AJo 8 Handed

[mackthefork]

Whilst I welcome comments about what i might have done better here I am interested in what you think my opponent could have done differently to play this better and with less risk.

Stars 18 Seater low limit, 8 left, blinds are 100/200, ante 25

I am in 3rd position and no one has entered the pot yet....

Important stacks Mackthefork 2850 SB 3100

I have A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and i make it 450 to go

(I know this is small but I wanted calls from weaker aces, that was my thinking anyways)

All fold to SB who calls, BB folds also (pot is now 1300 and I have it heads up)

Flop is 2 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 6 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

SB Checks, I push in my remaining 2400, he calls immediately and shows A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Pot is now 6100

Two blanks come next and i go (very quietly, in thoughtfulness not in anger).

Looking back there is not much I would do differently, I have good reason to believe I am ahead and that I have the best draw. What does anyone think.

Regards and thanks in advance Mack

[t_perkin]

[ QUOTE ]

Important stacks Mackthefork 2850 SB 3100

I have A J and i make it 450 to go

(I know this is small but I wanted calls from weaker aces, that was my thinking anyways)


[/ QUOTE ]

You don't want callers here. You should go for the T600 and try and take it down right there. Or some would say you should fold, I wouldn't be willing to argue against them without being at the table.

[ QUOTE ]

All fold to SB who calls, BB folds also (pot is now 1300 and I have it heads up)


[/ QUOTE ]

The SB should have bet before the flop, and considering stack sizes, he should probably have pushed.

[ QUOTE ]

SB Checks, I push in my remaining 2400, he calls immediately and shows A K


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Why not take the free card here? There is really no need to push. This was a leak I used to have. Under FTOP he is making a mistake if he gives you the free card, but that means you have to take it!
You are *not* ahead when you push, in fact you are quite a long way behind (u win 40%).

----

So in all I think you need to check your own game a bit. There are a fair few mistakes on both sides. But to answer your question I think he could have defended his hand in the obvious way - bet it.

Just my thoughts

Tim

[Hood]

[ QUOTE ]
Under FTOP he is making a mistake if he gives you the free card ... you are *not* ahead when you push, in fact you are quite a long way behind (u win 40%).

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I think these points are both irrelevant. He doesn't know what the opponent had when he pushed, and the opponent didn't know what he had when he checked on the flop.

[mackthefork]

I hear what you are saying and you are certainly correct in many ways, however i feel certain if he bet half the pot on the flop or put in a decent raise i would have folded, in the reverse situation i would have tried to close this down on the flop, even with AK i would not be wanting all the money to go in there. I think it certainly looked good for me on the flop and his check call for nearly all his chips with a draw shocked me, I was very surprised he wanted to get all his money in.

Regards Mack

PS I would have pushed the TT, and probably got called by JQs hehe [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img].

[t_perkin]

he said:

[ QUOTE ]

I have good reason to believe I am ahead


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Why did he think he was ahead? all he has is over cards. The strength of his hand comes from drawing either a spade, A or J.

Anybody with a pair is giving you more EV by allowing you to draw for free.

I am not saying that the push is a terrible move, but I don't think it is as good as checking.

just some thoughts

Tim

[mackthefork]

[ QUOTE ]
Why did he think he was ahead? all he has is over cards. The strength of his hand comes from drawing either a spade, A or J.

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It was because
a) he never reraised preflop
b) he checked the flop

I believed he would do both these things with AQ AJ AT A9 KQ AA KK maybe even some weaker Aces and Kings. I did not think he would check if he paired up with the board rags in some way, I also thought he would bet the flop with an overpair less than KK. I felt I had many outs if called which i felt was unlikely. Those were the things I was thinking, I basically was already scraping in that small pot, but I got burnt.

I take your point about checking behind, I know I rarely do this and maybe this is a big fault. I know I lose a lot of chips in the 12-10 handed stages of these things and I tend to make a lot of this up when it goes full table again often with this sorts of aggresive (stupid) moves. Once again thanks for your comments.

Regards Mack