I won, but is this a leak?

[bjsaust]

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

Button (t1500)
SB (t1500)
Hero (t1500)
UTG (t1500)
UTG+1 (t1500)
MP1 (t1500)
MP2 (t1500)
MP3 (t1500)
CO (t1500)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 2, A.
UTG calls t20, 2 folds, MP2 calls t20, 3 folds, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (t80) 5, A, 3 (4 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG checks, MP2 bets t20, SB folds, Hero calls t20, UTG calls t20.

Turn: (t140) 7 (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, MP2 bets t20, Hero calls t20, UTG folds.

River: (t180) 4 (2 players)
Hero bets t90, MP2 raises to t180, Hero raises to t1440, MP2 folds.

Final Pot: t1800


I normally dont chase gutshots, and didnt put much value on my TPWK, but the bets were so low I hung in there. Is that bad?

[taipan168]

Flop and turn are fine. You've got implied odds to call those silly minbets to hit your gutshot, not to mention the fact that there's a reasonable chance that you may already have the best hand.

On the river, I'd make it 500 to go since you don't want to completely blow opp out of the pot.

[bjsaust]

Thanks. Wasnt sure what move to make on the river, had hoped he'd do more than min-raise me. As it was he took most of his time considering calling the push over.

[fdnypoker]

Well played. Opp blew the hand with the min bets. Have to call them.

Agree with Tai that you MIGHT have extracted a little more with a smaller reraise on the river.

[parsifals]

Flop and turn are fine. You've got implied odds to call those silly minbets to hit your gutshot, not to mention the fact that there's a reasonable chance that you may already have the best hand.

On the river, I'd make it 500 to go since you don't want to completely blow opp out of the pot.

don't let implied odds get you strung along in a hand, though. don't chase this gutshot unless you believe your TPNK has some value. implied odds in a sng are often much more limited than you'd think. and you also need a strong expectation of being paid off.

i bet out at this flop all day. that's my only critique. i check/call the turn after getting callers, as long as the bets stay small.

[Fortune 500]

Hand was played fine. I would consider betting the flop as a way of disguising the gutshot, but I don't mind just calling the min bet either.

I agree a smaller river bet would be a greater value. Given that we have the ass end of a weak straight on a board that is double gutted... is there any value in just calling here in case the reraiser has something like A6? I guess the betting doesn't really justify that hand, but I'm thinking that the push can't get called by anything less than a 6?

[Fortune 500]

Edit. Sorry... meant to edit my post, not quote myself

[bjsaust]

Its micro stakes. I've seen pushes called with middle pair before.

I figured this was one of the EV times where it doesnt get called a lot, but the times it does it makes the move profitable. I could be wrong, but a lot of people hate to give up a hand they were ahead on at this level.

[taipan168]

Its micro stakes. I've seen pushes called with middle pair before.

I figured this was one of the EV times where it doesnt get called a lot, but the times it does it makes the move profitable. I could be wrong, but a lot of people hate to give up a hand they were ahead on at this level.

I think you're right. It may be one of those situations that a push gets called often enough to be +EV relative to a smaller bet that might get called more often.

[drmcboy]

You don't need to guess. How many hands do you feel he'll call a push with? How many more will he call 500 with?

My opinion, it's an awful push because you're beat or chopping 100% of the time it gets called.

Bet this flop.

[taipan168]

You don't need to guess. How many hands do you feel he'll call a push with? How many more will he call 500 with?

My opinion, it's an awful push because you're beat or chopping 100% of the time it gets called.

Bet this flop.

Good points as usual. I agree betting the flop would have been better. What about on the river - I agree shoving may not be optimal, do you just flat call or raise less?

[bjsaust]

At these levels?

With TP I'd expect a call 20% of the time. Two pair 30%, a set 50%, maybe more. No flush out there, so the only thing I'm worried about is another 2 for a chop, or a 6 for a beat.

This is far from 100% beaten or chop when called. Remember this is the 1.20s. Not only do they overvalue pairs, but the games are rife with 'he's bluffing' syndrome. I've been called down by someone with A high, by unsetted pocket pairs that are low than the board, all kinds of crazy stuff.

[drmcboy]

I have never played a 1.2, so I can't argue your point. I will just say that you are not going to learn much if you just fall back on "Well it's a 1.2, they play bad, I played it right".

If you're getting called by crap, slow playing this hand on the flop and turn is terrible. Do they only call with anything on the river?

Also, you didn't mention what hands you think he calls 500 with.

Tai - I would probably toss in a pot sized bet on the river and plan on folding if he made a big raise, I would call a min raise. But I play the whole hand differently because while we have an OK draw, we have no idea which outs are good or if we need them, so I'd rather have the lead.

[bjsaust]

Yeah, I get what you're saying and cant argue. One reason I started with a small BR and play these levels is to learn the game cheaply. So theres a big argument for playing correctly, regardless of opps. On the other hand, theres an argument for making the most +EV decisions based on my opps even at this level.

I slowplayed this because I felt I had 2nd best hand up until the river. If he'd bet stronger on flop or turn I'd have folded. Opps love their Ax hands at this level, so I put him as very likely TP better kicker. I normally wouldnt chase a gutshot at all except for the very small bets in front.

Nothing wrong with betting 500 instead. I wasnt sure what the most +EV lead was on the river. My hope had been that my low bet would be raised properly, more like 400 say. If he'd raised like that, then I thought I'd have a good chance to get him AI. With the min-raise I wasnt sure what my best chance was. Sometimes at this level a push is seen as weaker than a big bet. A 'more obvious bluff' if you like. Thats how I hoped he'd read it. Especially as I thought he'd read my 90 chip bet as a weak bluff.

Not saying it was right, but that was my thinking.