blonde poker forum

Just looking for comments really. 11 left, 5 on my table. Table is very tight, I have about 20k, about average. Blinds 1000/2000 but are about to go to 1500/3000 within a couple of minutes. There are 3 seats available and 4th pays £230. About 4 hands ago BB lost half his stack chasing a straight draw.

UTG I get Kc Jc and raise it up to 5000, it's passed round to the big blind who moves all in for another 8650. I have 14650 left and there is 19650 in the pot. In the end I decided to call, he shows  Aspades Qh which held up.

Comments?

you have 20k at the start of the hand 10 times the BB...... even in a 5 handed game I'm looking for a better hand to raise UTG. I 'might' limp/fold to a raise. If I raised with KJ to steal I'm folding to a reraise.
The main thing here is youre out of position. On the button or SB yes raise away BUT you still have to think about folding to a reraise with KJ.
Weak? maybe but I'll survive which is the point with your current stack size which was not in threat.
unlucky he had a genuine hand as well

I think raising kjs utg in a 5 handed game is pretty aggressive but I have no problem with that. When you are reraised tho I think you must fold you are easily dominated and are probably against a genuinley strong hand. your stack will leave you with just enough to take blinds although you will need to make a move very soon.
As a note in a regular comp when getting around 2.5 -1 preflop I call . Here tho I think the chips that you would lose are worth a lot more to you if you keep then in your stack.

If the table is tight, there's nothing wrong with the raise (if you think everyone will fold it doesn't matter what cards you have).

Now, you have to call 8650 to win 19650. If he has a pair lower than Jacks, or Ace-something, you're getting pot odds to call. However, given that you've said the table is very tight, you have to make the assumption that he's got one of the top hands. AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK, AQ, AJ, KQ - these are all hands which have you in all kinds of trouble. If the table really is that tight, there will be better chances to nick blinds. I'd fold here.

In these situations, KJ is just about one of the worst hands you can raise with if you can't treat it carefully. It's just about the best hand that someone will likely not reraise with. All the hands you want to call will fold, and all the hands you want to fold will call/raise you. You may as well have made your move with 72 - the decision would be exactly the same, but it would have been far easier to let go.

 :goodpost:

Very good post. It's also in Sklanskys TPFAP in a chapter called "don't turn AQ into 72o" I think. It's a great point.

Following on from that, it may be in the same book where he says never raise from early position with a hand that cant stand being reraised. And by that he means either a hand which is so powerful it welcomes the reraise, or one so weak it can be easily folded. This is some of the soundest advice for late-stage tournament poker I have ever read.

KJ suited is a hand you really want to see a flop with, and a call UTG is at least as scary as a standard raise to many players. Calling here might even get you a flop as the guy in the bb might peel one off for free, fearing a monster.

I like limping or folding here. Raising 5k to pass to a hand that is surely better than, and likely dominates, yours (if you are on a tight table)  when there is a reasonable chance of ending up best is wasteful. To call that reraise is sheer folly given the tournament situation, despite the attractive pot odds - I mean, you are only 1 (or 2) to go to the final for god's sake and you don't have to win, so you should be avoiding exactly this type of dodgy situation, and stick to solid, risk-averse poker.

By all means steal blinds, but do it with trash.

Thanks guys. Now I'll try and put into practice on Wednesay...