Commerce 10-20 NL AA hand

[Ulysses]

10-20NL. You have a big stack (10k+) and have the table way covered. You have a pretty solid image. You are in MP w/ AcAh.

Pretty tight, pretty straightforward, OK-playing kid (2850) opens for 70 in early position. At this table, standard open is 50-80 bucks, so this means a decent hand but doesn't necessarily indicate anything special. You decide to make it 150. Everyone folds and he calls.

Flop is QdKc2d

Pot 300. He checks. You bet 300. He calls.

Turn is As(QdKc2d)

Pot 900. He checks. You bet 600. He pushes.

3900 in the pot. 1800 to call.

Thoughts?

[gomberg]

I put the kid on AK or QQ and call. If he has a TJs or something, so be it. looks like a slowplayed QQ to me.

[sniperd]

I don't think I can lay this down, I call. If he has JT, you still have outs to boat it. I agree, looks like a slowplayed QQ, KK, or AK.

[schwza]

Happily call. Why'd you make such a small reraise before the flop?

[ML4L]

Call. He has QQ. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

ML4L

[ML4L]

Seriously, the crux of the hand is how you'd play AK. If you'd back it with your stack against that kid, the flop is where the action should take place. If you'd fold it to a check-raise, he screwed up the turn royally, cause isn't getting called unless he's beat (I guess AKdiamonds calls).

So, from his point, it's either check-raise the flop and move-in when you reraise like he knew you will, or check-call and then lead the turn when the A comes and hope that you put him on AK, AJdiamonds, etc.

You played the hand well... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

ML4L

[Jon Matthews]

Would someone raise with JTs in EP? At those stakes possibly, but I think the chances he's got it are about the same as the percentage that you'll fill up, so I would call. I think he's trying to make two pair fold, so he might have a lower set?

Jon.

[fsuplayer]

I would call everytime given the way the hand was played. You have outs if you are behind, but there are many other hands he would play this way which you can beat.

BTW As another poster already commented, why the smallish reraise on the flop?
The pot is $10+20+70 +70(your call)=170
Your raise only made it only $80 to him. Which he should call with a huge variety of hands including suited or any pairs correctly.

I think $175 would be better here, but I am sure that you "decided" $150 for a reason, perhaps your table image, previous hands?

Please explain, as being the first to enter the hand with AA after an EP raise can be very tricky, as you dont want to push others out, but you dont want them to call w/o making a mistake.

I think Ciaffone advocated a larger reraise there, but I would be interested in your take, Diablo.

Thanks,

FsuPlayer

[DcifrThs]

he wouldn't raise JT here preflop i don't think.

if he did, good for him...call. plus you got a draw to the niggity nut boat if you are behind.

his most likely hand is either KK or QQ imo.

-Barron

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
he wouldn't raise JT here preflop i don't think.

[/ QUOTE ]

Effective stacks at this table are 3000+. If he decides to play JT from EP (which he just might), he's just as likely to open it for 70 as he is AA. In these games, many players will open for a standard amount with any hand they decide to play. If you say "he wouldn't play JT from early position" that's one thing. But opening for 70 here should not be looked at as a "raise" in the limit sense of the term.

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
I think $175 would be better here, but I am sure that you "decided" $150 for a reason, perhaps your table image, previous hands?

[/ QUOTE ]

With effective stacks of $3000+ at this table, there is absolutely no difference between making it $150 or $175.

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
Seriously, the crux of the hand is how you'd play AK. If you'd back it with your stack against that kid, the flop is where the action should take place.

[/ QUOTE ]

Backing AK w/ your stack against this kid on the flop is probably not the greatest idea. He's pretty tight and not an idiot, so TPTK for $3000 w/ $300 in the pot pre-flop is probably a losing proposition.

[ QUOTE ]
If you'd fold it to a check-raise, he screwed up the turn royally, cause isn't getting called unless he's beat (I guess AKdiamonds calls).

[/ QUOTE ]

On the turn, w/ one less Ace available, backing AK becomes a closer call, but I still think it's a laydown v. this kid.

[tewall]

The pot's laying you a little better than 2 to 1. If you're behind you've got 10 outs I guess which is a little better than 20% chance to win. So you'd have to be dead certain you were beat not to call.

I like your betting the turn in this situation since you have a better hand than he's likely to put you on, so you can expect good action from a hand like a lower set or top 2 pair.

[turnipmonster]

one of the best tells is no limit is to see if someone was considering a reraise and then calls. you can almost always tell. anyways, I would not have the kid on JT here. his raise may not mean much, but what decent player calls with JT out of position vs. a solid raiser? anyways, if he was loose enough to call with JT, he would have played back at me with that flop. so I can't put him on JT.

as such, easy call. I give him JJ or QQ /images/graemlins/wink.gif If I'm wrong and he's got JT, ni han, I have outs.

--turnipmonster

[DcifrThs]

he's not gunna limp with JTs. i meant that i dont think he's going to be in there with it at all...

sorry for the mixup.

-Barron

[ML4L]

Hey Diablo,

How do you play the flop if he leads his QQ and you have AA? What about if you have AK?

Just trying to piece things together...

ML4L

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
How do you play the flop if he leads his QQ and you have AA? What about if you have AK?


[/ QUOTE ]

El Diablo was a spectator in this hand. El Diablo would maybe just call the flop w/ AA or AK and see what happens next.

[ML4L]

Well, it sounds like the Hero with AA plays good and that the kid with QQ is gonna have a tough time making money with his hand the times that it is good...

Given the fact that the holder of AA would not raise a lead, my vote is for QQ to check-raise the flop and put AA to a decision. If AA can lay down, hell of a play. Given the check-call, QQ should lead that turn; a check-raise will only be called by a better holding. AA did fine betting when checked to.

I think that's it?

ML4L

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
Well, it sounds like the Hero with AA plays good

[/ QUOTE ]

Real good.

[ QUOTE ]
and that the kid with QQ is gonna have a tough time making money with his hand the times that it is good...

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, because....

[ QUOTE ]
Given the fact that the holder of AA would not raise a lead, my vote is for QQ to check-raise the flop and put AA to a decision. If AA can lay down, hell of a play.

[/ QUOTE ]

...Hero could definitely lay down to a big checkraise on the flop.

[Ulysses]

I was sitting next to the kid in this hand. When he checkraised all-in, AA tanked for a while, had the dealer count down the kid, thought about it some more (and looked like he was counting the pot in his head) and finally said "OK, I'll play with you" and called.

River was a small diamond.

Kid said "I just have a set" in about the most devastated sounding voice you can imagine and Hero flipped over his AA.