$ NL HE MTT: Should KK bet big on an A high flop?

[tzuriel]

Game

Hold'em

Game Format

No Limit

Table Format

MTT

Freeroll

1. Freeroll

Currency

$

I think action went like this.. It's pretty close if not exactly correct.

I have 56bb as chip leader. This was a $60 CardsChat freeroll ITM w/4 players left. 3 & 4 get $10, 2nd is $15, and 1st is $25

BTN (21bb) raised small 2x or so.
I called from BB with A7s
Heads up
Flop

He cbets big like 9bb and I just call

He is AI on the Turn which is an offsuit J.

Should he shove Turn here when I called his large c-bet? Should I have shoved over his large c-bet on Flop? After seeing what he had he would never fold on flop, probably. But I want to know if I played this correctly and just got really really unlucky.

Spoiler: Result

Rivers a set of Kings with a 2-outer. Joy

 

[Station_Master]

In short, no, betting KK in that spot is horrible as an Ace is always going to call and most of the folds are hands that are crushed anyway.

Not an expert on 20bb pots but I think calling down top pair bad kicker is fine.

 

[300HPGOD]

Dont want to know who the villain was but you and I play in these where I miss a few a week and you miss a few a week but the point is that its the same 50 players or so meaning you should have a feeling about what villain does or doesnt do. The bet on the flop is strange due to their stack size and also over betting the pot but I could rattle off names we play against (of course I wont here) that if they made this bet it would not freak me out that much since they pay high variance and its how they play where others could make this play and I would be like, what the hell is going on here. So only you should know how this sizing makes you feel from this villain. However, in a vacuum without knowing who it was I find the bet sizing odd and my thinking would go along the lines of...

1. Villain is never folding this hand no matter what
2. Would villain bet their sets and two pairs this way off this stack? My answer would be no, they would bet flop to where they are jamming under pot any turn even if the flush card were to come out
3. Would villain do this as a bluff or with a hand that is now weaker or vulnerable? My thinking would be yes they could since we are already in the money and now the pay jumps in 2023 being changed and only $5 more to 2nd and only first has the decent jump. With knowing that villain could easily being playing to win and sees a spot where they could get you to fold some smaller Ax.

With all that, and your stack size, I would just call as you did (depending on the villain of course) and be a little uneasy about it but there is enough there that I think doesnt make sense for me to attempt to sniff this out. No reason to ever raise the flop as we know villain is going to fire turn and is never folding here so if we are ahead might as well let them completely tighten the rope. However, when we call we are never folding either so from that perspective I guess it is fine to get in with a raise but I would not want to risk it given maybe they fold if we jam if they are on pure air (I know I said they werent folding, but we risk it if we jam so let them finish off the hanging if we are ahead).

Then on any turn I expect villain to fire whats left and you just call as you did. Yes its bad luck that they got the K on the river but you did have the fortune (even though it winds up costing you) of hitting the ace when pre flop you were way behind.

You ask should villain fire turn... I think based on how they played the hand (which I disagree with strongly) they kind of have to (especially with the no pay jump to 2nd now and they already have half in by turn) but they should not have put themselves in that spot to have to go on the turn.

 

[tzuriel]

Yep. This pretty much sums it up HP. Thank you for always excellent insight

 

[fundiver199]

Your play with A7 was completely fine and standard. Maybe there are some nitty opponents, where we can consider a fold, but if he is doing this with KK, then you should obviously not fold top pair, even though you have kicker issues. The opponent overplayed his hand and got lucky. KK on this board should bet small and check back either flop or turn.

 

[tzuriel]

Thanks fundiver. That is pretty much my conclusion as well. It was a rough day with a couple things like this back to back. It happens and will happen again! Moving on.