First to act, raising KQ, Bad Idea?
 

Final table of a Rebuy tournament

I have about 98k Average stack is 110k
Blinds are 5000/10000

I'm two off the button, and everyone folds to me.

I have KQo

I raise to 25k

All fold but the BB who calls. I've only been at the final table with him for a few minutes so I don't have a solid read on the guy.

Flop comese 8 8 7
I bet out 25k
He calls
Turn card is a rag,
I check, he checks.
River an Ace.
I decide I'm going to take a stab at it, and move 30k into the pot (leaving me with 15k)

He calls and shows down 72s

Was my raise of KQo way out of line?
Thoughts? Comments?

Jeanie

Re: First to act, raising KQ, Bad Idea?
 

How many people were at the table? Since you said you just got to the table I am assuming at least 8. With the blinds super high I might consider just folding for sure. You are not losing anything by folding and only risking a big chunk of your stack by raising...the raise to 25K MIGHT seem a little weak, who knows though...A better raise might have been to 35K by that is too much of your stack to risk if someone comes back over the top of you...

Re: First to act, raising KQ, Bad Idea?
 

10 handed final table.

Re: First to act, raising KQ, Bad Idea?
 

KQ is too good of a hand not to play in this situation. When the average stack is only 11x the big blind, you're simply going to have to mix it up at some point and hope the cards are in your favor.

There is a rule of thumb that says with less than 10x the big blind, you should either go all-in or fold. Your stack was right on the borderline so I don't have a problem with the move you made. I'm assuming that if someone made a big reraise you were prepared to fold; otherwise you should just go all-in from the start.

With the nut no-pair hand on the river I think you should have just shown it down. Very few hands that can beat you will fold here.