$11 NLHE MTT Deep Stacked: How do you play here pocket 55 on the low flop versus big stack?

jaworek1405

jaworek1405

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$11 NLHE MTT Deep Stacked: How do you play here pocket 55 on the low flop versus big stack?

https://www.cardschat.com/replayer/124vz3xwB

Hello guys, it was satellite for 11$ with 100 tickets to 14 anniversary Sunday Million, I played this satellite from satellite for 2$. Here I have pocket 55 on the utg position. I have some reads on the opponent. One time he won a lot of chips with two pair. Later won chips from the short stack with a4s versus a8o. I played this pocket 55 mainly to catch the set of 55 on over 20bb in stack, but when I saw the flop I decided one time play cbet for 67% of the pot to try steal this pot. On the turn and on the river I decided give up my pocket 55, because I was afraid higher pocket than 55. Now I think that opponent hadn't a higher pocket pair. If he had higher pocket pair he usually should bet on the turn, because on the river can come up a lot of high cards for him and he should protect his hand. How do you play this pocket 55?
 
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Collin Moshman

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It's best to fold pre-flop here.

With low pocket pairs from early position, you want stacks to be very deep before you play them (at minimum 75bb). The reason is that you need the potential to win a lot of chips relative to your stack. So I would fold here and play only 77+ of the pocket pairs with a min-raise.

As played, I would c-bet the flop and I like the turn check. Against an aggressive opponent we should be willing to get it in if he raises flop or bets turn. River is close; folding is fine against a tight or unknown player, but if your opponent has been very loose you could definitely look him up.

Interesting spot, thanks for posting it!
 
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fundiver199

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As Collin say. Also if you are going to open 55 from EP with a stack this short, you probably want to make both your open raise and your C-bet a bit smaller to preserve more stack, when you have to give up. If I saw the turn like this with less than a potter back, I would probably just rip it in and accept my fate. You picked up a gutter, and did he really call pre with a 4 or 6 in his hand, probably not. On the other hand there are so many draws or pure floats, which you are still ahead off. So I feel, that by firing a big C-bet and then just basically giving up, you are literally allowing him to run you over.
 
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TheDev

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I think you should've minimized your initial preflop bet. The cbet was fine to me. Even on the turn I may have pushed my stack but when it came to the river I would've folded to an all in. The Q he couldve hit as well as sticking around on that club draw. I think you had the winner until that Qc came out. Never know for sure though. That's poker.

All in all I dont think you played it poorly. With you being UTG though I probably would've min raised to start. A lot of action still to come and what if you get reraised or get someone who pushes all in. Then you are just giving a decent amount of chips away without even getting to see a flop unless you want to risk your whole stack on a pair of 5's.
 
liuouhgkres

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fold pre, open smaller, check-raise allin flop, or if you bet, bet pot, shove turn.
 
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bealpoker

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55 is probably a fold pre flop here around 80% of the time. However given the open you should make it more min raise to 2.1x (you should always raise smaller the earlier your position). 60% bet on pot is good it makes all his draws pay and some sticky over cards what he doesn't fold (although he should )

Although this flop and turn isn't good for our perceived range it also doesn't really favour him pre flop call from the btn. The only hands he should have in his range what beat you are A4 (8 combos) and A6 (12 combos) although these hands should be 3bet bluffing pre a good amount so the chance of him having this go down slightly.

His float on the flop is very draw heavy with flushes, I assume the gto correct play would be to shove the turn and try and get value from some missed Ax and flush draws.

However given we check and he shoves a Qc on the river its still a fairly easy call, if the queen wasn't a club we could fold happily but he should have any queens in his range given the flop float apart from a couple AQ KQ floats what stuck around (when should have folded).

Summary: Call the river bet
 
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