Opportunity?

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

'Stars $200 + 15 NLHE yesterday. Built up a good stack early, but hit the doldrums in the middle and got myself into a bit of a hole. Level is 400/800/a50 and I have 8950 4 off the button (9 handed). 81 get paid. About 160 still alive.

I pick up J /images/graemlins/spade.gif T /images/graemlins/spade.gif and decide to steal, raising to 2400. Called by player to my left (big stack). Button, who has me covered reraises all-in.

Blinds fold and it's back to me with 14750 in the pot that I can win and I have 6500 left with my other preflop caller left to act after me.

I know what I did, but am conflicted as to whether it was a good or a bad choice.

Let me know what you think? Results later.

[sam h]

Kurn,

I think I would fold here. While you're getting just over 2:1, I think you're probably more of a dog than that against most players' range of hands. The chance of him making this move with a medium pair seems smaller given the coldcaller.

Plus, you still have enough chips to steal the blinds if you fold. You may even be able to pay the blinds and still steal them from late position on the next orbit as long as there is not a level increase.

[Greg (FossilMan)]

It seems like a must fold now, since the only reasonable hand this guy can hold where you're getting the odds to call is AK. Of course, if he's unreasonable, he might have AQ or 99 or 88, but even then not much else unless he's a wacko.

Between your raise and the cold-call, he cannot figure you will both fold, and thus be raising with a mediocre hand.

Also, at this stage, with your stack size, I would tend to go all-in with this hand rather than raise 27% of my chips. There are too many overly aggressive players in this event who will see you raise this amount, and play back at you with mediocre hands, figuring you'll lay it down rather than risk going broke. If you could only see the A5 and K9 hands they're doing this with, you might call them more, but even then they're ahead of JT.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

After a bit of thought, I folded, as did the player to my left. Button showed A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif K /images/graemlins/diamond.gif as he took the pot.

I stole on the next orbit, paid the blinds and stole again, surviving until the 600/1200/a75 level when my A6s steal got called by 88 and didn't improve and I went out 41 spots off the money and 2 spots behind a guy named Moneymaker /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[chessforlife]

I call, you raised 2400 and the small + big will be another 1200 thrown in the flop. You are probably a dog to what ever he calls with but here is the thing. At 400 and 800 with a 50 ante the blinds will eat you alive in under 4 rounds. Now is your time because if you double up and catch that 10 /images/graemlins/spade.gifj /images/graemlins/spade.gif you are going to have a pretty substantial amount of chips for the tourney. It's a must go as far as I'm concerned. gl

-chessforlife