KQs in $109 Stars SNG

[CrisBrown]

Hi All,

Feel free to rip away....

$109 two-table SNG on PokerStars. I'm in 1st place early with about T3200, having called down someone who went all-in on an unmade flush draw when I had top pair. So I have a decent table image (I hope). Player to my immediate left is in 3rd place overall, 2nd at the table, with T2050. I read him as a solid player, and I've stolen his blinds once before.

Blinds are 25/50 and I'm in the small blind with KQs. One limper from MP, I complete, and BB (see above) raises it to 200. Limper calls. I call.

Flop is K-4-3

I bet the pot (600) and BB comes all-in behind me. Limper folds. I call.

Your thoughts?

Results in white text below:
<font color="white"> </font> Surprise, surprise, he had AK. That cut my stack down to just over T1000. The next hand I caught JJ and moved all-in at a rag flop. Called by ATos and the turn and river fall A-A ... buh-bye.... I don't mind that one, as it was a mistake for him to call and he just caught lucky. But I feel like I should've seen the AK coming....

<font color="black"> </font>
Cris

[SlyAK]

Hi Cris,

As you know I am a newbie, so other people's advice will probably be better than mine. I like your bet of the pot after the flop, this is a strong bet and should give you the information you need. You mentioned that the BB was a tight player, and since he comes over the top I think you should fold. I have to put him on at least TPTK here, and possibly, although unlikely, a set of Kings. Folding will still leave you with approx. T2400 (if I can do math at 3 am), and a decent chance at winning. Even though I am very new at on-line poker and play for low money I already dislike AQ and KQ for this reason. I busted out of 2 tournaments in a row with AQ when an Ace came on the flop, and am now very cautious with that hand.

Hope this is at least slightly useful.

Sly

[Guy McSucker]

Now obviously I know nothing about this game and I might be letting the results influence me (by the way that's not a white font, at least not on my machine!), but...

the one big hand you've been involved in, which is the one the others will remember, you called a big bet on the river with one pair. This will project an image of someone who has some kind of hand when involved, and isn't the sort to put it down. For those reasons, a decent player is not bluffing here. He expects you to have a king I think, and is looking for a call, so you should disappoint him.

Guy.

[CrisBrown]

Hi Guy,

Yeah, it's not white font on my machine either and I can't figure out why.... I put the code in but it seems to be ignoring it. /images/graemlins/confused.gif

And yes, in retrospect, when I bet with what was obviously top pair and he came all-in behind me, I had to figure him for TPTK and get away from the hand.

BTW, in the prior hand that I'd won, it wasn't a river call. I was on the button with 89s (spades) and cold-called a 3xBB raise from LP. The big blind also called. The flop was 6-7-9 with two clubs and one spade, giving me top pair, an open end straight, and a backdoor flush draw. LP bet 120, I made it 360, and BB (who had checked) went all-in. I knew he hadn't called that pre-flop raise from out of position with T8 or 58, so I called his all-in. He had Q7clubs for second pair, a flush draw, and a backdoor straight draw. He didn't hit anything and I busted him.

Cris

[AJo Go All In]

[ QUOTE ]
I knew he hadn't called that pre-flop raise from out of position with T8 or 58

[/ QUOTE ]

since he had Q7, bad read.
also, backdoor straight?

[CrisBrown]

Hi AJ,

No, I'd read him for a flush draw, and that's what he had.

Cris

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

But I feel like I should've seen the AK coming

You read him as good and his preflop raise was a bit small, so you have to give him credit for a hand. A solid player wouldn't make that raise from the BB with A5, so there's really no draw. When he comes over the top on the flop, can you really put him on a K you can beat or QQ?

I'm not saying I wouldn't have gotten trapped here, too, but I'd also think I should've seen it coming.

[Schmed]

I think this is one of those situatons where you just got out played. If I were you I would have played it the exact same but I probably would have folded to his all in raise. (well at least I would hope I would fold....if I didn't I would be kicking myself saying the same thing you are....'I should have seen that AK coming.... /images/graemlins/grin.gif )

(the first time I read this I didn't see that he raised preflop so I edited this reply).

In thinking about the BB raising like that a lot of times I will fold a SB hand even one as good as KQ when the BB raises and the limper calls. My thinking is what hands is he raising with, do I want to be involved out of position with an iffy hand that he may have dominated, what does that limper have that he's just smooth calling....(I'm always cautious of ep limpers) ...I'm only in for half of a bet....let me get the heck out of here and be the aggressor later...... I don't remember if your KQ were suited...if they were then I would call and hope I hit some of my flush cards.

Being a solid player his raise from the BB had to mean that he had something pretty strong and he wanted to see how strong y'all were. My thinking would be big pocket, (k's-a's maybe, with J's or 10's I would think he would have raised more or just limped, q's less likely because u have one,) or big A, probably suited, (AK, AQ)

If he bluffed me out he bluffed me out but from your description of him this doesn't sound like the time he would be putting a move on you.


GL...sorry it didn't work out.....

[redwings03]

Don't think he would have flopped garbage two pair, he raised 200 pre flop, proceeded to get called by two players, then when confronted with a 600 bet on the flop from our poster here, pushed all his chips in. AA and AK come to mind very quickly in that situation since our poster described him as a solid player. The poster had 3200 (should lose 800 here) and make a run with the last 2400 which is very reasonable given the blind level. The only case I can make for calling is it puts you in a nice spot to win the sit and go and it's hard to make a lot of money in those deals unless you are outright winning on a semi regular basis. Thoughts???

[Schmed]

I...as I sometimes do... /images/graemlins/grin.gif missed that he raised from the BB......I was thinking he just checked and then went all in the SB bet......my bad....I edited my reply.... doh /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[CrisBrown]

Hiya redwing,

I agree with everything except the last sentence:

&lt;&lt;The only case I can make for calling is it puts you in a nice spot to win the sit and go and it's hard to make a lot of money in those deals unless you are outright winning on a semi regular basis.&gt;&gt;

Actually, with the two-table format at PokerStars, you can make a LOT of money at the SNGs, and you don't have to be taking 1st place every time to do it (although that helps).

I bought into PokerStars about two months ago with $175 and began at $11 two-table SNGS. I now have almost $2000, and can afford to play at $109 SNGs (though I usually focus on $55s). I've been holding fairly steady for the past couple of weeks, because I'm having to find and plug leaks in my game as I'm encountering better players.

In retrospect, winning this pot wouldn't have guaranteed me all that better a position than folding to the all-in (I'd still have had 2400 chips left). Given that, I suspect I'd have been wiser to dump it pre-flop, or had the discipline to check-fold on the flop when I didn't hit for two pair or my flush draw.

Cris

[redwings03]

True, Cris, two table does afford you a bit more "in the money, but not winning" finishes to still be profitable. That has to be the most disjointed thought ever, but I think you will be able to decipher what I mean. /images/graemlins/wink.gif I am glad you agreed with my initial analysis that you should have sniffed out his hand a little better and made a run with 2400. He pulled no punches with where he was at by raising pre and post flop and since you knew he was solid you gotta get away from that hand.

[Scooterdoo]

Chris, I read the other responses and agree with everyone else. His all-in coupled with his pre-flop raise really pointed to AA, KK or AK. I don't see what else he would have had unless he was a bad player. He must figure you for a 'K' so why go all-in here unless he can beat it?

When you decided to call what went through your mind? Did you put him on a hand? If so, what?

I just go knocked out on the 1st hand of a Party $100 SnG by an AK when I had AQ. See my post -- it's something like '1st hand in and I'm out'. I guess we have a kinship now &lt;g&gt;.