Interesting Hand

[Jason Strasser]

This is a very interesting hand, I do not normally make plays like this, but I'm curious what you all think of it.

30+3 NL HE SNG on Party. Interestingly enough, the Million Dollar winner MonsterP is at the table, no idea why. I'm dealt 4 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 3 /images/graemlins/spade.gif on the button. Blinds are 15/30, we are nine handed, and I have T630, below average.

MonsterP, who is not a big part of this hand, limps in EP, one other person limps in MP, I decide to limp from the button. SB completes (who has T520), BB checks.

Flop: A /images/graemlins/heart.gif 5 /images/graemlins/club.gif 7 /images/graemlins/club.gif

SB bets out the minimum 30 chips, MonsterP calls, MP folds, and its on me. I decide to raise it to 125, to buy me a free card with my 8 clean outs, and to possibly buy the pot right there. SB calls, Monster P folds.

Turn: Q /images/graemlins/spade.gif

SB checks, I check.

River: 2 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

SB bets 70, I push all in, he calls, shows A2, for a rivered 2 pair, and leaves the table in digust.

Three Questions:
1) Like the play?
2) If you missed on the river, do you try to buy the pot? What about if the third club comes?
3) Why is MonsterP, who just won 250k, playing a 30 SNG?

Thanks

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

my 8 clean outs

I see 8 outs to the str8, 6 of which are clean.

[Jason Strasser]

Excuse me, you are right. Two outs are probably good but are definately not clean, excuse the slip. What do you think of the play?

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

I like the semi-bluff. To buy the pot on the river is going to require that you risk the rest of your chips, so you better be sure of your read. As you can see, 2-pair won't fold, but maybe TP/no kicker might.

[Jonathan]

Hi Jason,

1) i like your play. Well played

2) No. If you miss the river, you check and fold

3) MonsterP is playing because he likes to play poker

Regards,
Jonathan

[cferejohn]

That MonsterP would play in a $30 event isn't terribly surprising. I found EDOGN on Pokerstars (Erik Lindgren, who recently won a WPT event and regularly is seen being the "1 of 2" in the $1000 and $5000 heads-up sit-n-goes) in a $10+1 rebuy event, and Chris Moneymaker still shows up in $50 and $100 buy-in events.

[Jason Strasser]

Hehe, all I know is that if I won 250k, I'd probably be sitting comfortably at the 200 tables =). I guess old habits are hard to break.

[NotMitch]

I dont like putting 5% of my stack in with 43s pre flop very much.

[Jason Strasser]

A little deception/creativity in no limit is part of the game. This isnt a normal play for me, but I like mixing it up once in a while.

[NotMitch]

With deeper stacks I agree, but I think you don't have the implied odds here that make the deception worth while.

[Jason Strasser]

No implied odds? Correct me I'm wrong, but implied odds are improved if you think your opponent will pay you off when you hit. And the way he was playing in the tourny so far, I think there is a decent chance he would've paid me off even without hitting the two pair on the river.

[NotMitch]

The key is your stack size, sure you have the implied odds but you stack isn't big enough to make me think playing the hand isn't a bad idea.