Live tournament, early hand A2s in BB
 

Live freefroll tournament. Guess it's a mix of bad to good players (no read on any yet). Blinds are 100-200, and everybody have around 5500-6500 chips (I still have 6000 and haven't played a hand yet).

EP2, MP2 and SB limps in, and I check in the BB with Ac2c.

Flop is JJ8, two clubs. Everybody checks.

Turn is Ah. SB checks, I bet 500. EP2 and MP2 folds. SB raises to 1500. I call.

River is Qs. SB bets 1500.

What's his hand, and do I call?

Re: Live tournament, early hand A2s in BB
 

He has trip jacks.

I'd say he whiffed a check raise on the flop and figured somebody would bet the turn with an ace, and he could then check raise. Fold.

Re: Live tournament, early hand A2s in BB
 

Yeah, that's what I thought. Maybe he limped in with JT, J9 or Jxs. So I folded.

He sure represented trip jacks. But wasn't it a bit risky for him then to give a free card twice? He probably knew that anyone betting on the turn would have an ace, so why not try a check-raise bluff? Also, was the half-pot sized bet on the river a good value bet (probably not since I folded)?

Re: Live tournament, early hand A2s in BB
 

my first inclination was to call here, but i think i like a fold. the bet is only 1500 into 3800, so you only have to be good here 22%, but you're not going to scoop this pot very often at all - you're chopping if anything.

Re: Live tournament, early hand A2s in BB
 

Good point about not being able to scoop very often if I call. Him check-raising with an ace would be a good move here if he puts me on an ace as well, as he's very, very likely to either win the pot or chop it. Hmmmm.