Call or Fold

playing a live tournament, blinds 400/200

I get on the small blind

UTG limped in (tend to defend if he hits, but not too aggressive)
Middle position limped in (loose maniac player)

i raised to 1,600 chips

they both just call

Flop



I raised 5000

UTG just called
Middle Goes all in for about 25,000 chips putting me all in

Call or fold?

Call that, no doubt in my mind. You got highest pair plus Q, possibility flush for turn or river.

call

I'm not so sure you can just call here regardless of ICM considerations and there is no information provided about that in the OP. Just eyeballing the pot sizes suggests early tournament stage. I would fold expecting to see the stone cold nuts or at least a two pair if the third player calls it.

Call

I'm probably calling here

I would have checked this flop. I wouldn't cbet here with the suited flop. Check call the flop and your decisions are much easier. You said your self the guy that moved all in is a maniac so I have to call with top pair and Q hi flush draw.

I ended up calling because I had the queen.
Middle position call as well

Show down


uTG had K of clouds and a 9d

Middle had 2 and 4 of clouds.
I was running death.

You have not specified the amount of chip for the players, would be important for the exact answer. Preflop raise good, but flop ct bet against two opponents, out of position too aggressive. I think check better. In your case fold.

I don't get why so many of you are calling. No info at all on why OP thinks middle is a maniac. No info on how many hands have been played. Just because someone looks like a loose maniac player, does not mean he just bets with air.

It seems to me that the preflop was played a little incorrectly. But given the money already invested in the bank, I would probably play 50 to 50, depending on the opponent. Given the value of the tournament, sometimes saved chips are more valuable than those that can be won in one hand.

Anton Fedorov said:

It seems to me that the preflop was played a little incorrectly. But given the money already invested in the bank, I would probably play 50 to 50, depending on the opponent. Given the value of the tournament, sometimes saved chips are more valuable than those that can be won in one hand.

Click to expand...

Why do you think pre-flop was played incorrectly?

puzzlefish said:

I don't get why so many of you are calling. No info at all on why OP thinks middle is a maniac. No info on how many hands have been played. Just because someone looks like a loose maniac player, does not mean he just bets with air.

Click to expand...

I know he is a maniac, I have play with him several times before. He plays any two cards. He also makes ridiculous plays.

I remember in a different game raising him, I had AK. He went all in with pocket 22s. He was in middle position I was UTG, there was a lot of other people to act. But that's the way he plays!. So, trust me when I say he is a maniac

Richardszabo said:

You have not specified the amount of chip for the players, would be important for the exact answer. Preflop raise good, but flop ct bet against two opponents, out of position too aggressive. I think check better. In your case fold.

Click to expand...

I did say how many chips we had, check the post again and just add up the chips left and the chips already in the pot before he pushed all in

drhousethebest said:

I know he is a maniac, I have play with him several times before. He plays any two cards. He also makes ridiculous plays.

I remember in a different game raising him, I had AK. He went all in with pocket 22s. He was in middle position I was UTG, there was a lot of other people to act. But that's the way he plays!. So, trust me when I say he is a maniac

Click to expand...

Okay, even going all in with pocket 2s is not necessarily a maniacal play. Pocket 2s is a hand, even if it is a weak hand, and has 52% equity against AK.

drhousethebest said:

Why do you think pre-flop was played incorrectly?

Click to expand...

there is no 3bet with AQo in my range, but if I decided to play against two limpers like that, I would bet a little more, but this is just my opinion ...

Just call preflop, and easy fold after 3bet from bb.

often limps from early and middle positions will mean strength rather than weakness, especially in the last stage of the tournament

Just call

puzzlefish said:

Okay, even going all in with pocket 2s is not necessarily a maniacal play. Pocket 2s is a hand, even if it is a weak hand, and has 52% equity against AK.

Click to expand...

on the right time and the right spot is not a bad play,
but facing a raise you do not suppose to go all in with 22s. if he was in position, I will justify going all in and isolate me if he is playing my range. Equity is 50% which means, that you are gambling!!
I normally play tie, so, he needed to take that into consideration and think that I had a strong hand since I opened out of position. . he is a maniac in my opinion because he does not think about anything, he just call and do stupid play like that all the time.Sometimes he gets lucky, most of the time he gets busted

Anton Fedorov said:

there is no 3bet with AQo in my range, but if I decided to play against two limpers like that, I would bet a little more, but this is just my opinion ...

Click to expand...

I respect your opinion, but AQ is defenitely a premium starting hand. If you pay attention to the game and to the players, you can easily know that you are way ahead of the limpers. The tournament was starting, he got lucky this time! but that is about it. I was more concerned about the other player because I was looking for the K of clouds

Anton Fedorov said:

often limps from early and middle positions will mean strength rather than weakness, especially in the last stage of the tournament

Click to expand...

very few occasions player limp in with strong hands. Why? because is not the right play.
in some specific situation people play that way and I will justify it depending on the table. Is all about having a good read of your opponents

drhousethebest said:

very few occasions player limp in with strong hands. Why? because is not the right play.
in some specific situation people play that way and I will justify it depending on the table. Is all about having a good read of your opponents

Click to expand...

Certainly limp is initially a minus effect at a distance, if it is an ordinary limper. But if it is regular, then there are already levels of thinking. For example, I can play my premium hands through limp, while my hands are weaker, I will play through a raise. In the first level of thinking, you will think that I am a weak player, but I understand this and specially adjust my game to my opponents. The second level of thinking is when you understand my tactics and know that it’s not always a weakness in my limp, maybe I play AA or KK like that and you won’t be 3bet with me with AQo. Sorry, I can’t qualitatively convey the idea in English.

Anton Fedorov said:

Certainly limp is initially a minus effect at a distance, if it is an ordinary limper. But if it is regular, then there are already levels of thinking. For example, I can play my premium hands through limp, while my hands are weaker, I will play through a raise. In the first level of thinking, you will think that I am a weak player, but I understand this and specially adjust my game to my opponents. The second level of thinking is when you understand my tactics and know that it’s not always a weakness in my limp, maybe I play AA or KK like that and you won’t be 3bet with me with AQo. Sorry, I can’t qualitatively convey the idea in English.

Click to expand...

I understand your point of view. I know exactly what you are saying, but you said yourself (Adjust your game to your opponents). The problem with poker is that you could get in trouble and lose chips that way. For example, last night playing online I got KK on the Big blind. Luckily for me the small blind decided to make a move and 3bet. I just called (Wrong move), the flop came not too scary for me just a flush draw. He bet I just call again. The flush draw was completed and he checked the river. I check behind coz i knew he has the flush. He show 3/5 of spades.
I lost money on that hand for playing the hand incorrectly trying to trap him. I would not say is wrong all the time. But this time was wrong. So I lost money because I played wrong.

If that way of playing is working for you, Good! But is not the correct way and will put you in very difficult situations in the long run!

Of course I totally agree with you. I don’t always play like that, only to balance my range. so your opponents can’t always read your hand. Mixed between 3bet and limp 1 time from 5 situations like this.