The (essentially) last hand of a single-table satelite

A single-table satelite with a $20 buy-in. Winner gets a seat in another single-table tournament.

I've been doing well, finding a lot of high pocket pairs--Kings, Queens twice, Aces twice, Jacks--and taking down big pots, sometimes busting people. My table plays down to me and Villain. He has $515 in chips, I have $580. Blinds 10/20. Villain is small blind and completes. I find myself with 5/images/graemlins/club.gif7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, and check. The flop comes 3/images/graemlins/heart.gifA/images/graemlins/diamond.gif7/images/graemlins/spade.gif, giving me middle pair. Thinking it unlikely that this flop has helped Villain, I lead out with a pot-sized bet, which hopefully, I think, represents an Ace. Villain calls the bet. Pot now $120. The call doesn't seem that strong, so I imagine Villain probably has an Ace with a weak kicker, which seems like a reasonable holding based on how he has been playing. The turn comes 7/images/graemlins/club.gif, giving me trips. I try to cash in on the Ace I think I've represented earlier and bet half the pot ($60). Again Villain calls. The river is the 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, which I doubt helps either of us. Villain's two calls to this point seem consistent with him holding an ace. Nonetheless, feeling they must represent some strength, I cautiously bet only 1/3 of the pot--which is $240 at this point--so $80. Villain raises all-in. After thinking for a while, I call and he shows me 7/images/graemlins/heart.gifJ/images/graemlins/spade.gif, beating my kicker and crippling my stack. Villain won the satelite in the next two hands. Your advice on my play? Was the line I took appropriate? Were my reads (just based on the board) decent? How about calling the all-in? Could I have laid down trips and left myself short-stacked?

[tigerite]

Not a lot you can do to get away from this one. Personally I'm not sure I'd bet the flop. Personal preference I guess. But after that, well, you were going to the felt pretty much. Maybe you could get away from the river, with the blinds still so small compared to your stack, I dunno. Very hard to fold trips there.

PS 200 chips at 10/20 isn't short stacked, that's still 10bb, very much workable.

[durron597]

If you never ever ever folded trips on a not-too-scary board HU you would never make a big mistake.

[theordinaryboy]

after the turn i cant see myself not losing all my chips here if villain's push on the river has to be called imo.

For the flop try to reverse your thinking so you are villain. You bet out trying to represent the A thinking that villain wouldnt have an ace because he would have raised with it pre-flop. Well villain must surely be thinking that you would have raised if you had an ace so his 2nd pair is probably good. Even if i did not have anything and i was villain i might make a play here as ireally would not believe you had the ace.

I dont think this really helps too much with the hand but if i wanted to represent the A on a non-scary flop heads up i wouldnt bet out on the flop out of position.

Peace easy dude.