One mistake?... two?.... or am I a genius? (prolly not)

[miketurner]

Hi, long time lurker... first time poster.

18 player sit&go. 9 players left. Blinds 100/200
Seat #4 is the button

Seat 5: JAE-BIRD (1420 in chips) –SB
Seat 6: bacmt (2310 in chips) –BB
Seat 7: Elmo1234 (4365 in chips)
Seat 8: Flecherb (2885 in chips)
Seat 9: CDKMR (260 in chips)
Seat 1: mike's music (4430 in chips) --me
Seat 2: Bruinfan (2780 in chips)
Seat 3: point44 (6905 in chips)
Seat 4: drewstauf (1645 in chips)

JAE-BIRD: posts small blind 100
bacmt: posts big blind 200

*** HOLE CARDS *** Dealt to mike's music (me) Ac Jc

Elmo1234: calls 200
Flecherb: calls 200
CDKMR: folds
mike's music: calls 200
Bruinfan: folds
point44: calls 200
drewstauf: folds
JAE-BIRD: folds
bacmt: checks

Ok, limping in with Ac-Jc was maybe a mistake... My thinking at the time was "with 2 limpers in front of me, this is a hand that will either hit or it won’t. If it hits, great... If it don’t, easy to let go."

Pot is 1100.

*** FLOP *** 7d Js Ts

bacmt: checks
Elmo1234: bets 1000
Flecherb: folds
mike's music: folds
point44: folds
bacmt: folds





I hit top pair, top kicker on flop. Here’s my thinking on the fold. I don’t know what kind of player "Elmo" is (we just came together at the final table), but he just committed 1/4 of his chips... And more importantly, I have to commit 1/4 of my chips to call. If I am going to play this hand, I am likely going all the way with it. What kind of hand could he have? He could have limped with 9-8, J-10, or 7-7... those have me in big trouble. I can beat K-J, A-10, or A-7. He also could have limped in early with A-A, K-K, or Q-Q... hoping for a limp/re-raise which I am in big trouble against. I am probably in good shape against a draw or a bluff, although he could hit his draw.



If I fold here, I am still 3rd in chips. If I go with it and lose, I am probably out in 9th place. Top 4 get paid.



I went on to finish 2nd, but that doesn’t mean this was a good lay down... what do you think about both my limp, and fold here?

[adanthar]

The PF limp is fine. Unless you figure Elmo for AA, push the flop.

[sabre170]

Welcome to the forums!

Been there and got the scars.

All the reasons for folding the flop apply to preflop as well. If you can't open-raise with AJ, and you aren't dominating stackwise, and you aren't very short-stacked, it is better to just fold preflop.

Sabre170

[Poisson7]

What was the buy-in? It looks to me like Elmo is protecting a pair or at most 2 pair from a dangerous board. I don't think I'd have the guts to push but it seems like it should work. Adanthar, do you really make that play? Does the "Elmo" character typically fold?

[kingele]

I think you played it fine. AJ suited is good for a limp in a pot that's building multi-way. People who recommend that you fold preflop are playing way too tight imo esp when there has been no raise. Your fold on the flop is fine, although I wouldn't be surprised to see KJ making that bet.

[miketurner]

[ QUOTE ]
What was the buy-in?

[/ QUOTE ]

$10.00 + $1.00

[yoadrians]

I agree that folding AJs with two limpers ahead of you is the right play here, and here's why:

With every hand I have, I like to have a 'plan' for what I'll do if my hand hits on the flop. How I'll play it, you know, blah blah blah. Well here, yes, the board is a bit scary, but I'm pushing that flop ... because the flop hit me just the way I wanted it to (or at least one of the ways I wanted it to). TPTK. I don't think a made hand - like a straight here - leads out with a pot-sized bet, especially at this level. He could be on a drawing hand, or KJ, or whatever. But I think you have him beat.

To limp with AJs, and then flop TPTK, and then fold to a pot-sized bet, IMHO, is a no-no, so ...

Just fold pre-flop if folding is your plan when you hit TPTK and face a pot-sized bet.

[miketurner]

[ QUOTE ]
Welcome to the forums!


Sabre170

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you. This many responses in the first few minutes is pretty incredible. I wasn’t sure if I’d be shunned for starting a new thread as a “newbe.”

[adanthar]

You posted an interesting hand and posted it the right way, so like everyone says, welcome to the forum [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

BTW, yoadrians has this right - this should be a pretty routine push, but if you weren't sure about it I take my first comment back and you should've folded PF.