a hand vs. John D'Agostino

[Tyler Durden]

This is from a double shootout tonight on Stars. Winner gets a seat at the WPT event in the Bahamas.

At my first table. John (Jdags21) is on my immediate right. We're three handed. Stacks are:

John - t3128
Me - t2764
other guy - t7608.

Blinds 75/150.

Other guy is on the button and he opens to t300. John calls from the SB. I have AA in the BB and smoothcall.

Flop comes 5-4-2 rainbow. John leads out for a pot-sized bet of t900. I move all-in right behind him for t1564 more. Button folds. John deliberates for a while and calls w/ 33.


Thoughts?

Anyone care to discuss?

[B Mando]

I do not think there is a need to get cute with a hand like AA against players that can hold their own with Phil Ivey...but you are 68.5 to win after the flop so your still ahead...

[Tommy R]

You need chips and need them fast. I would go all-in. Good chance you will be called too. No need to be cute here. I agree with the previous post.

What were you trying to achieve by slow playing?

[Ezcheeze]

Not reraising preflop was bad. It doesn't have to be all in but that is an option as they might read that for AK and call with a pair but you gotta raise something. To go against the fundamental theorem of poker to such a huge degree you have to have an extremely good reason. I don't think disguising your hand is reason enouhg though i could be wrong. It would depend alot on how the table has been playing and on what they will put you on after various raises.

-Ezcheeze

[Ulysses]

Depending on what has been going on at the table, I'd do one of two things:

1) Push preflop - I'd have to be pretty sure one of them is gonna look me up to do this.

2) Make it 900 and autopush any flop.

[ShamaLamDingDong]

YOU HAVE ACES AND ARE CLOSING THE ACTION YOU MUST NOW RAISE.

Did you really finish 126th in the WSOP?? Wow thats good! Makes me wonder how far you might have gotten if you RAISED AA PREFLOP.

Who is this John D'Ahostino guy anyway? Never heard of him but if he somehow overpowered you into checking AA preflop then he must be good. Maybe even good enough to finish 125th in the WSOP.

[Tyler Durden]

This is all playing a small pot vs. playing a big pot stuff. I don't think not reraising was criminal. But I appreciate the responses.

[Tyler Durden]

I'm a 75.5% favorite after the flop.

[ QUOTE ]
Who is this John D'Ahostino guy anyway? Never heard of him but if he somehow overpowered you into checking AA preflop then he must be good.

[/ QUOTE ]

John played very well but lost and runner up to Phil Ivey at the televised Turning Stone championship outlasting the Juandas, Negreanus, Lederers, Hellmuths, etc. Howard Lederer was quite impressed with his play and table demeanor and one commentator even said that "this maybe the coming out of another 21-year old unknown." Incidentally, this was the first un-edited, live coverage of a major tourney which I considered to be the best, so far.

At the recent US Poker Championship at Taj he played solidly and among the leader from the start. He was the chip leader going to the finals. I was there when he lost his good hands of 99, 88 and worst of all, the worst bad beat I can recall is when his TT got called by 87o, 77X flopped and another 7 came on the turn. He went out shortly after that in 6th or 5th, I can't exactly recall when. I don't know, but this may not be the last time we may hear about him.

[B Mando]

Well I am obouvisly very intelligent and missed the fact that his other two threes in the deck give you a straight...either way though...YOU were ahead! Thats all I hope for in this game, get your money in with the best hand and hope...