Hand from the final table at the $1000 buy in event at Tunica

[Murdz]

I played this hand and it cost me the tournament. I'd like some advice from y'all.

Chip Counts:

Tony Lay 138,500
Dennis Perry 186,500
Will Wetzel 175,000
Craig Mordock (me) 155,500
Juan Vazquez 106,500

5th pays out $22,000
4th pays out $26,000
3rd pays out $29,000
2nd pays out $59,000
1st pays out $110,000



Dennis Perry was playing tighter than a cloistered nun. I knew I could get away from a hand if he was in the pot. Tony Lay was the best player at the table. He was opening pots and playing very agressively. Tony would lay down hands when he was beat and almost never showed a drawing hand. He seemed a little afraid to tangle with me. In the pots we played against each other, niether showed down a hand. He played real well and deserved his win in the tournament.

I thought Juan was very passive post flop. I didn't have a great read on Will. He had shown down some trash hands but was willing to call an all in w/ a less than premium hand.


I have A-K of clubs.

The hand is folded to the small blind (Will Wetzel), he calls and I check trying to trap him.

Flop comes Jc 7d 4h. Will bets 18K and I raise it to 43K. Will calls. The turn comes a 5s. Will bets at the pot for 40K. I think for about three minutes and fold.

I was confused by Will's play. Of course, even if he had a 4 in his hand I was beat. After his bet on the turn, I didn't have enough chips to make him fold to a push all in. He also bet the turn w/o hesitation. I was looking for a re-raise on the flop. At that point, I would have let the hand go. I thought for sure when he called the bet on the flop, I would get to see the river for free. All in all, I am not upset by the lay down, as I was playing to win, and thought I could pick a better spot later on. Little did I know I'd be totally card dead, even for short handed play, after the break.

What do you think Will had?

[sirio11]

I think he most probably has the J, but of course the mistake here was slowplaying the AK

[CardSharpCook]

raise PF.

You have absolutely no way to put him on a hand. Does he have two pair? or is it air? I think it is terrible to check behind with a hand like AK which you are going to overvalue when it doesn't hit. It is really hard to let go of AK without betting at some point. This reminds me of Sirio's bust out hand at the WSOP where he just called with AQ in the SB and his opponent flops TP with a OESD on a 245 board. Let this be lesson to us all.

CSC

[Black Aces 518]

you don't say what the blinds are, but given the size of his flop bet, it seems they are large. It would have been worth taking the pot preflop. I just don't like checking preflop, then raising when aggression is shown on an awful flop for you.

[ansky451]

I think limping AK or AQ from the SB is better than checking with it from the big blind. Especially against an aggressive big blind.

[shaniac]

I too am somewhat confused by people who take a passive approach to the flop and then fire out big on the turn. My guess is he had a decent top pair, maybe turned 2-pair.

I'm trying to figure out what the blinds are. If he bet 18K on the flop, I'm assuming you're playing 6K/12K w/antes or so? If that's the case, and with those stack sizes, I don't think you should be trying to "trap" with AK when there's a lot of chips in the pot, even in position. Against a agressive, gambling type of player, you really have to raise it. Raising also gives you the chance to represent a stronger range on later streets.

On the flop: You're commiting way too much of your stack on the bluff. Against a weak-passive opponent this might work, but the way you described Will, it doesn't seem as likely to work. You'd probably be better off calling the flop with the intention of bluffing him off the turn.

[DemonDeac]

[ QUOTE ]
but of course the mistake here was slowplaying the AK

[/ QUOTE ]

[sirio11]

[ QUOTE ]
This reminds me of Sirio's bust out hand at the WSOP where he just called with AQ in the SB and his opponent flops TP with a OESD on a 245 board. Let this be lesson to us all.


[/ QUOTE ]

Well, not exactly the same situation CSC, because we were playing 3 handed, I was the SB and the BB was the chip leader, so I just completed because I was fairly sure he was raising my blind, and since the game was pot limit, he could only raise the pot, and I want to reraise him all in. Here the OP was the BB, so he's closing the action.

Of couse I still think it was a mistake, but not of the same nature.

[CardSharpCook]

That's fair. Reading that HH on Cardplayer left me a little confused. Good to finally know what your thinking was there.

[Murdz]

Sorry, I forgot to mention the blinds. They were 3,000/6,000 w/ a $500 ante.

Note to self never trap with AK. It was the only mistake I made in 16 hours of play. It's ashame it was so costly.

Part of my thinking w/ the re-raise was to see the river for free. When he called, I thought for sure that would at least happen. I think there's a chance the bet on the turn was a complete bluff but the difference in prize money between 5th and 4th was significant enough that I wasn't going to risk an all in.