180SnG, TPTK Facing Bet On Flop

[Solitare]

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (9 handed) converter

MP1 (t1790)
MP2 (t950)
Hero (t1470)
CO (t1160)
Button (t1280)
SB (t1295)
BB (t2025)
UTG (t2320)
UTG+1 (t1210)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, MP2 calls t30, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t120</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, SB calls t105, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP2 calls t90.

Flop: (t390) T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 bets t120</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero ???</font>

It's early in the tournament, and I have no good reads.

MP2's mini-bet on the flop seems to want some action and says two-pair or set to me.

Folding seems very weak/tight. Calling gives the SB good drawing odds and MP2 a free card if he doens't have me beat. But if I raise t400-500 and get a reraise from MP2, I will be forced to call due to his stack size and the odds the pot is giving me.

What is my best play here?

[schwza]

i'd raise and be content to play for your stack.

Key words: "early in the tournament." This is where you see atrocious play. I'd bet everything. Take out a second mortgage, use little Billy's college fund, put the rent money in the pot, throw in the wedding ring also.

At this stage I'm 99.9999% sure you are ahead.

[arcticfox]

[ QUOTE ]
MP2's mini-bet on the flop seems to want some action and says two-pair or set to me.

[/ QUOTE ]

Eh? It could as easily say a lone T, a weak A, AQ, AJ, JQ, 78 or a pure bluff thinking the ace missed you (most unlikely but still possible early in this tourney).

I think you may be a little results oriented in this thinking...

First of all, folding is not an option.

He could have :

1- 2 Pairs
2- Set
3- Str8 Draw
4 - Air

If he has you beat (1 or 2), let's say you call and SB folds. The pot will be 390 + 120*2 = 630. He will have 710 left, if he wants to play his stack he only have to bet 300 on the turn and 410 on the river, so you will play for his stack. Option 1, you have 3 or 5 outs. Option 2 you need runner-runner, but would he play 99 or 10-10 like this, I don't think so.

If you have him beat and he has KQ, you have to charge him to draw so you have to raise.

If he has air, you shouldn't have anything more from him.

So I would raise to 400-450 or so...

I would not worry about the SB, he checked and he will face a raise/re-raise.

[FrogMouth]

Looks to me like a weak A or middle pair trying to take down the pot without loosing too much. Raise pot, and let him know hes playing for his whole stack. Way too many donkeys in these tourneys to slow down.

It really helps to know how MP2 burned off the first third of his stack here. If he's the average idiot in one of these he's got a worse ace (or less) a lot of the time. Either way I think you need to raise, the question will be what to do if he calls/re-raises.

why do you think his bet indicates strength? 2 pair or set???? He could simply have an Ace and be testing you to see if you had a middlish pair. That being said, you may still want to proceed with caution. I would throw out a reraise (not 400-500, maybe 240))and see how he responds, if he pushes or re-reraises then I may consider letting go of the hand. More times than not, i go broke though.

You said early in a tourny, what kind of tourney? Micro's = donkfest.

[Solitare]

After the 1/3 pot bet I put him on AT and that's what he showed me.

Even though my instinct wound up being correct, there was no way I was folding or calling. I just didn't like the raise because it left me with no options to a reraise all-in. I did think about a small raise to something like T240 with the intention of folding to an all-in, but this also seemed way too weak.

I guess I'll run into a donkey the next time.

[Mez]

Raise and call a push.

His limp-call PF seems pretty weak, weak ace, QJ, 78s, maybe even JT. Don't know if he's bad enough to open limp with 99 or TT.

Your hand is too good to fold and too vulnerable to give a cheap turn. Raise to 400-500