$3.50 NLHE STT: How would you play this?

[LuisBoaC]

Villian Stats (VPIP/PFR/AF): 27/12/2

pokerstars, $3.11 + $0.39 - Hold'em No Limit - 60/120 (15 ante) - 7 players
Replay this hand on Upswing Poker

UTG: 924 (8 bb)
MP (Hero): 2,378 (20 bb)
MP+1: 709 (6 bb)
CO: 1,671 (14 bb)
BU: 1,260 (11 bb)
SB: 1,776 (15 bb)
BB: 4,782 (40 bb)

Pre-Flop: (285) Hero is MP with Q♠ J♠
1 fold, Hero raises to 300, 4 players fold, BB calls 180

Flop: (765) 5♦ Q♥ 9♣ (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets 420, BB calls 420

Turn: (1,605) 5♥ (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets 1,643 (all-in), BB calls 1,643

 

[t1riel]

Any reads on your opponent? Since your opponent is less than 20 big blinds after the flop, I might consider a shove on the flop after your opponent checked.

 

[puzzlefish]

Any reads on your opponent? Since your opponent is less than 20 big blinds after the flop, I might consider a shove on the flop after your opponent checked.

I think you misread the effective stacks? BB has 40bb and is the villain.

Why shove the flop? What hands are calling us? What do we gain?

 

[t1riel]

I think you misread the effective stacks? BB has 40bb and is the villain.

Why shove the flop? What hands are calling us? What do we gain?

Yes, I did misread it. By making a less than pot bet on the flop, this puts you in a tight spot with less than 20bb left. Why give the villain an easier bet to call? Since you hit top pair and you have raised preflop, I would shove now.

Now that the villain called your post flop bet, why would this give you reason to shove after the turn? Any information on the villain?

 

[puzzlefish]

I don't know what range OP put the villain on here, in BB, to me that's a very wide range. He could have a Qx with a weaker kicker and as such shoving on the flop may cause him to fold a weak kicker and to call only with stronger holdings. I would be against shoving on the flop or on the turn or on the river depending on what it is. This just smells like a big blind special being served up with a 2pair or better. Hitting a pair of queens with QJ is not a shovable spot imho. Just bet for value and see where you get instead of unnecessarily inflating the pot.

 

[Jacki Burkhart]

Top pair at 20bb effective it's totally fine to get the hands in....so almost no matter how you do it is fine.

QJs is a fine open in MP

now...because I'm picky and greedy I'm gonna try to bet smaller 3x to keep the weaker parts of his range alive because I'm just a little worried about folding out 9x or worse queens.

I would bet about 40% of the pot on flop, about 40-50% on turn and shove most rivers. Your line is fine... I just want to make sure I get value. My way is also susceptible to being sucked out on.

 

[skeptix]

Seems fine to me.

 

[c0rnBr34d]

NH, well played IMO too. As Jacki points out you could size down to get max value at the risk of pricing in a draw to two pair / straight / flush but either line is fine in my opinion. With 20 BB there's just not a lot of options when you flop top pair and get a safe runout.