PokerStars Game #2448019358: Tournament #11808800, Hold'em No Limit - Level IV
(50/100) - 2005/08/29 - 00:29:20 (ET)
Table '11808800 22' Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: RPC13 (5805 in chips)
Seat 2: kissiah (2895 in chips)
Seat 3: Gooser (6310 in chips)
Seat 4: shadypac84 (7005 in chips)
Seat 5: Hasmat (10285 in chips)
Seat 6: BigEarn 04 (5855 in chips)
Seat 7: Ramiz (1930 in chips)
Seat 8: blue41 (5380 in chips)
Seat 9: joshjr1 (3545 in chips)
Hasmat: posts small blind 50
BigEarn 04: posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to shadypac84 [Kd Kc]
Ramiz: folds
blue41: calls 100
joshjr1: calls 100
RPC13: folds
kissiah: folds
Gooser: calls 100
shadypac84: raises 400 to 500
Hasmat: folds
BigEarn 04: folds
blue41: folds
joshjr1: folds
Gooser: calls 400
*** FLOP *** [Qs 4s 2s]
Gooser: checks
shadypac84: bets 800
Gooser: raises 800 to 1600
shadypac84: calls 800
*** TURN *** [Qs 4s 2s] [2c]
Gooser: checks?????????????????


New to the table so not too many reads on him cept that its a fpp tourney so typically loose aggresive play. Min raise scared me but i called cause of the odds. Then he checks. First thing i think is semi bluff flush draw, trying to get a free card...maybe top pair and he figured he could buy it. I raised 5BB so i guess it does scream med pocket pair. One could argue i should have reraised and i think i prob should have too but thats besides the point whats my move now?

You're stuck here between a rock and a flush draw.

In your position I'd be inclined to check, hope the river blanks and that he checks again on the river (or makes a small bet). You're beaten by a lot of hands and it's damage limitation time.

You could well be ahead still but a bigger bet initially on the flop or a big reraise was the way to find out I think.

i'd bet, its pretty unlikey that he has two spades in his hand...but he might have one, probably the ace, so you don't want to check and give him the next card and give him the chance to out draw you...i wouldn't think he has a two in his hand or 44, not after calling a 400 raise...maybe he has QA. i'd make a large bet, as the only hands that beat you now are AA, QQ, or two spades...if he had a really strong hand i doubt he would check on the turn, because after he checkraised on the flop its less likely that you'll bet, so he'd want to bet for value/stop you out drawing him...maybe he raised to get a free card. Or maybe thats what he wants you to think?

You might be beat, but i'd still think i as ahead at this point, i'd probably go all in...if he has QQ or the flush, you've still got a (small) sliver of hope, if he got 22, well thats life...

__________________
I love him who is ashamed when the dice fall in his favour and who then asks: Am I then a cheat? for he wants to perish.

The check raise on the flop (from him) screams (to me) information bet. I'm putting him on AQ and not spades. I think he's got TPTK (in his opinion) and he wants to know if it's good. When you flat called that, he probably put you on a drawing hand or figured your bet on the flop was a continuation bet, so figured he'd be good getting a free card on the turn. I would bet here.

__________________
Trons
JstTrons
Toyotatruck

I agree with Trons fairly closely. I think we can eliminate his starting hands as AA, KK, QQ or even JJ. I believe he has a Q and likely either an A or K with it. His play would make sense with 1010, 99, 88, 77 so you would not have to worry about those hands.

Other possibilities are 44 or 22 but I doubt he would have called your PF 5BB raise with those hands. Also I doubt he would have called a PF raise with Q4 or Q2.

As for a flush draw, I do not know many people that checkraise with a flush draw. And also, if he had a set, he would have cold called your flop bet not checkraised.

I think your only scare card is an A (of course not having the third flush card hit would also be good).

I'm betting this hand now to try to take down the pot. If he has a lower pocket pair you don't want one of those showing up on the river.

This hand is a really tough spot really, he could have alot of things depending on what kind of player he is.

He limped and then called your raise pre-flop.

What do people limp in with and call a good sized raise with? Weak suited aces, suited connectors, small pocket pairs. It's unlikely he has AQ as that is certainly not a limping hand IMO. It's possible he has a weaker unsuited A aswell A10, A9 or something.

That flop would really scare me 3 to the flush, he checked and you bet about 2/3 of the pot, he then re-raised you. If he had the nut flush it's unlikely he would re-raise you, though not impossible.

At this point I would put him on a few hands, AsX trying to get 2 free cards (very common move), trying to protect a set of 2s or 4s. Again this is likely with 3 spades on the board, you have to protect your hand. Or he is bluffing, though he min raised so bluffing seems unlikely.

The 2 coming on the turn could mean alot of things, he checked. Did he hit his boat? Did he miss his flush? At this point making a 1/2 pot sized bet might be committing too many of your chips. It's a difficult spot, your best case scenario is that he has 12 outs (3 aces, 9 spades) your worst case scenario is that you have 2 outs. I would probably bet out 1/3 the pot, hope he folds, if he calls and the river is a blank I would check it down if possible or probably fold if he pushes.

Check raising a flush draw is a very common move to try and get a free card on the turn. It's a staple in Limit, and frequently used by good players in NL.

I didn't think many players use a check-raise for a flush draw in NL although now that I figure if he also has top pair then it might be plausible.

But then you contradict yourself by saying he might have an unsuited A low kicker. A good player would not even be in the pot let alone call a raise with such a hand.

Finally, I do believe calling in middle position with AQo with two early limpers is a normal play.

My vote remains he has AQo with the Aspades.
Also, if he flopped a flush, I would think that the board is safe enough to slowplay by smothcalling the flop bet.

Well anyway, I pushed after he checked. He called and showed down AT of spades for the flush. Checking the turn like he did threw me off. Somehow after being left with 600 in chips i managed to bring it back up to 8k and qualify anyway.