1k SNG hand

[Ikke]

Yes, I'm ready to admit that a few outs would be a lot nicer, but still, I don't think I made a bad play.

Key in this hand is IMO the hand previously played, and the exact amount of his flop-raise.

Let's start the hand from the beginning. He just CALLED my BB. The blinds or 25/50. These blinds are IMO NOT small compared to the stacksize in this HU. This is because I have T1120 after posting. From my experience when you get about a 2:1 chiplead in this kind of tournament is often quite easy to put a lot of pressure on him, blinding him down further till he's really shortstacked. Those blinds are at this stage very relevant to win IMO.

Therefore I can't see him limping with Ax or any ace for that matter. A raise to 100 or 150 would be far more sensible, and he has been doing that.
But from my position, raising an A would make less sense. This is because a medium raise probably wouldnt get him out, and a big raise would put me in a situation where a jeopardize my stack with a shaky holding. I think he knows that, and since he has seen me checking with an weak ace before he should consider that as a possibility.

Now the flop. I bet out 100. That certainly looks like a bluff. But, I could still have the ace IMO. That's how I would have played it if I had one. Try to make him play for his whole stack. I think I could only do that by creating a bigger pot with what seems a steal bet on the flop. IMO, when I hold the ace that's the best way to go. He might play back on a bluff or with a T or even a gutshot as mentioned above. It seems a far better strategy than check-calling a flop bet or check-raising it. That would set all alarmbells of probably.

Now he raises me to 450. Look at that number. Isnt that the perfect bet to steal with? If he holds an ace (given his preflop action unlikely) he would either raise less IMO, call or maybe raise way bigger (looking like a resteal, maybe prompting me to call with a T).
I agree he could hold a T. I'm not so sure he wouldnt fold that to an all-in bet (given the previous hand we played), but I agree he could certainly call with that.

I don't think he can call with KQ and the like. If he can, kudos to him and all the other posters who said they would, but I think you would be behind lots of the times. And, given the fact that he holds T1330 after the raise, I would certainly fold if I were him. Much better opportunities to come IMO.

So, IMO either he holds a T and there's still a probability that he'll fold that, or he is (semi)bluffing with what could be about any hand. I think I'm starting to like the raise ;-)

BTW, the results (as if it matters): He folded WOOOOOOOH!!!

Regards