Confusing SnG KQ Hand by Casino.us

[Dorkus Malorkus]

Stars $5+.50, last 3. Button hasn't limp reraised before, and I have no clue what he'd be doing it with. Part of me thinks he may be reraising a monster, but another part of me thinks he just wants to isolate BB with a marginal hand.

Button: 48/14.5/0.8
BB: 36/11/1.2

pokerstars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (3 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Button (t5225)
Hero (t6560)
BB (t1715)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Qs, Kh.
Button calls t200, Hero raises to t800, BB calls t600, Button raises to t2000, Hero ???

 

[F Paulsson]

Limp/re-raise is usually some medium pocket pair that they think is good if they can get it heads-up. I think the option between folding and calling here is close, though. the one thing you have no reason to do is push, however, since if you're up against AA/KK/QQ/AK, you want the big blind to get knocked out without losing too many chips. I'd probably cold call, hoping that the BB does the same and gets knocked out. If he folds, re-evaluate after flop.

But folding sure sounds safer. I make stupid decisions, so I'm not sure that me cold-calling is any indication that that's proper play.

Edit: and NOW the fact that you were 3-handed sunk in. This makes it a lot more likely that he's playing AA/KK and is simply afraid that he won't get paid off if he raises pre-flop. Fairly sure he's holding a pair in the pocket, at least.

 

[t1riel]

I wouldn't invest any more chips onto K, Q unsuited. I get burned so many times with that hand. If you want my advice, fold.

 

[twizzybop]

Definate Pocket Pair.. his re-raise is to isolate himself and the BB. If the BB calls it would then put him all-in.. BB allready has 800 invested out of 1700 so another 800 I would assume he would call looking to double or even triple up no matter if you call or fold.

A fold puts you at 5900 while a call puts you at 4700.. I'd definate take a look at the flop.. Worst Case Scenario is the BB would triple up to 4100, button would drop down to 3200 and you'd still be at 4700.

Second scenario Button wins putting him around 7000+ chips leaving you heads up against him.. at 4700 to his 7000+ you really wouldn't look to shabby.

Now if a great flop comes for you.. you become a stronger chip leader.

 

[robwhufc]

. If the BB calls it would then put him all-in.. BB allready has 800 invested out of 1700 so another 800 I would assume he would call looking to double or even triple up no matter if you call or fold.

My assumption would be that if Chris calls the BB will fold, and take a chance that the 2 big stacks end up all-in, leaving him in 2nd (which on current stack sizes is better than he is probably expecting).

 

[twizzybop]

That is true rob but what if chris or the other player folds on the flop. He is definatly short stacked even worst then when he started this hand. He now becomes the SB and only position for him would be to go all-in to double up.

He would only have 800 chips(yes hope a big stack knocks out a big stack)

But why put pressure on yourself to quickly pick a hand to go all-in with by making yourself extremely short stacked.

The BB made himself Pot Commited with the original call. So why wouldn't he gamble now with the hopes of doubling up..

Unless of course.. I don't know the pay outs here.. but if it is at sit and go that only pays 2 seats... If it is a 3 Seat that pay outs.. I would bet the BB would call either way...

I then could fully see your point rob if indeed if it only paid out for 2 Seats.

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (3 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Button (t5225)
Hero (t6560)
BB (t1715)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Qs, Kh.
Button calls t200, Hero raises to t800, BB calls t600, Button raises to t2000, Hero folds, BB calls t915 (All-In).

Flop: (t4515) 4s, Ac, Ts (2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: (t4515) 2d (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t4515) Qh (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t4515

Results below:
Button has 5d 5h (one pair, fives).
BB has Tc Ks (one pair, tens).
Outcome: BB wins t4230. Button wins t285.

 

[Kj Sexton]

well now that I know the results I definitely woulda called

Did seem like pocket pair though, though even if you would have stayed theres a good chance you would have been bluffed out for not getting a good hand on the flop eh? and I wouldn't pin you as a type to chase that Straight possibilites...

Hindsight is 20/20 eh? Did you take first?

 

[chicubs1616]

well now that I know the results I definitely woulda called

No...really???

Instead of raising KQo out of position, I would elect to simply call the blind here...

KQo is a powerful hand 3-handed, but you are an underdog to any ace and any pair.


And to anyone who says they would have called given the results...don't be results oriented...

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

Instead of raising KQo out of position, I would elect to simply call the blind here...

Calling the blind in the late stages of a tourney is horrible, especially with a hand like KQ (I'd actually argue against just calling with any hand 3-handed except to mix things up, but that's another argument for another day). If you're not going to raise with it - what are you going to raise with? I could say "hey guyz don't raise preflop with KK because you're a huge underdog against AA" - doesn't that sound silly? By raising, as is so often said, you give yourself 2 chances to win the pot - by making the best hand or by making everyone else fold, which is fine with pretty big blinds. 3-handed the likelihood of your oponents holding Ax/a pair are not so great. By calling you're letting the BB in for free and letting the SB in with good odds for a large range of hands, or you may get raised in which case SB/BB holds the initiative in the hand.

 

[chicubs1616]

By raising, as is so often said, you give yourself 2 chances to win the pot - by making the best hand or by making everyone else fold, which is fine with pretty big blinds.

Correct, but with two stacks above 25BB, I don't consider these to be "big blinds" just yet. If you are at the 200/400 a25 level, the blinds are much larger in relation to your stack.

However, upon re-analysis of the hand, raising is most likely correct here, but I still do not like the fatc that you are OOP if you are called. However, raising to try and take the pot now is a good strategy.

With the BB calling and the button raising to 2000, you have to call 1200 more to see a flop. You have to assume the BB is coming along for the ride (with half his stack invested already). There is 4515 in the pot when it comes back around to you, and once again you have to call 1200. You are getting 3.76:1 odds on your call here. This means that you are getting correct odds to call even if you are as much as a 79:21 underdog.

I have a program called PokerStove which calculates your equity against ranges of hands...

Here is the output:

You: KhQs 30.8%
BB: (Hand range of 22+,A2s+,K9s+,Q9s+,J9s+,A2o+,K9o+) 26.9%
Button: (Hand range of 44+,ATs+,KJs+,ATo+,KJo+) 42.3%

(Computed over a possible 567,492,156 scenarios)

So, if these ranges of hands are correct for your opponents, you only need to be getting at the very worst about 7:3 odds or 2.33:1 odds to call. SInce you are getting better odds than this, I would call... and re-evaluate on the flop.

This math problem does not take into account what will happen if you miss the flop, and/or turn and river play because your opponent is not all in. However, I think I still make the call here and if your read is that he has a mid-pocket pair, you may be able to make him lay his hand down with this flop.