How Do You Play Middle/Big Pairs Facing a Re-raise?

[Eric Draven]

What should my standard play be here?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t150 (5 handed) converter

Hero (t3540)
MP (t4170)
Button (t2270)
SB (t1310)
BB (t2210)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
<font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t450</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises to t1000</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, Hero ?

[NYCNative]

What's the buy-in? At the 11s he could easily have a decent Ace but it's also possible he has something like Jacks. I probably don't make the push.

[Eric Draven]

I forgot to mention, I play Stars 10+1's... No reads...

[Big Limpin']

Well, you obviously have to call, his reraise simply is not large enough to stop you from seeing that flop. But, i see the stack sizes, so hes only left with t1200 and you guys are seing a flop with a t2k pot.

Hmmm, maybe that considered, you would be okay to fold, as calling doesnt just cost you t550 now, it almost certainly will be t1200 more on any board. I still think you gotta call, unless you have a particularly good reason to put him on JJ/QQ/KK/AA.

MY plan, if i called (and i call not push back, cause i want the chance, if he has just high broadway, to bar him from seeing 5 board cards), is to lead/push on any board that has less than 2 overs to yer TT. I'm not "crazyinluv" with the stop-and-go like alot of others, but here it is the only way to go if you play the hand.

So, i'd call the t550 raise unless i had some sort of read, and stop-nad-go on any board unless its mega-scary (i.e. 3 overs, or AKx, or something of that sort)... If thats the case, check/fold i suppose.

Just my line, others may differ.
What did you do?

[Freudian]

Feels like a trapping raise. Without any read it is hard to know though.

[LeVoodoo]

[ QUOTE ]
So, i'd call the t550 raise unless i had some sort of read, and stop-nad-go on any board unless its mega-scary (i.e. 3 overs, or AKx, or something of that sort)... If thats the case, check/fold i suppose.


[/ QUOTE ]

I dunno. Isn't part of the stop-n-go concept that the board should be scary, because it's got to scare your opponents too. AKx may be a brilliant flop if villain has JJ or QQ. Although with 1200 left in his stack, he may say fark it and call even with two overs to his high pocket pair.

I'd probably fold preflop if I had no reads.

[Big Limpin']

[ QUOTE ]
I probably don't make the push.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dont assume that push is a neccesary knee-jerk for any hand you like, where a pot is building. I mention in my response, he might have a PP (bigger/smaller whatever), or he might not. YOu get dealt 2 big cards alot more than big PPs. IF you have TT and he has AK/AQ/(hey its 10+1) AJ/KQ, you DONT WANT TO GET HIM ALLIN. You want to let him see 3 board cards, and then be faced with a decision if he wants to draw with his overs. TT vs Ak ~50/50 if you stack off , but on the flop, its more like 2-1 against him having paired up. Give him the chance to fold if he airballs.

[Big Limpin']

Fair enough. May make two possible hands fold the best hand. WAY more often he doesnt have QQ/JJ. I'm only working with my gut here, but i'd suspect that the likelyhood of you making a better hand fold (or even a smaller PP pick up the pot) on a AKx flop is less than taht of him having paired it, or stubbornly callinghis QQ/JJ.
Meh, who knows. and besides, the flop prolly isnt that scary most of the time.

Also, if you end up getting wonked with a better hand, you have t2300 if you check/folded and t1300 if you sng that sacary baord.