Did I misplay AA and QQ?

[chopchoi]

Prelude:

NL MTT. I registered the night before, then forgot about the tourney, came 45 minutes late, and my stack was down to 450, blinds 100/200. Very 1st hand I get AQ on the button, and UTG has pushed. Screw it, I'm almost dead anyway. I call. He has jacks, I flop 2 Queens and double up. I push a few times and successfully steal, and work my stack up to a little over 2,000 without having to show my cards anymore.

Then, after the blinds have gone up to 150/300, I get AA in early position. It folds around very quickly, so I don't have much time to think about how I'm, going to play them. I don't want to just steal the blinds, but at the same time, I don't want to limp and give BB a free play so he can hit a lucky flop with rags either (been burned by that play one too many times). So I decide a min-raise is in order, although I'm afraid this is an obvious trap, since I've been pushing or folding every hand. One mid-position player calls the min-raise, both blinds fold. Flop comes 664 (thank god I didn't give the blinds a free play). I push. Should gone I have gone for the check-raise? And if so, how should I have played the turn if he checked behind?

A few hands later, I get QQ in SB. It folds around to me. I min-raise again, and BB folds. How should I have played it?

[halis123456789]

Yes, I think you misplayed. First of all, you said you were EP with AA and it folded around fast (so you musta meant LP.) Okay. What kind of stacks do the SB-BB have? If they have small stacks, go all-in hoping one has some stupid hand they call with. If they are a big stack go all-in to prevent them from calling with 74o and flopping 563 (which I was shown once with AA when I mini-raised a big stack.) If they are medium stack, then you want to raise maybe 2 times BB (they'll call or raise when they have something to play with, which will always be weaker, then nail them on the flop.)

And most importantly by going all in, you'll help your table image that much more. They might start thinking you are nuts if you can manage to go all in enough.

As far as the QQ, was the BB a big stack? Short-stack? Medium stack? Against a small stack I would go all in (he thinks you're a bully, so live up to his expectations.) If he's medium stack I like a mini to medium raise. To try and induce a call with something weaker. When the flop comes Jack high slam the door on him. If he's a big stack then limp in for deception, and hopefully see a flop cheap.

[chopchoi]

[ QUOTE ]
First of all, you said you were EP with AA and it folded around fast (so you musta meant LP.)

[/ QUOTE ]

No, I was 3rd to act, but it happened so fast. It seemed like as soon as I saw my cards, the other two players had folded, and my timer was running. I didn't have nearly enough time to think my play through.

[halis123456789]

As a side note, I once caught a rush in an STT that was pretty sweet. It proves what table image can do to people. Blinds were 200-400 (6-handed) and I had about 4,000T out of 18,000

I catch KK UTG and go all-in no calls win 600T. I catch AA the next hand UTG+1 go all in no calls win 600T. I catch AKo the next hand go all in short stack in SB calls with KTo I win 2,300T extra. I get QQ folded to me on the button I go all in no calls win 600T.

But people were so confused and skeptical about my play that I went on to win easily. Nobody ever believed me when I had a hand.

[halis123456789]

btw, that last post was a joke, but it is to prove a point.

[chopchoi]

[ QUOTE ]
btw, that last post was a joke, but it is to prove a point.

[/ QUOTE ]

So what's your point?

[halis123456789]

Sometimes raising all in with a premium hand will only net you the blinds, yes true. But if you do catch a few hands and move in with them, it may still prove more profitable than the blinds.