Misplay AQs?

[TomCollins]

Background: $60 NL Tourney on Truepoker, 57 entries, 8 places paid.

Current Situation: 14 people left, I stand about 8th with ~$4000 in chips. Blinds are 100/200.

UTG, who has been playing too many hands and stays in too long, has about $3500 in chips limps. All fold to me, who has A /images/graemlins/spade.gifQ /images/graemlins/spade.gif in small blind. I raise to 600, BB folds, UTG limper calls.

Flop is 3 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif3 /images/graemlins/spade.gif9 /images/graemlins/spade.gif. I bet out $600, he calls. Turn is 8 /images/graemlins/club.gif, I check, he bets $500, I call. River is 2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif, I check, he bets $1000, I fold.

Obviously I misplayed this hand, and it ended up costing me a huge portion of my stack. I look at it having a few options as playing differently.

1) Bet smaller on the flop

2) Go all in on the flop

3) Bet the minimum on the turn and river, to keep him from costing me a lot in a hand I don't want to fold, and hoping he doesn't raise.

4) Folding on the turn.

Any suggestions would be very helpful.

[Greg (FossilMan)]

Unless there's something about this player you know but didn't tell us, I see no reason to believe that you aren't the best hand here all the way. Why can't he have AJ, KQ, etc., a lot of hands other than a pocket pair or a hand like A8 that has hit? Why can't he be betting the turn and river simply because you showed weakness? He could be bluffing with a hand like JT that he knows wants you to fold, or he could think his AJ is the best hand, and he's betting it for value and to get you to fold before you catch something.

Your preflop raise is OK, though 800 would be better. On the flop, bet at least 1000, and on the turn, bet all-in. Unless you know this player and his preflop and flop calls means he has AQ beat, you can't check-and-fold like this.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[TomCollins]

I have a feeling that I did play the hand weak, but I've made the mistake in the past of falling in love with a hand and not looking out for a trap. With a player who seemed to play like he did, I had a gut feeling he at LEAST had a pair, either pairing A9 or A8, or holding a pocket pair. I also thought it was possible he had aces and were setting a trap, but that seems less likely the more I look at it.

So close to the money, I figured I would be better off dumping the hand, saving my $2000 remaining, and attempting a comeback later in the tournament when the cards were right. Since that didn't work out, I'm writing this email.

[Poker Jon]

I personally think that when you raise with a hand like AJs or AQs you should be willing to put your money in on the flop when you hit a 4 flush with 2 over cards (I am not saying you have to put your money in - just be prepared to).

In this case, I would have raised to 1000 pre-flop, looking to:
a) win the blinds
b) if re-raised all in, chuck it
c) if called, then putting all your money in on that flop.

This is a nice hand and flop to double your money through at a critical stage of the tournament. I would put him to a decision on the flop and if he calls, hope you hit.

I'm not saying i'm right, thats just what I would do!