Well I'm really not sure what to make of this one at all. Did I play it badly or did he? This was the very 1st hand of a $5 SNG.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (9 handed) converter

Button (t1500)
SB (t1500)
jiffman (t1500)
UTG (t1500)
UTG+1 (t1500)
MP1 (t1500)
MP2 (t1500)
MP3 (t1500)
CO (t1500)

Preflop: jiffman is BB with , .
3 folds, MP2 calls t20, MP3 calls t20, 1 fold, Button calls t20, SB completes, jiffman checks.

Flop: (t100) , , (5 players)
SB checks, jiffman bets t100, MP2 calls t100, MP3 folds, Button folds, SB folds.

Turn: (t300) (2 players)
jiffman bets t300, MP2 calls t300.

River: (t900) (2 players)
jiffman checks, MP2 bets t100, jiffman raises to t400, MP2 calls t300.

Final Pot: t1700

Results in white below:
jiffman has Th Tc (full house, fives full of tens).
MP2 has Qs Qh (full house, fives full of queens).
Outcome: MP2 wins t1700.

Well it's stumped me, this one!! Who played badly here? I don't like his play in places, especially not raising pre-flop.

And obviously my play is not great...but cos he never raised, at no point did I really think he had a better hand. I checked the river to try and get some info....his small bet made me suspicious, I thought about flat calling, but I took it to be weakness cos that was all he'd really shown through the hand. I put him on medium pockets...7s 8s or 9s maybe.

I think a better player would have stacked me here, so who played worse, me or him?!

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i would prob play the same pre flop, thinking its better to try for a cheap set with 4 opponents is better than raising and playing for a larger pot out of position not knowing how many will call.

when the flop comes up without any high cards i figure there is a good chance i am ahead and bet the pot, not much point betting less than T100.

turn i am guessing MP2 calls on the flop with 5x (this is now unlikely), a PP or a draw, maybe 2 overcards. if he has a PP it is most prob not a high one as he could have bet by now. if he has 2 overs you need to make it unprofitable to draw. i would bet T250-300.

i would not checkraise the river, i would either make a defensive kind of bet of around 2/3-3/4 pot or check and call a modest bet.

the hands i most likely put him on are Ax Kx and any cominations of 2 picture cards.

I'm raising TT preflop to get the trash out of the way. If you're gonna play a high-mid pair, you gotta get yourself some information. 5 players in and I'm raising it to $100. If I get a call then I'm thinking high two cards. If I get a raise I'm thinking bigger pp. Eitherway, this info probably would have saved you $300 on the river because you would have just called.

If its that early in a SnG and you know you have a good game, don't be afraid to raise your PP. With no one raising anyone with QJ, KJ, or AJ may call to the river and smoke you on the Jacks.

I'll put my disclaimer on this saying that I'm no pro by any means, but the biggest thing that this forum teaches me is to raise for information or fold. I don't know that you would have done well in this hand anyway, but at least you would have something to go on.

__________________
Trons: "...be a winning person first."
RECENT SUCCESS: December
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MP2 should have raise pf. That he didn't gave you every reason to think you were ahead. Passive players may be profitable in the long run but will drive to distraction in the short!! :mad:

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just a donkeys nature.

I think MP2 played the hand nicely throughout. I don't know why you all say he should have raised pre-flop. It was the first hand of the game and he didn't want to scare anyone out of the pot. People seem to be saying he played it badly because there was no way of knowing what he had..when infact that's the best way to play it and it worked out for him. Wayda be

The donkey didnt even know where HE was. He was playing crappy scared poker.

1st hand of a SnG, don't get crazy with mid-high pairs. The player with QQ, played extremely weak, he should have raised PF at least and pushed you all in on the turn

You never know what is going to be thrown at you on a $5 SNG. Especially the 1st hand of one.

I think your play was warranted by his slow-playing the QQ.

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Chuck Norris put the "laughter" in manslaughter..

you were right to believe you were probably ahead...but its best to be careful, he could have had anything...eg:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (7 handed) converter

MP2 (t2530)
CO (t2920)
Button (t1420)
SB (t1510)
BB (t500)
UTG (t2470)
Hero (t2150)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with , .
1 fold, Hero raises to t60, MP2 calls t60, 3 folds, BB calls t40.

Flop: (t190) , , (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets t100, MP2 calls t100, BB calls t100.

Turn: (t490) (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets t240, MP2 calls t240, BB folds.

River: (t970) (2 players)
Hero bets t420, MP2 raises to t840, Hero calls t420.

Final Pot: t2650

Results in white below:
Hero has Kd Ks (full house, fives full of kings).
MP2 has 5c 8s (four of a kind, fives).
Outcome: MP2 wins t2650.

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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.