Heads Up Hand - How do you play bottom pair?

razor · #1 06-11-2004, 09:34 PM

Stars 18 Player $5.50 tourney

My opponent here was the chip leader when the two tables merged (I was the short stack). When the tournament got heads up I had T7,855 my opponent had T18,495.

Button played a patient game at the final table. Betting when players showed weakness. Taking advantage of his stack but not taking too many risks.

How does a real tournament player play this hand?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t600 (2 handed)

saw flop|saw showdown

Button (t11390)
Hero (t15610)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
Button calls t300, Hero checks,

Flop: (t950) 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets t600, Button calls t600.

Turn: (t2150) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets t2500, Button calls t2500.

River: (t7150) K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets t5000, Button raises to t7640, Hero calls t2640.

Final Pot: t22430
Main Pot: t22430 (t22430), between Button and Hero.

Chief911 · #2 06-11-2004, 09:48 PM

I'm not sure about the flop bet, and if he called like that, I'd check the turn to see where I'm at. That's just me though.

Nick

razor · #3 06-11-2004, 10:02 PM

I felt this player would've at least min-raised pre-flop with an Ace and would've played back at me if he had any piece of the board.

Chief911 · #4 06-11-2004, 10:10 PM

Tough hand. I still think you have to check the turn. The only way I'm betting out like you did, is f I'm pretty sure I have the best hand (Not a bottom pair).

So what was the result?

Tosh · #5 06-11-2004, 10:32 PM

Jesus you went mad here. Slow down. In the end it looks like he has an ace but you've put everything in already.

razor · #6 06-11-2004, 10:52 PM

I made my read (yeah, whatever) and went with it.

This was only my 4th tourney at Stars (I've played a little over 50 SNGs at Paradise but not quite the same thing with their blind structure and not a huge number of tourneys anway). Obviously I lack headsup experience.

I suppose check/folding the river might have been the prudent approach... but then I wouldn't have known if my read was right and trying to win the tourney wouldn't have been as challenging. [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

Or give up on this hand even sooner?

razor · #7 06-12-2004, 08:59 AM

I was right the Button didn't have an A, but he did have a K to make top pair on the River. Sadly for him that was about as close as he was gonna get to winning the tournament.

I managed to get back to about even when this hand came up. I was on the is Button with 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] and he has me covered by about T250.

Flop: (t2150) 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets t2500, BB calls t2500.

Turn: (t7150) J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
BB bets t1800

Nice try betting out when the 2nd J fell, but I didn't believe him and pushed (I felt he would've bet the flop if he had a piece of it).

Hero raises to t9630, BB calls t7830.

He calls... oops...

Until I see that he called with Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]?!?!

The River was a blank and MHIG. The tournament is over on the next hand.

patrick dicaprio · #8 06-12-2004, 07:43 PM

funny that you say that because a few nights ago I had AK heads up to win in the 18 player 20+2. I am in the BB and I raise preflop to 3200 opponent calls. flop is 8J8. Opponent checks I bet 6400 opponent calls (!). A blank comes on the turn i bet all in he calls and turns over Q8o.

Pat