Couple of hands on chip accumulation vs stack preservation

[JC_Saves]

(blind)

I think your first hand it is a bad idea to check this flop. Your min raise could have been taken easily for the steal attempt that it was, and been raised by far inferior hands hoping to hit the flop. Your check gives them a free card to hope to hit the turn. BB could have called with T8 or 66, 77, 99, and he is just waiting for you to make move so he can come over the top.

Hand 2: I think your range of hands for the caller is too narrow. I would call that with QQ, JJ and TT, and since we are short-handed I could see calling with KK even, hoping to trap you for all your money on the flop. Granted the majority of time AA would probably reraise you, it is also possible that AA could just call and hope that you shove all your chips out on a harmless flop. 77 and 66 definitely call here as you have been playing a lot of pots aggressively.

I think his bet after your check says that he has an overpair, how much over is the question. Being the chip leader before this hand, and being in great shape after this hand, I would lay this down in this situation. I don't think you have anywhere enough information to Push, but that is just me. I would look for confrontations with the small stacks not a big stack.

[TomHimself]

Yea I would call a reraise from him I think, also might depend on the size of the pot etc.

With no reads I can't fold this, no way did I ever think he had AA.

[TomHimself]

[ QUOTE ]
I think his bet after your check says that he has an overpair

[/ QUOTE ]his bet could mean anything,overcards trying to win the pot now, underpair etc. i wouldnt be soo quick to narrow it down to overpair

[Black Aces 518]

Thanks for the feedback. It actually wasn't a minraise in the first hand, but they won't let me go back and edit. I raised to 4xBB, but doubt that changes much in the analysis.

In hand 2, I think it's tough to narrow down to an overpair. Would you bet AK in this spot if checked to you? 44? He seemed unsure when he put the bet in, which he later said he was scared I had 3 sevens.

For the math of it, the initial pot is 8K. I raise to 10K and he calls. 28K in preflop. I have 60K behind, he has 55K. I check, he bets 10K, I raise him his last 45K.

[MrMoo]

Hand 1: Push. Make him make the decision. Two pair with the second nut flush draw is easily enough to make this move.

By the way, I really dislike the flop check. That would seem really suspicious to me. Do you NOT make a continuation bet a lot of the time?

Hand 2: Make a continuation bet of about 15k. If he cold calls I'd check the turn and see his response. If he pushes I'd likely call although I'd be worried he was holding a big pair here. Personally if I was in his position I'd cold call your raise with a high pair because you're likely to make a continuation bet on the flop and others are not likely to come into the hand against the two big stacks without a monster.

[Black Aces 518]

Moo, thanks.

I would say I make a continuation bet more than 50% of the time but not 100% of the time, whether I hit or not. I'm more likely to make a continuation bet against one player with nothing, or if I read them to be weak (either in the hand or in general). This player was fairly aggressive, and I wanted to show him weakness, and felt my hand was strong enough and the board was safe enough to do so. It has been fairly roundly panned, so I need to reconsider there.

Re: the second hand, I think if I'm calling a push anyway, shouldn't I check to get him to bet worse hands that will fold to my push? I can't figure a reason to lead out the 15K if not to get away from the hand if reraised allin. I did think there was a 80% chance or so that he bets if I check regardless, he didn't need a hand to try and pick up a pot. I think if I figured he was likely to check behind with something like 55 or KQ or AK then I should lead out to not give the overcards free cards. Even if one he doesn't have comes, it greatly complicates matters for me. But I was pretty sure he would lead, and like I said, I was pretty sure he would reraise the big pairs (maybe excepting JJ). I know I would vomit if I had QQ-AA and ended up in a 4 way giant pot OOP with the only stack who can bust me involved.

[MrMoo]

The problem I see with hand one is that I don't think your necessarily portraying weakness with a check. In my mind, if a preflop raiser doesn't make a continuation bet and the board isn't highly coordinated or there are many people to act behind him, I instantly think it's a trap. I'll still fire a round at the pot but the second he fires back I instantly suspect a monster. Frankly I'm surprised he came over the top. Ultimately you had the read on your opponent. If you felt a check would not raise suspicions and still get more money in the pot, I don't think there is anything really wrong with that line.

Hand 2, I'm not willing to give a free card. Even if there is only a 20% chance he'll check. I don't want to be forced to make a tough decision on the turn against the next biggest stack at the table. Especially with only 6 left at the final table. I'd rather end this hand right now.