(22) please tell me if this is a bad fold

Given that Villian didn't raise preflop, we can rule out AK (unless he plays like me). However, KQ, 66, 55, and 65 are very real threats. There is also the possibility of him semi-bluffing a flush draw or an outside straight draw. If the semi-bluff is an ace-high flush draw, then you are introducing unnecessary variance early in the tourney (12 outs with two cards to come, unless you have a diamond, which is still 11 outs with two cards to come). Even if it's an outside straight draw, you still only win the pot 2/3 of the time. One possibility is to call, and if no draw hits, put a strong bet in on the turn, but that's risking too many chips in this marginal situation. The only hands you have beaten more than 70/30 are [KT,K7]. Fold and save your chips for later.

[lastchance]

Again, I prefer checking and seeing how the hand develops. OOP sucks, the only thing that represents real strength is a check-raise or a 3-bet, and check-raising saves you a lot of chips.

OOP, the only weapons you have are the check-raise and the 3-bet. Leading without being able to 3-bet can put you in a world of hurt. So, I tend to check a lot OOP to try to save chips in spots like these.

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Your goal in Party's STTs is to get to level 4 (50-100) with at least 600 chips preferably 650

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Can a seasoned veteran back me up in saying that this is really bad advice. The goal is to have MORE chips than when you started.

Also, calling 1/3 of the BB is not horrible, if the OP can get away from his hand when a flop like this comes than he has every right to play it. I don't think the OP did anything wrong in this hand.

The problem I have with Check/raising is that it allows the villians to draw for free, which is very bad for a hand as vunreble as this.

The check-raise and the stop-and-go are great weapons here out of position, especially in cash game play or when you are deeply stacked in a tournament. However, both plays require an investment of about 100-150 more chips than our hero already invested, meaning that they actually cost more if against an opponent who will only raise the hero's bet with a better hand in the first place. Simply put, these are the types of hands that cripple players or eliminate them. In a cash game, I like calling the raise and immediately throwing a bet out on the turn, since the increased liklihood of semi bluffing there makes it more likely that your hand is best, making it +EV chipwise. In a STT, the hero's hand MAY still be slightly +EV chipwise (I still think it's crushed though), but the expected profit is so small, that it's better to fold, guaranteeing that you won't be crippled when the all-in war begins.

An interesting consideration is to change the hero's hand from KJ to AK. Assume that everything is the same pre-flop. How do you play from the flop onward? If you throw out the same 55 bet that the hero did and get raised, how do you respond?

[downtown]

I play the hand the same way as the OP and it's not really close.

[unreal_nh]

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An interesting consideration is to change the hero's hand from KJ to AK. Assume that everything is the same pre-flop. How do you play from the flop onward? If you throw out the same 55 bet that the hero did and get raised, how do you respond?

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interesting... yeah, i would really like to know what some of you would do here. call the raise.. then check/call the turn? or reraise? i certainly cant see myself folding in this situation.

[valenzuela]

PrF: the call is fine.
PoF: I much rather check...I might call a 15 bet...

[Cactus Jack]

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The fold is fine given your line of play. Your goal in Party's STTs is to get to level 4 (50-100) with at least 600 chips preferably 650, since fold equity in later levels is how to pump up the ROI. No need to risk any more chips in a situation where you are most likely beaten.


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Well, this is going to be interesting. I'm with ya on this. While I would prefer to have more chips at 50/100 than when I started, the risk for me is having much less. I can pick my fights at Level 4 and beyond with 600-700 chips. Less than that, I'm working my butt off. Getting more chips early requires that I risk more, when playing any hand is more risky. Conserving chips is more EV for me than gaining chips.

If there weren't more than one way to play, nobody would play.

This hand, I'd put in 5TC to see the flop. Unless it hits absolutely perfectly for me, I'm done. I've only got one or two chances to get chips without getting in trouble. This is one of those. Any more chips in, and this is the ONLY one.

Here's another scenario. Same hand. Instead of a K, high card is a J. Does this change the way you play?

CJ

nh unreal

Am I the only one who feels like people are consistently taking the "play tight early" advice a little too far?

[valenzuela]

My goal is to reach level 4 with the most chips as possible.