Strangely Played Hand in 10K at Harrahs
 

Tough table at beginning of tournament. Everybody has $10,000. Blinds 25 and 50. Two early limpers. Hero limps in middle position with two black aces. Two late limpers. Flop QdTd4h. Small blind is Jennifer Harmon who bets out $400. All fold! How bad did hero play this hand?

Re: Strangely Played Hand in 10K at Harrahs
 

hero?

Re: Strangely Played Hand in 10K at Harrahs
 

I think Hero played the hand poorly.

Hero should have put a large raise on the limpers.

Also giving an outstanding player like Harmon a chance to cheaply crack your black bullets is a crime.

Re: Strangely Played Hand in 10K at Harrahs
 

[ QUOTE ]
Tough table at beginning of tournament. Everybody has $10,000. Blinds 25 and 50. Two early limpers. Hero limps in middle position with two black aces. Two late limpers. Flop QdTd4h. Small blind is Jennifer Harmon who bets out $400. All fold! How bad did hero play this hand?

[/ QUOTE ]

first, if it's a 'tough' table, why in the world is he limping this hand with TWO limpers already?! that's the most glaring problem, even though I'm pointing out the obvious. i still don't know why he doesn't raise jen's bet since the blinds are still low and he's got a full stack i assume. maybe something like raise $800 more? i guess if she pushes hero's in trouble...

i can't believe i'm answering a sklansky question by the way...normally i just read these, but this seems easy...at least for hero's first decision.

Re: Strangely Played Hand in 10K at Harrahs
 

barring a very specific read, I can't understand this limp with AA.

after the limp, I think the fold in this spot may be ok.

Re: Strangely Played Hand in 10K at Harrahs
 

Hero's preflop limp in middle position with aces is autrocious. He needs to raise to charge worse hands to see the flop. Folding to this bet on this flop seems also incorrect. Hero could easily have folded the best hand. I think I must be missing something, because it seems obvious that Hero played the hand very badly.

Re: Strangely Played Hand in 10K at Harrahs
 

raising is a problem here. your hand really isn't strong enough to withstand heavy action. at the same time such a draw heavy flop encourages both semi-bluffing, and fast playing big hands. So, by raising, if you are faced with a reraise it is highly likely you will make a mistake here. Calling isn't good either though, because it lets anybody behind you in with a great price if they are drawing, and still doesn't help you narrow down Harmon's hand. All in all, this preflop limp puts you in an ugly ugly flop situation.

Re: Strangely Played Hand in 10K at Harrahs
 

is there something to be said for jen's bet being easier to read due to the fact that she surely also knows this a tough table? she must figure that one of the limps is a large made hand, and therefore only bets out with a monster after the flop? my couple guesses to the complexity of something that seems easy.

Re: Strangely Played Hand in 10K at Harrahs
 

I would have played it the same way as the hero.

Re: Strangely Played Hand in 10K at Harrahs
 

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I would have played it the same way as the hero.

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Care to explain why?