Bubble: Playing for first or spewing? ($22)
 

PartyPoker - NL Texas Hold'em $20 Buy-in + $2 Entry Fee Tournament | Level: 7 - 4 players (Converter: PGC)

BB is 17/7/1.6 (59)

Chip Counts:
Button: 1610 Chips
<font color="red">Hero: 2660 Chips</font>
BB: 2240 Chips
UTG: 1490 Chips

Hero is SB with T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
Blinds are 150/300

PreFlop
<font color="blue">UTG folds</font>, <font color="blue">Button folds</font>
<font color="green">Hero Calls</font>, <font color="green">BB checks</font>

(2 players) FLOP: 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ( Pot Size: 600 Chips )
<font color="red">Hero BETS ($500)</font>, <font color="red">BB RAISES ($1000)</font>
Hero is All-In, BB is All-In


2 Questions:

1) How is this preflop?
2) Is this played properly on the flop with 4 people left in the tourney?

Re: Bubble: Playing for first or spewing? ($22)
 

I think you played it fine.

A more interesting discussion would result if you had 2100 chips and your opponent 2600.

Re: Bubble: Playing for first or spewing? ($22)
 

Push preflop.

Push the flop.

By not getting your chips in first you are taking an unnecessary risk.

Re: Bubble: Playing for first or spewing? ($22)
 

I think willingly taking a coinflip here is terrible.

Re: Bubble: Playing for first or spewing? ($22)
 

I'm very tempted to push this preflop. It's fairly similar to the KJs SB hand I posted yesterday (where I like completing rather than raising), but differs in two aspects. One, QTs doesn't have the high card value KJs does. That extra pip is going to be big heads-up against a random hand. Two, BB has 7.5BB instead of 10BB. There's really not enough room left pot-odds-wise for you to fold to a reraise. I push this preflop.

I push the flop for the same reason. Never leave your opponent the illusion of having foling equity when he actually doesn't, unless you're begging for a call.

Re: Bubble: Playing for first or spewing? ($22)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Push preflop.

Push the flop.

By not getting your chips in first you are taking an unnecessary risk.

[/ QUOTE ]

I understand pushing the flop, and I'm not quite sure why I didn't do that here, but why exactly am I pushing pre-flop? Im only called by hands that beat me.

And this is the only opponent where losing the hand really crippled me.

Re: Bubble: Playing for first or spewing? ($22)
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm very tempted to push this preflop. It's fairly similar to the KJs SB hand I posted yesterday (where I like completing rather than raising), but differs in two aspects. One, QTs doesn't have the high card value KJs does. That extra pip is going to be big heads-up against a random hand. Two, BB has 7.5BB instead of 10BB. There's really not enough room left pot-odds-wise for you to fold to a reraise. I push this preflop.

I push the flop for the same reason. Never leave your opponent the illusion of having foling equity when he actually doesn't, unless you're begging for a call.

[/ QUOTE ]

I dunno, but pushing all in looks pretty conspicuous if you ask me... 2500 in a 600 chip pot?

Re: Bubble: Playing for first or spewing? ($22)
 

He could have as many as 21 outs here. This doesn't smell like a coinflip.

Re: Bubble: Playing for first or spewing? ($22)
 

[ QUOTE ]
but why exactly am I pushing pre-flop? Im only called by hands that beat me.

[/ QUOTE ]

That fact that you will only get called by hands that have you beat is not the point here since the majority of the time you push preflop you will win the pot uncontested. This coupled with the percentage of times you win when called make this play +EV

Re: Bubble: Playing for first or spewing? ($22)
 

Push preflop.

Barring that, check-raise all-in on the flop. Extra chips on the semibluff is always good.

Barring that, 3-bet all-in, cuz there's no way you're folding 15 near-nut outs, combined with 3 overcard outs.

You are picking up t450 chips a lot of the time here by pushing preflop. This is not a value bet. It is a semibluff. Most of your equity is coming from BB laying down, which against an average enemy player should happen 80% of the time.