Tight Poker

[bl]

I've been playing more live NL cash and posting less. Here's one interesting hand from a night.

setting: underground game. 2-5 NL max buy-in of 1k.

I'm up against two opponents in this hand. #1 has about 225 and #2 just bought in for 1k. I have 500ish.

I make it $20 with QQ in MP. #2 makes the call on the button and #1 (who had limped) also calls. Flop is QTx. rainbow.

Fantastic so far. It's checked to me and I c-bet $40 or so. both call... $180 in the pot. Turn is an Ace.

#1 open pushes into both of us for $120 or so....

I still have over 400 behind and a bigger stack left to act.

discuss.

[neverthink]

Depends a lot on how much these guys will value a 2 pair, as that is all you're beating now given the action and with the big guy to act behind, I probably fold it. Without someone behind, I probably gamble because his range isn't going to be just the nuts, and you do have nearly a quarter of the deck to help you.

As is I fold. It's a variance play as I'm sure you will occasionally be sick at showdown after folding, but you can't know how much it's going to cost you if you don't fold. Sometimes you'll call and get raised all in behind which is total waste.

[faquewdikhed]

I'd raise and get it all in now. I think the debate is whether to call or raise. I just don't see how you could Possssssibbbbllyyyy even think about folding here.

Shorty villain can have all sorts of junk here. AK, AQ, AJ, AT, QT. Big stack behind you called on the button, so he could have all sorts of hands, but KJ is definitely in his range.

If you are properly rolled for the game, which I'm sure you are, then you should feel comfortable getting it all in here, each time, every time, imho.

[cavman]

i wouldn't consider folding either. KJ is in their range, but that's the only hand you are losing to, and there are many hands you are ahead of. also, you don't have terrible equity if they do have KJ.

i would push now since a good number of river cards could put you in a fairly bad spot.

[neverthink]

i wouldn't consider folding either. KJ is in their range, but that's the only hand you are losing to, and there are many hands you are ahead of. also, you don't have terrible equity if they do have KJ.
i would push now since a good number of river cards could put you in a fairly bad spot.

I agree partially with this statement, you do have redraws to surely the winning hand, but it's a 1/5 chance to make it. The main issue I have with the equity thing is that you don't have nearly enough equity if the big stack behind has KJ and raises all in. If I knew the guy behind would slowplay and just call, I'd happily call and try to stack him on the river even if they both flipped their cards up showing KJ. I'd be getting 2:1 on a 4:1 shot plus implied odds, and the fact that often when the guy behind just calls we'll have him beaten.

It's a tough spot, and I think more consideration needs to be shown to the $1k man behind.

Lets put it another way, if you are last to act, and same guy open pushes, and the big stack raises you all in ahead, do you still call? If the answer is yes then the correct action here is to raise all in, but otherwise it's tricky.

[bl]

needless to say I thought about this one for awhile.

My first thought was, if the short stack had KJ I don't think he would have pushed into us. He's working with the current nuts and knows we both like our hands. If I'm him I check and pray one of us bets. Now, if he's got AT or TT or bottom set maybe he thinks by pushing he can get this down to heads-up.

The real dilema in this hand is mr bigstack. he's given us zero info about his hand and he can definitely stack us with KJ. The thing is he can also double me up with AQ, AT, TT, AK or bottom set. The odds are in favor of one of these hands and he may also have QJ, KT or KQ or some other pair plus draw. Knowing this I should probably just call then push the river regardless. I'm not worried about losing my buy-in so the question here is how to get paid the most the most amount of times.

I ended up pushing and the big stack said something like. "I would have called if you just called." Which meant he had KT or KQ.

Regardless of the river (it was a Ten), I probably made the wrong play by pushing too early here. #1 mucked by the way.