Straightforward hand? I thought so...

[NiceCatch]

Actually, TT versus an overpair needs 4:1 to call preflop, so seems to me like he made the type of fold that only a pro is more likely to make (he would've only been getting about 3:1 for his call). That is, of course, assuming that he read me perfectly for JJ or a big pair. I also don't think he just calls the $25, since he's not getting odds to flop his set. Maybe he initially read me for AK, and decided not to give me odds to flop my A or K.

Anyways, FWIW, IMO he was the best player at the table, and there were at least two other pros there.

[NiceCatch]

I think the other thing to take into account was that he wasn't treating it like "half his stack," he was treating it simply as $60, which is exactly what you're supposed to do in a cash game. He ended up buying back in for the max after that hand.

[Gishaclaus]

I'd agree with you if you turned over your hand and showed it to him before he called. If he has any doubt at all, then the correctness of his fold becomes much murkier.

Isn't there a chance you could have had AK or AQ there and have been feeling lucky?

Eric

[Ulysses]

Justin Moore is playing there w/ $125 and he raises your EP open to $65? I would just send those Kings straight into the muck. Either Justin has Aces and you are a big dog or he will just outplay you postflop. When tangling with a guy like Justin Moore, it's best to do everything possible to avoid getting into tough spots like this.

[NiceCatch]

You know, what baffles me is how well I'm guessing he read me. At least, the fact that he respected my raise... he did later on talk about rarely seeing really out-of-line play "at this level," i.e. 2/5, so maybe he just respects the opponent until they give him a reason not too. Or maybe I have some really obvious tell. I showed him my hand, and while he didn't look like he expected KK, he didn't look really surprised either.

BTW, the Bally's 2/5 game was pretty tough but there were a couple of fish, enough to feed the group. Both of them had been at my 1/2NL game the night before, and both of them had won pretty big (to the tune of being up 4 or 5 buy-ins). The 2/5 game exposed them, though. After they left, the game became considerably more difficult; most of the 1/2NL'ers didn't step up, and the game broke up soon afterwards.

[NiceCatch]

haha thanks Diablo, I'll keep that in mind. So has no one heard of this guy?

BTW, as I mentioned in my initial post, I didn't know that he was the great Justin Moore when I was playing this hand. And obviously the stack sizes make this discussion a little silly, but it's the theory I'm interested in.

[Gishaclaus]

I would never let my stack get that short at a cash game, but maybe he has some secret professional strategy of which I'm not aware.

Anyway, was he thinking about his chips as money when he put in 65 dollars to win 15 dollars in blinds? Aren't the only hands that call (or push) against him going to be the kind to which he's going to be at precisely the disadvantage about which he seems to be worried? I still don't buy it. I would never play TT shortstacked that way, but if one does, it would seem to me that one's first raise is pot-committing.

Eric

[NiceCatch]

Eric, I had actually raised to $25 in early position (I believe I mentioned this in the original post), so I'm assuming he re-raised the $40 pot to get it heads up, or take it down right there. I'm guessing he initially read me for AK.

[NiceCatch]

[ QUOTE ]
I would never play TT shortstacked that way, but if one does, it would seem to me that one's first raise is pot-committing.

[/ QUOTE ]

That might be a discussion onto itself. From my point of view, if you're good enough to lay down TT after the raise, it's a pretty good raise. I'm just surprised that he re-raised me, considering I had raised out of EP... but then folding is pretty weak, and it seems like he raised roughly the right amount against AK.

[Gishaclaus]

I'm apparently retarded then. Still, I think my points are valid, apart from the one about him making the original raise.

Eric