$5.25 NLHE MTT: GG Online - Bounty Hunters | AQo in BB

[mariussica88]

UTG+1 stats after 56 hands: VPIP 27 PFR 20 Limp 0 Post Flop AGG 4 Flop C-bet 75 Turn C-bet 0 Fold to 3-bet 0 and 3-bet 14

1. It's ok from me to 3-bet pre-flop?
2. Should I C-bet bigger?
3. Can I call the river? *I think I am way behind on the river the only 2 cards that would help me on the river where or



GG Poker - 250/500 Ante 75 NL (8 max) - Holdem - 8 players
Hand converted by Holdem Manager 3

SB: 36,485 (73 bb)
Hero (BB): 34,658 (69.3 bb)
UTG: 22,859 (45.7 bb)
UTG+1: 51,754 (103.5 bb)
MP: 42,873 (85.7 bb)
MP+1: 21,098 (42.2 bb)
CO: 29,350 (58.7 bb)
BTN: 32,632 (65.3 bb)

8 players post ante of 75, SB posts 250, Hero posts BB 500

Pre Flop: (pot: 1,350) Hero has
fold, UTG+1 raises to 1,250, 5 folds, Hero raises to 3,830, UTG+1 calls 2,580

Flop: (8,510, 2 players)
Hero bets 3,745, UTG+1 calls 3,745

Turn: (16,000, 2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets 5,280, Hero calls 5,280

River: (26,560, 2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets 31,872, Hero folds

Results: 26,560 pot (0 rake)
Final Board:

Hero shows : (One Pair, Aces)
(Pre 0%)

UTG+1 wins 26,560

 

[fundiver199]

Preflop
3-betting is fine here, just calling would also be fine. Its best to mix up your strategy to be more unpredictable.

Flop
After 3-betting pre, we can often more or less C-bet our entire range. So while this is not the greatest flop for our hand or range, it cant be that bad to fire and basically hope to just take it down right here and now.

Turn
You pick up a gutshot, and I think, its close firing again and checking, like you did. As played check-calling is ok because of his sizing, whereas had he bet really big, I would just fold and move on.

River
You improved to top pair, but even so leading out for value is probably a bit thin in a 3-bet pot. You also dont have much stack left behind, so the choise would be to either jam, in which case you are likely mainly getting called by better hands, or bet really small, in which case you are in a very tough spot, if he raise. So I think, its completely fine to play in flow here and check to him.

This is, what you do, and now he move all-in. It looks like an overbet, but you are the effective stack with around 21k left, so its actually less than pot but still a pretty substantial bet. Even though you have top pair second kicker, I think, its fair to say, that you dont beat any hands, that do this for value in such a big pot. AJ and AT are two pair, so the best hand, you can beat, is A9, and anyone with a minimum of poker skills check back A9 is this situation. Or at least they dont bet this big, because if they do, they will mainly get called by better hands.

So you have a bluff catcher, and as in the other hand, I commented on, what can he even be bluffing with? KQ made a straight at the end, and any AX made top pair. So he would need to take a made hand like KT of clubs or A5 of clubs and turn it into a big river bluff. And in low stakes games most people just dont do that. So I think, this is another spot, where its extremely unlikely, he is balanced, and there are lots of value hands, you potentially lose to.

And just for the record I dont think, you are only chasing a straight, when you call the turn. I think, a lot of the time, this goes check-check on the river, and when it does, you usually win or chop. So check-folding this river does not mean, you are giving up. It just mean, that you cant bet for value, and when he move in on you, you are almost always beat, and you save chips by folding.

 

[IADaveMark]

Yeah, Fundiver199 covered most of the important stuff. I'm OK with the 3-bet OOP pre and the c-bet on the flop. Not as thrilled about the check/call on the river. However, assuming that V has the 10, you have 2 overs and a gutshot. So 10 outs = 21%. You need 4:1 and his bet sizing gives you about that. Unless V is also on a flush draw or a straight draw...

And that's where the problem kicks in on the river. Any other A and you feel a little better about this. The hearts got there, KQ got there... For that matter, AT got there as well and AK has you out-kicked. If it was smaller bet-sizing or you weren't so short-stacked at the time, you might take a chance. But too many things just went wrong on the river to call a shove with top pair and 2nd kicker.

I have to sigh and let this one go on the river.

 

[fundiver199]

Any other A and you feel a little better about this.

Its not even that important, that backdoor hearts came in, because how many combos of that can he realistically have? KQ of hearts would also have a straight on any A. So its basically down to KJ, QJ and maybe J9 of hearts, since anything worse than that would either have folded preflop or on the flop. So even if the river was A of spades or A of diamonds, the situation would still be nearly the same with a ton of value, that beat Hero, and almost no logical bluffs.

 

[IADaveMark]

Its not even that important, that backdoor hearts came in, because how many combos of that can he realistically have? KQ of hearts would also have a straight on any A. So its basically down to KJ, QJ and maybe J9 of hearts, since anything worse than that would either have folded preflop or on the flop. So even if the river was A of spades or A of diamonds, the situation would still be nearly the same with a ton of value, that beat Hero, and almost no logical bluffs.

Yeah, that's why I said "a little better". Any heart is going to be problematic because of the back door hearts, but this is one that kinda makes you feel good because now you hit top pair... but at what cost? There are so many ways this board went wrong on the river that you have to get over the n00b tendency of "oh, look! I hit my A!"