Need Help on this play

[Kevin]

Hello,

Haven't been playing much this year, but Party Poker emailed me and put $20 in my account. I played the $.50/$1.00 for a while and got the funds up enough to enter a couple of tournies. I entered the $10+1 for the $200k tourney this coming Saturday. Things are going well. 344 entered, it is down to 110. Average is a little over $3,000T. Chip Leader has about $10,000T. I am about $6300T. So far, big hands have got action, and I have been able to take a few pots down with nothing other than a big bet pre-flop and nice position.

The guy to my right is the table chip leader about $8800T - I think he was in the top 5 in chips overall. I am second in chips at the table, third is about $4500T, and everyone else is average or below. Tourney pays out 10 spots for the $300+20 entry and there are 3 smaller prizes for 11-13.

Now, on with the hand.

I am in the big blind with 5 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif5 /images/graemlins/spade.gif. Blinds are 100/200. 2nd UTG limps, 2 others limp (including button), small blind completes and I check. 5 in - $1000T in the pot.

Flop comes down:
4 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif5 /images/graemlins/club.gif6 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

What is the play here? How much do I bet?

details coming.
Thanks,
Kevin

[Kevin]

Small Blind (table chip leader) checks.

I am not sure what to bet here. I figured there might be a 7-8 out there, but I didn't want to assume the worst. More than likely, there was probably a flush draw and maybe someone with a seven - like A-7 suited (maybe the diamonds). I feel that I play too tight in these and a lot of times, I don't maximize my hands when the draws will pay. I put out a bet of about $4000T (Please throw flames if this was a terrible, terrible play - 4x the pot - I was really not sure how big to go out but I figured the draws would call a pot sized bet - $1000T in the pot - was this too small to try and take it down?).

the UTG+2 immediately puts all 4500T in (ugh) so at that point, I figured he has the straight.

other two fold and the small blind (table chip leader) says, hmm... set vs straight vs my flush draw - what the hell!

He pushes in his stack.

Now, I was planning on calling the extra $500 vs the all-in. The $4,000 might have been the wrong bet, but the extra $500 was a no brainer (please correct me if this is a bad assumption). Since the small blind pushed his stack in - should this have been a fold? chalk it up as a mistake worth 2/3rds of my stack with the blinds continuing to escalate and down to $2000T? or call both bets? (worth an additional $2300, but the pot is now close to $17,000 - with $6,300 mine - and I would be far and away the chip leader if the board pairs).

As you would probably expect - since I am posting this, I called. turn is 3 /images/graemlins/heart.gif river is 2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. small blind shows his Q9 diamonds, utg+2 had 78 off suit for the flopped straight. I put my chips in behind with 10 outs.

I finished 108. It was over in a hurry. How many mistakes did I make during the hand? Is that a raising hand preflop with 3 already in to me? The $4000T flop bet - was that a terrible, terrible mistake? After UTG+2 put all $4500T in and the small blind raised, should I have folded?

Thanks for the help and input. If this is a knee slapper and an example of how NOT to play a tourney hand, I apologize for the ignorance - I would really like to know how the pros would play that situation.

Kevin

[curmudgeon]

Trips beat by miracle flop.......... demz da breaks. Smaller (pot size) bet after the flop only if you are willing to fold, otherwise all-in first (not last). /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Prickly Pete]

[ QUOTE ]
I put out a bet of about $4000T (Please throw flames if this was a terrible, terrible play - 4x the pot - I was really not sure how big to go out but I figured the draws would call a pot sized bet - $1000T in the pot - was this too small to try and take it down?).

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd bet the pot or, more likely, checkraise allin. If you are going to bet 4000, you may as well go allin.

[ QUOTE ]
Since the small blind pushed his stack in - should this have been a fold?

[/ QUOTE ]

You've already committed yourself to the pot, so you've got to call here. You may even be ahead sometimes (2 flush draws or something like that). And you've still got the full house outs.

[ QUOTE ]
Is that a raising hand preflop with 3 already in to me?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, 4 limpers to you in BB is your dream. See the flop, fold if you miss, pounce if you hit.