Hand from the Borgata Open Warmup
 

Consider this a Part One post.

This tourney was $1,000+80. 10k chips to start, 40 minute levels. Blinds start at 25-50.

Level 3, 75-150. I have about 8k (cold cards, too bad b/c I was looking to splash around early on). My image is probably tight and I think it looks like I know what I'm doing even tho I've won only one pot.

Villain in this hand seems to be at least decent and is a thinking player. At the time I thought he was pretty good. We've been involved in one hand prior to this. He limped for 50 in EP, I raised to 175 in LP w/ AJ and we were heads up. Flop was QTx, he checked, I bet 250, he minraised and I called. Turn was a Jack and I folded when he bet 1500, tho I briefly considered raising (he didn't seem to like that turn card) to represent AK.

On to the hand. It folds to him in LP and he raises to 450. He had about 6500 to start the hand (I had 8k). He raised when it was folded to him on the prior hand.

I have AQ in the BB and raise it 1100 more. He calls. About 3300 in the pot.

Flop is A96 rainbow.

Can a reasonable argument be made for checking, and would you actually do that in the heat of the moment?

thanks much.

Rest of the hand to follow.

Re: Hand from the Borgata Open Warmup
 

Sure to induce him to bluff? If you check and he bets are you calling or raising? I would think just call and lead turn. It is weird though when people reraise preflop and check a flop. Would you have reraised preflop with 55 - TT? How would you have plyaed KK/QQ/JJ on this flop? Why didn't you raise the turn in the first hand? Too overaggressive for tourney poker? Just curious.

Re: Hand from the Borgata Open Warmup
 

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Can a reasonable argument be made for checking, and would you actually do that in the heat of the moment?

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I could and would all the time. You lose your stack to AK that way, but since the pot is now 2.5K and you're gonna have to bet at least 1500, you probably lose it to him anyhow.

Every other realistic hand has ~2 outs, so let him bluff.

Re: Hand from the Borgata Open Warmup
 

Tyler,

If you don't mind, how many players did that tourney draw? Did you get a peek at the room they plan to use for the WPT next week? If so please share.

I don't think a check is unreasonable here but I probably prefer a standard continuation bet hoping he moves OTT against me with a weaker ace.

Re: Hand from the Borgata Open Warmup
 

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I don't think a check is unreasonable here but I probably prefer a standard continuation bet hoping he moves OTT against me with a weaker ace.

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I agree. My guess is he is overplaying a hand by calling your pre-flop reraise.

Re: Hand from the Borgata Open Warmup
 

well, I don't like the rr. now that the pot's 2200 or so I want to extract what I can and checking looks like the best way since it's WA/WB. probably time to read responses now but betting and getting raised doesn't feel right here.

Re: Hand from the Borgata Open Warmup
 

I think if he's a good player, and he knows you're a good player, he's going to know that your check is a trap. I mean, if I'm him, and I have 77, I'm definitely taking the free card.

I dunno... I can't decide. I don't think checking is too bad either. What'd you do?

Re: Hand from the Borgata Open Warmup
 

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Sure to induce him to bluff? If you check and he bets are you calling or raising? I would think just call and lead turn. It is weird though when people reraise preflop and check a flop. Would you have reraised preflop with 55 - TT? How would you have plyaed KK/QQ/JJ on this flop? Why didn't you raise the turn in the first hand? Too overaggressive for tourney poker? Just curious.

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I thought about checking b/c it seems like I'm either way ahead or way behind and if I bet, it's likely that I'll only get action if I'm beat.

I think I would have reraised w/ 88 and better. If I had KK-TT on this flop I'd probably bet.

I didn't raise the turn on that AJ hand b/c I just didn't like the idea. A minraise would have been to 3k and I usually hate raising the minimum, so it would have cost almost half my stack to represent AK.

Also I didn't feel like playing a huge pot in a marginal situation early on b/c I think my skill advantage would help me out the longer I played. But that cuts both ways, many opps. don't want to play those large pots early on either.

Re: Hand from the Borgata Open Warmup
 

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Tyler,

If you don't mind, how many players did that tourney draw? Did you get a peek at the room they plan to use for the WPT next week? If so please share.



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The tourney had 220 entrants. First place paid $70,400. I didn't see the Event Center, which is where the Open is being held next week.

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I don't think a check is unreasonable here but I probably prefer a standard continuation bet hoping he moves OTT against me with a weaker ace.

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I'm unsure about this part. His raise looked like your garden-variety steal attempt. When I reraise him, which weaker Ace is a) calling preflop and b) then giving a good player the cajones to move OTT (he must fear that I have an Ace if I bet)?

Re: Hand from the Borgata Open Warmup
 

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well, I don't like the rr.

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I briefly considered flatcalling it preflop but given that it looked like a steal attempt, my default here is to reraise and take it down preflop rather than playing a pot out of position. Wouldn't it be too easy to fold the best hand on the flop if my hand does not improve? And there are other factors as well.