Interesting hand ... (with my coments)

[jimmy44]

Guys,

Here's a hand from last night's tournament that I found interesting.

Villain was chip leader from earlier (after hand 1!) on the tournament going re-raising all in with JJ against a raise that had 99. Do you classify a guy like this loose? He didn't seemed particulary tricky ...

Hero's M = 16.35
PokerStars Game #6406374587: Tournament #32512178, $1.00+$0.20 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2006/09/24 - 18:33:45 (ET)
Condensed history provided by the Tournament Trimmer (v0.7.6) from FlopTurnRiver.com
Table '32512178 4' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 2: DuaneK (2792 in chips)
Seat 3: Grunt 46 (2205 in chips)
Seat 4: jayptee (1220 in chips)
Seat 5: Pegasus5555 (2040 in chips)
Seat 6: mach0202 (1630 in chips)
Seat 8: oliver48 (1645 in chips)
Seat 9: Hero (3678 in chips)
DuaneK: posts small blind 75
Grunt 46: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [As Ts]
jayptee: folds
Pegasus5555: calls 150
mach0202: folds
oliver48: folds
Hero: raises 350 to 500
DuaneK: folds
Grunt 46: folds
Pegasus5555: calls 350
*** FLOP *** [Ad Jd 5d]
Pegasus5555: checks
Hero: bets 600
Pegasus5555: raises 940 to 1540 and is all-in
Hero: ???

Is my raise 3.3xBB too big? Actually, I tried to take the blinds + limper without investing too much. If called I would c-bet which would have a good probability of taking the pot down.

I put him in some hands like AQ/AJ/AT/KQ/KJ/KT or small pocket pair, with the action pre-flop. With the flop I said to myself: flush possibility, but he might have missed and let's c-bet half the pot, representing top pair and try to win the pot now. His all-in was representing top pair. I was getting good pot odds (3.5 to 1). He could have a flush draw and was become short stacked.

What would be your move?

[IowaSkinsFan]

the annoying part is it's really hard to put him on a flush draw, because a flush draw would almost always bet this flop.
I consider telling you to fold, but the blinds are still small and you will have 10BB even if you lose.
idk, this seems really borderline... someone else respond? I'm gonna say fold.
If you can get poker tracker or be observant.

[chardrian]

he very easily has a weaker A than u or a flush draw. He also very easily has you beat.

So it's a pure pot odds question. It's 940 into a pot that has about 3350. So you are getting better than 3:1. Do you think you are ahead more than 1 in 4 times here? If so, (and I think you are), you call.

[drmcboy]

pre flop... I dunno, I think you can just give this up, mostly to avoid this type of spot. But I can't really fault raising if you think there is a good chance he'll give it up. I would make it at least 4x. I just don't think you get folds from an EP limper who is short stacked here very often.

I think you can check flop and see what the turn brings. If he flopped the FD, he is coming on the flop anyway. If the turn bricks, you get it in. This also encourages him to try and bluff you off.

As played, I don't see a fold here.

[Sprayed]

Preflop I can see a raise here only if villain is a weak player. Most of the time you will get a call. It's usually better to be folded to and open for a raise to steal the blinds. I would have to call strictly on pot odds here because I think that you are ahead most of the time. Limping is a weak play here for villain considering he has ~ 14bb and an M of 9 in EP. Either he's not a very astute player or he is trying to set a trap.

[KoRnholio]

Preflop I either limp along or raise more. As played, it looks like Ax with one diamond. With those odds I probably call.

[jimmy44]

Actually, I called and the guy turned out to have AKo ... it was a very good play by him (I think!)

Limping and then just calling, knowing that there was only one player was very well played. I did not cound AK on my list of possible hands as he didn't raise nor re-raised pre-flop.

In this $1.20/45 SNG most of the time my play (raising pre-flop and betting a flush board) had until know worked but this one it did not ... I have to improve on my opponents reading skills to know where and when to do this ...

[Sprayed]

Actually, I called and the guy turned out to have AKo ... it was a very good play by him (I think!)

Limping and then just calling, knowing that there was only one player was very well played. I did not cound AK on my list of possible hands as he didn't raise nor re-raised pre-flop.

In this $1.20/45 SNG most of the time my play (raising pre-flop and betting a flush board) had until know worked but this one it did not ... I have to improve on my opponents reading skills to know where and when to do this ...

Limping AK is marginal. Most think that if you do it with AA and KK, why not AK. The problem is that AK is not a made hand preflop. You have to be suspicious of limpers in EP when their stacks don't justify it. It's not always a big hand but if you are going to play, make sure that you have a decent hand that you don't mind getting involved with.

[jimmy44]

Limping AK is marginal. Most think that if you do it with AA and KK, why not AK. The problem is that AK is not a made hand preflop. You have to be suspicious of limpers in EP when their stacks don't justify it. It's not always a big hand but if you are going to play, make sure that you have a decent hand that you don't mind getting involved with.

I guess you've right, limping with an M of about 9 should say: "Be carefull, maybe be trapping with big hand!"

Thanks for the advice!