Hi, 1st post for me here, i've been reading the forum for a while though.

This is a 2-table sng in PS we're down to eleven and i've been playing really tight so i decided to open with KQ from utg 5 handed.
Don't really remember any reads since i was paying attention to another tournament



MP (t4335)
Button (t3195)
SB (t1725)
BB (t1250)
Hero (t1535)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with K, Q.
Hero raises to t300, 1 fold, Button calls t300, 2 folds.

Flop: (t750) 7, K, A (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks.

Turn: (t750) 4 (2 players)
Hero bets t450, Button calls t450.

River: (t1650) 3 (2 players)

Final Pot: t1650

Villain bets 500 on the river, Hero????

This is a tough hand to play because of the stack sizes. the blinds dont show in the summary, but I assume they are 50/100. If so I might have bet the flop and checked the turn, but I dont see much difference between the two. Fold the river either way.

If the blinds are 75/150 and the 300 was a min-raise I would have just pushed PF.

I would say that with half your chips in the pot I just move it in here. It looks like he missed clubs or like a gut shot with clubs... Is he capable of bluffing here? I think more times than not your good here. Your a shortstack and if he had an ace I think he'd be leaning on you before the river.

That's exactly what i thought, there's no way he's checking the flop if he has an A, maybe with AK or A7 to trap me but that's unlikely.

So i put him on a missed club draw, i almost timed out and called 500 having 780 in front of me. the guy showed me Q8 offsuit... call with nothing and then bluff thinking mybe i had a middle pair... or a donkey calling with Q high i don't know

I probably should have put the rest 280 cause there's not much i can do with 2.8 BB.

I don't like the standard raise from UTG with only 1500ish chips here. 2/3 times you're going to miss on the flop and then you'll find yourself facing a tough decision about making a CB for a decent chunk of what you have left. At this point you should be conserving your chips for big moves. If you are going to raise PF you should just push, but pushing from UTG w/ KQs here is marginal I think.

He could easily have a weak ace, not a strong one, but glad he had complete air. I still fold the river.

This is not an ideal situation to try to steal with KQ utg. Let me give you an example of a good spot to do it: you need to be shorthanded (5-handed is very good. I might do it at an almost full table if it's a passive table), but I prefer a bit deeper stacks AND you really want there to be an ante. So do this at the FT in a large MTT. I like that you have a tight image.

However, I'd c-bet here and give it up if he calls.

Whether at 50/100 or 75/150 this is probably an open shove PF if you're going to play it at all, unless you are one heck of a short stack player.

You made a terrible play by not betting the flop. We are now playing the hand blind, something
I hate doing in NL. We don't know if he has a busted draw or an ace.
There is always the off chance he has absolutley nothing, and is taking advantage of your weak play on the flop.
I call.

I don't understand your check on the flop. you have taken the lead in the hand, and have control. Why let that control go?

I agree. I cant get my head around the river analysis because "why don't we bet the flop" keeps echoing around in the vast emptiness of my head. I always bet this flop. The rest plays differen, but I think it's safe to say we fold to significant aggression postflop.

A flop bet is not automatic here, it has advantages and disadvantages. The main disadvantage is the loss of control. However, a check with the intention of betting the turn tests for an A for free, can induce a call from a weaker hand on the turn, and gives you the ability to price out the flush draw which you may not be able to on the flop. Its a somewhat higher risk but lower variance play, which isnt so terrible in SnGs.

Cop I agree with your thinking here as usual. But I still bet the flop. He took control in the hand by raising UTG. Villian just called. A premium Ace in these SnG's would have shoved to that bet. I bet the flop hoping to win it right there. Some stronger hands such as weak aces could fold (not likely), KQ could fold as we represent the Ace. And this player called us with Q high after an UTG raise? There might not be any way to get them to fold.

If the flop bet is called then I have to be a little scared of an ace or flush draw. I might decide to get out of the hand right there and check/fold. On other players I will fire again on the turn. I really want to know just how passive this guy has been.

And KQ UTG is a dangerous hand. I will usually throw it away, but being shorthanded I have to go by what the table has been doing and how many pots I have played lately.