Playing AA mid-tourney PStars $10 re-buy

[McMelchior]

I've been faring pretty poorly in the MTT lately, with an unbroken record of finishing VERY far from the money for 21 tournaments straight over the last 3 weeks. Half of it due to bad play on my side (typically under estimating the strengh of my opponents hands), one quarter lost coinflips and one quarter bad beats and suck-outs. After this evenings fiasco (547 out of 1,200 in a PStars $10 re-buy) I feel I need a reality check on the way I handle big hands. I would highly appreciate any comments or help - thank you:

I finish the re-buy period with t7,000 (slightly under average). 35 minutes later and I'm down to t5,400 after being cold-decked and not recognizing any fair stealing opportunities on the absolutely lively table (I'm one out of only 3 left of "the original crew"). At one point I open/raise from MP w/TT to t600 (3xBB); the button calls, BB re-raise to half of his stack t3,000, and I decide not to risk my stack as either a coinflip or and underdog and fold. Bbutton folds as well and BB show AKs, and I'm not sorry I folded. The average stack is up to t11,000, and I'm concerned but far from in panic mode - there are several smaller stack at my table, and the blinds are still low (t200/t100 with t25 ante).

A rampant LAG min-raises from EP, and it's folded to me in MP with Ac As. I re-raise to t1,400, BB (a lively player) who has me slightly covered cold calls, and the LAG folds. Flop comes down Tc 7c 5h and BB checks; I consider moving in but decide to give him a chance to bluff by making a "weak" looking bet of only t1,200 into the pot of t3,525. He flat calls immediately. I believe he would have raised my small be with a flush draw, and put him on something like AQ or a smaller pocket pair. I cannot exclude a flopped set, but again believe he would have moved in - there's a flush draw on the board, and if he has paid any kind of attention (you never can tell, even at this level) he might have noticed how tight I've been playing and should not expect to get more chips out of me unless I hit the turn hard. Turn comes 3c, he checks, and I move in for my last t2,800, expecting him to fold - and if he has a set I'll still have 11 outs, and if he managed to make the flush I'll have 7 outs to the nuts.

How do you like my flop bet? Should I have closed the sack here and moved in instead of being greedy and giving him a chance to suck out? For me it touches on the problem that if I get all of my chips in 3 times in a tourney as a 3:1 favorite I'm actually a 2:3 dog to survive ... is it (especially at these low buy-in where LAGs flourish) a more prudent strategy to try to take a small pot down as a big favorite than creating a big pot as a smaller favorite?

Best,

McMelchior (Johan)

Result in white (for those who care): <font color="white"> He calls and flips over 9c 9h, and hits his two-outer on the river.</font>

[McMelchior]

Nobody wants to humor me with a comment? At least I'd expected a slap over the wrist from the Bad-Beat Police? Or is the problem that I haven't used the hand converter and nobody bothers to read a hand written in prose?

No, honestly, my post is sincere ... I'd love oppinions on the "Close the sack"/"Maximize the pot" issue ... thank you! If nothing happens I promise I will not bump it again ...

Best,

McMelchior (Johan)

[fabcunha]

I would have moved in on the flop.

[37offsuit]

This is a judgement call. Trying to induce a bluff has you committed to this pot. If he puts in a big reraise, you're either going to call all in or reraise all in and be called.

Well, he didn't do that. He smooth called. Why would he smooth call? Maybe he has over cards and thinks you missed. Maybe he flopped a set and wants all your chips. Maybe he has an over pair, was going to check raise you all in on the flop but smelled strength from a solid/tight player underbetting the pot.

Maybe he has JT-KT and you priced him in.

Your underbet on the flop makes this a hard read. I'd say that your push on the turn is fine, if he has a made hand here, then you still have outs.

[Sam T.]

In general I come from the "better safe than sorry" school of poker. Unless I'm sitting on a monster, I perfer to take down the pot sooner rather than later.

In your situation, I'd bet the pot on the flop. Aces are nice, but they're still only one pair. Your small bet encourages a call, especially from someone on a draw or who has caught a small piece of the flop.

Look at it from his perspective: "Big raise pre-flop. He's got big cards or a pair. I'm playing for set value. Hmm, a weak bet. Looks like overcards, and the flop missed him. I'm ahead here. But I'm kinda weak, so I'll just call. Now a push. Looks like a desperation bet from AKo trying to salvage the hand. Well, I've got a flush draw, and I think I'm ahead. Call."

If you want to go for the check-raise, great, but I don't like the min-bet.

[FloppedFlush]

I don't see any problem with the way you played it. There really aren't any hands you should be worried about drawing out on you. Since you have the ace of clubs, it's unlikely he has a flush draw. I guess he might cold call a raise that size with KQs, or a suited connector if he's really a "lively player". He'd have to be even more of a lively player to have a straight draw.

With all of the reasonable hands he should be holding, you're either already beat with a set, or he's drawing to 2 or 3 outs, so go ahead and try to string him along.

In this case, I don't think it would have made any difference whether you moved in on the flop or the turn. If he's going to call a small bet on the flop, then call an all-in on the turn with his pair of nines, I'm pretty sure he would have called the all-in on the flop as well.

But, most importantly, you want him to call here, not fold. You're better than 90% to win the hand. You're right - if you get all-in 3 times as a 75% favorite you're an underdog to survive. But if you avoid situations like that, you're an underdog to even make it into the money before getting blinded away, let alone making the final table.

You need to be able to accumulate chips at least fast enough to stay ahead of the blinds. If you're not getting the cards, that often means pushing all-in with garbage, risking your entire stack to try to steal a couple thousand worth of blinds and antes. Given the choice, I'd much rather gamble it up as a 75% favorite to double up.

[Greeksquared]

I would have moved in preflop as I dont like playing after the flop. But your preflop raise is fine. What are you doing betting so small on the flop. He is absolutely forced to call with a draw. If you wanted to give him a chance at bluffing then maybe you should have checked the flop...which I dont like either. Just move in on the flop....very simple play.

And of course...the way you played you got him to risk his whole stack for 2 outs on the river...so you could say you played it perfectly...