Difficult spot

[rtucker5]

Here's the situation. We're 5 handed in a $30+$3 PL SNG on Party. Chipleader has been playing nearly every hand and is on fire. He has more than T4000 of the T8000 chips on the table. I am in second with around T2000. The other 3 are shortstacked and playing tight. Blinds T100/T200. I have the SB for this hand and the chipleader has the BB. Folded to me and pot it to T600 with AdKd. BB calls. He could literally have any 2 cards.

Flop:

JdTc4d

I flopped a gutshot straight draw and flush draw to go with my overcards. The BB will most likely call with any pocket pair or any piece of this board based on his play of previous hands. He may even call with as little as A high. I have about T1400 left and a T1200 pot. How should I proceed? How much of a bet will get me committed to play the pot to showdown?

[unfrgvn]

I'm going to take a shot at this one, but my caveat is I'm not an expert! I think you have to push all in here. A T200 bet into a T1200 pot won't make him fold, I don't think. Anything more than that and you're basically pot committed. You could check, but what do you do if he puts you all in? He might set you all in with a lower str8 draw or a lower flush draw. You have 12 outs that should give you the nut hand, plus another 6 that may make the best hand. I would go all in.

Doug, sitting back and waiting for the real experts opinions. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[steeser]

I completely agree that this is a great spot for you to push it.

1) He could fold and you take down a nice sized pot and are a virtual lock to make the money (and a great chance at 1st or 2nd).

2) He could call and you double up, putting you into the chip lead. With that many outs at the nuts, as well as the overcards, you have a great chance of making your hand.

3) He could call and you are still ahead, with him being on a lower flush or straight draw.

4) Or you get unlucky and lose, but content in the fact that you made a move on a pot in which you were most likely the favorite.

[DougBrennan]

In a similar situation in the future, you might consider pushing all-in pre-flop. My experience has been that with a big-stack playing, let's call it extravagantly, often the best approach is to let them know without doubt that you have a good hand are are willing to go all the way with it.

You would probably win only the blinds, but at this point that is a significant portion of your stack. As it is, you are now faced with a dificult decision, you may not have enough ammo left to get the big stack to fold, and you may no longer have the best hand. I would still probably push all-in here as well, but I wouldn't like it as much, and depending on the size of the shorter stacks, a check-fold strategy might, in any event, be the more prudent move.

[CrisBrown]

Hiya tucker,

I would check-raise all-in here. If he checks behind you, you get a free card to your draws. If he bets, I think you'll be getting good odds to move all-in, as it won't be that much of a raise and he's sure to call it. (twodimes is down right now or I'd verify that.)

This is a good spot to get all of your money in, if you can get all of his money in too. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Cris

[CrisBrown]

Hiya Doug,

This was pot-limit, not no-limit. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Cris

[ohkanada]

I would have raised all-in pre-flop. You are out of position against a huge stack with the best no pair hand.

I would be committed to the pot with that hand and flop and bet all-in. Although you potentially have 18 outs to make a pair or better, winning the pot now isn't the worst thing in the world.

Ken Poklitar

[rtucker5]

Thanks to all for responding. A couple of you said to raise more preflop. I rasied it the maximum I could.

[DougBrennan]

Duh!

That's what I get for making replys at 7:30 AM.

[rtucker5]

I decided to bet the pot, T1200, and commit myself to the hand. The reason for doing so was that I had a strong draw if I was behind and I didn't want to give him a free card if I was still leading. He called. The turn blanked and I got my last T200 in. I made the flush on the river. It turns out he outflopped me with ATo, so I got lucky.

Funny thing happened next time around. We were 4 handed and I open raised the SB with KJ and he called. I flopped broadway and he raised my flop bet all in. I had an easy call and his 2 pair didn't improve. He went from half the chips with 5 left, to out on the bubble in 4th. Gotta love Party players!

[ohkanada]

"It turns out he outflopped me with ATo, so I got lucky."

Even if he had the Td, you are still the favorite on the flop!

Ken Poklitar