Early in a $3.25 6-max turbo. I really screwed the pooch on this one.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (6 handed) Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

MP (t1500)
CO (t1650)
Button (t1280)
Hero (t1480)
BB (t1500)
UTG (t1590)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K, A.
UTG calls t20, 2 folds, Button calls t20, Hero raises to t100, 1 fold, UTG calls t80, Button calls t80.

Flop: (t320) Q, 2, 7 (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, Button bets t60, Hero calls t60, UTG calls t60.

Turn: (t500) K (3 players)
Hero bets t180, UTG folds, Button calls t180.

[Not quite sure what to do here. I hit my TPTK and pick up the NFD, but I could already be behind a completed flush. I decide to throw out a bet big enough to let them know I have something without committing too many chips.]

River: (t860) A (2 players)
Hero bets t180, Button raises to t940, Hero ???

My hand improves to T2P but I'm still losing to a completed flush or set, so I throw out a blocker bet. I can't call his push, can I? What could he possibly play this way that I beat?

Preflop I'm probably making it 140ish..Playing OOP in a multiway pot sucks
Flop: Looks good to me..I don't think I like to c/bet into two opponents here
Turn: I really dislike your bet..If your gonna bet, bet 2/3 or 3/4th of the pot..I prefer checking here though, because I don't want to get raised off the nut draw..I think a check/call line isn't bad here, although C/R has some merit too
River: With stacks, I'm probably just putting him all in as played

I'd make it slightly more PF.

I'd C-bet the flop with the Nut flush re-draw and two overs.

On the turn i'd lead for 350-400, i don't like your turn bet at all.

I hate the river bet if you're not calling a shove.

OOP pre-flop I make it more with AK...like 150 as everyone else said.

As played, I would call as I throw up in my mouth.

I'll say that he will definately NOT put you on the flush, since your bet was so weak on the river...which is why he could have 2 smaller pair here.

Geez, it didn't even occur to me at the time that I could have represented the nut flush with a bigger bet on the turn. But I'm still undecided as to whether that would be better than check-calling.

As for the river, I don't think it's very likely that he has a smaller 2P. He most likely would have raised the flop w/ AQ, and I don't think he would have called the 180 chip bet on that turn with something like A2 or A7. The only 2P he could realistically be holding is KQ but pushing into me on that river is risky for him. If I had raised PF with AQ or AK, I'm now ahead of his KQ, and he also had the flush to worry about. I put him on a flush on the river that he slowplayed on the turn. It would be consistent with his weak lead on the flop into 2 opponents - that's a very common move with a flush draw.

This is a sng, right? Or is it? Well if it's a 6-max MTT, my advice would still apply since it is, still early, which means small blinds and few reads.

Quick summary - a preflop bet of 60-100 is fine, C-bet the flop or check fold. Whatever you do, don't play a big pot with AK OOP against two opponents with this flop. It's not worth it.

I'm okay with the preflop raise amount. 5x the big blind should be plenty. Although, at some tables I will raise as much as 200 here. At other tables I raise as little as 60. It really depends on your table. The reason to bet small, like 60-100, is to keep the pot small, and not risk so many chips. In many sngs, I never raise more than 3-4 BB unless I'm shoving preflop.

Some argue that it's because we are OOP that we shouldn't be committing too many chips preflop. I tend to agree with this, especially in a sng. It's also a 3.40 turbo 6 max sng, so I suspect my opponents are not tight players. I'll take advantage of this postflop, but preflop, if they're going to call for 60, 120 or 300, I might as well bet 60 and try to control the pot size with a hand like AK.

Out of position means I either want to take down the pot preflop or on the flop with a C bet, or a least play a small pot.

Usually, I bet 60-100 and then C bet against opponents that are capable of folding /check folding/calling to those that don't.

Let's say I bet out 60 with my AK and got the same two callers.

The pot is now 200 on the flop.

I can now lead out for 120-180, or check call for probably a cheaper price, or fold and have only lost 60 chips on the hand.

I'm for betting/folding/calling in that order.

Since I only raised 60, my opponents can put me on a pair of queens (AQ,KQ, QJ etc). I could also have AA, KK, QQ, JJ TT, 99, 88 etc. My C bet should get respect and should only get called by a flush draw. A pair of queens or a set will usually raise my C bet.

I don't have any problem check folding here. Although I never play turbo/6 handed, so I don't know how important this pot is. If I kept it small preflop it's easier to get away from postflop. I'm OOP, I didn't flop anything and I got two callers. I can check/fold and wait for a better position/flop.

Check/calling is just making our position worse. We get no information, we don't show any sign of strength, and we don't force our opponents to make any tough decisions. I would rarely make this play.

As played, I C-bet the flop, and give up after that, unless I sense weakness and have a strong read. Rivering two pair is the same as A high if I'm up against a flush. I have to be able to fold this when I'm beat even if that means, very rarely, I'm up against a stone cold bluff or a weaker two pair.

Also, your blocking bet on the river doesn't make much sense to me. I think you feel you're up against a flush. In that case, six handed, you're going to get reraised here a lot.

Yes, $3.25, 6-max turbo STT.

Except at this level you will get more opponents calling for 60 chips than for 100. I'd much rather raise to 100 and only face 1 villain on the flop than raise to 60 and face 2 or more villains.


I normally wouldn't either, and I had every intention of check-folding. As a general rule I will rarely CB into more than 1 villain with a missed hand. But when he led for only 60 into a 320 chip pot, the odds were just too juicy not to see if I could hit an A or K on the turn. Unfortunately the one A/K that I didn't want to see is the one that fell.


I really don't like the CB option here. I've missed my hand, have 2 opponents to worry about, I'm OOP, and there's a heart draw on the board. Against one opponent, sure, but I think CBing here is more than often just wasting chips.

I like the preflop raise. It could be more, but 100 is fine. Certainly less would be a mistake IMO. I dont like the c/c on the flop though. If I'm calling, I'm betting. If I'm checking, I'm folding. You're building a pot out of position on a draw heavy board where you're drawing to 1 pair. I dont like that much.

If the CB is a waste on the flop, as you seem to think, then you probably should give up on the turn when the draw gets there, or at the very least check, and call down reasonable bets/ fold to a large bet.

I don't play 6-max, so take this with a grain of salt.