Live tourney, I have 55.

[jubeirm]

Middle of a live tourney. Roughly 12 out 38 players remain. Villian is much better than me and the last 5-6 times we've wrestled I've lost. I feel certain I was outplayed on those occasions and didn't lose entirely due to randomness. The stack amounts are estimates based on what I could see and remember.

Live No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (8 handed)

Villian (t6000)
BB (t4000)
Hero (t2000)
MP (~t800)
MP1 (medium)
CO (medium)
Button (large)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
Hero Calls t200, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, Villian calls t100, BB checks.

Flop: (t600) K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 5/images/graemlins/club.gif, 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
Villian checks, BB checks, Hero bets t300, Villian calls, <font color="#666666">BB folds</font>.

Turn: (t1800) 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Villian bets t300, Hero?

Pre-flop is questionable, I know, I guess I was hoping to get lucky (and did). On the flop I wanted to give any draws really bad odds to call and any big hands some incentive to stay or raise. But, on the turn when Villian bets into me I wasn't sure what to do. In white below is what I did next:

<font color="#FFFFFF">I called t300.
River: (t2400) 9d (2 players)
Villian first asked "How much you got?", making a move like to put me all-in, then lays out t500 and says, "Let's make it just 500." I thought it out as best I could and folded. I was pretty sure Villian had the Ad, but the action leading up to the river is confusing me for some reason.
</font>

Thanks.

[betgo]

Push preflop. Push the turn. The river is read-dependent.

[CardSharpCook]

I have not read the white. You claim to want to give draws bad odds, but you make a 1/2 pot bet giving them 3:1 on a draw. This is bad. Bet more. 450-600 is better.

On the turn, two things go through my mind. First is, "he is betting far less than I want to charge him on this street." Second is, "if I raise here, he can push with a flush or he might put me on the flush." Reason wins out, and I stick with my first instinct. I raise to 1000. But then I notice that I only have 1500 left in my stack and I push.

[Lloyd]

I would fold pre-flop. Yes, you're getting shortstacked but unless the limits are going up very soon you still have a little time. Pushing is the next best option. Calling is normally a bad move at this blind level because you are often punished for limping and have to throw away your hand while giving up 10% of your stack. Plus, you'll even if you see a flop you're pretty much just playing for set value and you have a marginal stack with which to do so.

You've got one of the diamonds. No way I'm folding this hand with your stack. I'd bet 1/2 to 2/3 the pot on the flop and get the rest in on the turn (regardless of the card).

On the turn, you're pushing. If he's got the flush or straight you've got a few outs. If he's got a diamond bigger than 5 I don't want him to get a cheap river card.

[DeuceKicker]

I'd raise to 600 preflop (assuming 3BB is considered a 'standard' raise in this tourney). This will usually buy the blinds and I'm OK with that

I think the flop bet is fine. You're giving draws 3:1 odds, which is not enough. 400 would be fine, too, I think.

The turn is where I usually wuss out. The flush draw hits and he bets such a small amount that I start out-thinking myself. "Is he trapping me, making a weak bluff, or trying to stop me from betting bigger so he can chase his draw?"

I'm not sure what the optimum play is (because I suck) but since he has you so out-chipped, I think I'd just call. Even if he hit the flush, the pot is laying you 5:1 to boat up, and there's a very good chance that you have the best hand. The obvious drawback is if he is looking for a 4th diamond, you're giving him great odds to draw.

[jubeirm]

[ QUOTE ]
...you make a 1/2 pot bet giving them 3:1 on a draw. This is bad. Bet more. 450-600 is better.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why so much? With one card to come a flush or straight has 4.5:1 chance. I thought 1/2 the pot would be enough.

[jubeirm]

[ QUOTE ]
The turn is where I usually wuss out. The flush draw hits and he bets such a small amount that I start out-thinking myself. "Is he trapping me, making a weak bluff, or trying to stop me from betting bigger so he can chase his draw?"

I'm not sure what the optimum play is (because I suck) but since he has you so out-chipped, I think I'd just call. Even if he hit the flush, the pot is laying you 5:1 to boat up, and there's a very good chance that you have the best hand. The obvious drawback is if he is looking for a 4th diamond, you're giving him great odds to draw.

[/ QUOTE ]

Making the full house is a 3.4:1 shot and I think is why I just called. I can see an Ad betting this turn this way, but does AdXd play this out this way with a Kd on the board? Maybe for X small (AX large raises pre-flop, no?) so its more likly Villian paired something: A6, A7, A5. I have trouble with putting people on ranges.

I sounds (and I think is likly my mistake here), that I should have pushed in on this turn.

[Exitonly]

Fold preflop, push the turn.

And i just read the white, i'd probably call with my measly 5d.

if you fold you have 6BB
if you call and win you have 18BB
if you call and lose you have 3.5BB

so you don't have to win that often on the river for it to be right.

[CardSharpCook]

7 handed I'm pushing this PF with 10BBs. And no, you can't fold the river.

[HeroInBlack]

If it's that close, most folks will call for the implied odds (i.e. you paying him off on the turn and river). You should give him a shot at making a little bigger error and bet like 3/4 of the pot. This defines his hand a lot better, too, because a call is either a strong draw or a monster.

Also, if he makes four times as big a mistake more than one quarter of the time he makes the small mistake, you profit more.