Raised with KJo UTG, doubled my chips

[5miles]

This was a lovely hand between me and a previously unknown, tight German player.

I had played the SnG very tightly so far. What do you think about it? Did I play it well? Notice my time request on the flop for an extra nuance.

full tilt poker Game #5613826501: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (42727444), Table 1 - 30/60 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:48:44 ET - 2008/03/13
Seat 1: FSimon (1,120)
Seat 2: Copper Flop (1,305)
Seat 3: RENEGADE1_SJ (1,240)
Seat 4: squadldr (1,760)
Seat 5: jballs12 (1,995)
Seat 6: sweetkness (1,645)
Seat 7: fmiles (1,415)
Seat 8: oldvienna6 (1,195)
Seat 9: crazy horse 44 (1,825)
squadldr posts the small blind of 30
jballs12 posts the big blind of 60
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to fmiles [Js Kd]
sweetkness folds
fmiles raises to 120
oldvienna6 calls 120
crazy horse 44 folds
FSimon folds
Copper Flop folds
RENEGADE1_SJ calls 120
squadldr folds
jballs12 folds
*** FLOP *** [2s Qh Ks]
fmiles has 15 seconds left to act
fmiles has requested TIME
fmiles bets 180
oldvienna6 folds
RENEGADE1_SJ has 15 seconds left to act
RENEGADE1_SJ calls 180
*** TURN *** [2s Qh Ks] [Tc]
fmiles has 15 seconds left to act
fmiles bets 180
RENEGADE1_SJ calls 180
*** RIVER *** [2s Qh Ks Tc] <font color='red'>7<font face="arial">♦</font></font>
fmiles checks
RENEGADE1_SJ bets 240
fmiles has 15 seconds left to act
fmiles calls 240
*** SHOW DOWN ***
RENEGADE1_SJ shows [Qc Ad] a pair of Queens
fmiles shows [Js Kd] a pair of Kings
fmiles wins the pot (1,650) with a pair of Kings
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1,650 | Rake 0
Board: [2s Qh Ks Tc 7d]
Seat 1: FSimon didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: Copper Flop didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: RENEGADE1_SJ (button) showed [Qc Ad] and lost with a pair of Queens
Seat 4: squadldr (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: jballs12 (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 6: sweetkness didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: fmiles showed [Js Kd] and won (1,650) with a pair of Kings
Seat 8: oldvienna6 folded on the Flop
Seat 9: crazy horse 44 didn't bet (folded)

 

[OzExorcist]

Gotta be honest, despite the result there's a lot of things I don't like about it.

First, KJo is a pretty weak hand. On certain tables it might be playable, but at a full table when you're in early position, it's marginal at best. I might've even folded it pre-flop. The biggest problem with it is it's dominated by a lot of the hands that'll call your raise (AK, KQ, etc.) and that's not a good position to be in.

Having decided to play the hand though, I definitely would've raised more. You don't want a lot of callers (if any) with a hand like this, so you need to raise more than the minimum. You'll be out of position for the whole hand if anyone other than the blinds call, which is not good.

The flop is a borderline one for you - the pot's what, $450? There are potential straight and flush draws out there, so you should be betting more than $180 so that it'll be expensive for anyone to draw at you.

Gotta be honest too, the average $2 SnG player won't pay any attention to the 'nuance' of asking for time. Just bet and see what your opponents does in response. And you don't need to feign weakness here, despite the fact you've got top pair you really are weak against your opponents' potential holdings.

The turn card isn't a pretty one for you, it fills in some potential straight draws, and makes two-pair for some of your opponent's range that you had beat on the flop (hands like KT / QT might have called you pre-flop, and you're drawing dead against AJ, which is also a possible holding).

Again, if you're going to bet this, bet more. $180 is now a very small bet in relation to the pot, and any draw that hasn't already been filled in is still getting a good price to continue. In the long run, you'll be losing money if you let people draw at you cheaply.

Lastly, the river action is just confusing. A red seven is pretty much a blank here, if you bet the turn expecting to be ahead, there's no reason you should think differently here.

Good result, but poorly played on every street IMO.

 

[5miles]

I agree it was a weak play. The biggest problem I have with this hand is that I played it in the first place. KJ is in the margin for me, I wouldn't normally even play it, let alone offsuit.

There always the problem of risking too many chips if my hand is easily beat. On the other hand, if I don't bet enough, it's almost as if I'm giving my opponent free cards. That's why I don't play these types of hands.

I'm hoping to improve.

 

[OzExorcist]

Keep reading and coming here and you oughta improve quick enough

It sounds like your initial instincts were right - unless you've got a really good reason do to otherwise ("half the table is sitting out" might be one), folding this hand pre-flop when you're in early position will make your life a whole lot easier.

In general, if you're the first one into the pot, consider making a bet of somewhere around 3-4 big blinds.

And in general if there's potential draws on the board but you like your hand, consider making a bet of around two thirds to three quarters the size of the pot - that way, if someone with a draw calls you they'll likely be paying the wrong price to do so, and you'll be taking their money in the long term.

 

[5miles]

And in general if there's potential draws on the board but you like your hand, consider making a bet of around two thirds to three quarters the size of the pot...

But this is exactly the issue I have with these hands. My stack was around 1400, if I would've raised more, I would've risked too many chips. I just hated the hand from the start. But that's the problem with my game: I sometimes make decision I don't know why I'm doing and get myself into these situations where I don't know how to go on.

Actually the only thing I'm happy about this hand is that last call on the river. I 100% knew he didn't have the king, otherwise he would've raised the flop, but I really felt like he could be trapping me with AJ (a straight), because I had put him on ace-something.

Either the straight or a middle pair. It was the middle pair.

 

[NineLions]

Take Oz's advices.

Not only is it good advice, but he's an expert at these low buyin Tilt SnGs. Or at least, he knows from whence he speaks, or something like that.