Out of the SJ

[peterbirks]

How about this hand from the tourney tonight.

Blinds 25-50. You are UTG+1 with 2350 (starting stack of 2500) and pick up AsKd. UTG limps. You limp. MP1 limps, MP2 limps, MP3 limps, passed round to SB who calls. BB declines the option. Pot 350.

Flop: Ah Ac 5d.

UTG checks. You check. MP1 checks. MP2 bets 100. MP2 had 2850 at start of hand, so he has you covered. Passed round to you. You call. Pot 550.

Turn 8d.

You check. MP2 bets 200

MP2 has been an active player so far, but you have not had many hands to go on, so he might just have been getting good cards.

What do you do?

Comments

[ribmeister.livejournal.com]

That's not a particularily strong turn bet considering the pot size. You are likely ahead and would like more money to go into the pot. A raise here to 600 certainly wouldn't get him to fold Ax but would get him to fold smaller pocket pairs. His weakness however may be due to the strength of his hand, say 55. Or it may be due to the weakness of his hand, say KK, but he just can't bring himself not to bet it. I would raise to 600 and see where it goes from there.

[jellymillion.livejournal.com]

First of all I use up a useful proportion of my available time wondering what the hell I was doing limping UTG+1 with AKo, which is not a hand I especially want to play multiway against a range of limpers. Not in a tourney. Or was I expecting a raise that didn't come?

But since I did that and I got here, I'm going to have to go on appearances, I think: if the other guy has been active then perhaps he's prepared to take stabs at offering a home to unloved pots.

After all, what's beating me right now? A5 or 55. Don't forget that he's probably wondering what I'm calling with after an EP limp. What might he be making smallish bets with? A5, 55, Ax or a mid-to-low pair. Pretty broad. Wish I'd raised preflop.

Well, I'm no expert but I can't see myself laying down trip Aces with top kicker. Even if he has a boat already I have an out or two.

I'm going to operate on the assumption that I'm likely to be ahead here. I'm running out of time: call? raise? Call. And lead out with about 500 on the river, hoping for at least a call, at best a push, which I'd interpret as Ax. I hope his x didn't pair on the river.

If I'm beat, I'm beat. There will be another tournament. There is always another tournament.