Am I truly a strategy and/or etiquette idiot?

[Komodo]

If he wanted to check him down, he should have asked preflop. As it was, he could easily have had a flush draw, low pair or something which he cant call with. I dont mind your play at all.

I think I would paraphrase Eddie Murphy here. He talks in the movie "Raw" about a conversation he had with Richard Prior about how Bill Cosby chastised him for his dirty act.

R: "Do they [the audience] laugh?"
E: "Yeah"
R: "Did you get paid?"
E: "Yeah"
R: "Then tell Bill to have a Coke and a smile and shut the [censored] up."

[kuro]

I just say "Sorry, I just started playing a few days ago." and then go on and play my game. Swallowing your pride to avoid spite calls is +EV.

[psyduck]

you played the hand incorrectly, and you don't need to explain your actions AT ALL to the other guy.

[jcm4ccc]

[ QUOTE ]
You can't re-raise all in, because the small stack goes all in for less than a full bet, just open push

[/ QUOTE ] I never quite understand this rule. But let's say that the hero can reraise preflop when the action comes back to him. Wouldn't it be better to try to get the big stack committed to the hand, by reraising some but not all-in, and then betting or calling all-in on the flop (no matter what the flop brings)? Because I think the best scenario might be if all three of you are all-in. You will only finish out of the money if short stack is first, the big stack is second, and you are third (in other words, you lose both the main pot and the side pot). With AK, this hardly seems likely, and there's a good chance that you could become the dominant stack.

This seems like one of those scenarios where taking a risk [keeping the big stack in the hand] is worth the increased probability of getting into first place.

[Wes ManTooth]

[ QUOTE ]
If he wanted to check him down, he should have asked preflop.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don’t agree with this logic... if you flopped two pair you should bet out, again you do not want the opportunity to out draw you and take the pot which might (not in this case) but in some cases move him into the chip lead. You don’t want this to happen just because he asked you preflop. Again only bet out if you actually have something good (solid non-drawing hand) that you are confident that would take out the all-in short stack opponent.

[Slim Pickens]

Screw Harrington here. Sklansky gives decent guidlines for when to check a hand down with a short stack all-in. One is you have to be a relative short stack also, such that elimination of the other player moves you up a place you might not otherwise move up if he stays in. No sale here. You have plenty of chips to stick around four-handed for a while after this hand. Another guideline is that you're not sure you have the best hand. I open-push AK here, but for your action on the flop, I also push since TPTK stands to be the best hand here.

As for the chat after the hand, just say "You agree? Good. Now I know you're both useless at poker and I can win this one easily." Then push the next six hands. It's fun to look back at the PT Game Summary tab when you win six consecutive hands without a showdown three-handed.

[iraise50]

I think Hero played it ok.

I also think that those two clowns getting uspet was a perfect time to try to tilt them further.

I tihnk you check it down when you and another big stack are trying to eliminate a small stack, and neither of you hits the board particularly hard. If either one of you hits it hard, then...by all means bet. At that point you're trying to get value, not just bust the little guy.

[lastchance]

Picking up this pot isn't that great. I think I bet less than all-in here, and shove the turn, if I didn't push preflop, and normally, I push preflop.

[JayKon]

I strongly urg you to report yepikim for discussing the hand while in play. Send the email NOW!

As for your action, it has been discussed properly. I would only reinforce one thing. Your bet is saying, I can beat the allin.

Good luck and good skill,
Jay