Way ahead or way behind...

[nightlyraver]

I recently read the article on the 2+2 magazine about being either way ahead or way behind in no-limit tourneys. I highly recommend the article. It basically argues that sometimes the best strategy is to pay passively when you are either way ahead or way behind in a heads-up situation. As an example, you bring it in for a standard raise from MP with AKo, get one caller and the flop comes KT4 rainbow. You are either way ahead or way behind and check-calling it to the end may be the best strategy. Anyway, I used the strategy in a $5+.50 MTT on Full Tilt and it was working for a while till I blew my stack finishing just in the money.


Here is the hand:

The blinds are 300-600 with a ante of 75. The blinds will jumpt to 500-1000 with an ante of 100 in about two minutes. I'm sitting on about 7,000 and change on the button and it's folded to me. I raised it to 1,500 and change, a standard amount, with A3s. The blinds don't defend well, I don't think they ever re-raised me, and I stole the blinds and antes many times. The big blind is the chip leader of the tourney and occasionally makes a questionable call from the blinds, but not often.

The flop comes AK4 rainbow and the big blind checks. He has not been known to check-raise, but I've been playing somewhat aggressively, so you never know for sure. I figure that I'm either way ahead, or way behind, and he's probably not calling with anything less than an A if I bet the flop.

I figured that I'd check behind him and induce a bet on the turn. Why? I'm practically pot committed anyway; I can't really bet anything less than all-in; He won't call with a lesser hand; He probably misses the flop; He probably won't improve; He may bet the turn if something like a Q falls and he is holding a Q; He may try and bluff at it. There are however strong arguments against checking: He may call with a K; He has a big stack and may gamble with a weak draw or pair; We don't want him to draw to a better hand; If he does, we must call and get bounced from the tourney; If we bet will probably win a decent pot right there and have slightly more than 10xBB going into the next level.

I decided to check the flop, he checked again on the turn and I decided to check right back. A 6 fell on the river and he put me all-in, which was roughly the size of the pot. I immediately called...

Was this bad play? Should I have just pushed the flop?

In case everyone is wondering, he showed a set of 6's and I lost my stack. In all likelyhood, he would have folded the flop, but that's not a certainty. However, he did his a 2-outer, which is only about an 8% shot from the flop on.

Any suggestions to improve my play in this type of spot???

[2005]

While you have the concept correct, I think you applied it in a bad spot here. You need to protect the stack you have. Push the flop here, if he has you beat there's not much you can do, but you don't want to risk him catching his 2 or 5 outer for free. Pick up the pot where it is right now.

Gavin

[CieloAzor]

Yeah, you gave him a free chance to get lucky and he did. And if he didn't hit his 2-outer, he was checking it down all the way. You had nothing to gain here and everything to lose.

[Potowame]

This would be a great example if you had 50bb trying to induce a bluff on the turn, and in that case I would bet 3/4 the pot on the turn. but with your stack size you want to take it down right away.

You have to be very carful with the WAWB concept, and not take it to far. I found that it leads to being to passive overall. Aggression is still king but, HU against a aggressive player WAWB is often a nice way to accumulate chips.