How bad is my opponent's play here?

[baggins]

i'm new to tourney theory. i've played a few for fun but never had any real expectation on them.

this hand was the second hand of a PokerStars NL freeroll.

blinds are 10-20, everyone starts with T1500.

I get ATo in SB. LP limps. pot is T60.

me, BB and LP see flop of KQJ rainbow... i bet 60 here, BB folds, and LP goes all in (we are even). I have the nuts, so of course i go all in with him. he turns over KK and rivers a J to take me out of the tournament.

i'm glad i'm out early instead of late, but...


did i make a mistake? did my opponent?

[Martin Aigner]

Baggins,

you got the money in as a big favourite, he sucked out, so you alreasy know who made the better play. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Jeez, I hardly ever heard of a worse play with KK.

As you stated, it happend early in a freeroll, so there isn´t much to complain about.

Better luck next time.

Best regards

Martin Aigner

[Stew]

No offense, but sucking out with top set is hardly a bad play IMO. I think you both made the right play after the flop, obviously he got lucky and you didn't. Last time I checked, that was part of poker.

[Martin Aigner]

Stew,

no problem, I didn´t get it as an offense.

The reasons why this play with KKK is so bad are:

1) He made 2 actions with his KK: Preflop he forgot to raise, which I guess we agree is a mistake.

2) The second and last action with his hand was to move all in in a situation where he obviously can´t drive out a hand that has him beat (I don´t see T9 fold in this situation in a freeroll tourney) and won´t get too many calls from a hand which he clearly dominates. Maybe KQ, KJ or QJ will call in this situation, but if he raises small these hands will more more often than not move all in after a reraise (they might put him on a stopraise with a T). A hand like K8 or Q7 sure won´t call the big raise, which is terrible for him.

That he sucked out in this hand doesn´t have anything at all to do with the bad play of the hand.

Best regards

Martin Aigner

[Stew]

I actually disagree with a pre-flop raise here. Two reasons. First off, it looks too much like a steal and you'll get called down by AX. Second, not raising is a deceptive play in this situation and disguises your hand. If the flop is nasty then you can get out cheaply.

All in the flop is clearly a bad play for a variety of reasons, some of which you mentioned.

[Martin Aigner]

[ QUOTE ]
I actually disagree with a pre-flop raise here. Two reasons. First off, it looks too much like a steal and you'll get called down by AX.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don´t you want to get money from Ax in this spot?

Best regards

Martin Aigner

[PlayerA]

Stew, what would you do with your KK if the flop came 742 rainbow and the BB makes a sizeable bet (say > pot-sized)?

Yesterday, I was in a tourney with 24. Blinds were higher than here. I don't recall exactly. Anyhow, they were high enough so that when the flop came and gave me 2 pair, I went all in. I get called by AA in the CO. No miracle card for AA and they bust.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

His play is fine. He's only behind one possible combination here and he has 7 outs on the turn then 10 outs on the river. He wants a call from KQ, KJ, QJ, AK, etc.

It's a freeroll. If he loses, he loses nothing and can go play a cash game and make money. I probably wouldn't raise all-in here, though. I'd put it back to you at about 300 to play.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Actually, if I had the KK here, what I should do is taise to 400. That way if you go all-in, I'm correct to call even if I *know* you have AT.