. If you do this with made hands and draws your opponent won't necessarily sense weakness.

Ken Poklitar