Second pair against the chip leader in the money of WCOOP Event #5

Game type: No limit hold em tournament, $530 buy in on Poker Stars
Stage of tourney: Deep in the money, 192/6025 remain
Avg stack: ~300k
Your image: Fairly TAG
Opponent’s image: Chipleader, has been moving some chips around but not too out of hand
Your hand: Ac Th

This hand is taken from actual game play in Event #5 of the Poker Stars World Championship of Online Poker on 9/16/07. This hand took place between ukgatsby and tony OM13. You’ll be standing in for tony.

The setup: You’ve made a deep run in the $530 NLHE tournament on Stars when the following hand comes up. Preflop, three players fold and you raise it to 3x with A 10o. The CO folds and the button reraises to 48k.

The button is the chipleader at this point in the tournament. You’re on a small money bubble. Both blinds fold and you decide to make a loose call since you’ve seen the button repop with a wide range. You flop second pair:

T♠J♠J♥

What’s your line? Discuss your follow up play on the turn in the comments, if applicable.

11 COMMENTS (Jump to comment form)

Joe

I really like check raising here. This will allow to keep the pot small if checks, fold if he goes crazy and goes all in or nets huge. If he does the normal cont bet I would raise 3 to 4x if he calls ill slow Dow if he raises I have enough room to fold. I really liked how this hand was played out. We never risked to many chips and won a nice pot.

[Reply]

matt tag

I like donkbetting into him since it’s much more plausible that I have AJ than I have AT (like you said, we made a loose call). It gives our opponent a tough decision from the start. (However, it gives us a tough decision if he calls or reraises).

I also like how the hand played out – good pot management with 2 pair (not a huge hand)

[Reply]

kevin

check raising is definately my fav choice here.

The staffs description sums it up pretty nicely imo.

[Reply]

Ben

I think the range of hands the button could have is pretty wide although theres not many hands out there that we couldnt beat. He could have popped this hand with almost any two cards, knowing that he had a big cheap lead and he could try to push you off your hand. Any pocket pair or paint cards. You called and he slowed down. Theres not alot of hands he could have that have a J in them that he would have reraised with. Its a tricky situation though and not knowing our opponents reraising tendencies leaves us wondering if he would only reraise with AA-JJ or any two cards. I like the check raise though because it gives us the most information about where we stand and we can afford to get away from our hand. Also, if we lead, we could easily be pushed off our hand with a big raise by the chip leader.

[Reply]

sherpa

My first instinct was to bet/fold for about 60K to 70K, but if he smooth-called me I’d be stuck in the dark and out of position on the turn. That road could easily lead to a bitterly big loss, especially if a K or Q showed up. Or, like Ben says, he could just push us off with a big raise. So I agree that the DH staff got it right – c/r and get it or get out.

[Reply]

no_donkey

where is everybody?

[Reply]

Ally

Not so sure I like the check/raise here. As a matter of fact, I really don’t like our preflop call. I don’t think we’re looking to get into a big confrontation with the chipleader with such a marginal hand out of position.

Even though we flop a pair here, I really don’t like our spot at all. Assuming our villain has TT+ or AQ/AK, we could still be way behind and our villain most likely has either an overpair or two overcards plus a gutshot. They may have a flush draw as well. And, even though we may have the best hand, our villain may be willing to get it all in anyway with a hand like AKss AQss, KQss.

Anyway, I think I like to take a swing at this pot right away. I’m going to define my hand right away. Even if I have a J, I’m not going to let them draw for free to catch a straight or flush. So, I like a lead bet here and let them try to figure it out. If our villain has AA/KK/QQ, they may not believe we have a J and they may raise, but at least then we got some useful information and I think we can release the hand.

A checkraise is going to be for about 2/5 of our chips, costing us at least $200k and even then, our villain may shove AK with the two overs and the straight draw. Are we then going to fold? Will we be priced in? I think the check/raise puts us in a very tough spot if it doesn’t take it down right there. The pot will be huge compared to our remaining stack.

Anyway, for these reasons, I like a lead here. But, I think I’d also expect for our villain to call or raise and then we won’t know where we are at on the turn.

[Reply]

3 Olives

I agree with the Check-raise option noted by the staff. This hand can certainly make our tournament if we win after a check-raise. If he comes over the top, we still have $250ish chips left to fight another day.

Second pair on this board leaves me pretty comfortable with my hand, and while he could have a j or a higher pair I still think we are ahead after the flop.

[Reply]

bluesbread

Ally says it well again. Yes, you should not have called that preflop raise. But now that you’re here, you got to bet it. And if he calls, you sure got to be careful of straights or flushes, depending on what the turn brings. But I think you can remain in control, and keep your options open, by betting out now.

[Reply]

Glade G

This is a no-brainer with a strong lead bet. You have to remember that chip leaders late in tourneys LOVE to bully. Betting big any time you think have the best hand against chip leader is commin sense.

[Reply]

fixer

i’ve got to bet about the pot here. i agree w/ glade, i think i’m ahead and i’m going to pressure him. if he re-pops it i’ll have to think about laying it down but i feel like he’ll fold to a pot sized bet.

[Reply]