Head Ups in a Tourney - Can you get away from a flopped pair?

[Poker Jon]

Hey All,

Just a quick query about a play I made last night.

1 table SNG on Stars last night.

Heads up, I had a very slight chip defecit (I started with a 2.5k to 10.5k defecit and had worked it back to about 6.5k to 7k).

Blinds are 200/400
I pick up 87s in the small blind and called. Was raised a further 400 which I called again (wrong move huh!). Flop come 10, 8, 3. I check player bets 600, I decided to find out where I stand with a raise of 1800. PLayer then re-raises me all in, I call and he/she has K10 and I go out.

I think I played the whole hand poorly. I felt my check raise was maybe too much, as I felt that I couldn't get away from the hand once re-raised back in, as I had the chance of hitting runner-runner straight of even trips.

What would you guys have done:

a) not completed the SB
b) not completed the raised BB
c) bet out the flop and folded to a raise
d) check-raised less on the flop

I get the feeling that I probably should have bet out the flop and folded to a raise.

I must say in my defence though that the way I had built my chips up to almost even was by calling an all in bet by the other player when he had two overcards and I had a pair. I thought he may be making the same play again.

Any thoughts? Can you get away from a flopped pair in heads up play?

Thanks in advance for the grilling on my play.

[DocHollyday]

Hi Poker Jon,

Well, first you didn't mention the suits of the flop. Was there a flush possibility for you??

To your questions:

a. It's definitly ok to complete the small blind. You got not a superb hand, but certainly worth another half bet.

b. Now paying the raise. I think that was a wrong move, as your 78s is going down much in value with only two players. You didn't write if your opponent was loose or a tight guy, this would may be reason your call more or less.

c. The flop gives you a second high pair and in my eyes it's a good flop for you as the BB is supposed to hold high cards. So I think I'd rather make a bet to test the water, but fold to an all-in raise. Even if he has only overcards, he still can outdraw you easily.

d. worst decision in this whole play, because you commited yourself to the pot. With throwing that much in, you have to pay the all-in raise pretty much.

But don't worry, I made the same mistakes enough. For heads up play in general I claim a pair to be pretty tough, but don't forget there's a difference in cash games and tournaments. Where in a tourney you may lose your entire stack it's just another hand in a cash game (if you don't play no limit, where I guess I would fold that pair without hesitation to an all in raise).

Those are my thoughts, may be I'm wrong, but I guess it makes sense somehow.

Good luck with your cards.

[Poker Jon]

I pretty much think that my mistake was to check raise to find out where I was in the hand.

I got re-raised, thus finding out I was behind, and still decided to stick my chips in on a hunch!!!!

[eMarkM]

Completing the blind is fine, raising is fine too, if this player folds too much. You certainly can't be folding hands like this HU. Call the raise, getting 2:1 on your money. I would have led at that pot myself on the flop. I would not have called the all-in re-raise here. Your check raise tells him you caught a piece of this flop. He's not going all-in without at least top pair if he's a decent player. Unless this guy's been maniacly putting you all-in constantly, I'd fold to the all-in for sure.

[Poker Jon]

OK then,

So other than calling the re-raise, the play here was ok??

I agree that I should have lead at the pot and then folded to a re-raise. The only problem with this, is that my opponent make have put me on a steal and thus played a re-steal which i would have folded.

By check-raising, I agree that he knows I have something on the flop, and thus by his re-raise, I should know that he has more of it than me!!!

One more question:

Would any of you re-raise with bottom pair in this situation if you were my opponent i.e. if you were heads up, and hit bottom pair would you re-raise all in a check raise in this situation.

[Bozeman]

If you are the sb headsup, you have position on the flop, so can't checkraise.

[Poker Jon]

Boze,

I checked (as I have position)
He Bet
I raised

Is this not a check raise?

[Bozeman]

Headsup SB is the button, so if you check the flop, it means he checked the flop, and it is now the turn.

[iblucky4u2]

This is the big mistake - "check raise to find out where I was in the hand" - you find out you are behind - then you commit all your chips to a hunch. Based on how you got back to almost even - you are not committed at this point. Fold and build you stack back up. Sounds like your opponent is loose enough to let you double up a few times so wait for a better shot. IMHO.