did I play this right?

[ph_il]

full tilt poker Game #2829887693: $5 + $0.50 Sit & Go (21577006), Table 5 - 400/800 Ante 100 - No Limit Hold'em - 9:27:35 ET - 2007/07/02
Seat 1: Fife19 (9,340)
Seat 2: thedubs (42,950)
Seat 4: swordfish80 (9,750)
Seat 5: Philthy (14,545)
Seat 6: wonheo (17,095)
Seat 7: superAAman (18,720)
Seat 8: CakesRN (39,829)
Fife19 antes 100
thedubs antes 100
swordfish80 antes 100
Philthy antes 100
wonheo antes 100
superAAman antes 100
CakesRN antes 100
Fife19 posts the small blind of 400
thedubs posts the big blind of 800
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Philthy [Ac 4c]
swordfish80 folds
Philthy has 15 seconds left to act
Philthy raises to 3,500
wonheo folds
superAAman folds
CakesRN raises to 10,400
Fife19 calls 8,840, and is all in
thedubs folds
Philthy has 15 seconds left to act
Philthy calls 6,900
*** FLOP *** [3d 5c 4h]
Philthy checks
CakesRN checks
*** TURN *** [3d 5c 4h] [Tc]
Philthy checks
CakesRN checks
*** RIVER *** [3d 5c 4h Tc] 7♠
Philthy checks
CakesRN checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
CakesRN shows [As Kh] Ace King high
Philthy shows [Ac 4c] a pair of Fours
Philthy wins the side pot (2,320) with a pair of Fours
Fife19 mucks
Philthy wins the main pot (29,220) with a pair of Fours
Fife19 stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 31,540 Main pot 29,220. Side pot 2,320. | Rake 0
Board: [3d 5c 4h Tc 7s]
Seat 1: Fife19 (small blind) mucked [Ad Kc] - Ace King high
Seat 2: thedubs (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 4: swordfish80 folded before the Flop
Seat 5: Philthy showed [Ac 4c] and won (31,540) with a pair of Fours
Seat 6: wonheo folded before the Flop
Seat 7: superAAman folded before the Flop
Seat 8: CakesRN (button) showed [As Kh] and lost with Ace King high

The table was playing pretty tight preflop and post-flop. We were at 15 players and I think the average stacks were trying to sneak into the FT. Also, I hadnt been involved in a hand recently. I was trying to get cute with an UTG raise with this hand. I was hoping to get credit for an EP raise, but was ready to lay down to a big-stack reraise. I would've probably called a short-stack all in though and hope to double up. After the re-raise and push I was 100% sure I was beat, but the it was 6900 more to call a pot of 24640.

My main reasons for calling were:
-The pot was laying to me 3.5 to 1.
-A chance to bust out a player. I would either be severe short stack or be one of the big stacks when the hand was over (if it was checked down).
-The blinds and antes were going up soon. Next hand or so.

Also:
-There was a slight chance my A high was the best hand. Very unlikely at that point, but possible.
-If I flopped monster draw, I would be getting correct odds to call any bet. If I was pushed all in for my remaining 4145 chips, the PO would be 8.6 to 1 on my money.

So, I was really committing to this pot when I really didnt have to. I was just hoping to check it down with my opponent, bust a player, and either be sitting pretty or very low stack (a gamble I was willing to take). Other than 'fold it preflop' did I make the right choice in calling or should I have folded?

 

[robwhufc]

My main reasons for calling were:
-The pot was laying to me 3.5 to 1.

3.5/1 to hit what? you wont flop a flush, an Ace will probably be bad as poor kicker, and 4 will mean you're still behind 5's and up.

-A chance to bust out a player. I would either be severe short stack or be one of the big stacks when the hand was over (if it was checked down).

Likelihood is that the player to bust out would be you.

-The blinds and antes were going up soon. Next hand or so.

You look like you've got a few hands to play yet before you're in despairation zone - 10BB+

I'd have folded here - initial bet was good, especially if you had tight image, but bearing that in mind what did you think other 2 had when they came over the top of you?

 

[ph_il]

If I had folded PF and the blinds + antes did go up the next hand. (Blinds at 500 - 1000 and antes at 125), after the blinds + antes passed me and say I didnt play either blind, I would be left at 9295 in chips and shortstack.

Looking back in the hand. It was an easy PF fold. I put myself in a predictament and I got lucky that it worked out.

 

[ChuckTs]

The thing is you raised so much preflop that you've now committed yourself to call any small reraise. A4 is a little risky, but at a tight table it's fine to see if you can toss in a small raise for a blind steal.

I fold that extra 6900. You're getting great odds, but you're being asked to call for the majority of your stack.

Pop it up to ~2000 preflop, and put the breaks on if you get called or pushed into.

 

[dj11]

Philthy! New do? Looks good.

The play for the situation was not bad, way below average stack late when many are being tight, and you hoping to be the counter to their tightness is almost forgivable.

The draw was enticing for sure. Your maths here seem ok.

I would have waited I think for better cards, but lately maybe better cards are just what you played here. You didn't mention up top that you were prepared to go all the way with those cards, and at that point in the contest, so close to the magic 'M' of 10, I prefer to wait till I get mid connecters or any pair before trying to get cute.

Of course the fact that you prevailed here mitigates all other concerns.

 

[ph_il]

3.5/1 to hit what? you wont flop a flush, an Ace will probably be bad as poor kicker, and 4 will mean you're still behind 5's and up.

Anything that improved my hand. I meant that I was getting price on my money to just throw it away...even though I should have.

I'd have folded here - initial bet was good, especially if you had tight image, but bearing that in mind what did you think other 2 had when they came over the top of you?

CakesRN was new to table and from what I had seen so far, that person had been playing pretty solid. So, I was willing to give them the benefit of a doubt and fold when it got to me. I put that person on a bigger A than myself. As for Fife, I honetly didnt think they had a big hand worth a push in that situation. I had seen him drop from 20K to 8K by over playing his hands PF and post-flop. There was a chance he was holding a better A than my own or mid PP, but I was really banking on the chance of Cakes and I checking it down to bust him.

The more I think about it, I really committed myself to that hand and after taking in the pot size, the upcoming blinds and antes, and the chance to bust out a player, I was very willing to gamble in that situation...even knowing that I was beat. I think I just decided to take a gamble and it worked out for me in this situation.

 

[ph_il]

Philthy! New do? Looks good.

The play for the situation was not bad, way below average stack late when many are being tight, and you hoping to be the counter to their tightness is almost forgivable.

The draw was enticing for sure. Your maths here seem ok.

I would have waited I think for better cards, but lately maybe better cards are just what you played here. You didn't mention up top that you were prepared to go all the way with those cards, and at that point in the contest, so close to the magic 'M' of 10, I prefer to wait till I get mid connecters or any pair before trying to get cute.

Of course the fact that you prevailed here mitigates all other concerns.

Yep, new do. Im glad you like it.

As for waiting for better cards, I probably would've if it werent for the fact that I had been card dead most of the game. I had managed to play my big hands aggressively and steal/take down a few decent pots to keep me alive and I was hoping my overall TAG image at the table + my EP raise would allowed me to take the pot down with no contest.