Hand from WSOP qualifier - thoughts please

[Washman]

This is a hand from last nights $650 main event qualifier on Pokerstars. 494 entrants, 27 seats up for grabs. 3 hours into the game there are around 145 left, and I'm about 100th.

21:03:44 (ET) Table '46481355 44' 9-max Seat #3 is the button

Seat 1: fatboymx (19798 in chips)
Seat 2: asticot07 (5450 in chips)
Seat 3: bppa (16225 in chips)
Seat 4: DannyOhBoy (6554 in chips)
Seat 5: MrTricky (5515 in chips)
Seat 6: jofey (10437 in chips)
Seat 7: POKAH2NITE (12830 in chips)
Seat 8: Gokho (7050 in chips)
Seat 9: slipperily (30280 in chips)

DannyOhBoy: posts small blind 100
MrTricky: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to MrTricky [Kc Qc]
jofey: folds
POKAH2NITE: folds
Gokho: folds
slipperily: folds
fatboymx: folds
asticot07: raises 200 to 400
bppa: calls 400
DannyOhBoy: folds

Fold, call or raise???

[Galronix]

I would call. In 100th place I would try to start getting busy

It's only 200 more to go.

It seems too small a raise for a steal so he may have Ax.??

Possibilty of a trap but how has he been playing??

[happyhornet]

I would also call. Part of me thought a re-raise of about 1200 would probably win the pot, but against two players, it seems to be too much of a risk.

[GotaFancy?]

I fold!!

My M is over 18, so I'm under little time pressure and not wanting to get mixed up with KQs, where I'll be out of position for the rest of the hand......

[Washman]

Originally Posted by Galronix

Possibilty of a trap but how has he been playing??

Not sure to be honest Galronix - I don't pay too much attention to how others are playing, it seems to distract me from how I'm playing. I agreed with you both, and called:

MrTricky: calls 200
*** FLOP *** [8s Jd Tc]

I'm first to act - what now?

[GotaFancy?]

I'm first to act - what now?

That's the problem!!!

Probably check and see what the others do.....not keen on semi-bluffing straight out in the blind.......

[Galronix]

I agree with GaF and would check.

[Jaded]

Would have called. Open-ended straight draw, with possibilities of a runner-runner flush, AND 2 overcards - bet into it, bet of about 1000.

[Valiant23]

1st part - I would call but I'd be quite happy to let go if I only hit my K or Q. Of course if you hit both there is still the danger of trip's to worry about but ideally you want an A J 10 flop or 3 clubs.

MrTricky: calls 200
*** FLOP *** [8s Jd Tc]

I'm first to act - what now?

I go passive here. I believe I'm up against trips or an over pair and so I'm quite happy to let others take the lead in the betting even if it prices me out of the hand. The last thing I want to do is manufacture the pot odds so that I have to call.

[Washman]

I decided to bet just under half the pot:

MrTricky: bets 600
asticot07: calls 600
bppa: raises 1600 to 2200

Now I've got a decision! 4515 chips left, and 1600 to call - I think my only options are an all-in reraise, or fold.

[Galronix]

For me that's a fold.

bppa could be sitting with a pocket pair and hit trips on the turn.

[Washman]

It should have been a fold, but I pushed all-in! Asticot folded, but bppa called, my hand never improved and I was out. But what do you think he had?

[Galronix]

Hmmm

If you put it like that...........

AQ or AK

[Jaded]

A8

[Washman]

Ok, here's the rest of the hand, and thanks for the comments everyone

MrTricky: raises 2915 to 5115 and is all-in
asticot07: folds
bppa: calls 2915
*** TURN *** [8s Jd Tc] [4h]
*** RIVER *** [8s Jd Tc 4h] [2h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
MrTricky: shows [Kc Qc] (high card King)
bppa: shows [7h 9h] (a straight, Seven to Jack) bppa collected 12130 from pot POKAH2NITE said, "vnh"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 12130 | Rake 0
Board [8s Jd Tc 4h 2h]
Seat 1: fatboymx folded before Flop (didn't bet) Seat 2: asticot07 folded on the Flop Seat 3: bppa (button) showed [7h 9h] and won (12130) with a straight, Seven to Jack Seat 4: DannyOhBoy (small blind) folded before Flop Seat 5: MrTricky (big blind) showed [Kc Qc] and lost with high card King Seat 6: jofey folded before Flop (didn't bet) Seat 7: POKAH2NITE folded before Flop (didn't bet) Seat 8: Gokho folded before Flop (didn't bet) Seat 9: slipperily folded before Flop (didn't bet)

[Galronix]

At 1st I thought WTF then I saw that he had a fair sized stack and took a chance.

Unfortunatly for you he hit the straight.

[Punto Banco]

Reading the action in the first post a few things entered my mind....

Q: What level of player is in this game?
A: At very least 2nd level thinkers probably above that

Q: What are the blinds like compared to chipstaks of those involved?
A: Relatively small except for button who is 3x others

Q: How does position affect the situation?
A: Out of position against two others a raiser and a large staked caller

Q: What does this mean?
A: Well as the level of players in this game is fairly high i definately wouldnt put it past cutoff raising to steal and to gain pos with a semi strong hand quite possibly pair altho call on flop suggests otherwise.

Secondly Mr bigstak in pos could i believe be literally calling with ANYTHING depending on the player but in that situation you cannot trust the call. Now in saying this call is the move w KQs @ 5.5:1 odds go 4 it...

However once the flop comes i think gas off the pedal and passive play goes (I do realise i am posting this after the results however in any case this is the actions i would take and the thoughts i had at the time of reading the initial post even though they were somewhat more disorganised ) in a flop w J10 raiser could easily be holding top or second pair, hit a set etc. and even more likely mr bigstak calling w anything J10 is far from the realm of impossibility.... i really dont know where im going but hey its hard to make the correct decision always and some would argue validly that agression is the best course of action....


P.S dont listen to me i havent played poker for a year or so ever since i went bust in a 2 1/2 month period (Bad money management )