NLHE hand -- top pair, bad kicker in the big blind

[M.B.E.]

$50 NLHE tourney on Stars. 250 entered, down to 60 now. Top 27 get paid. Blinds are 100/200, ante 25. I have 4300 which is below average, although I'm just above the median.

The button has 7300. Everyone folds to him and he limps. SB folds. I check in the BB with T/images/graemlins/club.gif9/images/graemlins/spade.gif. There's now 700 in the pot and I have 4075 left.

FLOP: T/images/graemlins/spade.gif6/images/graemlins/heart.gif2/images/graemlins/club.gif. I bet 350, button calls.

TURN: T/images/graemlins/spade.gif6/images/graemlins/heart.gif2/images/graemlins/club.gif 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif. I check, button checks.

How have I played so far? The reason I made the small bet on the flop is I was suspicious of the button's preflop limp. If he raises me on the flop I'm going to dump the hand. But when he called, I was still suspicious; hence my turn check.

RIVER: T/images/graemlins/spade.gif6/images/graemlins/heart.gif2/images/graemlins/club.gif3/images/graemlins/heart.gif A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

What's my play now? Results later.

[curmudgeon]

you want to be ITM....... check.... then call if his bet aint too big..... blind pairs w/no kick are killers.... wait for better if his bet is too big... it aint worth it goin out on Ts with an Ace and str8 board

[M.B.E.]

When the ace fell on the river, I moved all in. In retrospect I think this was pretty stupid, but my thinking was this: my opponent limped on the button, which could have either been trapping with a big pair, or could be a speculative hand like a small pair, suited connector, perhaps a suited ace. The flop had no draws, but he called my half-pot bet. That indicates a pair at least, but perhaps just overcards. Slowplayed aces or kings are also a possibility. When he checked behind me on the turn, that eliminated hands like a straight (5-4 was the only one possible), a set, or a big pair. He might have something like JT or QT, perhaps middle pair like 76, or maybe A6 or A2. When the ace came, it was a problem for me, because I'd have to call a small bet (even though it indicated I was probably beat), and I'd have to fold to a bigger bet (even though it could be a bluff). On the other hand, by moving all in, my opponent really cannot call with anything worse than a set. And, as I mentioned, it's very unlikely he has a set or a straight since he checked the turn.

So I moved all in, my opponent thought for a long time, let his time clock count down somewhat, and folded. Then he asked me if I could beat A8. I don't know what he was doing calling the flop with just A8, however I guess it's plausible.

There's a couple of problems with my reasoning, however. First of all, I'm risking a lot: my entire stack of 3800 just to win 1400 in the pot. Even if my read had been correct, that he might have A2 or A6 and hit two pair on the river, I also needed to be correct that he would fold aces up rather than call my all in for half his chips. Since he apparently was thinking about calling me with A8 (TPNK), it seems that I was wrong, and he likely would have called if he did have aces up.

Secondly, I had a ten, which could easily have been the best hand. Yet my play had no chance for getting any value out of that. Only a better hand could call. So would my play have been better with 87 (a busted gutshot) then T9? Or if not better, then equally good?

I think that I'm overlooking something really important about no-limit play with no cards to come, since my logic led me to make a huge bluff with T9 since I was afraid of getting bluffed myself, whereas with 87 there was no danger of my getting bluffed, so I would have check-folded.

[Ignatius]

Even if you're afraid that he might have limped with a monster, you need to bet bigger on the flop to move him off overcards esp. if you intend to fold if played back. By making it 1/2 the pot, you gain virtually no information as he will likely call with most hands that he would have limped preflop.
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A check on turn would have made some sense if you had bet bigger on the flop, but now, you really need to fire a second barrel. On the river, according to your own read (small pair on the flop), aces up is the single most likely hand as an ace is his most common kicker. Don't even think that he would ever muck twopair in this spot - esp. not after your weak turn check. Check and hope for a cheap showdown - if he sucked out on you, it's entirely your own fault, as you failed to buy the pot when it was there for the taking. By moving in, you turned a hand that might be good into a pure bluff - a play, you should only make if you indeed have not hand at all (i.e. if you have been drawing).
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You got extremely lucky that you managed to move him off top pair. Still, I think you seriously misplayed the hand on every street after the flop.

[Copernicus]

All of the confusion on the river originates from the weak bet on the flop. When you flop top pair with bad kicker I think you have to play it strongly or hope to check it down. If you play it strongly and get called you will have a much better idea what to do with different board textures on later streets. If you try and check it all the way and it causes a weaker hand to get aggressive there is a chance you'll fold a winner, but at least youve gotten away cheaply. Offsetting some of those unfortunate folds will be some hands where you turn a 9 or T and still get action because of the flop check. (If its only two pair you have to bet that strongly for fear that you are facing pair/overcard and paint comes on the river).

The 350 bet here gives two overcards borderline implied odds, and if he has backdoor straight or flush possibilities in addition a pretty easy call.

With these kind of stack sizes I would probably opt for the aggressive mode and bet the pot. I dont think you need to overbet because at 2/1 odds there isnt much that can call you that doesnt have you beat.

BTW this may have been an epiphany hand for your opponent, who got a valuable lesson in why you dont play weak Aces. He made his hand and still couldnt stand up to a strong bet that could easily have been a better A or Aces over.

[M.B.E.]

Thanks very much, Ignatius and Copernicus. I agree with you; I should have bet the pot on the flop.