180SnG, TPTK Facing Bet On Flop

[bruce]

Mathematically a call is very attractive.

But if you look at most of the hands he'll push with, you're
way behind most of them. The only hand you can beat is a smaller Ace.

How you play your hand ultimately boils down to your read
of villian. Absent a read I think if you raise and he pushes you're going to lose more than 80% of the time.
I very well may let this one go and live to fight another
battle.

Bruce

[Brian B]

His flop bet looks to me like he either has a weaker ace or JQ, trying to get a cheap turn/river/showdown. In this tournament players are more likely to c/r 2pr or better on a flop like this, and lead out with weaker hands. I'd raise to 450 or 500 or so, and only consider folding if SB pushes. Insta-call a push from MP2.

Push.

[PFrese]

Raise to 500, call any push. Push on the turn if he just calls your raise.

You are way ahead most of the time. Most likely his bet is a probe bet. He wants to see if you really have an ace or maybe he has a weaker ace. 80% of the time, I reraise. 20% of the time I will just flat call here and then push on the turn when he bets again. Yes it is risky, but early in these tourneys (Stars 180s) it can be a good way to pick up chips. By calling the flop, pushing the turn, you deny him the info he wanted with the probe bet, and you pot commit him and handcuff him to a weaker hand. Again, not my typical play, but I do it against guys like this if I percieve him as loose.

[Sluss]

I would re-raise and be fine with getting it all in vs. the small blind, if MP2 wants to push I'm more likely to give him credit and toss it.

Does anyone like just limping along pre-flop? I don't like raising here because of the large range of hands that come back and call. Now I feel married to my AK when an A hits. If I limped and things get harry I can get out without too much harm.

[John W]

This is a clear raise situation. Hard to win these things playing scared early and someone has to pick up the dead money so it mine as well be you. I would raise 100% of the time and from the size of MP2 stack size it doesn't appear he's playing very solid.

John