$5.50 NL HE MTT: AQo in UTG

mariussica88

mariussica88

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
May 8, 2017
Total posts
1,276
Awards
3
RO
Chips
634
Game
Hold'em
Game Format
No Limit
Table Format
MTT
Buy-in
5.50
Game Options
  1. Bounty
Currency
$
Here I have no info on the CO, he late reg. and did not play any hands yet. Late reg is still open and the bounty is min. $1.25, also the starting stacks are 50 000 chips.

How would you guys play this hand?

GGPoker, Hold'em No Limit - 1,000/2,000 (300 ante) - 8 players
Hand delivered by CardsChat

UTG (Hero): 167,872 (84 bb)
UTG+1: 49,796 (25 bb)
MP: 35,750 (18 bb)
MP+1: 36,500 (18 bb)
CO: 41,950 (21 bb)
BU: 255,665 (128 bb)
SB: 89,460 (45 bb)
BB: 92,229 (46 bb)

Pre-Flop: (5,400) Hero is UTG with Q A
Hero raises to 6,000, 3 players fold, CO calls 6,000, 2 players fold, BB calls 4,000

Flop: (21,400) 5 T K (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets 6,634, CO calls 6,634, BB folds

Turn: (34,668) K (2 players)
Hero bets 10,748, CO calls 10,748

River: (56,164) 6 (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets 18,268 (all-in), Hero ?

2
 
primrose

primrose

Visionary
Bronze Level
Joined
Mar 29, 2024
Total posts
645
Chips
374
I think the Flop bet is a mistake. This board is very good for the CO range, and you have a gutshot. I think you should check-call or check-fold the flop. If CO doesn't bet on the Flop, then you can consider making a stab on the Turn. Given how you got to the Turn though, I think the Turn bet is an even bigger mistake than the Flop bet. Once CO has called one bet, the King becomes the worst possible card to bluff because it makes it less likely that you have a King, so more likely that he would call with a T or a pocket pair.

As played, fold to the River bet. I don't have to do math; you definitely need more than 10% and really I doubt you're good 10% of the time. It makes absolutely zero sense for CO to be bluffing here.

So, yeah, basically I think this is a spot where you should just give up.
 
F

fundiver199

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Total posts
15,590
Awards
2
Chips
821
Preflop
Open raising to 3BB is fairly large sizing with so many short stacks at the table. Personally I would go with 2,5BB, when you are <50BB deep against 6 out of 7 opponents.

Flop
I am not loving this C-bet. Its a multiway pot, and you are monkey in the middle, which is bad enough already, but the biggest issue is COs stack size. If he gives action, he only has a pot sized bet left, which mean, you have no room to maneuver on the turn and river against him. And he could also easily decide to simply go with his hand and jam over your C-bet. If he has for instance QJ or A4 of diamonds, he should absolutly be jamming this flop, which will force you to fold the best hand. Check and hope, he checks behind. Make a decision, if he bet, depending on his sizing and what BB does.

Turn
I dont like this bet either. He is never folding a made hand, when the top card pairs, because that makes it less likely, you have it. And if he have trips himself, he is 100% not folding, and he might jam to protect against draws. Check and hope, he checks behind or bet something silly like 1BB, which you can call.

River
First decision is, if you want to jam as a bluff. And for me the answer is no. Backdoor flush came in, and you block it, which is good. But there is only a 1/3 pot sized bet left, so I dont think, he is always folding a T, and he is certainly not folding a K. This is the stack size issue, I talked about under flop play. Next decision point is, if you want to call as a bluff catch. And I think, the answer to that is also no.

You are getting a price here and only need to be good 20% of the time not even taking the bounty into account. But because you are getting such a good price, I dont think, busted draws are always bluffing. You also block QJo, which would be one of the most logical bluffs, and this is more important than blocking backdoor flushes, since most of his value range is going to be trips or boats.

Conclusion
For me the most important point of this hand is to avoid building up a pot with hands, you dont want to commit with, when the effective stack is only around 20BB.
 
mariussica88

mariussica88

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
May 8, 2017
Total posts
1,276
Awards
3
RO
Chips
634
@kdmeteor , @fundiver199 thank you for replaying. What calling range do you guys think CO has here?
 
primrose

primrose

Visionary
Bronze Level
Joined
Mar 29, 2024
Total posts
645
Chips
374
@kdmeteor , @fundiver199 thank you for replaying. What calling range do you guys think CO has here?
Something like this?

1750410000749

Very vague, depends a lot on the player. But I don't have to assign a specific range -- all I know is that it's full of broadways.
 
F

fundiver199

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Total posts
15,590
Awards
2
Chips
821
Pre-flop. What is the calling range of Co pre-flop?
I would not have a calling range at all with 21BB, but leverage my stack by 3-bet jamming, if I wanted to enter a pot. How an unknown player construct his range, can obviously never be anything more than guesswork.
 
Top