What to do with top pair 2nd kicker here? (PS $5.50)

[taipan168]

What's your play here? Do you pay off AK/AJ/QT or a set if UTG or the SB has it? I didn't put them on A9/A3/A8 as those hands wouldn't have raised PF and would probably have bet the flop.

Do you fold, call or push on the river (to get the SB out)? No real reads at this early stage.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

UTG+1 (t1355)
MP1 (t1765)
MP2 (t2025)
Hero (t1880)
CO (t1430)
Button (t1490)
SB (t995)
BB (t1500)
UTG (t1060)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A, Q.
UTG raises to t60, UTG+1 calls t60, 2 folds, Hero calls t60, 2 folds, SB calls t45, 1 fold.

Flop: (t270) 8, 3, 9 (4 players)
SB checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero checks.

Turn: (t270) A (4 players)
SB checks, UTG bets t90, UTG+1 calls t90, Hero raises to t300, SB calls t300, UTG calls t210, UTG+1 folds.

River: (t1260) J (3 players)
SB checks, UTG bets t700 (All-In), Hero ?????

[WildBobAA]

I would have just called the turn since I want to keep the pot small and hope for a cheap showdown.

As for the push, this is a very hard fold, but it is a fold.

[TLR]

tough fold, but I think I am folding

[swiggidy]

Shouldn't this be a pre-flop re-raise? 250-300?

The turn raise isn't very scary either. There is 450 on the table when it gets to you, so they only have to call 200 for a 750 pot. If you're trying to take it down there I would raise to 500. But, with this much action I would just call and hope for help, or a cheap showdown.

[Sprayed]

Have to fold with just TP this early.

[konahead]

If you weren't going to call his push, why did you raise the turn? Are you afraid of AJ, JJ, 88, 99? If you were afraid of those or AK, you shouldn't have raised the turn... and it was a weak raise, giving plenty of odds for callers.

I call here - looks like a missed flush draw bluffing at it to me..... You have both opps covered by 820 chips and blinds are only 30 so you have plenty of chips and time to regain your stack. I don't think I can find a fold here, given the action and stack sizes...

[Aplomado]

I call here - looks like a missed flush draw bluffing at it to me.....

I seriously doubt that considering the pot odds. I can see an Ace with a lower kicker making this move, but it wouldn't surprise me if you're up against two pair as well.

[drmcboy]

given min raising UTG is pretty much a fish play, I don't see how you put him on a hand based on that. What hand SHOULD he min raise here?

You must call the turn but I don't like the raise at all. Kona is right, if you raise here you are saying you're sure you have the best hand. And then you must raise more. You can't then fold just because he might have had AJ on the river.
If the heart got there, you could fold. If the board paired, maybe you could fold. I don't see it here.

When you limp/call a raise with AQ, you should not then decide to fight for the pot with TP, especially 4 way like this.

[GatorJH]

Shouldn't this be a pre-flop re-raise? 250-300?

Did you consider re-raising pre-flop (although 250-300 is too high)?

By not raising you gave the SB over 5-1 on his money which made it an easy call and actually the BB could have called as well. If you put in a re-raise of 150-180 you represent a strong hand and most likely get it down to you and one or two others, which then gives you an opportunity to represent a high pair with a continuation bet if the flop missed your hand (which it did). Is this a bad move? If so, why?

With the way the hand was played however, I do think you have to lay this down. YOu still have the SB behind you who could have flopped two pair and UTG's betting fits nicely with a hand like AJ.

[drmcboy]

I'd rather fold than raise here pre flop.

[GatorJH]

I'd rather fold than raise here pre flop.

Why?

[skier_5]

does villian really lead all in here with a strong hand after hero raised the turn? Why not make a more callable bet or check/raise? There are certainly players that would do this with a strong hand, but is there enough?

edit: then again it is a 5.50

[drmcboy]

if you raise and get called, you are going to feel totally owned and hate your hand unless you make two pair (remember this opp will be cold calling two raises, or will have raised UTG to start, or called a raise UTG +1 to start) . If you get raised by anyone, you really should fold, since although you'll probably have a huge price again you have no idea what a good flop looks like. If someone pushes you must fold. I'll ignore the obvious problem of multiple callers.

Really the only good result is all folds, which gets you a few chips but isn't that great. Plus, we have a min raise and a call from UTG and UTG +1... they probably have hands they will take a flop with.

Why do you want to raise?

[GatorJH]

if you raise and get called, you are going to feel totally owned and hate your hand unless you make two pair (remember this opp will be cold calling two raises, or will have raised UTG to start, or called a raise UTG +1 to start) . If you get raised by anyone, you really should fold, since although you'll probably have a huge price again you have no idea what a good flop looks like. If someone pushes you must fold. I'll ignore the obvious problem of multiple callers.

Really the only good result is all folds, which gets you a few chips but isn't that great. Plus, we have a min raise and a call from UTG and UTG +1... they probably have hands they will take a flop with.

Why do you want to raise?

My initial thought on raising was to elimite the blinds and figuring that I had position and could evaluate any bet on the flop. However, you make some good points about the fact that they would most likely see a flop and then I still wouldn't know where I stand. Instead I have just invested more money into the pot.

Thanks for the feedback.

[taipan168]

Thanks for the feedback, on balance I think I should have folded (I ended up going all-in, the SB folded and UTG turned over AK). Thought about it for almost my whole 60 seconds and decided, wtf, this is a $5.50, the guy might have pulled that play with almost any ace.