HU $11 S&G Top Pair No kicker on a paired board

[bw07507]

pokerstars GAME #11612355084: TOURNAMENT #58913334, $10+$1 HOLD'EM NO LIMIT - LEVEL VII (100/200) - 2007/08/21 - 14:41:24 (ET)
Table '58913334 1' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 2: jkap1 (3984 in chips)
Seat 6: bw07507 (9516 in chips)
jkap1: posts the ante 25
bw07507: posts the ante 25
bw07507: posts small blind 100
jkap1: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bw07507 [Qd 3s]
bw07507: raises 400 to 600
jkap1: calls 400
*** FLOP *** [4h Qh 4s]
jkap1: bets 3359 and is all-in
bw07507:?

Strange for him to just shove this. I would think if he had a 4 or a better queen he would try to slowplay it a little. He was playing fairly standard, but rather passive. He rarely raised the button, mostly just completed. I had been raising the button very frequently, he usually called and let me take down the pot with a bet, sometimes he check raised me. Never really lead out at a flop that I had raised. Do I have to call this??

 

[mrsnake3695]

Looks like a pocket pair to me worried about the flush draw although I often see trips and sets making this play. The question is do you think the pp pair is larger or smaller than QQ. Considering current chip stacks I think I would call expecting to see something like 99. Of course any hand that villan has that beats you, except X-4, should have raised preflop.

 

[pigpen02]

I would be surprised if this was a bluff from your description. Call and lose and you lose your big lead. I would fold it.

 

[OzExorcist]

Ditto - the pot's only small at this stage and a bluff of this magnitude would be right out of character for a standard / passive player, especially when he knows you've got him well and truly coverd and it's his whole game on the line.

I'd fold and maintain my massive lead.

 

[pedroman7]

I dont think he would shove if he wanted a call here. Anything that beats you he would want action so I think this is a call. I would say he has mid pp at best.

 

[robwhufc]

I'd fold and maintain my massive lead.

It won't be a massive lead for long if you keep folding top pair, heads up.

I agree with Pedroman, a good hand here is going to put in a smaller, pot-committing bet to try and drag you in. top pair is a monster at this stage, if he's got you beat, then good for him. I'd call in a shot, if you lose you've still got over 5,000 chips, but you cant fold these waiting for a better spot, because there wont be a better spot.

 

[oluaris]

i would fold here
i think he has x-4, probably A4s or K4s

my guess is he shoved to make you think that he is bluffing and trying to steal the pot
i'd rather be the one trapping than the one being trapped

i'm interested to know how this hand turned out

 

[tosborn]

Top pair heads up with a 2.5:1 chip lead should be an easy call most of the time. However, with your kicker I think I fold this and wait for a better spot. The pot is still fairly small and we should be able to take advantage of the smaller stack and wait for an opportunity to be first in. Take your time and steal from his stack until he has to start pushing preflop.

 

[bw07507]

Thx for the info guys, I think there are good arguments for both sides here, but I decided to call. I just couldnt believe that he would shove a strong hand here, he would want to extract chips out of me.

bw07507: calls 3359
*** TURN *** [4h Qh 4s] [Ad]
*** RIVER *** [4h Qh 4s Ad] [2c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
jkap1: shows [5s 5c] (two pair, Fives and Fours)
bw07507: shows [Qd 3s] (two pair, Queens and Fours)
jkap1 said, "gg"
bw07507 collected 7968 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 7968 | Rake 0
Board [4h Qh 4s Ad 2c]
Seat 2: jkap1 (big blind) showed [5s 5c] and lost with two pair, Fives and Fours
Seat 6: bw07507 (button) (small blind) showed [Qd 3s] and won (7968) with two pair, Queens and Fours

 

[robwhufc]

Yep, easy call.



mrsnake got it pretty much bang on.

 

[robwhufc]

As an addendum though, it does show that if you throw the hammer down heads up, it will often reap rewards. 4 out of 7 contibutors would have folded here, even when they had connected to a tight board - hardly anyone would have called here with a hand like King High, so you don't always need a hand to pick up the pots. Win 2 or 3 of these in a row, and a significant defecit is soon reduced.