NL Poker Tournament Hand
 

I would like some feed back on a recent hand that I played. 24 players left in a NL Tourny. Antes $200, 8 players at the table. blinds 600 -1200; i'm in the big blind all fold to the SB who calls I check 93c. Flop comes 9 A K (rainbow) SB bets 1200, I go over the top all in for my remaing 7500 chips, SB calls with QJ approx 9000 chips. She catches the 10 on the river. Was I destined to loose that hand should I have played it any differently? would like to hear from you.
thanks

Re: NL Poker Tournament Hand
 

Just fold in my opinion.Yes, you are low and need to double up, but I think you can make a better stand with third pair no kicker and someone betting into you..you are beating nothing but a bluff. SB played it terribly, he probably should've just put you in before the flop, but I'd still fold here.

Re: NL Poker Tournament Hand
 

I would have played it the same way, except I wouldn't have checked at first. After the flop, 616 out of the 990 possible turn and river cards win for you. That's 62%, so you're happy she called.

There's $4,600 in the pot, and the other player has shown little strength. Calling from the small blind after everyone else folds shows nothing, nor does betting $1,200 when there's $3,400 in the pot already and you've checked. She could be slow playing a pair of Aces, or holding K/small; but she also could be holding what she had or worse.

I think you have to call here. You have the right pot odds unless she holds an Ace, King or pair of 10's or better. The odds are against those hands, and she likely would have bet more. Even if she does have a higher pair, you're not losing much in EV with something like one chance in six of winning the pot while putting up only a little more than one fifth of it.

Given that you call, you have to raise. Most likely she's got no pair, but at least one card higher than your 9, two higher than your nine are not unlikely. She could also have a small pair. You probably have the best hand now, she is more likely to improve. So make her pay for her cards, or give you the existing pot without risk.

You played it right and lost. That's Poker.

Re: NL Poker Tournament Hand
 

thank you for your feedback. Explain to me your thought on not checking preflop, your would have made a move 93c in the BB?
In replaying the hand if I would have raised to 3600 +the antes would be 8800 she would have had to put in another 2400, thats 3/1 it would be appropriate to call my raise. Her calling my all in was a bad call that turned into a bad beat for me, as you say thats poker. Bad calls sometimes do get rewarded. Explain your thought on the my check preflop.

Re: NL Poker Tournament Hand
 

Your check preflop is fine, you dont want to commit too many chips with a garbage hand like 9-3, and you'd rather know more about the situation before putting more in the pot.

I also approve of the flop push. Generally, when it is folded to the small blind and they have any ace, king, or pair, they'll raise. What this means is that you're probably ahead unless the SB has a 9 with a better kicker. Also, the minbet of 1200 looks much like a steal attempt or a sort of probe bet.

You did nothing wrong here, and had your money in with the best hand. Don't worry too much about results when you made the right play.

Re: NL Poker Tournament Hand
 

Personally, I think you ran into a loose player. Putting your tournament life on the line on a straight draw is never very smart to me.

Re: NL Poker Tournament Hand
 

Any time you make the right play FOR THE RIGHT REASONS you should be pleased.

You made the right play and if you were sure you were ahead it was for the right reasons. Given your position in the tournament at the time, how do you feel about the risk you took?

If you were in this situation many times, do you think making the same decision would show a long term profit? In a cash game? In a tournament?

Were you lucky to be ahead in the hand? Was the SB so loose that you had to expect to have your all in called? What was the buy in for the tournament, where was it, and how many started the tournament? Were you already in the money?

I'm basically asking whether you think this play was +EV.

Re: NL Poker Tournament Hand
 

yea i mean, the player, to risk all his chips on the few outs he had was clearly loose, you want him to call, and usually you win that pot, you made the right play, just got unlucky, that's how NL works...