Hand from $5000 Pot limit WSOP event

[SoBeDude]

My friend played this and asked me to post it here.

First hand of the event. Blinds are 25/25. 5000 starting chips.

2 folds and he raises to 100 with AQc.

just the BB calls (Chris Bigler).

Flop comes QJ5 rainbow. Chris checks, he bets 200, Chris calls.

Turn is another Q, completing the rainbow. Chris checks, he bets 500. Chris now check-raises to 1500 quickly.

My friend thinks for a second and calls.

River is a 7. Chris bets out 1500. Whats my friend's play and why?

-Scott

[schwza]

i call.

i think you're ahead there often enough that folding is bad, but i think KQ is just about the only worse hand that pays off if you push.

[niwotyalpi]

Call. A reraise here is very very bad.

[AaronO]

I would call and cry when he turns over 5's full. I'm not sure at what point you become pot committed on the first hand of a tourney, but calling here and having less than 50% of your chips left if you lose is a scary thought. Brutal decision for the first hand of a big buy-in tournament.

[Sam T.]

It looks to me like your friend is beat, or Bigler (of whom I've never heard) is making a move with TT, or some such hand.

I actually think the turn decision is far more interesting. If he just calls, he has to expect Bigler to bet the river. There is no way Bigler is going to CR on a semi-bluff, and then give it up on the river when his opponent shows weakness by just calling. I think this is extremely read-dependent. Villain could certainly have JJ or QJ, or be running a pretty nifty bluff.

I don't think your friend can fold to the river bet - if he was ahead on the turn, he's certainly ahead on the river. But I also don't much like raising. Cry, call, and hope the villain has KQ.

Sam

[ClaytonN]

IIRC Bigler is insanely tight.

If the above is true, I would contemplate checking behind on the turn and setting up either a river value bet from Bigler or a total bluff.

[Sluss]

[ QUOTE ]
IIRC Bigler is insanely tight.


[/ QUOTE ]

Only against other pros at a final table.

Bigler is just like any other pro with a good bankroll he likes to bully early on. I wouldn't be shocked if he thinks the hero here is playing over his head and can run him off of his chips.

[Tyler Durden]

[ QUOTE ]
IIRC Bigler is insanely tight.

If the above is true, I would contemplate checking behind on the turn and setting up either a river value bet from Bigler or a total bluff.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is this *really* what you would do in the heat of the moment after turning top trips/top kicker? Or are you *just posting* that this is what you would do? Not trying to flame.

[ClaytonN]

Yes, it's what I would do. Honest.

The rank of your hand means jack sh*t. You have to account for the flop texture, your opponent, his betting patterns, and the nature of this hand.

To make a more extreme example, it's like seeing an AAA flop. You're holding 22.

Your first thought should not be "omfg I turned a full house".

Likewise you should not be thinking AQ is the nuts against a tight player like bigler on a QJxQ board.

In making the above assumption, checking behind on the turn makes the most sense.

[2005]

[ QUOTE ]
IIRC Bigler is insanely tight.



[/ QUOTE ]

no