$109 NL HE MTT: Sunday Million AQ in UTG+1

[mariussica88]

Game

Hold'em

Game Format

No Limit

Table Format

MTT

Buy-in

109

Game Options

1. Bounty

Currency

$

pokerstars, $100 + $9 - Hold'em No Limit - 4,000/8,000 (1,000 ante) - 8 players


UTG: 260,369 (33 bb)
UTG+1 (Hero): 469,375 (59 bb)
MP: 355,046 (44 bb)
MP+1: 196,044 (25 bb)
CO: 267,898 (33 bb)
BU: 198,686 (25 bb)
SB: 374,164 (47 bb)
BB: 111,153 (14 bb)

Pre-Flop: (20,000) Hero is UTG+1 with A♥ Q♠
UTG raises to 16,000, Hero calls 16,000, 2 players fold, CO calls 16,000, 3 players fold

Flop: (68,000) A♦ J♠ J♥ (3 players)
UTG bets 21,760, Hero calls 21,760, CO folds

Turn: (111,520) 5♥ (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks

River: (111,520) Q♣ (2 players)
UTG bets 35,686

This hand is right on the money bubble. What I am wondering is how do you guys play this river ? Do you call, bet or raise and why?

UTG stats after 52 hands: VPIP 27 PFR 17 Post flop AGG 1 Flop C-bet 100 Turn C-bet 100 and 3-bet 15

 

[fundiver199]

Preflop
Being UTG+1 and facing an UTG open is always a fairly awkward situation, but overall I would also call here. Folding seem to weak-tight, and if we 3-bet, we are mainly getting action, when we dont want it.

Flop
Definitely have to call with top pair even on a paired board, and we are happy, CO got out of the way. He most likely missed his setmine.

Turn
You could bet for value, when he check to you, but I am not sure, to many worse hands will call both turn and river. You also have A of hearts, which mean, you are less worried about a heart coming on the river. So I think, its fine to check back here for pot control, and then either call his river bet or bet if checked to.

River
You beat AK now, but you lose to KT, which rivered a straight. So I dont think, the river card changed your hand all that much, and my thinking would still be, that this is a two bet situation. You want two bets to go in, and since he put them in already, the play is still to just call. Its a little thin to raise here and hope, he has exactly AK or will call with AX no kicker. And obviously we are never folding especially not to a small bet like this.

 

[eetenor]

PokerStars, $100 + $9 - Hold'em No Limit - 4,000/8,000 (1,000 ante) - 8 players


UTG: 260,369 (33 bb)
UTG+1 (Hero): 469,375 (59 bb)
MP: 355,046 (44 bb)
MP+1: 196,044 (25 bb)
CO: 267,898 (33 bb)
BU: 198,686 (25 bb)
SB: 374,164 (47 bb)
BB: 111,153 (14 bb)

Pre-Flop: (20,000) Hero is UTG+1 with A♥ Q♠
UTG raises to 16,000, Hero calls 16,000, 2 players fold, CO calls 16,000, 3 players fold

Flop: (68,000) A♦ J♠ J♥ (3 players)
UTG bets 21,760, Hero calls 21,760, CO folds

Turn: (111,520) 5♥ (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks

River: (111,520) Q♣ (2 players)
UTG bets 35,686

This hand is right on the money bubble. What I am wondering is how do you guys play this river ? Do you call, bet or raise and why?

UTG stats after 52 hands: VPIP 27 PFR 17 Post flop AGG 1 Flop C-bet 100 Turn C-bet 100 and 3-bet 15

We want to think about what our bluffs are here as played? If we have no bluffs our V should have fewer non nut calls- We can target weaker AX for value but only vs weak players as there is no reason to lead a weak Ax on the river as it ties all other AX up to AT- so what does this V lead call? AK? What do they lead call that is better AA AJ QQ QJ Jx 55-- stats suggest this V is not terrible so we can not add in many more calls - maybe they punt but they also can be trapping as played- The 100 c-bet suggest they bet the nuts on flops as well as missed hands-

 

[300HPGOD]

Pre flop: This is more interesting when we are effectively deeper. I think if we were playing 200BB stacks here then raising comes into play more since I would want to find out here as early as possible if I was up against it or not by how villain reacts to my 3 bet. In this case though with this effective stack size I dont see a reason to 3 bet since we the only 4 bet we would face would most likely be a jam and unless you know something about villain I doubt they would 4 bet jam AJ here against an UTG+1 3 bet. Calling is good as you did.

Flop: Villain bets less than 1/3rd which I like here with a lot if their range. Given that we have them on an UTG range and them being 27/17 which is not crazy so Im thinking they have only good holdings here that include Ax, big pairs, and possibly a Jack. I dont want A10 or KK type hands should they have them to go anywhere nor do I think villain would think we would raise with a Jack and want to get folds so their potential AK isnt going anywhere. Calling here is the better play by a wide margin imo.

