$315 NL HE MTT: Huge battling with Ajo

[Rajten]

Game

Hold'em

Game Format

No Limit

Table Format

MTT

Buy-in

315

Game Options

1. Bounty

Currency

$

2 level of GG master bounty 315$

I am the shortest stack with 150bb, varage stack 175bb villain 180bb

Hero AhJd, HJ, opens to 2,5bb, CO 3bets 10bb, hero 4 bets 25bb, (I choose agressive line, mayby I should't at the beggining of the tournament), Co 5 bets to 40bb (I don't know what to think, it looks like AA, which combinations I reduces to half or bluff mayby some KK) so I decided to call only need 20% equity.

Flop 6c 9h Js (83bb pot)

hero check, villain bets 20bb, hero calls

Turn 6c 9h Js Ad (123 bb)

2x checks,

River 3d

Hero all in 90bb, villain calls

 

[Andyreas]

Not really sure if AJo is a hand to 4-bet.

Why did you check at flop with hitting TPTK?
Wy did you check the turn after hitting two pair?

But I like that river bet with the additional dry card.

 

[fundiver199]

Preflop
I think, our main line should be calling his 3-bet, but its ok to once in a while take a hand like AJo and turn it into a 4-bet bluff. The problem is, when he then 5-bet and even more so, when he choose this kind of sizing. If his 5-bet was larger, it would be an easy fold, but here it feels like, you just cant fold getting such a good price. But maybe you actually can. If his range is aces, then pot odds dont matter, because you are basically screwed with less than 10% equity and massive reserse implied odds. And its not that much better, if his range is KK-AA.

Flop
Once again he give you a really good price, but you are still in terrible shape, if his range is KK-AA.

Turn
Now you beat KK, and there is only one combo of AA left. If he somehow has AK and play it like this, you beat that as well. However I think, KK is by far his most likely holding, and KK is likely going to check back now. So I like to start doing, what he has been doing, and put out a small donk bet to milk him.

River
As played I like a smaller sizing, since I still think, KK is the main hand to get value from, and I dont think, KK is calling a jam.

 

[300HPGOD]

Agree with Fundiver above verbatim. I will add that if this is early in the tournament than that means there are no antes or small antes at most. I would think villains at this buy in level are competent so I wouldnt expect them to get out of line in the pre ante or small ante period so this 3 bet is more likely a legit hand. AJ is a hand that can get in some bad spots as we know so if you dont ever feel like villain is folding to your 4 bet (and at this sizing, this deep they probably arent) then I like calling a lot better than 4 betting. Once they 5 bet I think we are smacked on this one although as you bring up the price is good. Although, why would a competent villain (we assume anyway) be 5 betting this small if they didnt want you around. I dont think QQ plays like this so its really one of two hands as already mentioned. With that range I think we could fold here pre (but calling is not wrong) and move on since we are playing with one card essentially thinking that even our straight chances will be heavily blocked if they have KK. It also looks like you are in the SB the way you write the action which makes me like the 4 bet less, at least at the sizing you make it.

As for post flop, flop and turn I think are played the only logical way you can play them. I guess leading turn could be open for discussion but not sure why would want to do that if we think villain could have KK and then we are tipping them off we have an ace. The lead would have to be interpreted as a bluff by villain and no way we could know that this early. River, I go with Fundiver here and say you should bet smaller. We should try to get a crying call from KK and I would assume AA will get get stuffed in our face. If we trust our read there then we should fold but its a tough fold just given how much we have and would have in the middle already and with a river bet and that we have top two. If we think top two are beat then we should fold though.

 

[AKQ]

Let me clear up why you came to your bad decision instead of ragging on you for it and dissecting it
Heres how to avoid it
You Dont have 20% equity if you put your opponent on AA
and if you DID
You cannot realize that full 20% until the river
not on the flop

implied odds need 1:15
and MTT's are about survival not donking

 

[AKQ]

fold next time

 

[Matt_Burns88]

I think 4 betting occasionally with AJo when you're in position is OK, but not when you're out of position. You're building a huge pot with a marginal hand, against an opponent that has shown strength and has position on you for the rest of the hand. You then say you only need 20% equity to call, having put villain on KK+, you don't have 20% equity, so you should just fold.

 

[fundiver199]

What did the opponent have? If I have to guess, I would say AA. Its only one combo, but its the one, where everything makes the most sense. The small 5-bet preflop and small bet on the flop to milk Hero for value. Then checking the turn with top set as a slowplay. And of course the easiest decision ever to call a river jam with the nuts. If the opponent did in fact have AA, then the runout is obviously a pretty sick cooler, but not 4-betting preflop could still potentially have saved some chips.

 

[Rajten]

Villain got AA

 

[dallam]

When I first read this hand, you did mention you are the shortest stack with 150bb. That's where our opinions won't match up, I don't think this deep you could not say you are in a possible bounty situation with this. When people are this deep, I'm supposed to see them positioning - it means, they can building up pots, rare run bigger parties, but their first aim is not to ko other players, just strenghten their stack to the stages, where their differences in stacks / in games can stand out them and being a hunter of the table once. ---> So when you building up a huge pot with AJo this early, I feel that early ko's are more important to you that actually going deeper and let the situations flow and waiting for the combinations to match up with each other, and then making the most from them.
It turned out a painful hand, although if you just call that 10bb with this hand, you not get out this early I think.

 

[makisaa]

You chose to get in to this battle with an AJo, but with this betting from your opponent I think he would have a strong hand. As you said he had AA. I think I would not get in to this with an AJ.