Need a check up: a few hands to review

[cferejohn]

[ QUOTE ]
The pot is about 600 right now. You have 665 in chips. I say pushing in will only get you called if you're losing.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think a couple losing hands (mostly involving a ten, but possibly something like 99 or 88) will call you here (also any pair that also has a four flush may well call). In any case, there are two possible four flushes out, and you want to make it a mistake for them to call and the only reasonable way to do that here is to push. If you think this opponent would interpret a bet of 150-200 as weakness and come over the top, that's fine too.

[Vince Lepore]

Hand 1: Call. Choices are move in or call. Folding is out of the question. Moving in would be my first choice if the situation you describe wasn't so close to the money. If an Ace flops you might just have to check fold.

Hand 2: Fold. You still have enough chips to be first in even if you lose the sb.

Hand 3. Move in. Time to make a draw #4%# or get off of the pot.

[PrayingMantis]

Few thoughts:

Hand 1. I don't really want to see a flop, especially if he can open-raise with any 2. I'd push, or raise big (only if I know he'll re-raise or fold). I don't think it's a good time for trapping or anything. I would simply play it strong.

Hand 2. As others said, it's a close one, and it depends on many elements. I don't think any of the two options is a mistake. tough spot.

Hand 3. it depents somewhat on my reading of the opponent, but generally I'll push here without hesitation. That's a good board for QQ, I don't see a reason to worry too much. If he got his trips... well, not much you can do, I think.

PrayingMantis

[La Brujita]

Thanks all for your posts. The following were my thoughts. If anyone else wants to post thoughts I would love to read them. Sorry for the length of the post.

Hand 1

I pushed all in. UTG turned over A-9h and won with an ace on the flop. My thoughts:

1. With AA or KK I am trying to get my money in before the flop. When I have KK against aggressive players I don't worry about them holding AA. There is too wide of a range of hands they may hold and if they have rockets I tip my cap and move on.

2. I am not sure if it is a leak in my game but I basically never flat call heads up when I have KK and a decent chip stack. If I am short stacked and willing to take a risk I will do it. My thinking is basically I hate giving free cards and giving three free cards is a bit of a bonanza for someone holding a weak ace if you know what I mean.

3. I agree that I did not have enough separation to do anything else but play this hand strongly. I felt pretty certain after watching the dude play that he would call any reraise so I decided to push.

4. All that being said (and here comes the classic second guess), given that I really felt he had some sort of ace, likely with a kicker lower than my pp, giving free cards might not have been a big deal and a flat call might be a better play? Thing is, as mentioned above, it is just a play I never make in this situation. It is never good to say never in poker so...

Hand 2

I called and SB turned over red kings. I did not improve. My thoughts:

1. IMO this is an extremely close decision. I am not sure there is much difference in equity between a call and a fold.

2. Opponent could have had many hands so I am in a quandry. When I really don't know what to do I give myself the quick AK test. I ask myself how would this hand do against AK. I needed about 41% ev to make a correct call and ev is 40% against AK. Does this test make sense to anyone? The reason I do it is I could be facing a lower pair (good) a higher pair (terrible) overcards (ok) or a stronger jack (terrible). It is hard to weigh the choices quickly. I have an especially hard time figuring out chances a stronger jack is in play.

3. If I had to do it again I would fold. The reason is I have come back from this low of a chip total many times, I wasn't in dire straights. Also, if need be there are many situations where you can get your money in as likely only a small 'dog (against two overs) so maybe you just take your chances on getting a big hand.

4. Hands like JTs are overplayed by many (including me) heads up in raised pots. They are best in cheap multiway pots or can stand action if 4 or more are in the pot (from HEPFAP). Depending on the game I think about mucking first in from ep and don't cold call raises with JTs.

Hand 3

I pushed in because I didn't have enough chips to make a pot sized raise a good option. Opponent turned over KK with no flush draws (what the hell???) My thoughts:

1. I usually get knocked out of tourneys (i) overplaying tptk (ii) with an overpair getting beat (iii) getting outdrawn (iv) getting short stacked and losing in the natural course of the game or (v) losing when blinds become big and the game is a crapshoot. I have fixed (i) and am not worried about (iii)-(v) but trying to work on the overpair quandry. My feelings are with shallow money you have no choice to play strong pre flop with big pairs, you don't have much ability to outplay your opponent. When that is the case, strong post flop play is required (due to the large raised pot).

2. My opponent played this hand as bad as he could play it. I hate the flat call with KK (see hand 2). I hate the flat call on the flop with a flush draw out there.

3. I felt I had to push in on the turn because I had taken an undertaking (as per PLNLH) that if the flush card missed I would bet. My feeling is a small bet like 100-200 might have shown too much weakness. Also, I would not have folded to a reraise so I might as well bet.

4. I thought I was done as soon as I got the flat call. Sure he might have held a flush draw or A-T but likely he had improved more than me. I think QQ is a tough hand to play (especially out of position) but I had decided pre flop and on the flop to play it strong so I did.

5. In sum, in this hand I felt trapped to make the all in bet with QQ although I didn't feel great about it. Is there any way (other than playing QQ for set value-which I won't do) to avoid the leak (or it may not be a leak) in my game of being ousted when holding overpairs. I honestly think I do have a tendency to overplay overpairs.

Sorry for the long post and thanks all for your responses.

[longhorn]

Hand 1. In the heat of battle, I have no doubt that I would have pushed here too, but given the fact that you felt you had a good read on this guy (and that your read turned out to be correct), I think calling is the right choice.

Since you say he was super aggresive, you have to think he'll bet anything on the flop if you check to him, and that you will be able to double-up on any non-ace flop. If the ace does come, I think it's pretty clear that you fold on the bubble.

So by checking and seeing the flop, you will still double up (most of the time) when the ace doesn't hit and you will be able to get away from the hand when it does.

2. I would fold here. I hate calling all in on a hand likely to be a coin-flip. Like someone else said, I would have no problem betting all-in with this hand because then you have the chance to pick up the blinds, but I don't want to lose calling, especially given the chance you are dominated.

[Bozeman]

Allin

hard to believe you have absolutely no read, but call.

Allin