Turn: Before I do anything here I'm thinking what UTG range type hand would villain be checking here when a second heart comes and they dont have the Ace of hearts? They have to be worried about some flush draws here where we are less concerned. I would not think Jx checks here (unless it is AJ speciifcally) and gives us a free card (unless maybe they feel we are over agg but I dont know what they think of you) and I also think a lot Ax doesnt check here either. They very well could check here with Ax but I think its a split of some sort and this villain does have 100% turn c bet (just not sure how many instances in 52 hands that accounts for). In thinking they dont have Jx that leaves Ax (AK, AQ, or A10 due to UTG open) or high pocket pairs like QQ (unlikely) or KK, 1010, 99. I think all the pocket pairs fold to a bet here and the Ax hands we are split on. If my range is right then I think betting here nets you little since A10 even at least considers folding and AK does not fold but is trying to get to showdown but we are losing against it I would be as you did and check back.

River: Nice card here since I just dont put K10 (especially off) in the villains UTG range. So now I am beating all logical Ax except AQ which is now ever harder to have. As mentioned I feel Jx due to the 2nd heart turn is very unlikely that it checks and I feel like 99, 1010, and even KK here just check since they should just trying to get to showdown with those and knowing any Ax that is logically in our range isnt folding. So to me, Im thinking QQ (highly highly unlikely and I think would bet bigger) or AK or A10. I agree with what Fundiver says in that Ax smaller kicker (although if it isnt lower than a 10 since its UTG, and no Jx so no AJ and AQ is getting hard it really leaves the door open to only AK or A10) wont call but I dont think thier Aces are small here. This seems like a hand where unless we got especially unlucky against QQ or AJ or villain is crafty (over crafty imo) and checked turn with Jx (except AJ) that we are ahead here. Then it comes down to what would call a raise and what wouldnt. I feel like if I am on top of my game here I would range the villain they way I have and put them on a hand where I am ahead 95% of the time and that half of that left could call a raise (AK) then I think I raise here and try and get it. The river is a big difference because it puts us ahead of the AK. If the river was a 6 I would be saying to call here but we are ahead of whats left and as Ive said before my range could be wrong here but if Im going to range someone then Im going to trust my range and I think we can get some more chips on this river. Could be wrong here and they could have AJ or less likely QQ but I think this is a spot where AK is more likely than those two hands and we can get more chips. Maybe a click back raise spot and turn it into a bet fold spot.

 

[mariussica88]

So this is the full hand. I liked a lot reading your guys thinking process. I was on the same page as Fundiver when I decided to call since if I raise there and get called or shoved on probably I am beat.


PokerStars, $100 + $9 - Hold'em No Limit - 4,000/8,000 (1,000 ante) - 8 players
Replay this hand on CardsChat

UTG: 260,369 (33 bb)
UTG+1 (Hero): 469,375 (59 bb)
MP: 355,046 (44 bb)
MP+1: 196,044 (25 bb)
CO: 267,898 (33 bb)
BU: 198,686 (25 bb)
SB: 374,164 (47 bb)
BB: 111,153 (14 bb)

Pre-Flop: (20,000) Hero is UTG+1 with A♥ Q♠
UTG raises to 16,000, Hero calls 16,000, 2 players fold, CO calls 16,000, 3 players fold

Flop: (68,000) A♦ J♠ J♥ (3 players)
UTG bets 21,760, Hero calls 21,760, CO folds

Turn: (111,520) 5♥ (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks

River: (111,520) Q♣ (2 players)
UTG bets 35,686, Hero calls 35,686

Total pot: 182,892

Showdown:
UTG shows A♣ 4♣ (two pair, Aces and Jacks)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 32%, Flop: 13%, Turn: 8%, River: 0%)

UTG+1 (Hero) shows A♥ Q♠ (two pair, Aces and Queens)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 68%, Flop: 87%, Turn: 92%, River: 100%)

UTG+1 (Hero) wins 182,892

 

[fundiver199]

I dont think, he is calling a raise with that hand. Looks like some kind of blocker bet, and when blocking people are usually in a bet-fold mindset.

 

[Andyreas]

I dont think, he is calling a raise with that hand. Looks like some kind of blocker bet, and when blocking people are usually in a bet-fold mindset.

And all could have been avoided by not opening A4s from UTG, especially with only around 30 Bigs.

Maybe he hoped for a flush because that's the only reason I can see for playing this hand form this position. 🤔😶

 

[fundiver199]

And all could have been avoided by not opening A4s from UTG, especially with only around 30 Bigs.

Maybe he hoped for a flush because that's the only reason I can see for playing this hand form this position. 🤔😶

Its pretty standard to open all suited aces from all seats in a 8-handed game. Maybe in microstakes it can make sense to tighthen up and just fold this kind of hand, but in a $109 MTT, there will be less flatcalling from players behind, and a hand like A4s gives board coverage on low boards. So I would also have opened A4s in his spot, especially since the only player with a clear reshove stack is BB.

 

[rock0001]

i would have definitely call with aq in this spot because villain might have hands like kings, tens, or A10,, A2, or A3 suited so i think its reasonable to make the call.