Did I Play This Right or Wrong?

[Optional]

Down to 8 in tourney.

I was 2nd biggest stack and BB. All folded but chip leader who min raised me and I called with 10 Q

Flop came A 9 J and he bets 1200.

My first thought was maybe I should just play safe and not get into it with the only player at the table who could take me out at this stage, but he had been playing pretty loose and stealing blinds all game so thought to myself the 'right' play was really to push back at him.

Was I wrong?


***** Hand history (v1.2) *****
Hand ID 5014469
$0 + $6 Texas Hold'em (No Limit) - 16:13:00 02/04/2015 ET
Table 'Table 60874', 10 seats max, Real money
Seat 6 is the button. Small Blind $300, Big Blind $600
Note: seat IDs range from 1 to 10
Seat 1 (playing) : codone69, amount $3639, amount bet $0, penalty (None)
Seat 2 (playing) : defender, amount $5266, amount bet $0, penalty (None)
Seat 4 (playing) : Stefan, amount $4215, amount bet $0, penalty (None)
Seat 6 (playing) : JayTris07, amount $12307, amount bet $0, penalty (None)
Seat 7 (playing) : joevig, amount $2403, amount bet $0, penalty (None)
Seat 8 (playing) : Optional, amount $7345, amount bet $0, penalty (None)
Seat 9 (playing) : SharpAngles, amount $6569, amount bet $0, penalty (None)
Seat 10 (playing) : katstale, amount $6256, amount bet $0, penalty (None)
joevig: Small Blind ($300)
Optional: Big Blind ($600)

** Dealing Down Cards **
Dealt to Optional: [Th, Qh]
SharpAngles: Fold
katstale: Fold
codone69: Fold
defender: Fold
Stefan: Fold
JayTris07: Raise ($1200)
joevig: Fold
Optional: Call [btn] ($600)

** Dealing Flop **
Community cards: [Ad, 9d, Jc]
Optional: Check [btn] ($0)
JayTris07: Bet ($1200)
Optional: Raise [btn] ($6095)
JayTris07: Call ($4895)
JayTris07: Show Cards ($0)
Optional: Show Cards ($0)

** Dealing Turn **
Community cards: [7c]

** Dealing River **
Community cards: [5s]

** Showdown **
Main pot $15290, Rake $0
Summary JayTris07: bet $7295, won $15290, net $7995, HoleCards [4d, As], HiHand [a pair of aces] [As, Ad, Jc, 9d, 7c], won $15290 from main pot
Summary Optional: bet $7295, won $0, net $-7295

[spider]

taking into consideration the situation that you are in, (11 days left, and 250 pts below
the elimination line) , I think you should have held back , since you had a decent stack,
and try to get into the top 5. once there take your shot.

[sinmiedo]

opti, you had no hand , when all indications that your opponent raised you preflop with better than q 10.
a call was fine, and a fold too. play safe till the money, then go crazy heads up.

[Optional]

Great. I not only lost but was wrong too.

[Auto Donk]

tris is a pretty solid player for starters; while the draw was tempting, u have to bail when ace comes down on the flop and he's firing at it -- you gotta figure he's pegged it and isn't gonna be bluffed off it, as he won't buy you having an ace since u didn't repop it preflop; save the rest of your chips for when ur not in a position of being fired at by the chip leader with nothing more than a draw

[SharkAA]

Shove or fold preflop. Calling isn't a good option here, since you only have 12 BBs.
If JayTris07 is raising a bunch, raising with mediocre hands, then it's ok to shove. Otherwise, it's ok to let it go.

[Optional]

tris is a pretty solid player for starters; while the draw was tempting, u have to bail when ace comes down on the flop and he's firing at it -- you gotta figure he's pegged it and isn't gonna be bluffed off it, as he won't buy you having an ace since u didn't repop it preflop; save the rest of your chips for when ur not in a position of being fired at by the chip leader with nothing more than a draw

You may have spotted another issue I have. I don't think I would have reraised with a lone A in that spot.

Shove or fold preflop. Calling isn't a good option here, since you only have 12 BBs.
If JayTris07 is raising a bunch, raising with mediocre hands, then it's ok to shove. Otherwise, it's ok to let it go.

