Was I Playing To Win?

[Rushmore]

Time short. Posting hastily, post-haste.

Hero (TAG) utg+1 (25K). Utg+2 (TAG) (24K). Button (LAG) (70K). Blinds 300/600, 100 antes. Average tournament stack about 20K.

I raise to 2K first in with TT. Utg+2 thinks a bit and calls. Folded around to button who calls. Blinds fold.

Flop come TJx, rainbow. I check (hoping the LAG button will make a big play for the pot), but utg+2 bets 3K, button thinks, and mucks.

I smooth call, looking to check-raise the turn.

But the turn is a king, so I bet out 10K, leaving me 9K behind. Utg+2 tanks forever, then pushes 18K allin.

I insta-call, and he's got AQ for Broadway, I fail to fill up, and I am all but busted (next hand, in fact).

I could have made a successful play for the chips in the middle on the flop, obviously, but decided that fully doubling (or even more) up was more valuable.

This decision clearly cost me my tournament life.

Was it worth it? My call was obvious after he pushes, but it's the flop play that sticks in my craw.

I still believe I made the right play.

Hook me up. Make me feel better.

Or excoriate me.

[pindawg]

What did you put him on preflop, flop and turn?

[rdavey]

Sorry but I disagree. I'm OK with the check-raise, but you better be damn sure you'll get the chance to raise. You did. And it needed to be all-in. Several hands could call the pre-flop raise in this spot that could outdraw you, as you found out. You can rule out AA-QQ I think, but AK, AQ, KQs, even a JTs could be here. I think JJ could be too, but you'll simply have to accept losing if that's the case. But you can't let the flop bet go unraised. You were willing to put it all out there when the K hit, so why not make him make a decision prior to the turn. That bet smells of a stab at the pot. You needed to find out if it was a stab or if you were beaten. A raise to at least 12K is needed, I'd just push.

[drewjustdrew]

I don’t really have a problem with your play. The only hand he should have to beat you is some sort of straight draw. If he is TAG, what could he call your early raise with? It should be a big ace or a middle pair. With that flop, you only really fear JJ and his best other hand would be KQ (not likely to call preflop, IMO). I probably bet out on the flop since it is expected, hoping someone tries to push me off an assumed big slick.

You are probably struggling with getting your money in when you are behind. Since you are on a limited bankroll, I don’t think there was anything you could do not to go all-in on the turn, without seeing his cards face up.

Suppose you each had a million in chips at the same limit, You bet 10000 on the turn, he reraises all-in for $950000+. You probably feel better about folding. You did not have the luxury of playing this deep.

[Goodie54]

I don't like the check call on the flop. Here's why. Any good player is going to shut down on the turn if you check call the flop. It's by far the scariest thing you can do. Much scarier than betting and even scarier than check raising. If utg 1 has a hand or better yet, lag has a hand that is good but not great, your not going to get any action. If you bet, you should get a call or better yet a raise from A J, QQ, QJ, KJ, even another jack that lag might have.

Your best play is to bet out on this flop about half pot. This will still disguise your hand and will give them a chance to make a play at the pot, which is what you want.

Peace

Goodie

[drewjustdrew]

Also, I didn't notice this before, but wrong forum.

[Rushmore]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, I didn't notice this before, but wrong forum.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm in the Bahamas. It's a WPT event.

But maybe you're right, I dunno.

[Rushmore]

[ QUOTE ]
What did you put him on preflop, flop and turn?

[/ QUOTE ]

Preflop, he has what any TAG might have, right?

When he bet the flop, I'm hoping he has AJ, but allowing for KQs. Obviously, there is JJ too, but it does not behoove me to put him on this exact hand.

When the turn K comes, I'm hoping he's holding KQ (maybe even AK), of course. I don't want to give a free river here, so I bet to give him a chance to fold. I'm ahead enough of the time to want a call, obviously, so betting half my stack, while a full commitment, still feels right to me.

[Rushmore]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm OK with the check-raise, but you better be damn sure you'll get the chance to raise. You did. And it needed to be all-in.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe I put too much stock in LAG betting the flop, but I still don't think it's so clear that making a play for the pot on the flop is correct.

Utg+2's flop bet smelled weak, obviously. I would have gone for a turn check-raise had anything but an ace or a king fallen.

Unfortunately, I had to shift from aggressive to protective when the king came.

But by then, the damned horse was out of the barn and the barn was on fire.

[Rushmore]

[ QUOTE ]
I probably bet out on the flop since it is expected, hoping someone tries to push me off an assumed big slick.

[/ QUOTE ]

Definitely legitimate thinking, but I was pretty damned sure the button was going to bet.

[ QUOTE ]
You are probably struggling with getting your money in when you are behind. Since you are on a limited bankroll, I don’t think there was anything you could do not to go all-in on the turn, without seeing his cards face up.

[/ QUOTE ]

No struggling at all. I'm not mucking here, and I'm not checking. betting seems obvious.