blonde poker forum

A hand from a large tournament.

Opponent is a respected well known pro and has been one of the 2 most active players at the table but has not made too much head way in chips having had to fold a few times leaving chips out there.

I think i am perceived as quite tight having only made 2 pre flop raises in the first 2 levels but have called with position, usually the button and have taken the pot from players i consider to be quite poor. This has happened 3 times for reasonable pots. I have also played a couple of hands i have won at showdown fairly poorly both times by not raising the turn and this definately appears weak to my opponents, as it's what i would summise if someone else had done it.

stacks are me = 20,000 oppo = 15,000

blinds 75/150

I have the button and oppo is UTG

Oppo raises to 525
2 weak players call in the seats to my right

I find  Ad 9d and call

Blinds fold

Flop =  Aspades Ks 9h

Action checked to me and i bet 1300

Oppo check raises to 3500

Other players fold

What is your course of action?

Nasty one

Understand the call pre-flop based on multiple callers and position

My first instinct is he checked a monster expecting one of the poorer players to have a stab, and then plays it fast because of the flush draw and thinking a big Ace calls him. KK maybe?

Have thought about this for five minutes and I am still not sure what to do!

push? only being called by a hand thats beating you but there's 7,000 in the middle

call...doesn't find out a lot, and you'll face a big bet on the turn

fold..ugh but maybe


Back after a spot of navel gazing!

Difficult spot to be in, he raises 3.5bb initially UTG and then check raises your  1300 bet.  It seems to me more often than not these days that an open raise from UTG is normally AA, KK, QQ and AK all of which anihalate your hand.  Once I have been check raised I am inclined to fold. 

If you perceive the player to be a little bit "busy" I may have stuck a raise in from the button pre flop to find out where I am. 

I don't like the situation at all tbh i have a feeling I am behind but my decision would be player dependant.  That said this looks like a strong play and moreoften than not strong = weak.  Against my better judgement I probably push.   ;marks; ;flushy;

Yes, I agree with the other 2 guys. This is a very tricky spot.

From the play alone I think folding it is the best decision. The problem with this sort of hand stems back to the original pre-flop call...as it always seems to. You pick up a suited ace on the button and call with a weakish hand for value and with position. On the face of it this looks like a pretty good situation. Ideally you want diamonds. You don't get that...you get something not nearly as strong...but something that seduces you anyway. Looking at the action alone it would strongly indicate that you can't be ahead. Your opponent raised UTG (suggesting strength), he checked the flop (A-Q bets here), and now check-raises you less than triple your bet WITH two active players behind. He MUST have A-K minimum...if not a set. What else could he possibly have??

But the complications arise with the history. UTG might be getting a touch frustrated with his failed attempts to win a hand and has seen you play your position prior to this. There is little doubt he COULD be making a move...but the active players behind lessen this possibility in my mind. One thing is for sure...if you call this bet you will be facing a hefty bet on the turn so this option can be quickly ruled out...unless you think you're trapping of course. So it's all-in or fold and with the blinds at just 75/150 this really isn't a great situation for you to shove.

With the extra info i decided that he was proabaly making a move (it took me a good 3 mintue dwell). I summoned up my courage and collected my chips for a raise, then bottled it and called (easily the worst play but i did have position).

The turn was another ace and we both checked and i put in a small value bet on the river which he declined to call so my read was right just didn't have the bottle to go for it.

I thought this was such a tough decision i really struggled to get there and shouldn't have feared the worst so much, more gonads required.

Like all calls of this nature its very hard to make what you think is the correct play sat at a computer screen.

If it was live play ( and im assuming its not ) your decision becomes easier to make.

tbh, just calling with ace nine of diamonds, what are you hoping to flop ? maybe four to the nut flush, trip nines or aces up ?

Its one of those three hands, so with that board you push if you call a raise with ace nine.

Its not just about what he wants to flop though, on a board like this when c/r by an utg raiser you have to think past what you innitially wanted to flop.

Fair comment mate, but more to the point of why call in the first place if your not going to call or push when flopping aces up.

Just my opinion, but you have to put yourself in a position to win, and flopping aces up is very strong short handed and you'd be unlucky to have ran into a set or aces up with the king.

Personally, id rather call in position with rags than ace nine, for one its easier to get away from in the situation of that particular hand.

say i call with  9d 9h and the flop is  9s Ts Js and it goes bet, raise, all in am i still calling because i hit my set?

Well QQ doesnt annihilate your hand because you're miles ahead of this and its probably the hand that the villain had. Raising from the button to see where you are is horrible advice. There's a few reasons to raise PF, but to "see where you are" isn't one of them.

As played i'd push over his c/r. If i raise UTG PF with AA, KK or AK,  and i hit this flop against 3 other players, i'm leading it 100% of the time. It will look like a cbet and may get raised, which gives us a chance to stick it in, while we also might get floaters that dont think we are so strong, and if anyone wants to draw to the straight or flush, they're going to pay for it. I wouldn't be checking it hoping my opponents bet it.

I Raise. to 8. Actually probably 9.

he's not check-raising a set there. it's either AK/J10 or a flush draw. so i think i'd of shoved.