Thoughts and questions on NLHE hand (long)

[shaniac]

Weekly No-Limit Hold 'Em tourny....$40 buy in, $30 rebuys for the first hour. 20 minute rounds. 300 in T-chips for the buy-in and the rebuys. 6 Tables total.

Just past the rebuy phase, blinds at 25/50. My stack is 1250 and I fire off a raise from middle position to 150 with AsTs. A late position player, whose play I am familiar with and who is a consistently good performer in these weekly tournies re-raises to 350. Blinds drop and it's up to me. I figure I'm behind but that a call would leave with 900, plenty of ammo, and I could afford to see the flop and get away from it easily if it's not a good fit.

The flop comes down KQx with two spades, giving me a gut-shot to compliment my nut-flush draw. With at least 12 outs to the nuts, I like this flop and go all-in. The re-raiser, who has slightly fewer chips than I, immediately calls. I show my draw(s), he shows pocket aces.

The turn brings a Jack and the nut straight for me. A paired King on the river offers no help to him. I double-through and the re-raiser leaves the table frustrated.

Questions:

1) Was my original call, and the reasoning behind it, flawed or weak, or was it reasonable?

2) Who was favored on the flop? My double-nut draw or his overpair? I'm thinking we were even money or I was a slight favorite.

3) Based on that estimation, was my flop-play still too aggressive?

4) What do you think of his play of the hand? Should he have raised more pre-flop? He probably wanted some company headsup. I would have probably re-raised the same amount hoping to trap.

Finally, I'd like to know how y'all deal with this tournament structure: It really hit me when the blinds went from 50/100 to 100/200 and suddenly my T3000 stack was only 15 Big Blinds instead of 30. I felt cramped with little room to maneuver. My above average stack and aggressive style was neutralized. Does one really have to double up at least every twenty minutes to mantain an edge? Or play like a rock when the blinds double but your stack doesn't?

thanks in advance,
shaniac

[FlyingOver]

I wont comment on ur postflop play, since i think you played it correct. Checkraising all in is also another option. I will however comment on your preflop play.
You should have folded to his preflop reraise and you should do it everytime unless you think that someone is trying to push you off the hand then you should move all in preflop rather than see the flop. In No limit you should never call because you almost always never have the correct odds to chase. Be very careful of being dominated preflop in no limit and in this situation u were a huge underdog A10 vs AA. By the way this is not limit you can't say i'll call so that i can look at the flop..

Hope i helped
-MJ

[ohkanada]

1) The problem with the call is most of the hands that he is re-raising you with has you dominated. Most people would re-raise with JJ+ and AQ+. Now if he re-raises with less then I think the call is fine. You are getting correct odds to call since he only re-raised 200, but the problem is postflop. You would need to have a good read what to do if you hit your Ten or Ace.

2) He is a slight favorite on the hand.

3) I think you played it fine on the flop.

4) A pot sized re-raise makes it 525, so he underbet hoping you would call. I might raise a big more than he did but he was happy to get 1 caller.

As far as the blinds doubling, it sucks. The local tournies I played in WA were like that but the rounds were shorter. I think you need to take a few more chances once the blinds get bigger.

Ken Poklitar

[kirisim]

You have to push it allin on the flop to give him a chance to fold. Checkraising allin is terible.

[K10Suited Glen]

This is an interesting thread with even more interesting responses, coverring alomst all the different ways to play except the 1st one that came to my mind and I'm surprised that Ken seems to have a different view than I thought he would have.

I agree with those who said that the hand is most likely dominated by the re-raiser, possibly so much so, such as AA, that folding is the best option. One or more of you indicated that. Ken pointed out that the raise of only $200 gives you an ability to see the flop, although I'm not sure you're getting proper odds to do so, even implied. But your own reasoning that if you got away from the flop leaving you T900 is logical, if you truly would release the hand if an ace or 10 appeared.

But the glaring item that came to me when I read the post was you play on the flop. Yes, if he was not on a pair or AK, AQ, you might get him to lay it down an win it right there. But his re-raise of you preflop is indicative of those exact hands ie: AA, KK, QQ, AK, or AQ. He's all over this flop and you have to hit one of your 12 outs to win or you'll soon be severely short stacked if he had "slightly less than you". I'm not sure I honestly like your bet on the flop. Yes, a check might induce a bet from him that makes your decision tougher, but your play committed you to the hand and you were an underdog to any of the previously stated hands that he was likely to hold.

I think a check might have been better. Perhaps he also checks and you get a valuable free card. But even if he moves all-in you'd then be in a position to have a choice, get out and try to survive with your T900, or call (which was also not a bad call as you were getting close to appropraite odds to call with 2 cards to come).

Let's not underestimate the value of a free card now and then.

Ken, I'd like to hear more from you on this line.

Keep playing Hard!
P.S. After a long abscense, I should be back here with more regularity, if for no other reason to give Greg a hard time...LOL! Just kidding Greg.