[BillyBob]

First a quick explanation of the tournament since it's a little strange. Spirit Mountain Casino runs what they call a "Real Money" tournament twice a week. They only pay the top 10 places, but those top ten places split the jackpot evenly. So the only real goal in playing is to make it into the top 10. These ten players then play in a cash game where only the smallest stack can leave the table, and only one person can leave per hand. Payouts are usually $700-$1000 for those 10 players before the "final table" action starts.

You start with 600 in chips and 25-25 blinds, progressing to 25-50 and 50-100 before the rebuy period ends. At this point you can do an add on of $2000 in chips. Blinds then go up quickly (100-200, 200-400, 300-500, 500-1000, etc...). Rounds are 20 minutes each.

I've got $2700 in chips after the add-on and we are still in the $100-$200. (the first hour didn't go well for me at all, obviously, and the second started just as bad) I've just been moved to a new table and am in the cut-off position.

I've got , raise to $600 and the big blind calls, leaving him $1300. The pot now has $1300 in it.

The flop is and the small blind bets out with $300. I've only been at the table two hands so I don't have much to go on for reads, but I really don't think he hit the flush, and think that at best he has a medium spade. What would you do here?

[jojobinks]

if you believe he didn't hit the flush, then this is an elementary push, imo.

edit: unless you were near the bubble (not sure?) AND had a huge stack (which you clearly did not).

[Quads]

Repeat these words:
"The buffet is open! All you can eat"
Then push the rest of your checks in.

[jdunford]

If he had AA, KK, or TT, he should've raised your bet preflop. I'd put him on AQ or KQ where the Q is the . He's probably got a draw to a lock-hand...

Push and pray he doesn't call against the odds and suck out on you (or called your preflop bet with QJ or Q9 or J9 or 98 or some other such crap).

*EDIT* Actually, most players would slow-play a made nut-flush, so scratch the QX options.

[w16227]

tough hand

You might want to raise a bit more pf, the structure looks to be pretty fast and you will need to make them pay to see the flop.

Without knowing much about the table, you may want to just call (push is an option, but I do not know if I like it yet). You have position and should use it wisely. The 300 is some kind of probe bet - either what jojo said (medium spade hand) where he wants to see where you are at, or the nuts where he is trying to value bet you. Either way, it looks like they want to gain information from you.

Then, you get another chance to pick up a read on the turn. check the players first reaction to the card and check your options. Low non-spade and this might be a better place to push or even call another small bet.

I am cautious here - because these hands are the kind that I always do the opposite of what you are supposed to - I lose the max or win the min. I always seem to push weaker hands out with a reraise - or get hit with the river spade when a weaker player calls with the flush draw because there are two cards to come. I would rather punish on the turn. Even though the odds are better for the player, there is sometimes that mental game in their heads where drawing 2 cards to the flush is so much better than one.

[Harlequin011]

Gross flop...

If you don't think he has it. Shove em in. Especially if you're on the bubble. That means he is too. May not call off on draw.

He may have called with T and the flop has him unnerved. If you go all in he has outs to your perceived flush and is way ahead of anything other than AA or KK.

[jdunford]

Originally Posted by w16227

tough hand

You might want to raise a bit more pf, the structure looks to be pretty fast and you will need to make them pay to see the flop.

Without knowing much about the table, you may want to just call (push is an option, but I do not know if I like it yet). You have position and should use it wisely. The 300 is some kind of probe bet - either what jojo said (medium spade hand) where he wants to see where you are at, or the nuts where he is trying to value bet you. Either way, it looks like they want to gain information from you.

Then, you get another chance to pick up a read on the turn. check the players first reaction to the card and check your options. Low non-spade and this might be a better place to push or even call another small bet.

I am cautious here - because these hands are the kind that I always do the opposite of what you are supposed to - I lose the max or win the min. I always seem to push weaker hands out with a reraise - or get hit with the river spade when a weaker player calls with the flush draw because there are two cards to come. I would rather punish on the turn. Even though the odds are better for the player, there is sometimes that mental game in their heads where drawing 2 cards to the flush is so much better than one.

The main reason I like the push here is because your opponent is putting out some sort of probe bet (or very sneaky value bet, but unlikely). By pushing, you're representing either a draw to the nut (Q) flush, or a made flush that's higher than what your opponent has or is drawing to. You give him the opportunity to lay his hand down without seeing a possible 4th on the turn (that kills you). And even if he does have a made flush, you've got 4 outs to the boat... What you really don't want to see is him call with a flopped set...

[shadesofgrey]

Originally Posted by Quads

Repeat these words:
"The buffet is open! All you can eat"
Then push the rest of your checks in.

LOL - I'll wager you've never eaten at the Coyote's Buffet... I play out at spirit mountain every once in a while and the buffet is nothing to write home about.

BillyBob do you play out at Spirit Mountain often? or were you just passing through?

[Hopin2Steal]

I believe you have to push. Top two pair and short stacked? chance to increase by 50%? Yeah.

[BillyBob]

Originally Posted by w16227

You might want to raise a bit more pf, the structure looks to be pretty fast and you will need to make them pay to see the flop.

This is probably great advice for this tournament. It's brutal because it goes so fast.

Unfortunately we were nowhere near the bubble. There were still 90+ players.

I did push and put the smaller stack all in. The sour look on his face made me feel great, but his call 30 seconds later didn't.

He showed me his pocket 9's , and the on the turn and blank on the river ended it for me.

I don't blame him for his call since he only had $1000 left and there was $3300 in the pot. He did look sheepish afterwards, but I didn't try to make him feel bad. I wouldn't call this a bad beat, I was just unlucky.

Thanks for all your opinions. I'm glad that you mostly agreed with my play. The reason I asked was because I had acted so quickly. When he bet on the flop my immediate reaction was "nope, he doesn't have it" and I pushed in. I've got to stop acting so quickly. I should have at least thought about it for a bit.

The blinds went up to $200-$400 a couple hands after that, so I knew I was going to have to get lucky with my $800.

One in front of the button I was dealt .

I pushed and the player two to my left called. Everyone folded around to the small blind, who also pushed all in for $1700 more. That made me happy because I was hoping the limper would be pushed out. No such luck though, he called.


The limper turned over , and the small blind turned over . I was feeling a little deja vu here.

The flop?



. Sheesh. This was my earliest exit from this tournament ever.