What to do?

[Arjonius]

The situation is that you're playing in a freeroll no-limit hold 'em tournament, The prize pool is $200, with 50 places paid. Over 500 entries have been whittled down to about 60. You're doing well, in about 5th or 6th place overall. There's one other big stack at your table; you have him covered by about 10%.

You're dealt 5 5. One limper and two folds to you. You call. Three more folds. Button calls (the big stack). SB completes. BB checks.

Flop is A A 5 rainbow. Three checks to you.

What do you do? Why? And is your action affected by the fact you're doing well and/or because you're close to cashing?

 

[xdmanx007]

Half pot bet or pot.. Represent an ace and hope someone has 1 and not 2 in the hole. The ace will either slow play(call) or reraise if reraise fire over the top hard because you will probably get a call which is what you want in that situation. You want the chips in NOW. So what was the result of the hand

 

[Arjonius]

I'll let you know, but I'd like to see what people think first.

 

[xdmanx007]

You'll let me know? Are you trying to act like the hot chick you went out on a date :date: with showed too much interest:adore: so she decides to play the "I'll let you know" about when we will get butt naked and make a movie? errrr I mean get together again?

 

[RammerJammer]

You have to bet your set if the lead-off man checks. I would go with half the pot for starters. The reason I would is that if I check, and someone behind me tries to steal the pot with an all-in bluff, what am I forced to do? Fold, right? But if I initiate the action with my set in hand, I am representing a big hand. I'm putting the pressure on them to make a decision. Now, if someone comes back at me in a big way, I would probably take them at their word and lay down my hand. If they only called, I would proceed very, very cautiously. The temptation here would be to check on the turn if it came up a blank. I wouldn't. Don't relinquish the aggressor's position. I would go with a pot-sized bet. Again, if the response is an all-in, I would have to assume the worst and chuck it. But my hunch is that if I didn't take the pot before the turn, I will almost certainly take it here. The one thing I want to avoid is to become married to the hand, so that I can't toss it away when all my chips are in jeopardy.

 

[jeterkid925]

I'd make a nice size bet. If someone comes over top of me and goes all in, I'll call faster then you can say all in. The only hand better is pocket aces, and the odds are slim for that.

 

[Arjonius]

Part 2

I bet the pot.

BB (the big stack) raised all in. The others folded.

I'm dead against AA, but against any other hand, I'm a heavy favorite. Would someone bet like that with less than AA? I think so.

If I call and win the hand, I can almost certainly coast to the final table. But if I call and lose, I'm very short stacked and basically toast. So now what?

 

[KK_Cowboy]

well looks like you were very unlucky

with no raises pre-flop, it's hard to put someone on AA. When the flop comes AA5, you would have to think you have the best of it. You have to bet this because if anyone has an ace they are likely to least consider a call if not more. The fact you were drawing dead is very unlucky. When you had all the chips in only 2 hands had you beta at the time, AA of course and A5. What else could you have done?

 

[steffne]

I would raise 1/2 the pot, if the guy calls quickly, I would put him on an ace. Turn comes, I would bet 1/2 to 3/4 the pot, if the guy calls quickly again, but no raise, then the hair on the back of my neck stands up. The river I would make half pot bet, if he goes over me, then I would fold. Chances are, he is holding AA, or he is holding ace and paired it with turn or river. With the checks, my guess is aces.

Steff