$109 NL HE MTT: Sunday Million AKo in UTG

[mariussica88]

Game

Hold'em

Game Format

No Limit

Table Format

MTT

Buy-in

109

Game Options

1. Bounty

Currency

$

Here is an interesting hand from last weeks Sunday Million. This is the second hand of the tournament, so I don't have any info on the players yet.

What would you guys do here?

Spoiler: My thoughts on the play

On the flop I don't think I can fold top pair top kicker, I believe that folding to a raise is too tight, but after the pot bet on the turn I do believe that I'm against at least a set or even better so I decided to fold and live to fight another day.

pokerstars, $100 + $9 - Hold'em No Limit - 125/250 (30 ante) - 8 players

Spoiler

Replay this hand on CardsChat

UTG (Hero): 49,970 (200 bb)
UTG+1: 49,970 (200 bb)
MP: 49,970 (200 bb)
MP+1: 51,055 (204 bb)
CO: 49,970 (200 bb)
BU: 49,845 (199 bb)
SB: 49,220 (197 bb)
BB: 50,000 (200 bb)

Pre-Flop: (615) Hero is UTG with A♦ K♥
Hero raises to 625, UTG+1 calls 625, 5 players fold, BB calls 375

Flop: (2,240) J♦ 9♥ K♠ (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets 1,098, UTG+1 calls 1,098, BB raises to 5,115, Hero calls 4,017, UTG+1 calls 4,017

Turn: (17,585) 9♣ (3 players)
BB bets 17,585, UTG (Hero) ?,

Spoiler

UTG+1 raises to 44,200 (all-in), BB calls 26,615

River: (105,985) 3♠ (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: 105,985

Showdown:
UTG+1 shows J♣ J♠ (a full house, Jacks full of Nines)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 70%, Flop: 35%, Turn: 100%, River: 100%)

BB shows Q♠ T♥ (a straight, Nine to King)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 30%, Flop: 65%, Turn: 0%, River: 0%)

UTG+1 wins 105,985

 

[fundiver199]

Preflop
Standard open.

Flop
Checking on such a connected board against two opponents would not be crazy. But I dont mind C-betting either. However when there then is a call and a big check-raise (almost full pot) behind you, I would probably just dump the hand right there. This might be slightly exploitable, but you are not even closing the action here, and either opponent could already have a straight or two pair. There are also not a lot of good draws, BB could be raising, so his range is more skewed towards made hands on this exact board.

Turn
Now you definitely need to fold. If you continue, you will have put in close to half your stack. So you cant really call now and then fold on the river, and putting in 200BB with just top pair is usually a sure way to set money on fire. Even if BB is occationally on some wild bluff, you are still not closing the action, and UTG+1 could also have you beat.

Spoiler
So you were in fact behind to not one but both opponents. I think, you could have saved some chips by folding on the flop, but at least you avoiding jumping out the window and losing your whole stack.

 

[Andyreas]

Very interesting hand, thanks for sharing! 🤗

Fundivers analysis is on point, as always, but just a few additional comments from my point of view:
Preflop:
It wouldn't have changed a thing but since you're so deep I don't mind you opening a little bigger, like 3BBs, here.

Flop:
I think the main point of this hand is the check-raise of BB.
I've also seen check-raises with rubbish hands of some bluffy players, who either didn't believe your c-bet as a value bet or who have no way of improving and hoping to make you fold. Or some check-raise for strong draws.
But on this exact board which totally hits your UTG and UTG+1 range, it probably screams a top hand, as fundiver said.
I can see why you called and I might have also done so in the hand myself but looking at it from a distance, folding would not be a bad decision here, imo.

Turn:
No discussion about folding TP to a full donk bet on this board now.

 

[fundiver199]

But on this exact board which totally hits your UTG and UTG+1 range, it probably screams a top hand, as fundiver said.

Its true, that both UTG and UTG+1 have a higher density of high cards in their range than BB. And in top of that this is a board with no good draws. There is no flushdraw, and while T8 is an OESD, its quite a crappy one, because a Q will put out a 1-liner and also give AT a potential better straight. Plus someone could already have a straight with QT, in which case T8 can only hope to chop. So I dont even think, T8 is check-raising this board. Which mean, that unless BB is a really high level player, who always look to be balanced, then he likely has no bluffs in his range. And unless he is really bad, he is not raising a worse hand for value either.

 

[pentazepam]

Multiway it's an instant fold on the flop as soon as someone raises. It is hard to improve your hand so it beats their value-raising range.

And a flop check on this wet board facing two players feels OK. Or use your smallest CB-bet size if you do CB.

Everything less than sets or straight very rarely raises this flop multiway as no combo draw is possible.

Top Pair really is at the bottom of the value range here after opening UTG. If you get one street of value in similar situations you are lucky.

 

[BetterThanAvgButNotByMuch]

How do you play the early stages of a tourn where you only have a pair and blinds are really, really small compared to your stack and someone is putting you basically all in? I bet they had more than top pair is my answer to you at that level.

