9 replies to this topic

[jmbreslin]

$1.20 STT, Level 3. No particular information on villain to help here.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (7 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

CO (t1475)
Button (t585)
SB (t880)
Hero (t1395)
UTG (t1320)
MP1 (t1400)
MP2 (t6445)

Preflop: Hero is BB with J, J.
2 folds, MP2 calls t30, CO calls t30, Button calls t30, 1 fold, Hero raises to t120, MP2 calls t90, CO calls t90, Button calls t90.

Flop: (t495) 8, 2, 9 (4 players)
Hero bets t300, MP2 calls t300, CO folds, Button folds.

Turn: (t1095) Q (2 players)
Hero checks, MP2 bets t330, Hero ???

He insta-called my CB, which worried me. That's a big part of the reason why I slowed down on the turn. I was thinking set or slowplayed KK/AA. Was my turn check too weak, inviting him to push me off the hand? What should Hero do here?

[throwemaway]

I'd raise more preflop, like to about 250...I really like punishing limpers at low level sngs..Especially for this hand, you need to raise more because your going to be out of position the entire hand..Also, once you get one call from a limper, the others are coming along too for the price you set..

As played, I wouldn't check the turn and would be shoving it in instead

[jmbreslin]

Now that you mention it, I think I've gotten a bit weak on my PF raises in situations like this. I haven't been sticking to the 3BB+#of limpers formula.

So you would open-shove the turn with about 900 chips here? The insta-call from villain on the flop wouldn't concern you?

[throwemaway]

Now that you mention it, I think I've gotten a bit weak on my PF raises in situations like this. I haven't been sticking to the 3BB+#of limpers formula.

So you would open-shove the turn with about 900 chips here? The insta-call from villain on the flop wouldn't concern you?

Instacalls dont mean strength to me..I would be much more worried about j10 instead of a set

[vbnautilus]

I'd also bet more on that flop. You have three players behind you, and you really don't want to see any more cards. The pot is 480 and you've bet 300. I would have bet the full pot here, just to be clear that I was representing an overpair. As it is, your bet looks a more like a continuation bet on that flop, and the big stack could be calling with quite a lot.

One reason to make your own message clear is that it clarifies what someone's response means. If you say "I have an overpair" and they still call, that tells you more than if you make an ambiguous bet and get a call.....

[jmbreslin]

Keep in mind that this is a $1.20, players don't pay as close attention to pot odds than they do at higher levels. Any player who is willing to call a 300 chip bet on this flop would likely call a pot-sized bet too. But I could be wrong about that.

I thought a straight draw was less likely here due to the fact that I was holding two of the Jacks. But if you're worried about JT, why push the turn when the completion card falls?

Help me think through this question: what would his range be to limp and then call my PF raise, and then to call a 300 chip CB into a 495 pot on that flop?
1) JT - less likely because I'm holding two of the Jacks, but I'm dead on the turn
2) AA - always a threat at $1.20, and I'm well behind
3) AQ, KQ - I don't think many would call the CB with this but it's a possibility and I'm well behind on the turn
4) 22, 88, 99 - possible, and I'm well behind of all of these
5) Another mid PP, like 77, TT - possible, and I'm ahead of these

It just seems to me that there are way too many cards in his range that I'm well behind than I'm beating here. Or am I wrong about that?

[Cappy37]

1) JT - less likely because I'm holding two of the Jacks, but I'm dead on the turn
3) AQ, KQ - I don't think many would call the CB with this but it's a possibility and I'm well behind on the turn

It just seems to me that there are way too many cards in his range that I'm well behind than I'm beating here. Or am I wrong about that?

Heh, any time you get snap-called on the flop and you can utter the phrase "I have him crushed unless he has EXACTLY Jack-Ten or King-Queen" Open-Farrell that SOB and go have a smoke.

This guy is 1000% capable of snap calling that flop with KQ. This guy is actually correct to call that flop with J10. You also forgot his two most likely non-nut holdings: QJ and Q10, both of which gave him some semblance of what passes for a straight draw on the flop (with overs!!).

That's a pretty small bet by villain on the turn, too. Something to consider. You've got 1/3 or your chips in the pot, the question now is: could he have air? Is he trying to push you off the hand? He's putting 1/3 of what you got left into the pot on the turn. Is he trying to get paid, or get you out of the pot without confrontation?

It's close. I think we see KQ > Q10 > QJ > J10. But I think we see any of the 4 an awful lot.

[Cappy37]

3) AQ, KQ - I don't think many would call the CB with this but it's a possibility and I'm well behind on the turn

Lol and you claim to play $1.20s? Shame on you!

[jmbreslin]

Lol and you claim to play $1.20s? Shame on you!

A smaller CB, sure; but even most $1.20 donks won't call a 300 chip CB at this stage of the tourney with overcards. But I can't rule it out.

Trying to push me off the hand with air is highly unlikely, in my opinion. A pure bluff in this kind of situation is incredibly rare at this level of play. I think it's safe to say he has something, and my problem is that the range of somethings he might have has me largely beat. I still go back to the question: what could he have here that I beat, besides a stone-cold bluff?

[jmbreslin]

Actually, now that I look at it again I think something like A9 or A8 could be a possibility - those would certainly fit the betting pattern of a typical $1.20 player here. Call a raise with a half-decent Ace, call a CB with a half-decent TPTK, and then he thinks he has me beat when I give up on the turn.

So if we assume he has something, the likely range looks like this:
22, 88, 99, AQ, KQ, QT, TJ, QJ: I'm behind
A9, A8, 77, TT: I'm ahead

He's giving me about 3-1 pot odds, but there's still the river to worry about. And I'm down to about 900 chips on the turn. But since the blinds are only at 15/30, there's still a lot of play left with 900 chips.