Top 2 pair vs. Suited flop

[Jason Strasser]

This situation comes up over and over in my career at PP, and I seem to get destroyed over and over...

In a $100 NL sit and go tourny, very early in the game, my hole cards are Q /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 10 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. I am on the button, and there are 2 limpers. I double the bet. SB and BB fold, limpers call.

Flop: Q /images/graemlins/spade.gif 10 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 3 /images/graemlins/spade.gif

It is checked to me. At this point, I am in no mood to be ruined by a one card flush draw. So I decide to make any potential chasers make one of the worst calls of their life. At this point, we are all even stacked near 1000--and I go all in.

First limper folds. Second one begins to think. Then he calls my all-in.

Turn 5 /images/graemlins/spade.gif, river 3 /images/graemlins/club.gif. He turns over A /images/graemlins/spade.gif, 4 /images/graemlins/heart.gif. I kick over my chair, and decide the gods from above are telling me to get back to my three variable calculus problem set.

What could I do differently? Should I have made a pot sized bet instead of the all in? Should I stop whining about bad beats and be happy the unnamed idiot called my bet?

[crockpot]

well, for one thing, you could be more choosy about your bad beats. anything where the opponent is over 30% to win is not a bad beat.

i don't think the all in here is terrible, although i would probably bet less and fold if someone makes a check-raise.

[vector]

I understand your reasoning for going all in, but I don't agree with it.

Unless you are so confident that your opponents on the flush draw will call (ok, granted thats exactly what happened), I would have thought that realistically the only caller you will get is the made flush, leaving you with only 6 outs after risking your whole stack.

This is the early stages of a tournament, isn't that the time when protecting your chips is more important than winning more of them?

I would say either a slightly over pot size bet or a check would be in order. When the 4th spade came on the turn check it down / fold, if it didn't come spades consider putting your opponent/s all in then if its checked again.

As for what actually happened, terrible call from your opponent and moderately unlucky on your part, but you didn't have to be there.

I could be very wrong here, I mainly play ring games not tournaments. Maybe this is a positive move for a tournament, because you can't afford to wait for a sure hand?

[Ray Zee]

two bad amount bets. why double the bet after two limpers unless you are a tv movie. and why must you go all-in in a small pot.

[limon]

stole my response...if i responded to online poker nonsense. is ray getting more cantankerous as time goes by? I'm supposed to be the angry poster, u'r the wise old sage...quit stealing my thunder!