KQ flops TPGK
 

One of those 45 people 10$ SNG's over at Stars. Reads on villain is that he havent been overly active even tho the table is shorthanded now (18 left I think or 19 or something like that). Am fairly new to the table but have been here while it's shorthanded so reads are a minimum but he have given me a good impression.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (6 handed) converter

MP (t4810)
Hero (t4393)
Button (t5648)
SB (t5734)
BB (t2890)
UTG (t3145)

Preflop: Hero is CO with K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP raises to t400</font>, Hero calls t400, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, BB calls t200.

Flop: (t1300) 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP bets t400</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t1200</font>, BB folds, <font color="#CC3333">MP raises to t4410</font>, Hero folds...

Good? Bad? Awful?

Re: KQ flops TPGK
 

Even though he's been pretty active, a fold PF is what I prefer.

You had to raise there, and you got the information you needed. I fold and hate it, but it's the right thing to do.

Re: KQ flops TPGK
 

I don't know about preflop, I can play these "dominated hands" pretty good and it's a cheap price to see the flop aswell as a shorthanded table. I don't know, it's either a monster or something like 77.

Wow, one reply? Come on guys, or is this really that standard?

Re: KQ flops TPGK
 

Preflop you're definately calling. Post flop since you have plenty of chips relative to the blinds against another big stack I would try and keep the pot small since I only have one pair. However you probably would have had to call more on 4th and 5th street, but you would have had more information. Raising certainly isn't a bad play but you do allow yourself to get semibluffed by two spades or K-J. The way it went I would fold and expect to have been behind the majority of the time. The only reason I said to keep the pot small against a big stack is because I heard Mike Matusow advocating this sort of play, and it has been working for me to avoid playing big pots when I am having no problem picking up blinds. Hope this was helpul.

Re: KQ flops TPGK
 

2 cents from a donkey luckbox in training, take with several grains of salt...

What has the vilian shown down previously? Have you seen him mini-raise before and if so, what did he show down?

With suited paint, I'm not sure how you can fold to a mini-raise pre-flop. I think you're looking for something a little more meaty than TPGK, as you are playing a decent hand that you need to be able to get away from if the Flop doesn't smack you. You'd pay 10% of your stack to hit a set at this point, wouldn't you?

Post-flop....When you raise, you have to know what you're trying to accomplish and as in chess, we should be thinking about what possible future outcomes of my actions are. By the end of this hand, you've stuck in nearly 1/3rd of your stack only to fold, leaving you with little operating room.

If you're raising to drive him out, then an extra 800 into a pot of 2100 really isn't gonna do it. If you're raising 'cause you think you have the best hand and want to get more money in the middle, fine. But why fold to the raise? If you weren't willing to go to the felt with your hand, then the raise does nothing but waste 800 chips for information you really don't know how to read.

I realize calling is usually the worst of our 3 options, but I don't know if a case couldn't be made for it here. A raise large enough to drive him out, will most likely tie you to the pot and folding just seems too weak to me.

As you played it, I'd have a hard time folding but hope I could find it in me. You're not too desperate but not in good shape either with T2700 behind.

You're obviously toast to AA, AK, KK (unlikely), 66 and 88. Ahead of 55-QQ and any suited-connector/flush draw.

You have no read as you stated, you don't know what the mini-raise means. Would he do it with a big pair, a small pair or any connector? What does his flop re-riase mean? Could he do that with a pure flush draw, would he do it with QQ-99 on a K high board, or does it mean he has a amde hand?

I can't fear the spades, call the T400 bet and re-evaluate on the Turn.

I feel like I'm rambling so I'll go make another drink [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: KQ flops TPGK
 

i think i like raising this preflop, it's 5 handed, and he just minraised, so i'm definitely not folding. on that flop i duunnno, first i wanted to raise and end going broke, but i think i might like calling better. if we raise and he pushes i think it's probably marginally +EV to call, i'd imagine he does that with some flush draws and lower PP's sometimes, maybe not enough though. Anynway, back to reasons for calling, not many cards in the deck will relaly scare you, you can pretty safely take another one and see what he does on the turn. Plus now if a spade comes you can try and represent that.

Re: KQ flops TPGK
 

I would play it like you did, Heaven. KQ suited is more than enough of a hand to call in these situations. I would raise to see if it's good, and then muck once I hit the strong resistance you did. If he did it with air, so be it.