Top pair on dry turn, OOP, NL MTT

DailyHandQuiz

Game type: Poker Stars Sunday Million, $530 buy in
Stage of tourney: In the money, 64 of 3192 remain
Avg stack: ~500k
Your image: TAG
Opponent’s image: Has been involved in a lot of pots recently
Your hand: A♣8♣

The setup: You’re dealt A8 in early position. Two players fold and you raise to about 2.5x the BB. The table folds to the button, who has been active and calls your bet. The blinds fold. You flop top pair on a dry board:

A♠3♦9♥

You decide to check. The button bets 45k into 112k. You call. The turn pairs the board low with the 3♣.

It’s your action. With over 200k in the middle, what’s your play?

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7 COMMENTS (Jump to comment form)

2beornot2b

as hes willing to bet flop i like my odds on a chk raise on turn , if hes trying to float me a chk raise will let me know that hes commited to the pot rather than me leading out on turn , it gives me an extra edge when i get to the river

[Reply]

b1aze Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 4:20 am

I like the CR. We have chips to toss around in hopes of taking some from a weaker bigstack. I wouldn’t even be disappointed if V checked back, as he NEVER has a better hand at that point. The 3 better not have helped him and considering the stack:blind sizes, his <1/2 PSB looked weak. C/R is the way to go, but I get a tad uneasy if we drop another 250k and he comes over the top.

[Reply]

Marty Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 6:57 am

So are we saying it’s a check-raise for information-fold?

We could genuinely have any big ace (him less so given PF flat call), so I think it would really take something for him to repop a CR (since if we have AK we probably can’t get away from it).

[Reply]

samo

I’d check-call.

Note sure what to make of the V flop bet – probe or a bigger Ace on an innocent board? They have been active, so prefer to let them take another shot on the turn.

Check-raise is an option, but if called we are surely behind. That makes the river play quite awkward. Prefer to keep the pot small with tp/bk. If checked through, value bet the river.

Leading – A lead is certainly not representing trip 3s, leaves Hero vulnerable to a raise, and folds-out a bluff attempt.

[Reply]

Pirate21 Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 8:28 am

I think his bet is a feeler – and maybe trying to represent an ace in case we have some mid PP.
I think a c/r here sends V a strong message that he’s beat. I don’t discount your point about keeping the pot smaller though – given stack sizes and the pot size, we’re not far away from being committed after the turn betting.
On the other hand, there are no draws to be afraid of and only a couple other hands to be concerned with (better ace, 99). With an active opponent, we’re ahead of the vast majority of his range, so we need to be prepared to play this hand and pick up the chips.
I think i’m in check-call or check-raise mode depending on the size of V’s bet. If V continues his weak line, I’ll come over the top but if he makes a near-pot size bet, I’m flatting.

[Reply]

samo Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 8:51 am

Y, went from c-c to c-r, then back to c-c. I see both as valid. The deciding factor for me was the river, i.e. how to play it if they call the turn c-r. What happens if we check, and they lead the riv, say 400 into 650? Call?

Hero can make the c-r to see where they stand, and if called (or re-popped), then give-up. That’s ok, though it may tarnish the TAG image a bit. I hate to commit a lot of chips with this hand.

[Reply]

Nelson Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 11:01 am

I’m check calling here. I don’t want the pot to get too big either but I think we’re still ahead. Might as well let him bluff a little more off. The only way it would be tough is if we check this turn and villain bets the pot – about 200K. Then whether we call or check raise, we’re pretty much committed regardless of the river. Maybe I could fold to a huge river bet but I don’t know. We could get lucky and have it go check/check on the river.

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