A9s in 45 person tourny

I origionally posted this in the wrong forum. Sorry to anyone that I caused inconvienece to.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t150 (8 handed)Buy in $5 + .5
converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

UTG+1 (t3824)
MP1 (t5098)
MP2 (t1190)
Hero (t1743)
Button (t1660)
SB (t4405)
BB (t4815)
UTG (t1860)

None of these players are very good (they'd play this worse than I would). Villian is the kind of player you'd find in a lake.

Preflop: Hero is CO with 9/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/club.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls t150, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t450</font>, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, UTG+1 calls t300.

Flop: (t1125) 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 6/images/graemlins/club.gif, 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
UTG+1 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t150</font>, UTG+1 calls t150.

Turn: (t1425) 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
UTG+1 checks, Hero checks.

River: (t1425) 8/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 bets t150</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t600</font>, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 raises to t3224</font>, Hero calls t543 (All-In).

Final Pot: t5792

I think my Flop bet wasn't enough to steal, even though I got lucky with that straight. I'll post results later.

The pot on the flop is 1125. A continuation bet online should be between 1/2 and 2/3rds the size of the pot. That is a pretty nice flop for an ace high hand. I'm betting 725 on that flop. That totally changes the hand. Betting 150 is like checking. He's getting unbelievable odds to call with his J high.

Hmmm... I hope you know that you played that hand not very well...

I also hope you know your post is not easy to read and the suits of the cards would help, but let assume it is a rainbow flop, with the 4th suit on the turn. Buy-in, reads???

Why raise UTG+1, with A9s, it is not very good, but you have position. But it also commits you and may have you beat with A10 or AJ that he may limp from EP. You don't raise enough, he only have to call 300 for a 825 pot. A raise to 525 would be bettor or 600, as a general rule 3xBB + number of limper is a good line (with a stack big enough).

Why bet 150 on the flop? He has to call 150 for a 1275 pot? Do a real CB (500) or check.

Given that, a turn check is ok if you fold any river that doesn't help you, but if you are thinking of calling, I would go all-in there.

River is fine.

Shoot. In the origional post (in the wrong forum) i had suits and reads. I'll fix it

A9 suited is a hand I raise in the cutoff if everyone has folded to me. I generally play tight poker so it's a solid enough hand to raise 3x the BB and sometimes scope up the pot or pick it up after a continuation bet on the flop. I'd either call or fold instead of raise, but if you had to raise make it 3-3.5x the BB.

[yvesaint]

that flop bet does absolutely nothing, what was your thinking (if any)

[Solitare]

Like the others, I'm not a fan of how you played the hand at any stage but the turn.

Preflop:
- A9s is not a good hand to raise an EP limper with 3 left to act. EP could be limping with many hands that currently beat you, such as AQ-AT and QQ-22. Plus there are 3 left to act. I want a stronger hand than A9s to be raising here.
- If you do raise, you should raise at least t600. 3x the blind plus a BB for each limper. Leaving only t300 for the BB or UTG+1 gives them calling odds that are too good.
- Understand that if you do raise t600, you are essentially putting your tournament life on the line with this hand. You are committing 1/3 of your stack to the hand. If I'm going to stake my tournament life on a hand, I want a better hand than A9s, or to be first to act.
- You are attacking a big stack. I try to avoid battles with big stacks, particularly with weak holdings.

For these reasons, I don't like the raise. I'm not even a big fan of a call. Calling bleeds of 10% of my stack against and EP limper who has me covered. With my stack close to 10xBB, I would prefer to pick a spot with a better hand where I'm raising first in.

Flop:
Like everyone else, I think the flop bet is particularly bad. You are not getting that big stack to lay down anything with a t150 bet. I also don't like the t725 bet suggested. That bet would be half of your remaining stack and leave you pot comitted. If UTG puts you all-in with something like a JJ, you have odds to call to try to hit your Ace or backdoor flush.

This is either a check or an all-in. Since UTG+1 has shown no aggression to this point, and the flop is non threatening, I'd push here.

Turn:
The check is good. You are drawing and your flop bet bought you a free card. Take it.

River:
Suddenly UTG+1 wakes up and bets t150. A suspiciously small bet that is asking for action. Since your post flop action to this point was passive, you have no clue what he might have. A big pair? A T9? An A5? Nothing?

The board is super dangerous, with straights, two-pairs, and full houses all a possibility. UTG+1 has to know this. Even if he picked up two pair, he has lots to be worried about.

I think this is a case where either he has nothing, and will fold to a raise, or he has a big hand and is trying to encourage action.

For this reason, I call here. I don't think a value bet is in order. A raise from me either gets him to fold or gets me in trouble.

At what point should I reveal what he had? Or should I not?

Solitaire is right about the flop. I misread his stack. Eek.. This is a clear fold preflop.