11 left and I'm against the chip leader

[Bill Smith]

This hand was from a live tourney last night. We're down to 2 tables, and only 6 at my table. The table was playing very tight except for the Button, the chip leader, who limped about 70% of the time preflop. However, he seemed to play okay postflop and hadn't shown down anything bad.

Blinds 5k/10k, Hero has about 220k after posting the SB.

Hero is SB with K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].

UTG limps, 2 folds, Button limps, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop (40k): K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Hero bets 30k, folds to the Button who raises 30k, Hero calls.

Turn (100k): T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Questions:
1. Opinions on the flop?
2. Plan on the turn?

[Sam T.]

What is the chip leader's stack?

I hate the flat call on the flop. His raise could mean a few things:
-He has a hand, and wants to juice the pot. (I hate his min-raise if this is the case.)
-He has a flush draw and wants to buy a free river if you check the turn.
-He has nothing, but thinks you may be stealing with nothing as well. His plan is to raise here and then steal on the turn.

The problem with the flat call is that you don't know any more after calling than you did before, and you're facing a decision out of position. None of your options are good - you can bet, but you may be doing so with the worse hand. If you check, he is going to steal the pot from you.

The better plan for the flop, I think, would have been to go for a check-raise, and if he calls, bet at any turn. If he doesn't have the goods, it will be very difficult for him to continue with the hand. If he calls the CR, you have a much better idea where you stand. If you bet out, and he min-raises, I actually prefer re-popping it to simply calling. It is a risk, but you are telling him you have a hand, and if he doesn't he should fold.

Edit: Sorry, I missed that the ten made your two-pair. I was blinded by the flush draw. Soss is right on with this one. Lead out the turn, or CR all-in.

Sam

[SossMan]

Preflop is fine.
Flop looks good so long as you are careful on a blank turn.

I like leading out 75k here on the turn and calling an all in. If you read him as aggressive, then I don't mind checkraising all in here on the turn.

are you in the money yet? if not, how long before you are in the money. Also, how much of a big stack does the button have.

[youngin20]

Getting a lot of money in with 2 pair in an unraised multiway pot, is usually to lose a lot of chips. Q9, 2 spades are more than likely, especially given your description of his good postflop play.

[Tim H]

go Badgers !!

man that is a tough one with the possible str8 and flush now, plus KJ/JJ

the only thing you beat is QJ/TJ/T9/AK/KQ/AA/QQ/PP's except 4's and trash. With alot of the hands he could have boat loads of outs if any contain a spade.

How close to the top are you in chips? How is your chip position relative to the other stacks left in tourney.

I think i'd be ready to give this pot up and check the turn, I sure as hell wouldn't push here you are either barely ahead or way behind. I wouldn't put him on trash hands since he'd be raising pf or folding it seems.

[Bill Smith]

[ QUOTE ]
are you in the money yet? if not, how long before you are in the money. Also, how much of a big stack does the button have.

[/ QUOTE ]

Prizes were paid to the top 9, but 4th-9th were basically just a pint glass and a handshake. The button had me covered by about 200k.

[SossMan]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
are you in the money yet? if not, how long before you are in the money. Also, how much of a big stack does the button have.

[/ QUOTE ]

Prizes were paid to the top 9, but 4th-9th were basically just a pint glass and a handshake. The button had me covered by about 200k.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am liking the 75k bet on the turn.

Sam makes some nice points about the flat call on the flop. You may be better off with a check and see strategy on this flop. Check-fold to a bet from EP, check raise a bet from the button.

[Bill Smith]

[ QUOTE ]
Blinds 5k/10k, Hero has about 220k after posting the SB.

Hero is SB with K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].

UTG limps, 2 folds, Button limps, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop (40k): K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Hero bets 30k, folds to the Button who raises 30k, Hero calls.

Turn (100k): T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
{/quote]

Hero bets 60k (probably should've come stronger) and Button pushes me all-in. Is everyone liking a call, or do you fold this?

[augie00]

Sam seems to be the only one who acknowledges that the button's raise on the flop means something; I just can't decide what it means. If he had a made hand on the flop you probably took the lead on the turn, but if the button held KJ, KQ, or AK, I'd look for him to make a bigger raise on the flop.

I've changed my mind a few times on this hand, but I just can't bring myself to call for all my chips on the turn.

This play is all about feel. If you think that the button would raise a draw on the flop, you can lay this down and not hate yourself in the morning.

[Bill Smith]

[ QUOTE ]
This play is all about feel. If you think that the button would raise a draw on the flop, you can lay this down and not hate yourself in the morning.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I didn't know for fact that he would raise a draw, but I felt like he had some kind of made hand and I decided to lay it down. I was absolutely correct. Button flashes me K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and I shoulda chopped. I think I made a mistake not c/r'ing the flop, and a bigger one not calling the all-in.