$2 NLHE MTT: Should I have called the flop instead of raised?

B

Brain Gainz

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I'm not sure I played this right. Thinking back on it, I think a better play would have been to just call his flop bet, then fold to his turn jam. Thoughts?

Yatahay Network - 575/1150 NL - Holdem - 9 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

MP+2: 99.79 BB
CO: 43.48 BB
BTN: 237.91 BB
SB: 75.72 BB
BB: 36.78 BB
UTG: 36.55 BB
Hero (UTG+1): 38.55 BB
MP: 31.59 BB
MP+1: 79.93 BB

9 players post ante of 0.13 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.63 BB) Hero has A A

UTG raises to 2 BB, Hero raises to 4.5 BB, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, BB calls 3.5 BB, UTG calls 2.5 BB

Flop: (15.13 BB, 3 players) 9 J T
BB bets 2.5 BB, fold, Hero raises to 7 BB, BB calls 4.5 BB

Turn: (29.13 BB, 2 players) K
BB bets 25.15 BB and is all-in, fold

BB wins 29.13 BB
 
royalburrito24

royalburrito24

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I'm not sure I played this right. Thinking back on it, I think a better play would have been to just call his flop bet, then fold to his turn jam. Thoughts?

Yatahay Network - 575/1150 NL - Holdem - 9 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

MP+2: 99.79 BB
CO: 43.48 BB
BTN: 237.91 BB
SB: 75.72 BB
BB: 36.78 BB
UTG: 36.55 BB
Hero (UTG+1): 38.55 BB
MP: 31.59 BB
MP+1: 79.93 BB

9 players post ante of 0.13 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.63 BB) Hero has A A

UTG raises to 2 BB, Hero raises to 4.5 BB, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, BB calls 3.5 BB, UTG calls 2.5 BB

Flop: (15.13 BB, 3 players) 9 J T
BB bets 2.5 BB, fold, Hero raises to 7 BB, BB calls 4.5 BB

Turn: (29.13 BB, 2 players) K
BB bets 25.15 BB and is all-in, fold

BB wins 29.13 BB

Preflop I would raise to 5.5 or 6 BB (2.75 or 3x rather than your 2.25x) As it really looks like you want action, potentially turning your hand face up. Would you raise to the same amount with QQ-TT? You have too many people left to act to give such a good price. Also, a larger raise might entice a shove from a strong underpair still left to act, maybe even Villain.

What is your read on villain? A min raise UTG is typically very strong. From a tight player, I could see QQ-99, KQs, and not much else. I rule out AK here because you have 2 blockers, and I rule out KK here because that hand should be 4-bet shoving every time before the flop.
From a looser player I can see KQs, KJs, QJs, QTs, JTs, and TT-88. I believe a loose player will shove KK-JJ preflop.

What is your table image here? In every hand consider that as well. It doesn’t matter so much here, but I still always think about it, as it certainly affects how my opponents play me.

Flop. Ughhhhh ugly ugly flop for AA. The donk lead is either a draw, a strong made hand like a straight, or a strong made hand like a set or 2 pair that have sooooo many scary turn cards to threaten them.
I am typically tempted to raise in this spot too, but it’s out of stubborness that my AA is threatened. It’s the wrong play.
Just call here on the flop. You can call the turn and fold the river for the same price as your flop raise. Or just fold the turn, as pretty much any hand in your opponents range, tight or aggressive, has you beat.
As played, good fold on the turn.
 
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ssbn743

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I'm not sure I played this right. Thinking back on it, I think a better play would have been to just call his flop bet, then fold to his turn jam. Thoughts?

Yatahay Network - 575/1150 NL - Holdem - 9 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

MP+2: 99.79 BB
CO: 43.48 BB
BTN: 237.91 BB
SB: 75.72 BB
BB: 36.78 BB
UTG: 36.55 BB
Hero (UTG+1): 38.55 BB
MP: 31.59 BB
MP+1: 79.93 BB

9 players post ante of 0.13 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.63 BB) Hero has A A

UTG raises to 2 BB, Hero raises to 4.5 BB, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, BB calls 3.5 BB, UTG calls 2.5 BB

Flop: (15.13 BB, 3 players) 9 J T
BB bets 2.5 BB, fold, Hero raises to 7 BB, BB calls 4.5 BB

Turn: (29.13 BB, 2 players) K
BB bets 25.15 BB and is all-in, fold

BB wins 29.13 BB

No, absolutely not.

Pre
Your pre-flop raise is fine, but with nearly 40BB's I think full 3x 3bet is in order here - but splitting hairs, just raising is fine.

Now, the BB is horrible - this is all I need to see. We pretty much never want to flat 3-bets in the middle, and out of position no less. Even if he has a read on UTG and knows he's never 4-betting, he still needs a flat to EP 3-bet from BB range. With optimal stack sizes (which we don't have here) that'd be like J8s/J9s-Q9s/QTs and that's about it. So he's making a huge OOP mistake here, make sure and say thank you.

Flop
So, not the best flop for us, especially considering donk ranges (if you want to call them that). However, that's moot - we don't know what they have.

So, we have a category 1 hand, a hand we intend on going 3-streets for value with. We size our bets based on board textures, and impacts with villain ranges (although that's going to be hard here with a guy that that flatted a 3-bet OOP in the middle). So we'd be betting and we'd be going 2/3-3/4 pot here. Overbetting the pot is also not out of the question.

When our terrible friend donks into us, we need to be raising here 100%. He may have flopped two-pair or something, yes, but we'll find out when he 4-bet jams - to which we can simply fold. Just as likely though, he has a hand that will not have enough equity to check/call - and hand he donk-ing in an ignorant attempt to protect.

100% raise, never call here and your 7BB raise to a 2.5BB donk is pretty good - though again I wouldn't mind as much as 9-10BB's here..

Turn
Obviously a horrible turn and folding is clearly optimal. Yes it sucks, but jackass has it every single time, or at least has AA beat. Say thank you for letting me play optimally against you and fold your hand - you almost certainly got 7BB of value on the flop and 4.5BB pre.
 
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300HPGOD

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A key to this hand is that you must raise larger pre flop. When you essentially min raise here almost all hands in villains range are calling. You need to raise here to at least 6 BB but 7 BB is probably optimal. If you would have raised that amount and then he donk leads as he does, I would recommend a call to keep his crap in since at that point if he has a draw he is not folding to a raise anyway. If a non draw completing card would have come on the turn then I would say to bet fairly large.

As played, I think you need to raise the flop and be prepared to have a big decision if he re-raise jams. With the turn being what it was you would have been folding either way unless he only called your raise on the flop in which case you would check behind.

Bad bad flop for aces but it shows you need to raise them a decent amount pre flop and then be willing to get away from them post flop. Easier said then done as I am still working on this aspect of my game.
 
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Brain Gainz

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Thanks for the responses! It seems like there are mixed opinions about whether I should have called or raised his flop bet, but it looks like it's unanimous that my 3-bet size preflop should have been bigger. That makes a lot of sense. Next time I'll size up. Thanks again!
 
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