$50 +5 nl tournie

[Peter G]

A couple of places from the money with a healthy stack of 80,000, chip leader has 120,000 average stack about 35,000 Blinds of 2000 4000 with 100 ante. I am dealt A 8 spades in the BB, chip leader makes a minimum raise in MP, I call.
Flop A 2 7 one spade.
I bet 16000 to see where I am and he flat calls. Turn 9 spades I bet 24,000 chip leader goes allin I fold my top pair nut flush draw.
How could I have played this differently? Maybe check call the turn if he gave me the correct odds to see the river.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated, ty.

[JustPlayingSmart]

This may be horrible advice, but you may just want to fold A8s here in the BB. You pretty much got what you wanted. Top pair and a flush draw, and folded after committing 60% of your stack.

I do think I like your pot-sized bet on the flop. It seems much better than check-raising, since the checkraise would commit you to the pot without letting you know where you stand. His flat call though implies serious strength, so I would probably check/call, or check/fold the turn depending on the odds I was getting. This is the problem with playing against a big stack out of position with a marginal hand. You just never know where you are. T56,000 is still well above the average, so you are not in bad shape if you fold.

[juris]

Fold.

Close to the money, mediocre hand, taking on chip leader. Very bad combo. (Which I have done too much myself).

With that much of your stack committed it hurts to fold. Avoid putting yourself in that spot.

[Baud Beat]

I tend to agree. If you don't get into this hand to begin with, you can watch the bigstack take down someonelse and move up a position. BUT, here is my question. Take that same hand at the final table where your already in descent money and only 4 players left. Doesnt A8s become much stronger at this point? Aleast preflop that is. The way the hand played out, you will still fold to the ALL IN on the turn. But what I think you are saying juris is just prior to making the money, A8s might just have to go in the muck preflop.

[ohkanada]

I wouldn't bet out on the turn after he called your flop bet. Depending on how much he bets would let me decide to check/call or check/fold the turn bet. Not a time to go out on a draw.

Ken Poklitar

[juris]

Down to 4 people, if I have A-8 I would probably play it and depending on stack size raise it preflop. The A on the flop and the nut flush draw would be a lot more powerful reason to stay. It would take an awful lot (i.e., all in by a known ROCK) to get me out of that hand.

[M.B.E.]

[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't bet out on the turn after he called your flop bet. Depending on how much he bets would let me decide to check/call or check/fold the turn bet. Not a time to go out on a draw.

[/ QUOTE ]
I agree. I think your play preflop and on the flop are fine, but betting the turn was a serious mistake. If you did want to bet the turn for some reason, you should have moved all in.