Heads Up Situation

[MLG]

I've lurked here for a while and I've finally decided to actively start trying to improve my play instead of just passively reading. To that end, this hand came up last night in a heads-up tourney (sattelite to the wcoop $200) event.

It was the final round of the sat. so we both started with 6000 chips. When this hand came up I was in the lead approx. 7500-4500 and we were at the second level of blinds (60-120). I had K /images/graemlins/diamond.gif Q /images/graemlins/diamond.gif in the big blind when my opponent raised to 360. Up untill this point the preflop action had been fairly conservative. There were a lot of raise and take it hands, and almost no reraising. Infact this was the first hand of the match that I reraised, and I made it 1200 to go. He called and we looked at a flop of A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 10 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 10 /images/graemlins/club.gif I bet 1500 into the 2400 pot figuring I'd be happy to take this pot down now, and even if he had an Ace (a good possibility since he had called my reraise) I still had a lot of outs to win. My opponent moved all in for his last 3700 (a raise of 2200 more) and I called figuring I was behind and needed a little luck but that my pot odds clearly justified the call.

I'd appreciate any thoughts on the hand either the pre or post flop play. One other thing to consider is that the winner of this match gets a 200 dollar seat, and the loser gets his 33 dollar entry back. Hopefully this will be the first post of many as I try to get better.

[cferejohn]

I probably would have tried to check-raise all-in on that flop, hoping it might get him to lay down a so-so ace. I think you definitely need to call once he puts you all-in. Hopefully you weren't up against AA, TT, or AT (but even if you were, hey you've still got 1 out).

I probably would have just called with the KQs preflop. Now you've invested so many chips that you almost have to go ahead and play this hand for all your chips with that flop.

[MLG]

I thought about checking and decided against it. I figured that any bet he would make would pretty much pot commit him, and the last thing I wanted was for him to make a crying call with an ace that he would have laid down if I bet at him instead of check raising. Also I reraised before the flop as much because I wanted to see how willing he was to lay down to a reraise before the flop (that way I could better grasp how frequently I could make this play at him) and decided a hand like KQ suited was the perfect oppurtunity because I could lay it down without a second thought if he came back over me.

[Frogger]

I agree with the check-raise on the flop all in. Unless he has you beat, he won't be calling you. When he raises you all in, he puts you at about a 50/50 decision on your tournament life. If you raise him all in, you know that if he folds, you win a big pot and if he calls that you still have a decent chance at living.

[cferejohn]

[ QUOTE ]
Also I reraised before the flop as much because I wanted to see how willing he was to lay down to a reraise before the flop (that way I could better grasp how frequently I could make this play at him) and decided a hand like KQ suited was the perfect oppurtunity because I could lay it down without a second thought if he came back over me.

[/ QUOTE ]

You could? That would be an FTOP mistake against any underpair, and he certainly might push with JJ-99 here. I'd rather make this move with something like 89s that is much easier to get away from postflop if you miss, and also will be well disguised if you hit a hand...

[gcDanno]

As I learned very well the other night, KQs is NOT a re-raising hand. It is a drawing hand. As CFERJOHN notes as well, just call with it. However, because of your re-raise, I would not put him on AA as he did not re-raise you all in, so I would assume either AK/AQ or possibly TT/AT. You are definitly behind in the hand, and might need the 1 outer to hit.

If you fold the hand, you still are even up in chips, and if you feel you are the better player, then folding is probably the correct thing. If you feel that he may be a better player, then give it a shot.

gc

[AceKQJT]

I think calling pre-flop would be a better choice than re-raising. If I had made the re-raise, then saw that flop, I'm pretty sure I would have pushed right then and there. My reasons:

This is a pretty dangerous flop. If I check, and he pushes...will I call? Yep, I'm sure I would. Would I like to take the pot down right now? Absolutely...I'd just as soon not see another card. When I push on this flop, my opponent is gonna have to make a descision for all of his chips. With that flush draw / possible full house out there, his AK is gonna start to look inadequate. He very well may lay down a number of hands that are beating me now.

I prefer the push over the check-raise, because his next bet could be all-in. Then I would have 0 chances of him laying down a better hand. I'm not going to get too tricky in this situation.

That's my 2 cents,
--Casey

[MLG]

Well, that would depend on the range of hands I would put my opponent moving all in on. After having played with him for about 15 mins I didn't think he would rereraise all-in with anything less than a premium hand (the only hands i feel I'd be wrong for folding to in these circumstances are 99 1010 JJ. AA KK QQ AK AQ which all have dominated) In my opinion this opponent would have only called with A-J A-10 or 88. Thus im choosing between being a small underdog or a very big one, or I can fold still having the chip lead with manageable sized blinds and I can fold confidently.

[SossMan]

[ QUOTE ]
I would not put him on AA as he did not re-raise you all in,

[/ QUOTE ]

Be careful with this line of thinking...players (correctly?) get tricky preflop w/ monster hands heads up. Dont automatically discount AA/KK just because you put the last raise in preflop.

[MLG]

In a heads up match I don't think its right to automatically assume such a strong hand simply because he raised before the flop. Hands like 7-7 K-J and A-6 are in my mind real possibilities for my opponent here after he calls my reraise.

[SossMan]

That's right, MLG...sort of goes w/ my previous post. It's much harder to narrow down an opponents holdings preflop when it's heads up than at a full table.

[gcDanno]

I love it when people slow play AA, especially the ones who will not fold to an opponents all in postflop.

[MLG]

My opponent had A /images/graemlins/club.gif 8 /images/graemlins/club.gif and I bricked out. I think no matter what the betting order, the money was going in on this flop as if he called my reraise with Ace 8 (a debatable, but certainly not clearly wrong decision) he was going to play any ace he flopped for all his chips.

[gcDanno]

As suspected, you were a dog here, but not an overwhelming one.

http://twodimes.net/h/?z=365952
pokenum -h kd qd - ac 8c -- ad td tc
Holdem Hi: 990 enumerated boards containing Tc Ad Td
cards win %win lose %lose tie %tie EV
Kd Qd 413 41.72 576 58.18 1 0.10 0.418
Ac 8c 576 58.18 413 41.72 1 0.10 0.582

[SossMan]

It's all situational...there are times I will smooth call preflop heads up w/ AA. It's usually against an aggressive postflop player who I know I can trap later on if I let him have the lead. Other times, if I have been the aggressor, I will continue to be aggressive with AA pre and post flop.

[MLG]

yup, a clearly potstuck dog /images/graemlins/mad.gif