This is pretty much what I was thinking. Still didn't really want to risk it but thought that was 'correct' play at time. Figured he would fold as didn't think he would have min raised with a premium hand and wouldn't risk the mortal wound without one. I thought the check raise may have scared him off too.

[katstale]

Funny you asked abt this because it made me think of our man
Augustus. If he had flush draw or straight draw after the flop he always shoved on that. I am no poker strategist, but what I try to do now is avoid the predetermined winner. Usually after 2 or 3 blind raises u can tell who it is. I laid down AK 2x yesterday and was rewarded with a bad beat and 50 points. If I had played properly, SBR would have %$^&^ me sooner. As Sin most famously said "you have to play the software here"

[GaryDN]

Runnnnnnn ! the next hand was going to be ACES !!

[Bigbill365]

If your in a tourney i would of played it safe when i saw the Ace on the flop unless the other player gave a minimum bet and i could see the turn card for cheap then id call.But no reason to try and take risks if your the 2nd chip leader just wait for a couple to get out.

[Bigbill365]

now real money it may have been a shot you have 2 hards that could give you a staright but even then the odds are against you.

[Jimmy Proffett]

If this was just a plain tournament that didn't lead to something bigger (WSOP seat), like just a regular cash tournament, and given your claim that opponent was stealing blinds... your pre-flop move should've been push or call, don't mind the call. And a check-raise was probably the best play post-flop.... IF this was just a regular tournament. Because of the "qualifying for a Main Event seat" angle, prob best to fold pre. But don't grind yourself down to nothing waiting for a monster either.

[tatddy]

Don't overthink it man you may have been close to the "chip lead" but you only had 12 bbs. In this kind of turbo structure you aren't gonna win sitting back and eating blinds. Guy button raised and (considering he was playing LAG like you said) there's no reason to put him on an A there. You can't really smooth call there so it's either muck or shove. You still have some fold equity there and even if he calls you're alive so I don't hate the shove.

Don't be too results oriented.

[SharpAngles]

I don't know exactly where you are on the board but unless you need a couple firsts to get top 50 it's too loose for this structure IMO. Any other tourney it's not horrible but the diamonds kind of kill my vibe.

Cash game I don't push here unless there's no flush draw, I have the same read of weakness you did AND that jack is a heart (in your case). Don't underestimate backdoor draws. 8 cards that miss your straight draw can turn and make you a fav if you have the backdoor flush and do catch a call.

@katstale

idk if calling an 8 BB blind v blind push preflop can ever be a bad beat. If it makes you feel any better I managed to take down that bully Tris with those chips lol. Will say that dude can play though, we had a nice HU match there at the end.

[daneblazer]

Shove or fold preflop. Calling isn't a good option here, since you only have 12 BBs.
If JayTris07 is raising a bunch, raising with mediocre hands, then it's ok to shove. Otherwise, it's ok to let it go.

Agreed. Unless you've seen him fold to a few 3bets or all-ins, find a better spot.

If this isn't a hand that hammers the importance of position, I don't know what is. Calling from the blinds makes winning hands so much more difficult.

[Bigbill365]

this why i like betting pre flop if i have somethin anything really because that usually gets these A low cards to folld then this wouldnt of happened.

[Optional]

Thanks all. Lots of interesting advice. I 'think' I've learned a couple of things. And glad it wasn't 100% a bad play. I'm thinking from a lot of what is said I need to play a bit more aggressive in general.

I don't know exactly where you are on the board but unless you need a couple firsts to get top 50 it's too loose

...

I managed to take down that bully Tris with those chips lol. Will say that dude can play though, we had a nice HU match there at the end.

I need 250 for 50th... so two cashes or a win.


For some reason that does make it feel better.

[daneblazer]

Thanks all. Lots of interesting advice. I 'think' I've learned a couple of things. And glad it wasn't 100% a bad play. I'm thinking from a lot of what is said I need to play a bit more aggressive in general.



I need 250 for 50th... so two cashes or a win.


For some reason that does make it feel better.

Thank you for posting the hand. It's refreshing to see actual poker talk in the forum.