$1.40 NLHE MTT Bounty: Do you ever slow play top pair?

[ManicLombax]

Game is 90 person knockout tourney again. Third hand or so, so no reads on anyone yet.

Do you ever think about slow playing a top pair hand on a totally dry board? Or do we pretty much always just bet for value and hope someone has something they think they can call with? There nothing to protect against here, but then if I give a free card I might just lose a street where I could have built the pot.


Poker Stars - $1.00+$0.25+0.15 Tournament (#339246503) - Blinds: 10/20 No Limit Hold'em (9 players)
Poker Stars Hand Converter Tool from CardsChat.com

SB: $2180.00
BB: $2030.00
UTG: $2000.00
MP: $2000.00
MP+1: $2000.00
MP+2 Hero: $2000.00
LP: $1990.00
CO: $1660.00
BTN: $2140.00

Pre-flop: ($30.00) Hero is MP+2 and dealt
2 folds, MP+1 calls $20.00, Hero raises to $80.00, 4 folds, BB calls $60.00, MP+1 calls $60.00

Flop: ($250.00) (3 players)
BB checks, MP+1 checks, Hero bets $180.00, ...

 

[Jillychemung]

Not on this board with a broadway draw. I'm 100% c-bet this both for value, you have 2 people that floated your raise and you have a good chance to get a floater again, and for image (which really doesn't play too much at this level but hey you never know). If the turn is a blank I may check back the turn to try and induce a bet on the river.

 

[c9h13no3]

Too many straight draws to give a free card. Letting KQ/QJ/KJ/98/97/87/Tx see a free card and draw to 4-5 outs for nothing is a pretty bad idea. You're not likely to get someone to bluff at the pot, since its a 3-way hand. Maybe heads up on a dryer flop like A96 I'd check if I knew I could get my opponent to bet. But no way on this board.

 

[ManicLombax]

Hmm, I was thinking AT6 rainbow was pretty close to as dry as it gets. Just the A and T make you all nervous? I normally don't think about protecting against gutshot draws, but I guess I'd get more nervous when a J comes on the turn and people start betting at me. All the people with JT or KQ just got there.

I'd think with A96 rainbow at least someone with 87 could have a real draw. But I suppose in a $1 tourney you do get people calling with just a gutshot.

 

[c9h13no3]

I'd think with A96 rainbow at least someone with 87 could have a real draw. But I suppose in a $1 tourney you do get people calling with just a gutshot.

Sure, 87 does have a real draw on this board, but that's really the only hand with a draw. The gut shots on A96 are T8, T7, 85, 75. The draws to two pair are 9x and 6x.

So on an AT6 board, there are more hands with straight draws, and even more importantly, those hands are likely to be played. Almost everyone will play KQ or KJ, but its pretty rare to see 85o played preflop. So you'll see this in your equity vs. your opponent's range:

Notice that even though there are no open ended straight draws on the AT6 board, its actually a worse board for your hand. It matters more how your opponent's range does against the board, than what good draws are out there. On an AT6 board, I don't really like any K, J, 9, or 7 on the turn. On an A96 board, I'm really only afraid of a T.

 

[PNJs_dad]

I'd be worried more about A 10 than anything. But you still have to bet. 2 many cards on the turn that could hit and make your decisions tough. So bet.

 

[ManicLombax]

Cool thanks for posting that c9h13no3, I get it now.

 

[cjatud2012]

Pretty much what c9 said, if you were heads-up and the board were better, we could take a pot-control line and try to induce some bluffs. But not here.