WSOP final table hand

[bogey]

I haven't posted anything from the World Series, but this hand could have made the tournament a lot different and has been driving me nuts for a while. Its relatively straightforward but is the only spot on the final table where I feel I maybe should have played a hand significantly differently. I thought it might be fun to discuss before I hopefully get to see Tex's hand on tv. Thanks for any replies.

There are 8 people left at this point. Chip stacks are around this size:
Seat 1 Joseph Hachem 6.3mm
Seat 2 Andrew Black 10.55mm
Seat 3 Tex Barch 9.1mm
Seat 4 Daniel Bergsdorf 4.59mm
Seat 6 Aaron Kanter 11.21mm
Seat 7 Brad Kondracki 1.97mm
Seat 8 Steve Dannenmann 5.81mm
Seat 9 Scott Lazar 6.74mm

I'm in Seat 7 and am obviously pretty shortstacked. Blinds are 120k/60k with a 20k ante making each round cost 340k.

I'm UTG and have QQ and raise to 400k. Folded to Tex on the button who calls. Everyone else folds.

I've been playing with Tex for the last few days and I view him as a solid player who mostly plays his cards and doesn't make too many moves but is certainly capable of it. He knows I probably know this.

Flop is an ugly K 9 4. (I dont remember exactly what the last two cards are, but 9 and 4 will do. Also I think there is 2 to a flush on the board that doesnt match one of my Q's.)

I check and Tex bets 500k. ?

[Seadood228]

Arrrgghhh I hate the spot you are in.. It's very hard to answer a question like this due to the mindboggling stakes, but I'll give it a go.

Preflop - I'd prefer a limp/push or an open push. QQ is going to be a tough hand to play postflop when your pf raise pretty much commits you to the hand. You are going broke to a bigger PP no matter what, and with your chip position a coinflip isn't so bad. You also might get a call from a hand like 77-TT, and these are hands that will be hard to double through after the flop, unless of course they overtake you.

Flop - This is so tough because there is always the possibility that you are going to put your money in drawing to two outs. Still, your chip position is such that you don't have enough room to be making these types of folds. I'd get my chips in on the flop hoping that he hasn't outflopped me. Since you still have a little FE if Tex puts you on a monster hand, I like a checkraise allin. There aren't any draws where Tex would call off in that spot that he wouldn't have if you open pushed.

[shaniac]

Were the antes really 20K?

In any case, if I am in your seat, there is no point in the hand where I become interested in folding QQ. If I'm raising 20% of my stack preflop, I'm pushing the overwhelming majority of flops. There's over T1.1M in the pot on the flop, you have T1.5M left and are the shortstack in the tournament. You've locked up $1,000,000 USD real money. There's one overcard on the board (I don't consider this a particularly ugly flop for QQ). It's a no-brainer push in my estimation. Check-raising would be the second best option, and I'd only consider folding on flops that were much worse for my hand the one here.

I really dislike check-folding here, because a player with chips who is capable of making a move at the pot with less than the goods (as Tex should be capable of doing at this stage of the tourney) will get the better of you way too often in spots like this if you're CF'ing.

Congrats on the score, btw!

[redrooski24]

I think I'm check raising this all in. Pushing might also get you a call from a medium PP, both options are good but I like a c/r for some reason. I definitely agree with shaniac that there is almost 0% chance I'm folding QQ at any point in the hand. I'd need a flop of AKJ to fold this. Congrats on the huge payday also.

[sdplayerb]

i agree.
i just push on this flop. if he was super agg postflop, then i would consider a check/raise or check call here.

You are last in chips, and last by a lot. a fold here and you are pretty crippled.

What hands are you really worried about? Not AK, as he would have reraised.
If he has KQ or KJ, so be it..he had no business calling preflop with those hands, so I really doubt he had it.

He is more likely to have something along the lines of TT, if he has 99, again, so be it.

a K is a ton less scary than an A.

It is plausible I'd check then make a read based on how he bets, if he does. And then push on any non-Ace turn (might check if another K comes).
But just about no way I check fold unless his bet just reads of monumental strength to me.

SD

[z32fanatic]

[ QUOTE ]

He is more likely to have something along the lines of TT, if he has 99, again, so be it.



[/ QUOTE ]

If you put him on TT or 99, why push when those hands will certainly fold here. If you check, those 2 hands might bet, which gets you more chips than just pushing. I'm pretty sure he's ahead here so why push a worse hand off?

[sdplayerb]

if you are sure he is going to bet those hands, then yes check.
if he will check, afraid you have AK, then you are just giving him a free draw to beat you.

he also could have an A, and check that.

you have to be sure this guy will bet it.

just because you are ahead, doesn't mean you should slowplay.
slowplaying is good when you have crushed the deck or are against a pretty aggressive player.

[yecul]

You have a lot of catching up to do. I don't recall the payouts for 7-9th but I would just push the flop unless I could pick up a read. Hopefully it gets on TV and hopefully he did have it.

[scalafab]

Check raise!!! You got nothing to loose but double up.If he has a king (which I doubt) God bless him.

[REL18]

Gotta push the flop check raising doesnt seem to good he has to many chips to release his hand hes nearly pot commitied and probably puts u on a decent hand. Check raising seem to connotate to tex that u have a good hand depending on how long your decision took. Anyway hes commited after the 500k bet so if u think hes gonna bet half the pot u should push the flop