Easy instant fold.

You should be able to recognize that spot whether if its a 1k buyin or a freeroll.

You gotta focus on playing the tourn structure rather than the cards sometimes.

 

[eetenor]

Here is an interesting hand from last weeks Sunday Million. This is the second hand of the tournament, so I don't have any info on the players yet.

What would you guys do here?

Spoiler: My thoughts on the play

On the flop I don't think I can fold top pair top kicker, I believe that folding to a raise is too tight, but after the pot bet on the turn I do believe that I'm against at least a set or even better so I decided to fold and live to fight another day.

PokerStars, $100 + $9 - Hold'em No Limit - 125/250 (30 ante) - 8 players

Spoiler

Replay this hand on CardsChat

UTG (Hero): 49,970 (200 bb)
UTG+1: 49,970 (200 bb)
MP: 49,970 (200 bb)
MP+1: 51,055 (204 bb)
CO: 49,970 (200 bb)
BU: 49,845 (199 bb)
SB: 49,220 (197 bb)
BB: 50,000 (200 bb)

Pre-Flop: (615) Hero is UTG with A♦ K♥
Hero raises to 625, UTG+1 calls 625, 5 players fold, BB calls 375

Flop: (2,240) J♦ 9♥ K♠ (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets 1,098, UTG+1 calls 1,098, BB raises to 5,115, Hero calls 4,017, UTG+1 calls 4,017

Turn: (17,585) 9♣ (3 players)
BB bets 17,585, UTG (Hero) ?,

Spoiler

UTG+1 raises to 44,200 (all-in), BB calls 26,615

River: (105,985) 3♠ (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: 105,985

Showdown:
UTG+1 shows J♣ J♠ (a full house, Jacks full of Nines)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 70%, Flop: 35%, Turn: 100%, River: 100%)

BB shows Q♠ T♥ (a straight, Nine to King)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 30%, Flop: 65%, Turn: 0%, River: 0%)

UTG+1 wins 105,985

Multiway pots using smaller bets is always a very good idea-
What we want to be thinking about here is V ranges- We have a very tight range in UTG1 and a loose range in BB-
Therefore we have a situation where we have two players that can have us beat on this flop with few outs for us even though we have top pair top kicker
As we saw UTG1 has the sets but BB has the straights that is a very typical out come at this stack depth vs these two hand ranges.

Betting flop is fine but calling the check raise is unwise- this board smashes our range and UTG1 range and the BB is XRing 200 bb deep with what bluff?

Board pairs and BB leads for pot into two players---would they do that with KJ? If yes we have to fold. They are still crushing our hand
We have to have them be betting pot with KQ would they really XR KQ into two very tight ranges then blast again with it? AA had to fear KJ on flop and just call 1 not any longer so would KQ bet pot when the 9 pairs?

As we saw in this hand very few times in 200bb pots does the BB get creative they often play far too face up- we would need a read to know the BB is that skilled to think they can get value from worse on turn and balance with bluffs for a pot size lead.

Just watched the replay good fold---hope you took notes on both players

 

[eetenor]

Very interesting hand, thanks for sharing! 🤗

Fundivers analysis is on point, as always, but just a few additional comments from my point of view:
Preflop:
It wouldn't have changed a thing but since you're so deep I don't mind you opening a little bigger, like 3BBs, here.

Flop:
I think the main point of this hand is the check-raise of BB.
I've also seen check-raises with rubbish hands of some bluffy players, who either didn't believe your c-bet as a value bet or who have no way of improving and hoping to make you fold. Or some check-raise for strong draws.
But on this exact board which totally hits your UTG and UTG+1 range, it probably screams a top hand, as fundiver said.
I can see why you called and I might have also done so in the hand myself but looking at it from a distance, folding would not be a bad decision here, imo.

Turn:
No discussion about folding TP to a full donk bet on this board now.

It is fine to open 4 bb at 200bb deep vs standard V as our range for opening is soo very tight and V IP actually have an equity advantage vs us as we cannot realize the full equity of AA KK QQ AKoff OOP this deep on many board runouts vs any agg players but especially skilled players

 

[georgi krastev]

Preflop: that open bet is too low (since i have a 200BB); i would make it at least +4bb.

Flop: the C-bet is fine; but that re-raise, i have to fold (its too much, considering the tournament - buy-in $109; it is assumed that there are fewer casual players than in the lower levels; (but that doesn't mean they aren't there); so, fold; I have done a similar freeroll fold and my reading turned out to be correct; good folding).

Turn: (I will probably have folded before the turn); you made a good fold against great aggression, which means in most cases; better than top pair, top kicker.

Good game!

 

[feisas7991]

bigger raise on the flop.
after getting reraised from bb again id fold it as its unlikely he does it with KQ KT or worse
your hand doesnt improve much on future streets as well.

on the turn you get clear get away action vs at least 1 player who presumably is ready to play for stacks

Hope this helps and Good Luck!