did I play this right?

[thekid]

I am having a problem with Nl tourneys. I seem to have the worst luck when it comes to playing in these. This hand recently happened in a $30 buy in NL tourney. Blinds were at 25-50. I was in a middle position with KQh. First person after BB made a small raise (2X BB). I called. Small blind called. Stacks were pretty even (all had about 2400-2500). Flop came K, Q, 4 rainbow. I am thinking this is great. I have top 2 and a boat draw. Orignal raiser bet 100 and I raised to 400. Small blind raised to 800. Original raiser called. I raised all in, thinking that one was on a straight draw and the other had something like ace, king. Small blind called. Original better folded. Smll blind turned over KK, and I was crushed. Did I play this poorly or did I just get unlucky to be against someone who flopped the nuts? I was afraid to let the person I thought was on the draw get another card, so I wanted him to have to make a decision with the rest of his chips.
Thanks for any help.

[ohkanada]

Calling a small raise with KQs is okay, if and only if you can get away from a flop with either a King or Queen and action. Now in your case flopping top 2, it would be tough to get away based on the stack sizes. It would seem the one hand I would be worried about the SB would be a set of 4's, but even then you have outs. The problem is the SB could easily have the same hand as you or even a worse 2 pair. A pair of kings is the last thing I would expect since he didn't re-raise pre-flop.

Ken Poklitar

[sdplayerb]

I would have folded preflop. KQ is a classic trap hand as you like to hit the K, but tough to get paid off on it and tough to get away from it against AK.
After you hit the top two pair, nothing much you can do from there. Possible to get away from it with all the action, but easier to put someone on AK than KK.

But i wouldn't play for 4% of my chips early on with KQ.

[DaNoob]

So what is worth playing 4% of your chips on in EP? AKs, AKo, AQs, and Pairs above xx? I'm still trying to learn where to jump on the bandwagon, where to throttle it, and when to run like a sissy.

[Ignatius]

I think you played the hand just fine. While the SB's T400 raise into a pot of T1350 looks suspicious (as if begging for a call), without knowing the player you cannot get away from top-twopair with only T1900 left - also b/c the most likely hand that beats you would be a set of 4s, against which you would have been drawing live (5:1 dog).
.
If OTOH, you knew the SB as a solid player and that an underbet in this situation can only mean a trap, you might consider mucking, as the only plausible hands you could put him on after his 1/3 pot check-raise are 44 (3 comb), QQ (1 comb), KK (1 comb) or another KQ (4 comb).

[sdplayerb]

Obviously depends on how many people at the table. But 8 or 9 handed UTG i even fold AQ (suited doesn't do a lot for me since you won't get a flush paid very much anyway).
I even fold TT.
If another limper I will limp with a lot of pairs, either hit my set of fold it. Much easier to know if your small pair is good and KQ.

I won't limp first with like 44 from EP. But at times will with like 88 or 77, i mix it up a little. I prefer about 1/30th of my chips.
If like 1% of my chips, i'll limp with a lot of pairs. If i get raised for a lot, doesn't really hurt me a lot.
I'll even limp with connectors. I've gotten paid well with 65 a few times. But be careful about it and don't do it too much.
I wouldn't do this until you are more comfortable. So I'd remain very tight in early position, AK, sometimes AQ (but never when an early raiser) and top pocket pairs.

SD

[RiverOtter]

no you did not play this right. I agree with sdplayer. You have a trouble hand that got you into trouble. You cannot play this hand for a raise in this position. I think the sb played his hand poorly and got away with it. Alot of world class players would have played your hand exactly like you did after the flop. the difference is that they would never have played this hand in this situation in the first place.