$1.05 NL HE MTT: Jam the flop here?

[tzuriel]

Game

Hold'em

Game Format

No Limit

Table Format

MTT

Buy-in

1.05

Currency

$

Out of the SB I think I am getting great odds to just call here. I flop TP and I have a decent kicker. I check to the original raiser who bets large. Should I jam here instead of calling? I made a big mistake by jamming a flush on the Turn. Pretty bad.

After seeing his hand, he would probably call a shove there on the Flop anyway but in theory, what was the better play?

NL Holdem $0.95+$0.10 (2600.00BB)
EP (42.9BBs) [VPIP: 26.3% | PFR: 15.8% | AGG: 10% | Hands: 20]
MP (31.6BBs)
HJ (45BBs)
CO (121.6BBs) [VPIP: 60% | PFR: 0% | AGG: 48% | Hands: 20]
BTN (17.2BBs)
HERO (47.1BBs)
BB (15.5BBs)
UTG (38.5BBs) [VPIP: 49.5% | PFR: 29% | AGG: 24.1% | Hands: 93]

Dealt to Hero: Q♦ K♥

UTG Raises To 2.1BBs, EP Calls 2BBs, MP Folds, HJ Folds, CO Calls 2BBs, BTN Folds, HERO Calls 1.5BBs, BB Folds

Hero SPR on Flop: [3.62 effective]
Flop (10BBs): K♠ 3♣ 2♠
HERO Checks, UTG Bets 5BBs (Rem. Stack: 31.4BBs), EP Folds, CO Folds, HERO Raises To 15.1BBs (Rem. Stack: 29.9BBs), UTG Calls 10BBs (Rem. Stack: 21.3BBs)

Turn (40.2BBs): K♠ 3♣ 2♠ 9♠
HERO Bets 29.9BBs (allin), UTG Calls 21.3BBs (allin)

River (91.4BBs): K♠ 3♣ 2♠ 9♠ Q♠

Spoiler

UTG shows: 8♠ A♠

UTG wins: 82.8BBs

 

[fundiver199]

Preflop
I think, its fine to defend here to just a min-raise.

Flop
I would just check-call this flop and make some decisions later. I think, that when you check-raise, you are almost overplaying your hand. He should not really be C-betting air or second pair type hands into 3 opponents. But if he did it anyway, he will just fold, and you will only get action from strong hands like AA, AK, KQ (same hand), KJ, KTs and flushdraws.

Turn
Now came the card, you did not want to see, and you only have a half pot sized bet left. Its a pretty awkward situation, but before betting you still need to ask the fundamental betting question: "Can I get worse hands to call or better hands to fold". And here I think, the answer is generally no. He is obviously not folding a flush, and even if he has AK or AA, he most likely wont fold either. On the other side hands like KJ and KTs might actually fold, and even if they call, you are not good 50% of the time. So you need to check here and then make a decision, if he bet. And given that you forced his air out on the flop, its probably a check-fold as played. If order to hero call we need to find bluffs in his range, and when his only draw just got there, there generally wont be any.

 

[tzuriel]

Thank you as always. I botched it pretty good!

 

[fundiver199]

Thank you as always. I botched it pretty good!

Welcome. The issue is raising the flop with top pair second kicker. If this was blind vs. blind, it would be a very strong hand, but against an UTG open in a multiway pot, its actually more of a showdown value or in between type hand. If you check-call flop, you can check-call turn as well, assuming a reasonable sizing. Or maybe he miss out of value by slowplaying his nut flush. And then when the river 4-flushes the board, even it also makes you two pair, you have a relatively easy check-fold. You still lose some chips, but you dont need to give him a full dubble up

 

[tzuriel]

Yep. Got a little over-ambitious. Still so much to learn!

 

[fundiver199]

Yep. Got a little over-ambitious. Still so much to learn!

The turn jam is a mistake, I think, most if not all poker players have made. I have certainly made it many times in the past, and perhaps I even still make it sometimes, when I am not on my A-game. The thought process is something like this: "This was a terrible card, and I know, I am probably beat now. But I dont want to check-fold, so I just pile the rest of my chips in, and I dont even care, if I lose". The cure is to slow down and get your emotions under control, so you can make the correct decision of check-folding, even though it sucks to fold a hand, you thought was best on the flop

 

[tzuriel]

Yeah...that pretty much covers the entirety of my thought process at that point. LOL. Next!

 

[eetenor]

Yep. Got a little over-ambitious. Still so much to learn!

The good news is taking our time is a skill we can learn and develop- the easiest way to do that is to take this hand and replay it taking time to think of all the possible outcomes on each street-It helps to actually write or type out your thoughts-

 

[tzuriel]

Thank you for responding with practical advice!