straight/flush draw vs. top pair

[Mooronic]

Check me on my math...

Casino tourney, $40+10. Started at around 100 and are down to about 40 or so. Blinds are 1,000/2,000 no antes. I’m in the sb with about 15,000 in chips. I'm dealt 7 4 diamonds. Folds to the blinds. I call the bb, who checks it. bb has a similar chip stack to mine. Pot is 4K

The flop is 5, 3, 10 with two diamonds giving me a flush and gutshot straight draw. I check and the bb bets 3,000. I was given marginal odds (1.33) and was ready to just throw my hand away and live another hand, but I sat back and thought about things for a second.

The bb was an older tight ABC type player – he bets it hard when he has it and goes away when he doesn’t. He’s not likely to bluff, but also not likely to get away from a hand he thinks is best. I put him on top pair (which he later showed to be J10) and less likely 2 pair and even less likely a set. Regardless, I did figure to just be only slight underdog in the hand with the 9 outs for the flush draw and 4 outs for the straight draw (48% or so), so calling based on pot odds could be debatable – but not for my preferred strategy since I do not like to get involved with marginal situations involving big chunks of my stack (although my M was pretty low). However, based on my reads (which I was pretty confident with), I figured that if I did hit my card on the turn, I could probably trap him for most if not all his chips in the end…giving me implied odds of up to 5-1 (3K to potentially win his 15K).

Given the information provided, what would you do? Keep in mind that I discounted going over the top because I figured if he’s willing to invest 3K into a pot of 4K, he’s likely not folding to an all-in.


Well I made the call to see the next card: 4, no diamond.

The good news is that I just paired the board added 5 likely outs to a top pair – any of the 2 remaining 4s or 3 remaining 7s would likely give me the best hand. So flush, gutshot and remaining pairing outs (38%) I checked and called a 4k bet into the pot of 10K (2.2-1). River was a blank and I had to throw my pair of 4s away to his all-in bet.

I kicked myself because as a result my M suddenly dropped from the not so desirable 7.5 to a desperate 4. I was subsequently forced to push a marginal hand and got knocked out of the tourney soon after – I could’ve had a little more time to make my move if I didn’t chase.

Cash game this is an easy call IMO...but in a tourney I'm not so confident I did the right thing..

 

[Effexor]

Depending on your table image, either raise or fold preflop. I much prefer raising in this situation against your typical tight ABC poker player. Even if he calls, you can narrow down his range to the KJ+ etc type hands, and possibly steal the pot on a safe looking flop.

It seems to me that you need to work on using your fold equity better. Just flat calling is usually bad in MTT's. While pot odds do come into play sometimes, in MTT's it's more about aggression and putting people to the test. Playing the people and not the cards if you will.

 

[Cheetah]

As you said it yourself, in a cash game, you can consider the odds and draw.

In tourneys, the odds related to chips are distorted when stacks are small. You don't have chips to draw, even in position. When you are OOP, it is even more difficult to draw.

The relevant criterion when stacks are short is the $EV of a play. Draws have poor $EV with short stacks

I usually fold garbage before the flop. If I complete the SB, I complete with high cards becuase they are easier to play postflop.

 

[pantin007]

i would have raised preflop and pushed all in on the flop
i doubt he would have called on the flop after u showed such aggression preflop

 

[c9h13no3]

Raise/shove PF if you're going to play it. Shove the flop as played, unless the ten on the flop is the non-diamond. Then still shove it anyways, but realize that you might be kicking yourself afterwards.

 

[switch0723]

To start the hand we have less than 8 big blinds, therefore you arent in a good situation. Since it is folded around to in a blind vs blind against another short stack, i push all in with any 2 cards, including 7,4 since you get a chance for easy chips. Flat calling is the worst option since you have 7 high, so if your thinking of calling, throw it away or push all in. As for the flop, i re raise all in here sicne we know against top pair which you put him on we are about 50/50 to win im think, so im willing to push all in and take my chacnes sicne we are shortstack and can do with a double up.