Analyze This

This is from a $2+0.25 rebuy tournament on FullTilt.

We are past the rebuy period, down to 21 players from 77 (nine paid), and I have about 4,500 chips with blinds at 150/300/25.

UTG on a seven-handed table, I am dealt KK. I raise to 600 and get one caller, who has about 20K.

Flop is 9-5-K, two spades (the K is one). I bet 1,500 into an 1,825 pot. Opponent calls.

Turn is 3 of spades, the third spade. I check; opponent checks.

River is 6 of hearts. I bet 1,500; opponent raises me all-in. I call.

Comments

[Chi-Guy]

With all of those pre-flop chips, there is no way to put him on anything when he made the call.

I have seen this in a number of different low buy-in tournaments. There is no telling what he had. I don't like checking the turn there and then calling the re-raise at the end. I would have bet out there, and get everyone pot committed there. He might have a flush but with a bet out on the turn and his re-raise, you would have been pot committed anyhow so with top set, I would rather get that over before the river card, which could have brought another spade.

He probably made two pair on the river and overbet it. If he has a flush, don't worry, there is a new tournament starting every minute. Good call.

Brian

[NickG]

I can't believe the minbet didn't invite the rest of the table to join. You have 900 in chips. If you fold you are left with 900 in chips and 500 in blinds and antes immediately coming in. The fact that he is trying to push you off your last 900 chips is a bit frustrating. But you cannot fold. If he flips over QJ of spades for turned flush and busted SD, chalk it up to not playing faster preflop.

If you raised it to 1000 preflop you could have pushed on the flop and made it look like you were on a steal since your push would have been a little bit over pot (3500 in to a 2600 pot).

[NickG]

Urban living, withOUT the concrete? I don't think we've seen a non-concrete home (i.e. a sidewalk) for about 20 years over here.

[MAB]

You pretty much have to call....esp. in a cheap tourney like this one....he may have slowed played AA, or have a lower set or 2-pair...could be anything....

[aces88ss]

This is a "Double up or Die" hand. without it being rebuy, the average stake would be over 5,000 anyway. With rebuy, the average is probably double at the least (especially a $2 rebuy). So, at the beginning of the hand, you are below th Mendoza line of tournament play. Just to reach the money, you will have to pick a hand and go for it.

Your goal at the beginning of the hand was to get one caller and all your chips in. Here it is...Call and take your shot.

Your check on the turn was an invitation for this play. You are pot committed with this hand and the blinds coming fast and expensive. If you win, you have a shot. If you fold, you have so few chips, you have almost no shot. You got what you wanted, play it out

[The Nit]

I hate the minraise open but I hate minraises in general. I'd open to 2.5-3x bb. With 15x bb you are playing this hand to the end regardless of the flop so a bigger preflop raise makes it easier to get more money in on the flop.

Your flop bet is fine.

The turn check confused me. What were you trying to accomplish there? I'm not sure what he's folding here on the turn considering he called your flop bet. If he had one spade, you're giving him a chance to draw for free.

In that spot, I just shove the rest of my stack (which isn't that much now considering the pot size). Even if he did flush, you have ten outs and you were going all the way with the hand anyway.

Considering you checked the turn, I just shove the river rather than bet 1500. I think you are as likely to get a shove called as you will a smaller bet (considering your remaining stack size).

It's hard to figure what the villain had here considering it's such a low buyin tournament and the guy has such a monster stack. He could flip anything over - qj spades, kj, a9, a set of 3s or 5s.

[mn156]

I'm not a tourney donk, but with 15 bbs to begin the hand and a set on the flop, all the chips are hitting the middle. Just try to get it in on the turn to avoid letting a naked spade take a free shot at busting you.

[pokerpeaker]

With the min-raise, you gave him the odds to call with sh*tty hands like K-J of spades or K-9 of spades, even, and you got burned for it. That's what killed you in this hand. After that the hand basically plays itself. He might have folded a crappy hand like that one and saved your life.
After that, this is one of those crappy tournament hands. I don't see a way out of it for you either way.

I might have bet more on the flop but shit you got a set of Ks; I could see why you'd want some value from that, even with two spades out there.

I don't blame you for the call; you are committed after your river bet. But you're probably beat.

[Nikademus]

I don't like the min raise preflop. I'd be raising at least 900 UTG.

Given your play, I prefer a check-raise on the flop. If it goes check-check, then I'm betting on any non-spade turn card.

[Chi-Guy]

It looks like we are all on the same page. Impossible to put a big stack on anything in that situation. In Donkaments, trying to outplay people and put them on hands is a mistake. Wiat for huge hands, get as many chips as you can with them and then outplay your opponents at the final table if you have a chip stack o support it.

Brian

[Rant2112]

I usually raise more pre-flop but I can live with the min raise if you think it will get respect. You ended up with one caller so that part went OK.

On the flop I size my bet to make sure flush draws pay and also to make it comfortable to get all the chips in.

Considering that we're pretty likely to still pay off if the flush draw comes in we need to bet quite a bit to price it out. If we assume we'll call an all-in even if the flush comes, and assuming my math is right, we need the villain to put in about 2100 (or more) before the hand is over. That shouldn't be a problem.

As far as getting all the chips in - we have 3875 left. If he's on a flush draw he will probably be willing to put in chips on the flop and turn but not on the river when he misses. If he has any other 'good hand', two pair, a set, or AA, then he's likely to be willing to put in chips as long as the board doesn't get really scary. Betting 1200-1500 on the flop should allow a reasonable turn bet to get all the chips in.

I open shove on the turn. We'll get called by the flush draw, AA, two pair, sets.

This line loses some value against weaker villain holdings but this board is pretty dry. I can't see many villain hands worse than a flush draw that we could reasonably get value from.

If we have a read on the villain that he's bluffy or likes to float then I might give him a chance to do that. The original line is a reasonable one. I don't mind a check-raise on the river either.

I don't like the bluff-inducing line as much as my first one though. I'm biased towards the 'safer' line in a tourney and without a read.

[bill_celtic]

You flopped top set. All of those chips are going in at some point. It really didnt matter when.

Since this is on the blog, i'll guess the other player had 7-8 and was calling the bet of 1500 b/c he has 20k in chips on the chance to bust you. unless a 4th spade hit on the turn, i am getting all the chips in anyways.

If you told me he had AJos too, i wouldnt be surprised. Tons of donks at that level on ftp.

[Chris Cosenza]

Sounds like he backdoored you somehow there and you're beat. But can't see folding really. Shoulda shoved on flop or turn.

[Blazman]

I would have pushed the flop. You are starting to get low and after your pre flop bet you just have to get it in on the flop here. So either he hit his flush or called the flop to steal this away at some point and after you have shown weakness on the turn he can make the bet. Maybe you are beat but you have to go.

-Blaz

[Justin]

Simply put best, he's either trying to push you off a decent hand with air, or he called with crap, called you down with a bad draw, and is now pushing because he's trying to get the implied odds correct which he needed to chase you down. I've seen both in these low level tournaments. It's just a question of which guy you're facing here.