KK against chip leader

[private joker]

Middle stages of a live MTT... 2 tables left and I'm one of the bigger stacks with t2350 (after posting). Blinds are 50/100.

Two loose, bad players limp in EP and MP. An aggressive player who is also the chip leader at the table and has me covered by a significant amount raises to t300 in the CO.

Folded to me in the BB with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. I make it t1000 to go. Limpers fold, and the CO calls.

Flop comes down A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].

What's my line? Check-folding seems weak, allowing any hand to bet me out. But what is he raising and calling t1000 with that's not QQ or a big A? Should I make a feeler bet and fold to a raise?

And how's my preflop?

[whiskeytown]

I don't know about feeler bets - I think anything less then a pot sized bet here will look or smell like fear.

RB

I think if you are going to go and raise about half your stack preflop, you better be prepared to stick around, for better or worse.

As far as hands that call there, AK, AQ, QQ, JJ, TT, 99 if he is a tight player, and if he is loose, I wouldn't be suprised to see Ax, any pair, JTs+.

I think he holds a lower pair than you have. But he could be holding a weak ace to. I would push this flop if I had a tight image myself.
Whats your image? This is a very tricky flop. But if he is this aggressive wouldnt he push with a strong ace like AK or AQ preflop? Has he pushed any hands preflop before? Will be nice to hear what others day. I think your preflop play is just fine.

I think the "feeler" bet is probably your best option. Bet about half the pot and see what happens. Since he's the chip leader, if he has ace-anything he'll probably call your push. But if you bet out half the pot you are not only giving yourself a chance to fold if he comes over the top, but if he just calls it with ace-small you are getting to see the turn the cheapest way possible probably. This gives you a chance to hit your set or a backdoor straight.

The pot is t2250 by my reckoning and you have t1350. A bet of half the pot is therefore a push anyway and a small feeler bet will just be weak to the chip leader. It's check or push time. I think I'm checking.... but i hate having to do it!

I like to think, what would I do with an Ace? And with the stacks as they are, I'm already feeling pretty committed, so I check, and hope he bluffs at it, pushing me all in.

I do the same here, and still call.

[prayformojo]

How big is his stack? He's chip leader, but by how much? If he would be crippled after losing this hand, I'm pushing it. If he's not completely inept you might fold out a weak ace. Ah hell, I'm probably pushing it anyway.

[Blindcurve]

How many chips does the chip leader have? Mostly I'm curious as to whether or not he's pot committed.

I think if you raise 1/2 your stack, you may have to be prepared to push any flop. Certainly, if the chip leader has only spent a small fraction of his stack calling your raise, you push representing an ace. The problem is you are most likely only getting a call if you're beaten. I think I have to check/fold, because I can't make any significant move at the pot without crippling myself.

Bearing the above in mind, since you have two limpers and a raiser, and you can't really allow an ace to catch a flop, I vote for a push preflop. It's overkill with 20 BB's in your stack, but it does two things. One, it almost certainly folds your opponents, and you pick up 5 blinds or 25% of your stack. Two, if big stack calls with anything less than AA he is making the biggest mistake possible. He is almost certainly behind at the moment, and if he could see your hand, without holding AA, he would fold.

[Chris Daddy Cool]

i don't know how right or wrong this may be, but after sticking in half my stack in preflop i'm not folding.