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2nd nuts then UTG+1 3bets 100bb
I’ve been sick about this hand ever since it happened. Should I give up poker and return to fishing?
$55 ACR MOSS main event. We are in the very early levels. I normally play low stakes but thought I would take a shot.
This is an 8-max MTT. Unknown UTG+1 with 109bb opens to 2bb making the pot 4.7bb. MP with 104bb calls 2bb. Hero in CO with 126bb and Ks4s calls 2bb. Three to the flop.
Flop comes Qs9s2s giving us the 2nd nuts. UTG+1 bets 4.35 into the 8.7bb flop. MP folds. Hero raises to 9.9bb. UTG+1 jams 106.47bb. Hero tanks.
The first thought that went through my mind was that we can lose a tournament in the early levels but we can’t win it. Then I tried to range him. He could have the nuts already with AsJs, AsTs, or even some lower suited aces. Some people open with all kinds of suited aces in early positon. In this 8-max tournament UTG+1 is kind of like early middle position in a 9-max tournament.
The monotone flop podcast that I was in on came to my mind, in which I had put V on a made flush in a monotone flop, but this wasn’t exactly the same. My king and the queen on the flop block some of V’s flush draw range, but not the ace. Not only that but we were still very deep.
I was convinced V had the ace of spades in his hand. But was it suited? Did he have AA with the ace of spades and was protecting it? Could he be risking 100bb to protect red aces? Am I happy if I call and he tables the nut flush draw? If he had the nut flush, wouldn’t he prefer to slowplay it instead? Do players at this level in online MTT’s with limited re-entries play this recklessly?
I decided risking my tournament life this early on all these unknowns wasn’t worth my tournament life in the early levels. I’m a nit. How much does a nonresident fishing license in Minnesota cost?
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1 Reply
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This is certainly a tough spot and you shouldn’t beat yourself up too much. All your reasons for folding are all reasonable. You made the best decision you could based on the limited information that you had. That’s all anybody can do.
If you call and win, it doesn’t win you the tournament. If you were bluffed, you still have a very healthy 114bb stack.
Now calling when drawing dead is certainly a sick feeling. But it happens. I do think that the 2nd nut flush (unlike say top pair) is strong enough to risk losing 106bbs.
Your raise on the flop is meant to build the pot and presumably get it all in by the river. When you reopen the betting, it’s best to have a plan if V decides to raise/jam.
I do wonder if pairs with A of spade (AA, AQ) or sets (QQ, 99) would do this. Your raise might actually be seen as weakness by some. Why raise with a strong hand? Wouldn’t you just call in position?
Discussions like these are what makes poker much more interesting than fishing.
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