$30+3 NL at PP, 2nd hand, big flop with AK -- comments?

[Moose]

Gentlemen,

playing a $30+$3 sit-n-go at Paradise - $1k each, $5/$10 blinds. First hand guy raises UTG+2 to $50 and steals blinds.

Second hand, guy raises again to $50. I have AK of diamonds. All fold to me. Reraise or smooth-call?

I call. SB calls. Pot is $160

Flop comes K-T-2 with 2 diamonds.

SB bets $50. Original raiser calls. I reraise to $250

SB makes minimum reraise to 450 and original raiser folds.

What to do?

Results to follow.

[cferejohn]

I don't know what your starting amount is, but if it is less than 1000, I go all-in.

Also, I would have raised to $150 or so pre-flop. I'd just as soon the guy fold his hand now while I'm pretty sure I have the best of it rather than wait for him to catch a flop.

[Ignatius]

Preflop, I think you should have made it T200 to
- try to take it down
- secure position
- deny small-pairs and suited connectors correct implied odds to call
- manipulate the pot-size to allow you to move in with a single bet

On the flop, you're pretty much committed with top-pair/best kicker and the nut-flush draw. Even after the SB's minimum-reraise, which is begging for a call and probably means a set (4:9 dog) or KT (5:6 dog), you cannot really get away from the hand with 30% of your stack already in, as there's still some chance that you might be ahead against an overplayed lesser king (8:1 fav.) or on a free-roll vs. another AK (2:1 fav.). So unless you can reliably read the SB for a set, you should move in and hope for the best.

[RollaJ]

Go All In!
Even If you are behind you have so many redraws with 9 nut draws. If you lose this hand you lose $33, but if you win you are a big favorite to make the money and perhaps as much as $150 first prize. Go For The Gold /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

[Moose]

Hmm.. thought I posted these for sure.

I call with tears in my eyes. GF who is watching and knows a little bit about poker could not understand at first why I was so unhappy with developments.

Sure enough, SB has a set of 10s and my diamond is nowhere in sight.

I think the reraise to 200 preflop is instructive, as it would have gone a LONG way to protecting my hand by not giving those small pairs and connectors proper odds to call. Something I need to remember for in the future.

Thanks to all that posted.

M.

[cferejohn]

Ah, there's your problem, playing with the GF watching. I don't know about everyone else, but I play much worse with someone watching, probably because I am trying to impress them.

It seems like you might have been destined to lose here anyway. TT would very likely call a raise, and he would still flop trips. Otoh, if he plays back at you on the flop, you can now be sure he is saying "I can beat AK", so maybe you can throw it away. Not easy though.

[Eric P]

Certainly you are very happy about this flop, but when he raises you again you are toast for sure... aren't you? What could he have that you can beat? KQ? that is maybe the only hand he could have that he is winning with, but risking your whole stack to say that he has KQ or MAYYYYBE KJ since it's so early seems rediculous. When you call you are (realistically) hoping for two things: A split or a diamond to come and save you. I thought for sure he would KT, but if it's not KT then it is TT, i can't really see KK being played this way but it's possible, basically you are calling all in on the flush draw, and so early in the tournament i think it's just a bad move. I would fold this hand even if i hadn't read the results.

[Ignatius]

Even if he knew the SB's hand, he cannot fold on the flop as - thanks to the SB's minimum reraise - he's getting correct single-card pot-odds (9:2) and even better implied odds to take one off and go for the flush. But he should muck on turn if he doesn't make a flush or the board pairs. If he positive that he's against a set or KT, that is. In real life - and esp. in an online-tourney - the money would probably have to be somewhat deeper than T1000 before I would consider a laydown in this spot.
.
The point however is that he never should have allowed himself to get into that situation in the first place. While in this case, a preflop reraise might no have made a difference, with 22 or KT, the SB would be hard pressed to call for 20% of his stack.

[Moose]

Even if I put him on a set, I can easily 'merely' call on the flop to hit my diamond, AND if the opponent is weak on the turn as well, I might get a good shot at drawing, laying down if I miss the turn.

As I am so much better at math than poker, I need to force myself sometimes to play a little poker instead of just "running hot and cold" or running it all-in on the flop.

Thanks for the great feedback, and yes, AK suited is good for a nice reraise preflop /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

M.