$2.20 NLHE MTT: $2.20$ NLHE MTT: how play top pair postflop against chileader

[ander007]

Hi Folks

I was playing MTT 2.20$ late stage (around last 100 players).
I would like to ask you how should I play against chipleader
with my top pair on the flop.
I had avg stack. 20BB
My hand: mid. position : AJ off suited (raised)
Chipleader BB : K4 diamond suited
board Ad Tc 4c 7d 8d

I loose with chipleader flush on the river.

hand history:
http://www.boomplayer.com/en/poker-hands/Boom/13480801_A692EDF8FC

Issue is that many times chileader got better hand on the river, he over play me and I loose all my chips.
How should I play this ?
Bet smaller on the turn or ?


Thank you for comments.

Andy

 

[PokerFunKid]

Hi Folks

I was playing MTT 2.20$ late stage (around last 100 players).
I would like to ask you how should I play against chipleader
with my top pair on the flop.
I had avg stack. 20BB
My hand: mid. position : AJ off suited (raised)
Chipleader BB : K4 diamond suited
board Ad Tc 4c 7d 8d

I loose with chipleader flush on the river.

hand history:
http://www.boomplayer.com/en/poker-hands/Boom/13480801_A692EDF8FC

Issue is that many times chileader got better hand on the river, he over play me and I loose all my chips.
How should I play this ?
Bet smaller on the turn or ?


Thank you for comments.

Andy

I think you played it fine and exactly like i would. Could consider betting bigger on the flop to get it in on the turn but i think this is fine. Good you call on the river and not jam. Well played you bet when you had the best hand and just called the small bet when you was behind.

 

[horizon12]

Shove turn, board wet and pot already big like you stack...

 

[PBG789]

The main thing to pick up on here is that in a low stakes tournament the chipleader is, especially when faced with a min raise, likely to be defending his BB with a very wide range (almost any 2 cards) so you need to get a read on his hand with the post flop play.

So... you put in a half pot C-bet and you are called. At this point what are you thinking? I would be fairly sure he had either caught something on the flop or had some sort of draw. In this case it's bottom pair and a back door. At this stage you also have to understand what hand he is putting you on. Given your stack size and the way you have played the hand so far if I was in his position I already have you narrowed down to AK, AQ & AJ.

Then the turn... no draws have got there so, unless he has some sort of random 2 pair hand, you are almost certainly still ahead. At this stage I would be jamming as you don't have a fantastic holding and there are way too many river cards you don't want to see (any club, 4, 10) so you really want to win this pot now. The half pot bet really priced the villain in to speculate with his hand as it was only for 8% of his stack whereas if you jam he has to commit 20% of his stack on what is most probably a draw.

River... it doesn't appear to be that much of a scare card as it doesn't bring any draws from the flop home but the very small lead out bet is a total red flag. Why is he doing this unless he has a made hand? He should by this point know exactly what you have so a bluff is unlikely although if he was bluffing there is no way he is doing it this small - he would be putting you all in. It looks like exactly what it is i.e. a tempting value bet. As played you should have folded the river but a jam on the turn would most likely have avoided this situation.

 

[spiderman637]

I think u played well there with AJ at middle position...its ur ill luck that u lost der at river...
One wrong thing is the way you played post flop...i think u made a very weak bet post flop with such good hands...

And to ur question on how to play against chip leaders at late stage is to play tight aggressive !!!

 

[lilu80]

Preflop on this blinds x2 to x2.5 is OK but when bigstack is in BB he has a good odds and may loos play. Becouse bigstack is in BB I play preflop about 3.5x ca 5k or 3bet/Al. With bigstack in this flop I play ca 75% pot or overbet Al or in turn Al.

 

[PBG789]

As a matter of interest what was your plan if he checked the river and what did you think the outcome was going to be?

 

[underdog140]

IMO .. Chip leader is calling a min raise with almost any two cards in this situation and most likely going to put you on an Ace or mid to high PP.


Flop:

Once you hit your ace and make a continuation bet and get called. You have to think the player has hit something. I would think they are either on a flush draw or is slow playing trip 444 or maby two pair. Player might also have an Ace. Hit a pair and trying to get lucky on the turn.

Turn

I would have either went all in to try and pick the pot up ( There is almost 16K in the middle and you have 21.5K left in your stack ) or would have checked wanting to see a free river card and get to showdown as cheaply as possible.

River:

The small bet screams .. value bet ... but at this point you put so much chips in the pot and the bet is very small compared to what is in the middle I would have made the call also.

I would have been surprised to see his K 4 suited. I don't like the players call on the flop with just K 4 with an ace on the flop and you raising so far out of position. Than again .. I don't like playing AJ from the position you were in either with 2 players with about 10 bb to act after you.. unless the table was playing tight and you thought you could pick up the blinds.

Overall I think you got unlucky. Chip leader decided to gamble.

 

[Jacki Burkhart]

You played it great. You put money in when you were way ahead and he called with poor odds, meaning you got him to make a mistake on 2 streets. That is +EV for you.

The river he donk leads small, I think you gotta call and good job not shoving, since missed club flush draws and worse jacks can potentially bluff or value bet a worse hand, but your shove will only get called by a better hand.

Your opponent played terribly and you got unlucky. that's poker