No Limit Problem

rtucker5 · #1 08-05-2003, 02:17 PM

I was playing in a tournament at Party yesterday when the following hand occurred. There were about 100 players remaining and the top 70 made the money. My stack was slightly above average.

The blinds were T300/T600. I had about T9000. A player in middle position that had me covered limped and I raised to T2100 from the CO with AQo. Folded back to him and he called. The flop was J 10 x with 2 spades. I had no spades. He checked and I bet T2100 again. He flat called again. Turn was an offsuit brick and we both checked. River was a small spade. He bet T3000 into me and I mucked. Comments on all streets appreciated. I am having trouble in the middle stages of tournaments and this hand is a perfect example. I never know how to play the hand when I whiff the flop.

Tyler Durden · #2 08-05-2003, 02:43 PM

I don't think your flop bet was big enough. You bet T2100 into a pot of T5100. I think you need to bet more than this (~T4500) or not bet at all. It's easy for him to call with many hands in this spot. I think you also have to be willing to push it all in similar situations.

rtucker5 · #3 08-05-2003, 02:58 PM

If i bet T4500 or so as you are suggesting I am commiting myself to the hand if he plays back at me. Is a gutshot draw and 2 overcards a good enough spot to risk it all?

pokerlover · #4 08-05-2003, 03:08 PM

If you are not prepared to push in then maybe you should check the flop.

Copernicus · #5 08-05-2003, 03:11 PM

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If i bet T4500 or so as you are suggesting I am commiting myself to the hand if he plays back at me. Is a gutshot draw and 2 overcards a good enough spot to risk it all?

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I agree. Bet that much and you might as well go all in, because your playing it the rest of the way. Its also too good a hand to fold pre-flop. If he's tight I would limp also and see the flop. If he's loose I'd go all in and be ready for a coin flip.

rtucker5 · #6 08-05-2003, 04:08 PM

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Its also too good a hand to fold pre-flop. If he's tight I would limp also and see the flop. If he's loose I'd go all in and be ready for a coin flip.

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You are suggesting that I should bet T9000 preflop? If so, I think that is a horrible bet. If I'm called, I'm in real bad shape.

I believe I misplayed the hand. I should have either checked the flop or moved in. Moving in would be a total bluff. I didn't want to go out close to the money on a bluff though. This is my biggest problem in the middle stages of tournements.

McMelchior · #7 08-06-2003, 09:03 AM

You need to know more about the limper if you want to play AQ against him at that point in the tourney. Lots of decent players are able to limps w/AK and pocket pairs up to QQ, and it's definitively not a bad play (if I pick up say JJ at that point in early position I'm more likely to limps than to raise). AQ is a very marginal hand, and I don't hesitate to let it go if I don't have a good read on who else is in the pot. You don't want to play AQ against a habitual caller, not to say against someone who able of comming back over the top with any just halfway decent hand.

His flat call on the flop could be a danger signal, and when you only bet less than half pot on the flop there's no way to know if he's on a flush-draw or is slowplaying a strong made hand. On the flop you're a huge underdog to basically any hand (AT, AJ, how about AK where he makes a str8 if you spike your Q, or any pocket pair). Without knowledge of your opponents style moving all in on the flop would be wild GAMBLING.

Bottom line: Know your opponent if you want to play AQ for almost a quarter of your stack mid-tournament!

best,

McMelchior (Johan)

nicky g · #8 08-06-2003, 11:04 AM

Call me a wuss, but I'd check behind with an unimproved AQ on that flop if a reasonable bet a large chunk of my remaining stack. It's just too scary.

Whitey · #9 08-06-2003, 02:04 PM

By only betting 2400 on the flop your giving him the correct odds to draw on his flush or straight(if thats what he was drawing to).Without more info on what type of player the limper was its hard to say what to think of his flat calls.If you had bet the pot on the flop its hard for him to call unless hes flopped a set or maybe holds AJ but will still be concerned you hold an overpair if that was the case.IMO you have two choices,commit and bet the pot and see what he does,or check and hope he checks along.

cferejohn · #10 08-06-2003, 04:40 PM

I think you need to go all-in or check on the flop. You have two overcards plus a gutshot, so if you are called, you definitely have outs. Given that there is over 4000 in the pot and you have only 7000 left, any other amount is either too small or commits you anyway.

Personally, I go all-in on this flop. Checking and folding is also acceptable. Making a bet just large enough that a flush/straight draw is correct to call is definitely problematic.