This is a hand that came up during a live tournament I played a few weeks back.

Blinds - 200/400, Full table

HERO - on the BUTTON with about 8,000
VILLAIN - around middle position with about 18,000 to 20,000

Villian seems like a pretty solid, knowledgeable player. Seen him make continuation bets quite a bit, especially against a single opponent.

Preflop Action: Folds to villain who makes a standard raise of 1200 (been making this same raise whether he had Aces, Kings, AK, etc). Folds to HERO who calls with TT. Blinds fold.

Flop: Q 8 4 rainbow, Pot is 3,000
Action: Villain bets 2000, HERO ???

Tough decision. Basically youre being put to a test for your tournament life on the flop. I put him on a fairly wide range since hes got what appears to be a solid stack for the tourney. (If you actually have a very low Q, and hes only and average stack I would fold pretty easily.)

If you flat call you are going to find it hard to get away from this hand with almost any turn card so I would turn it around on him on push back. Youll feel like a donk if he turns over a monster, but if youre willing to go all the way with this hand its the most effective way to do it.

If youre not willing to go all the way with it, get out now.

I agree with this completely, unless he's one of those continuation bets the flop and then gives up if he missed and the turn bricks, in which case I call and then move in/fold.

Yea thats along the lines i was thinkin..he could be doin this with AK,AJ, smaller pockets than mine, maybe even AT, especially with the stack he had. I pushed on him and he called with pocket Kings. Ohhh well...

I think the key is to have a plan for the hand...From your description, it sounds like hes going to make a cont. bet w/ whiffed overs, small pairs, and monsters..Basically hes gonna c/b and you know your going to be put into a push/fold mode on the flop if you call preflop..So in my mind if the board doesnt have an A, K, Q I'm coming right back over the top of him for my stack...If he has a higher PP, then so be it...If it just has a Q or K, thats the tough part, but I'm willing to take that gamble

so you're all cool with the preflop ?

to me, too many over cards can come, I'd rather committ right now, given the stack/blinds and the fact we have TT.

Blinds are also getting nice odds here.

Arg, I was going to say flat call, but you dont have the chips to do that. I guess this is where you try to "read" your opponent.

With a hand like Tens I usualy base my decision on my opponent. If I have no read or he's more on the tight side I'll just flat call and hope to hit a set. If I miss my set, normally I'll get out of the way if one or two overcards flop or if its the type of player Willenation described and he gives up after one continuation bet I may call and push in on the turn.

If its someone who has been raising a lot of pots I'll play it more aggressively and commit now.

but we aren't deep enough to play for set value.
on the surface it looks like swe are; but when you facto in that:

- sometimes it's re-raised behind us
- villain usually doesn't pay off the whole amount ( 7 : 1) post flop
- sometimes we still lose.

that all adds up to needing deeper stack to play for set value only.

yea i wasnt playing for set value, the implied odds aren't there given my stack size. I didnt want to get too crazy with my pair of tens pf, just in case someone behind him woke up with a monster. Plus I had position so I wanted to see a flop before committing my entire stack. I thought i had enough chips to do this. That's why i smooth called. If my stack were like 5000 then I would push all in.

I"m pretty sure this is where I could learn a little patience.
Being that others were down with your flat call; I suppose it's my uncomfortbleness in that zone showing thru.

(I still push though)

Havent read replied but what to do is straight forward

You re-raise preflop.

Edit: i thought u were in trhe blinds. but i still re-raise.

You're up aganst a big stack making a standard raise, take his bet and the blinds, dont let him get lucky on you.

the 1200 +200 + 400 is a lot for you right now, and wil help.