Monday, November 02, 2009

Concepts on Small Ball

You are early in an MTT and after a raise you make a button call with AJ and the flop if Jack high. You call a c-bet and on the turn, its an Ace (no flush) and you have top two. First to act raiser bets half the pot, and you call figuring to be ahead. River is a blank and he bets again...

Full Tilt Poker Game #15749020578: $38,000 Guarantee (115313599), Table 164 - 25/50 - No Limit Hold'em - 14:39:54 ET - 2009/11/02
Seat 1: burax (5,320)
Seat 2: columbo (4,720)
Seat 3: jarv_1 (9,190)
Seat 4: marcusmb (2,730)
Seat 5: bluntouze (1,660)
Seat 6: Spree At Last (6,560)
Seat 7: Jonah (9,360)
Seat 8: Dirk Scheringa (5,130)
Seat 9: strizigraz (2,530)
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Spree At Last folds
Jonah folds
Dirk Scheringa raises to 150
strizigraz folds
burax folds
columbo calls 150 [Js Ac]
jarv_1 folds
marcusmb folds
bluntouze calls 100

*** FLOP *** [6c Jh 9h] (TPTK)
bluntouze checks
Dirk Scheringa bets 350
columbo calls 350
bluntouze folds

*** TURN *** [6c Jh 9h] [As] (TOP TWO!)
Dirk Scheringa bets 900
columbo raises to 1,800

I know, why the min-raise?

Dirk Scheringa raises to 4,630, and is all in

so, Does he have a set? A flush draw? or sqat?

HERE IS what is really interesting about this One Minute Mystery. When you CALL with the AJ you ARE playing small-ball. (Otherwise you would have raised and taken control of the hand pre-flop with position.) So, if you ARE playing small-ball, can you even make the RAISE? NO. and let's say I dont raise and call and he shoves the river. can I call? NO.

Here is another question... CAN you play small ball successfully holding AJ?

6 comments:

Unknown said...

I think he has AQ or AK there. Yes, he could have a set, but do you fold a hand specifically because you put your opponent on a set in a tournament, not a cash game?

I don't know. But to me this says big Ace and he thinks he has you crushed.

Tycou said...

I agree with pokerpeaker that AQ or AK (sooted) for flush draw are likely. Set is also within the range of possibilities. The reality, however, is that you are quite pot committed. So ... you called and what happened?

Don said...

Played a very similar hand the other day. I had AJ on the cutoff and raised, button calls. Blinds fold. Flop is J22. I bet, button calls.

Turn is A (TOP TWO!)

I bet, button calls.

River is an 8. I bet. Button min raises. I call. Button has A2.

"Really" I say.

Hammer Player a.k.a Hoyazo said...

Top two (including an Ace) to a set is one of those situations where I think it makes sense in many cases to lose a whole bunch of chips, even early in an mtt. AK and AQ are just such possibilities of his that I don't think you can reasonably consider folding after that turn card and a raggy river that doesn't make any high straights, etc. It would be great if there were a way to see the river cheaper in case he does have a set, but I wouldn't even fault someone for trying to double up on 100 bb's or something with top 2 if they have a dead read on the other guy holding TPTK or something similar.

Jbatangan35 said...

I agree with pokerpeaker with the AK and AQ but Possibly that player had pocket 6's, 9's or Q's especially with that all in call. What did that player have in the end?

columbo (at eifco dot org) said...

I recall that I folded.