$365 NLHE MTT: 2nd day of WSOP Circuit Re-buy event at Cherokee

This hand occurred on the 2nd day of the $365 NLHE Re-Entry event at the wsop Circuit stop in Cherokee. The tournament had more than 3,000 players and about 420 were left for Day 2. This happened about one hour into day 2 after the money bubble had been broken.

I was in UTG+1 with K-J off and had about 145,000 chips (well above the chip average, which was probably something like 95,000), so I bumped it up to 4,200 (BB was 1,600). Folded around to button, who called. BB also called.

Flop came up K-6-2 rainbow. BB checked, so I led out with about 6,000 (can't remember exactly). The button, who had hesitated when he called on the pre-flop round, shoved about 40,000 chips into the middle and said all-in. BB folds to me.

What do you do? Note that the money bubble had burst, and so a lot of the short stack players were starting to shove all-in, not really caring if they busted out or not. This guy had not played a lot of hands in the hour or so we had been playing, so I had no real reads on him.

It would be really good to know what blind level you are at. I know there are certain points in the wsopc events where the Ms get pretty tight and then big again. For me it would depend on the player in the button quite a bit. Against an average player you're probably only beating KT and loosing to KQ, 66, 22 and chopping KJ. I don't know if AK is in his flatting or 3-bet range but that would be important to know. Would he call pre flop with K9s or K8s? I would tend towards a fold for stack preservation. I think there are lot of better spots to call off and better spots to get chips. Save your chip lead.

Weird spot. You'd think he just calls or raise smaller with K6, K2, KK, AA, 66, 22 (Which have you beat) But also weaker kings, pocket pairs like 99-88, mid or bottom (Which you beat) My gues is KQ or AA, but i wouldn't understand why he's jamming it over your cbet either. I'd make my decision on the type of player. I Think he's more often jamming here for value with a better hand then bluffing with total air or a hand like 45. What ever he had, i think he played it bad. Without reads i fold. If i have reads which makes me think im good i call. (Example he jammed 88-99, 45, weaker kings in these spots) If it is a reg i would be more tempted to call because i think he's just calling with his strong hands on this board. Without info it is hard, and i think a fold in general.

This is a situation that is very tricky and definitely highlights how kj in early position can get you in trouble. With approximately 19k in middle the villian jams for 2x pot, making it 34k for you to call with a pot of almost 60k. That's tough, you're almost 2-1 and 34k of your remaining 135... Leaving you 84bb..... Baring a read I may make the crying call here... What's your image been at the table? Have you been cbetting like this on many flops? What's your perceived range? Is this guy observant enough to see how you've been playing? Tricky spot, I can see a case to fold and preserve chips to a better spot and I can see a crying call....

I made the crying call. I put him on either K-J, Q-J, J-10, or possibly 88 or 77. I ruled out 66 because I thought he would have re-raised pre flop with that and I was sure he would have jammed pre with 99 or higher pairs or A-K, A-Q or A-J. He turned over 22. Like I said he really hesitated pre flop when he called and I think maybe I should have added 22 into his range based on that. I really struggled with that decision and took about 2 minutes. Wish I had folded but I think a call was not terrible.

It's not a super terrible call. The main lesson I think is in stack preservation. Keeping a chip lead is more important at this stage than the chips you win by making the crying call.

You're right. And that is how I normally play. I just really thought there was a strong chance he was on Q-J suited or J-10 suited and i convincec myself to make the call.

The preflop open on your stack is fine. You have 90bb and should be opening a wide range of hands on that stack.

Standard cbet in your spot, once your opponent jams over, I think this is a pretty sigh fold. On 30bb, our opponent is not going to be flatting many weaker Kx preflop, and I don't ever see him straight jamming over a mid pair in this spot 3ways.

Our opponent really has, AK/KQ/KJ/KT/66/22 in this spot, with the occasional mid PP and AK/KT are unlikely.

teepack said:

I made the crying call. I put him on either K-J, Q-J, J-10, or possibly 88 or 77. I ruled out 66 because I thought he would have re-raised pre flop with that and I was sure he would have jammed pre with 99 or higher pairs or A-K, A-Q or A-J. He turned over 22. Like I said he really hesitated pre flop when he called and I think maybe I should have added 22 into his range based on that. I really struggled with that decision and took about 2 minutes. Wish I had folded but I think a call was not terrible.

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teepack said:

You're right. And that is how I normally play. I just really thought there was a strong chance he was on Q-J suited or J-10 suited and i convincec myself to make the call.

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Uhhhhh, your thought process is a bit off here.

The flop is K62r, so there is no flush possibility, and your opponent pretty much never has complete air in this spot so QJs/JTs are out of question. 66 isn't 3betting preflop vs an EP open, and 99/TT are probably not 3bet jamming 30bbs over an EP open either. I would also assume QQ+ makes a regular 3bet in this spot off 30bbs. Any pocket pairs 22-TT are definitely in his preflop calling range. When he jams over this flop, it's pretty much always a value hand in which KJ does not play well against.

When I read your first post,my suspicion is the villain might had flopped a set and I was correct and usually in this scenario I would've folded.

I don't hate a call, but I also really like a flop check. Even though it's MW, it's nice the use these rare opportunities when you have a hand that can't really be outdrawn to add the occasional check as a balancing point. I don't hate the c-bet of course. It's standard and you're going to be opening and c-betting a ton of boards if you're over average stack like that. But just something to consider.

Any ways, as played I think you're chopping or at best looking at some kind of spaz out AJ type hand. But I think if you haven't seen him do too much before, you're probably looking at KQ,66, chop and maybe a couple of combos of spaz hands. I'd lean towards a fold, but equity wise it's really close so I don't think a call is spew by any means.

A scared K10/K9s would make more sense than a set. But low sets are certainly not out of his range.
It doesn't make much sense to jam the set on that flop though unless he puts you on a definite AK.

I was supposed to be in that tournament. Didn't make it though.

trent32la said:

Uhhhhh, your thought process is a bit off here.

The flop is K62r, so there is no flush possibility, and your opponent pretty much never has complete air in this spot so QJs/JTs are out of question. 66 isn't 3betting preflop vs an EP open, and 99/TT are probably not 3bet jamming 30bbs over an EP open either. I would also assume QQ+ makes a regular 3bet in this spot off 30bbs. Any pocket pairs 22-TT are definitely in his preflop calling range. When he jams over this flop, it's pretty much always a value hand in which KJ does not play well against.

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+1 (million)

I meant to say I thought he had K-J, K-10 or K-9, not Q-J or J-10. I thought he had a pair of kings with a weaker kicker than mine or maybe a K-J as well. Given that there were 3 players to the flop and I was first to act, I probably should have checked to see what transpired behind me. Had I only been in it for the original 5,200, I think I would have been more likely to fold to his jam, although I may have well still talked myself into it.

teepack said:

I meant to say I thought he had K-J, K-10 or K-9, not Q-J or J-10. I thought he had a pair of kings with a weaker kicker than mine or maybe a K-J as well. Given that there were 3 players to the flop and I was first to act, I probably should have checked to see what transpired behind me. Had I only been in it for the original 5,200, I think I would have been more likely to fold to his jam, although I may have well still talked myself into it.

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Think players will more often make a mistake here by raising with a better hand, then raising with a worse hand then yours. Especialy for 2x pot.
But agree, KJo is a light open from your position. I'd fold it unless you're way better then almost every player at the table and the table have been very tight.