AKs early, Stars $20+2 freeze

[homerdash]

It's early so I don't have reads on anyone yet. Is it even worth betting the flop? I put villain on a medium pocket pair or AJ.


PokerStars Game #2183579524: Tournament #10400471, Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2005/07/25 - 12:13:09 (ET)
Table '10400471 40' Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: cbs9888 (1430 in chips)
Seat 2: spadeflush76 (1475 in chips)
Seat 3: CrazyKrist (1405 in chips)
Seat 4: homerdash (1970 in chips)
Seat 5: Suzie187 (1250 in chips)
Seat 6: JLlama (2000 in chips)
Seat 7: Superfine (1315 in chips)
Seat 8: DJKO (4530 in chips)
Seat 9: messiah (1480 in chips)
Suzie187: posts small blind 10
JLlama: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to homerdash [Ad Kd]
Superfine: folds
DJKO: folds
messiah: folds
cbs9888: calls 20
spadeflush76: raises 60 to 80
CrazyKrist: folds
homerdash: raises 120 to 200
Suzie187: folds
JLlama: folds
cbs9888: folds
spadeflush76: calls 120
*** FLOP *** [Js 3h 7d]
spadeflush76: checks
homerdash: bets 450
spadeflush76: calls 450
*** TURN *** [Js 3h 7d] [7c]
spadeflush76: checks
homerdash: checks
*** RIVER *** [Js 3h 7d 7c] [5c]
spadeflush76: bets 460
homerdash: folds
spadeflush76 collected 1350 from pot
spadeflush76: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1350 | Rake 0
Board [Js 3h 7d 7c 5c]
Seat 1: cbs9888 folded before Flop
Seat 2: spadeflush76 collected (1350)
Seat 3: CrazyKrist folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: homerdash (button) folded on the River
Seat 5: Suzie187 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: JLlama (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: Superfine folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: DJKO folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: messiah folded before Flop (didn't bet)

[drmcboy]

looks fine to me, with an iffy flop like that you can probably bet a little less on the flop and get the same info.

Good play, I may only lead out the pot on the flop with say 300 chips, should have the same effect, as you are only betting there for information.

[DimitriT]

Call the PFR, then play position but be aware he may have AA or KK there. Had you called the flop, you could have taken a stab with a pot sized bet and check/folded the rest. You overplayed the hand.

[drmcboy]

i beat dwarf!

[chardrian]

AK early is one of those ok let's try to make a bunch or lose as little as possible hands for me now. I like your preflop raise. I woulda checked the flop tho. Is it worth close to 1/3 of your stack to win a pot that will gain you 200 chips? I don't think it is at this point.

[drmcboy]

Pot is about 450, and a re raise pre flop signals big pair, I think it's a waste to not bet the flop. If you're going to check this flop you shouldn't re raise pre flop.

[chardrian]

I don't mind showing "weakness" early - it means your aggressive moves later will get more respect. Later in the tourney - I agree with you, bet the flop, but right here, let it go.

i beat dwarf!

Who doesn't?

[Pingviini]

I dont like the small PFR. I would've just called, althought your raise is telling that you have have a big PP. Since you re-raised the bet on the flop of about 1/2-2/3 pot is mandatory and takes the pot down frequently enough.

My style to play MTT's early is pretty weak-tight.

[drmcboy]

Char I hear you but surely you aren't saying re raise pre flop then check it? What is the benifit of the re raise?

[elanto]

I like the re raise Pre flop since it screams of a high pocket pair. I would have aso bet the flop but 300 (li8ke dwarfy said ), the rest of the hand was well played IMO


-anto

[chardrian]

Char I hear you but surely you aren't saying re raise pre flop then check it? What is the benifit of the re raise?

Yes, u is all right. If you are going to play AK "weak" by checking the flop if there's no A or K, then just call a raise preflop. The only benefit of re-raising preflop (and then not betting the flop) is that it does scream high pp, so you might be able to get to the turn for free against a good player who is now worried about the checkraise on the flop.

[drmcboy]

coolio, agree 100 %. both valid, one with more variance than the other.

[CBAT]

I think a call preflop is good, or a larger raise.

[Miffed22001]

I'd just call so early. If you miss it fold, its not many chips. If you hit it then its probably how many chips will he give you.
I'd argue the preflop reraise suggests AK more than anything else. When he bets that flop and you didnt reraise then i think he knows you dont have that jack or anything that beats it such as an overpair. Maybe that was the problem, he knows you dont have a jack or anything that beats it so he knows you wont call the river even if he has only AQ or AJ.
Difficult to judge so early but i mite, MITE have pushed overhim on the flop but that really would have been a gamble and needed some big cajones.
(did i spell that right?)

[chardrian]

cojones = balls
cajones = drawers or lockers

[ihategnomes]

Your preflop line really lays your entire setup for the rest of the hand.

1.) Re-raise then check on the flop is weak, so if you want to re-raise then betting out is the best line. You buy a free turn card so its not totally pointless. AK does better when it can see 5 cards.

2.) You flat call preflop. Check behind on the flop and see his reaction on the turn or bet out into a check, but he might bet if you dont re-raise preflop, as they say, "Check to the raiser".