Live Tournament Hand

3rd hand of a live tournament with 44 entrants. It's too early to get any reads on specific players, but the general tournament population seems very loose and uneducated. The buy in is $100+$25. The stacks are all about $5000. The Blinds are $100/$200. You still have a full stack minus the blinds you've just paid. Your in the SB and look down to see AA. 4 of the 8 players at the table limp in and you raise it up to $500. The BB folds as does 2 of the 4 limpers. You are called by a man in MP and a woman on the button. The pot is now about $2000.
The flop comes 2QK unsuited. You bet $1000 and get re-raised to $1500. (This actually was an illegal bet) and the button folds.
What's your move?

Well this is kind of a sticky situation; villain could have KQ, 22, AK, AQ, JT - who knows...I really don't like your preflop raise though. Raising it to only 2.5 BBs with 4 limpers, all of whom are loose as you say, is a very weak raise. I'd be putting in probably around $1000 total. You'll be OOP after the flop, and you have tons of loose limpers - a big raise is the only way to go. With a bigger raise, you'll also define your opponents' hands more; I really don't know what to do in your position.

I agree about the preflop raise. I really should have bet a little more but the results were about what I was hoping for.

Well I suppose I'd call his bet, and see how he bet the turn (should he bet it) then act accordingly. You're probably ahead, but given your PF raise, you're in a tighter spot than you'd like to be. His raise is really weird though; maybe it's an inviting raise, maybe he's just got KT or something. Dunno...

Chances are good that you have the best hand right now. A limp and then call preflop is a really bad way to play KK or QQ (although we have all see donks do this) and 22 should have folded but may still be a possiblity. I think the real worry is KQ which fits the betting so far but so do alot of hands you have beat like AK, AQ, KJ, K10, QJ, A10, etc.

There is 3500 in the pot now and you have about 3500 left before calling the 500 raise (how did the dealer allow that? Did you point out the illegal bet here, if you had and the dealer made him raise 1000 after you pointed it out a reraise here by you would look even stronger to villan). I would consider a push here, if he has a pair of kings here or a straight draw you don't want to give him the odds to chase you, your aces will most likely get weaker with each additional card.

I don't see just calling here with that draw hanging out there, even if an ace hits you could potentially be in trouble. A 1000 raise won't really accomplish anything and a 2000 reraise only leave you with 1000 anyway. So I think it's either push now, or call the 500 and push the turn if no K,Q,J,10 or 9 hits. If you elect to just call, watch the player closely when the turn card comes and try to notice his reaction to the card. It might tell you if he was drawing or not. (And yes I realize this as already happened, lol).

By the way four-dogs, do you still want to punch me in the face? lol.
(said in good humor, and not meant to be taken seriously.)

25% entry fee?

Someones getting rich.

i agree about the preflop raise, but in the current situation i would probably push my chips in. its one of those situations where you don't want to call let him continue to lead, and you don't want to re-raise in a way that gives him odds to chase another out.

i know its early in the tournament, but if you don't push, you probably have to fold. folding would not be easy. just by the way you described the situation, i probably would have put him on K 10, Q J, or something. so what was holding?

I would have went allin before the flop no matter what, when im holding pocket A A i just go for it, everytime i play them a little slow, i lose the hand>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> buck

I'm glad to see that pushing seems to be the favored move, because....
I push. But, the hand I was up against was not what I was expecting. The villain turns over K2, his 2 pair hold up and I exit my first live tournament in 44th place out of 44.
But the story has a happy ending. Donk busted out shortly after me (big surprise) and I cleaned him out in a side game.


Nah. I don't think you meant it. But you did get my blood boiling some.