Why do people do this?

[twizzybop]

Not saying my call was to be desired.. but yet why is it that people will call a re-raise or a push all-in with medium pairs? Do they honestly think you are pushing or re-raising with a marginal or crap hand?
Seriously is it the heat of battle? Pot commited? Afraid to lose the chips?
The person didn't even stop to thin.. auto call button.. I have seen plenty others do the same thing.. but honestly why would someone do this?

I've folded 99's.. 10's even JJ's before on a re-raise before the flop. Just trying to figure out why fight with medium pockets no matter what the cost?


Table: 4842394 (real money) Seat #9 is the dealer
Seat 1 - SIGNSNLINES ($1435 in chips)
Seat 2 - TWIZZYBOP ($2550 in chips)
Seat 5 - MMMGA ($1325 in chips)
Seat 6 - JOHNML ($4170 in chips)
Seat 8 - ROBZOID ($2640 in chips)
Seat 9 - POKEYPUTZ ($1380 in chips)
SIGNSNLINES - Posts small blind $30
TWIZZYBOP - Posts big blind $60
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to TWIZZYBOP [Ad 9s]
MMMGA - Calls $60
JOHNML - Folds
ROBZOID - Folds
POKEYPUTZ - Raises $180 to $180
SIGNSNLINES - Folds
TWIZZYBOP - All-In(Raise) $2490 to $2550
MMMGA - Folds
POKEYPUTZ - All-In $1200
TWIZZYBOP - returned ($1170) : not called
*** FLOP *** [Qs 2d 5h]
*** TURN *** [Qs 2d 5h] 8♥
*** RIVER *** [Qs 2d 5h 8h] K♣
*** SHOW DOWN ***
TWIZZYBOP - Shows [Ad 9s] (ace high)
POKEYPUTZ - Shows [7s 7d] (One pair, sevens)
POKEYPUTZ Collects $2850 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total Pot($2850)
Board [Qs 2d 5h 8h Kc]
Seat 1: SIGNSNLINES (small blind) Folded on the POCKET CARDS
Seat 2: TWIZZYBOP (big blind) HI:lost with ace high [Ad 9s - P:Ad,B:Kc,B:Qs,P:9s,B:8h]
Seat 5: MMMGA Folded on the POCKET CARDS
Seat 6: JOHNML Folded on the POCKET CARDS
Seat 8: ROBZOID Folded on the POCKET CARDS
Seat 9: POKEYPUTZ (dealer) won Total ($2850) All-In HI$2850) with One pair, sevens [7s 7d - P:7s,P:7d,B:Kc,B:Qs,B:8h]

 

[Jesus Lederer]

I think that instead of asking what was he thinking, you should ask what were YOU thinking. In my opinion you don´t have to worry about what your opponent could had in mind, actually that´s almost irrelevant. The only thing that matters about his play is the move itself. You have to take notes (in your mind, a paper or using the online notes) about what your opponent does, and not what he thinks. If in your opinion he´s committing lots of mistakes and making dumb moves, then take advantage of the read you have on him. For example if you see that he calls any reraise after he does a raise (with medium pocket pair or just two high unpaired card like big slick), then don´t try to get him out off the pot with a reraise unless you have a monster, and in that case reraise him overbetting, because you know he´s going to call to any bet, even a huge one.
After saying that, now you should analyze your play. What was the propose of raising all in with A9? I don´t think you were value betting, because you have to know that if you were called, he was going to have a better hand than yours almost ALWAYS. But if you wanted him to get out of the pot, then a raise like to $350 would be the same. In my opinion those overbets with mediocre hands have no sense. You are just going to be called by a better hand.
So next time you lose a hand like that first of all ask yourself if your move was the correct. Then it doesn´t matter what your opponent was thinking, even if he called with 27, the only thing that matters is that you have to be able to take advantage of the information you have about him.

 

[Kj Sexton]

He was last in position to call , pocket pairs one on one isn't a bad move.
All in with Ace 9 off suit? I can understand doing that if you are low stacked , but being of the bigger stacks thats a little bit excessive.

 

[Arjonius]

How about this for a possible explanation of his call? He thought you were trying to push him out of the hand with a mediocre hand, one not as good as 77. Hard to believe, I know.

 

[Rockbuster]

Like previously mentioned going one on one when you have a pp is what you want if you hold the pp especially in late position. I muck a-9 many times especially os depending on the action from the players who are in the hand..........Rock

 

[Four Dogs]

I've folded 99's.. 10's even JJ's before on a re-raise before the flop. Just trying to figure out why fight with medium pockets no matter what the cost?

Twizzy, we're talking tournament here right? So you fold JJ to a reraise but all-in with A-9o? And you wonder what he was thinking? Let me ask you a question, if you had known he had a pocket pair would you still have made the big bet? Hopefully not. The odds of being dealt a wired pair are about 1/17. That combined with the fact that he's pretty close to the low stack almost guarantees a call on his part. You on the other hand seemed to have been enjoying good health and had no reason to risk it all on what amounts to a bluff.

 

[twizzybop]

After saying that, now you should analyze your play. What was the propose of raising all in with A9?

Welll geee, dang.. it could be me but making a statement saying I have lets see.. errr.. ummm...pocket 88's, 99's, 10's, JJ's, QQ's, KK's and AA's.. Not to mention lets seee...A,K A,Q A,J or even possibly A,10 A,9...

Sorry I am not afraid to lose by making my opponent think I have those hands. It isn't about the hand I have, it is making the opponent think I have something. Yet there was no thought process once again..it was a strategy that was used perfectly. Yet when you play a robot that doesn't think(analogy by the way)..Even playing K,Q would be a coin toss.

if you had known he had a pocket pair would you still have made the big bet? Hopefully not. The odds of being dealt a wired pair are about 1/17. That combined with the fact that he's pretty close to the low stack almost guarantees a call on his part. You on the other hand seemed to have been enjoying good health and had no reason to risk it all on what amounts to a bluff.

Nope it actually came down to a coin toss which he won without any thought process. One needs to think 1st and then react.. not the other way around.

So yes I have tossed JJ's when someone comes over the top of me.. it is part of poker(one can't be afraid to lose chips in this case)..

 

[Jesus Lederer]

After saying that, now you should analyze your play. What was the propose of raising all in with A9?

Welll geee, dang.. it could be me but making a statement saying I have lets see.. errr.. ummm...pocket 88's, 99's, 10's, JJ's, QQ's, KK's and AA's.. Not to mention lets seee...A,K A,Q A,J or even possibly A,10 A,9...

Sorry I am not afraid to lose by making my opponent think I have those hands. It isn't about the hand I have, it is making the opponent think I have something. Yet there was no thought process once again..it was a strategy that was used perfectly. Yet when you play a robot that doesn't think(analogy by the way)..Even playing K,Q would be a coin toss.

After reading again the hand i still defend my point. I agree that the propose of raising with A9 is to put pressure on the opponent, to make him think that you have a monster, in other words, it was a bluff. I don´t have problems with you making a bluff, in my opinion the problem was the amount of the bet. When you went all in your propose was to make your opponents to fold, but why risk so much? I hope you understand my point with the next sentence: With a huge overbet you were only going to be called by a better hand or an inferior hand would fold. You would achieve the same goal by reraising for example to $400.

I doubt that the strategie was used perfectly, because clearly your opponent didn´t put you on a big pair. You have to adapt your strategies according to the different players. If you thought that he was a calling station, then don´t bluff (especially going all in) and just play good hands against him.
I won´t get tired of repeating this: if you think your opponent is a jerk don´t complain, instead take advantage of that by adapting your strategies against him.