A Kill Game Situation

You are in a game with a full kill (I'm thinking of the foxwoods/mohegan $5-10 full kill game here, athough I'm sure there are others) and you are the big blind. The killer is somewhere in middle position. It is folded to the killer and he checks his option (killer acts in turn, not last). Now it is folded to you in the big blind. What hands do you play here?


Here is a summary of the situation:

1) You can see the flop for half a small bet and your call will close the betting action.

2) No one has voluntarily put money into the pot.

3) Your opponent has two random cards. In fact, probably worse than random since a lot of people raise out of their kill when folded to with a fairly wide range of hands (and are probably right to do so, although that's another topic).

4) You will be out of position for the remainder of the hand.

We might play it different, but the killer acts last in an unraised pot doesn't he? He only acts in turn if there is a raise before him. Is it different at Foxwoods & Mohegan?

Yes, at foxwoods he acts in turn. In games where the killer acts last, when to call in the situation I gave would be the same as when to call out of the small blind in a non-kill game when folded to.

Actually, it wouldn't be completely identical to being the small blind in a non-kill game since the fact that the small blind in the kill game situation has folded puts more dead money in the pot.

TAJ-20-40...first hand. UTG calls, 2 limpers call, cut-off raises, SB calls, and I, the BB, holding Kh5h reraise. Everyone calls except the original raiser who caps. All call. Flop QhJd6h. SB checks, BB bets, limpers call, cut-off raises, SB calls, BB re-raises, limpers call, cut-off caps. All call. Turn Ah (the nuts). SB checks, BB bets, limpers fold, cut-off calls, SB raises, BB re-raises. Both call. River Ts. SB ckecks, BB bets, cut-off calls, SB exposes AA and folds.


Decided to re-raise understanding that either calling or re-raising were bad plays but if I was going to hit my hand, it might as well be a bigger pay-off.


1) how badly did I play this hand?

2) what were the odds against me?

3) who played this hand the best?

1. Anytime you make a play (re-raising pre-flop here) and you know it's an incorrect play, then you've got a problem with your game. Why would you do this? And on your first hand? It sounds like you've got no discipline when you sit at the table.


The hand is played well after the flop. Then again, you had the nuts on the turn and river so any fish could play it well too.


2. Odds were bad enough.


3. Well, we don't know what the others had so it's hard to answer. The SB played his AA much too passively. If he had 3-bet pre-flop, you may have folded. Of course, you may also have capped. Did the cutoff flop a big set?

No D... the cut-off called the river w/AKd. The set of AA's folded!

I would only play a fairly premium hand. The fact that if you miss the flop and have to check, your opponent can bet makes the hand difficult to play.


You are correct that your opponent has shown apparent weakness; still, though, you must play heads up out of position. This is a pretty big challenge.


Specifically, I would play a pair 8 or better and raise with it. Also AK, AQ, AJ or AT. I would also add any ace or two highly coordinated big cards like KQ.


I would not play small pairs, any ace, JT etc.


My final note is that this advice is not knowing my opponent. If I were playing against a highly aggressive and tricky opponent I would cut down on the hands from above. If I were playing against a weak tight player I would add a few and raise out of the big blind with all of them. This is a situation where you are largely playing the player as much as the cards.

You can play a lot of hands in this situation. Throw away bad ones though. I'd play: 22,Axs,Ax,Kxs,K7,Q4s,Q9,65s,98,75s,J9, T7s. Raise with the better hands. You should bet any flop since you are getting a little better than 4:1.


Rob

Thanks Rob, that sounds like a very reasonable range of hands.