What Am I Missing Here?

[Nalapoint1]

Is it wrong to raise with KTs from UTG+3 with 1 limper at UTG+2 in first hand of MTT. I posted on MTT forum and was told to always limp with hand or not play it at all.I dont ALWAYS do anything.Too predictable. Flop was TTJ. UTG+2 had AJo and I did get all of his chips .Some of the comments I got at MTT was that a good player would not be in there with a T unles it was TT and UTG+2 knew that was unlikely to flop quads and had me for AK or AQ . Dont I want him to think that I have something that I dont have? I like making these plays when the blinds are small (t10,t20) to establish a table image so that when I do pick up a big hand I can trap.Is my thinking flawed?

[bobman0330]

Even when the blinds are small, your initial raise is costing you 60-80 chips, which in a party multi would be up to 8% of your stack. With a good possibility of an uncallable reraise coming behind you, it's good not to get very committed with a hand like this up front. Furthermore, KTs is close to the Platonic form of the "weak hand that looks better than it is." In a raised pot, it will be hard to get away from some of the second best hands KTs will dish up for you.

Now, even with all that, it would indeed be correct to occasionally mix up your play by raising this hand. However, that rationale is not applicable when you're only playing with someone for a brief period, as you are in this situation. Whatever deception/metagame value this raise has is almost entirely erased. The only value you do have is when you can stack AJ on specifically a JTT flop (AQJ maybe, but maybe not, ATT or AKT, probably not). That's cool when it happens, but it's vanishingly unlikely.

[Nalapoint1]

I didnt think all of the details were important to question but it was local B&M MTT $35 buy in t2100 starting chips 8 players/table. Each player deals in turn. Not a lot of hands per/hour. Blinds go up at 15min intervals.If you dont raise it will be a 5-7 way pot.

[senjitsu]

You have to ask yourself, what are you hoping to accomplish with your raise?

You don't have an especially strong hand, so you don't want to build a huge pot that you probably won't win.

Your hand is very vulnerable to domination, and its likely that whoever calls you not only has you beaten but dominated to boot. If you get one caller, you have managed to isolate a hand that is ahead of you. Not a very profitable accomplishment.

There is not enough money in the pot, and you are in too early position, for a blind steal to be profitable.

From late-middle, i might limp with it. Earlier than that, its a clear fold -- though if you are going to play it, you should do so for a raise and hope an early show of strength will allow you to take the pot post flop.


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I didnt think all of the details were important to question but it was local B&M MTT $35 buy in t2100 starting chips 8 players/table. Each player deals in turn. Not a lot of hands per/hour. Blinds go up at 15min intervals.If you dont raise it will be a 5-7 way pot.

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