How much do you go for the win??

DataMn

Here is a situation that I seem to find myself in quite a bit in MTTs, and in the aftermath of tonight's Micro Razz tourney ($5 + 0.50, 2K+ runners) I just wanted to get some feedback.

I am in the top 100 players remaining, and I have been showing down good hands, but one player never seems to believe me. It has been profitable before this hand.

I start with 23K (second at the table) and a 3 showing (A,2 in the hole)
Villan starts with 20K and a 3 showing.

Limits are 1200/2400 with a ante of 240.

Player on my right brings it in, and I raise to 1200.
Villan raises
I re-raise
Villan caps it.
(other up cards -> A, T, Q, 7, 8, K)

We both get dealt Queens
I bet and we raise it to cap.

Then we both get Kings
Once again I bet and we raise it until Villan is all in

I run out J, J and lose to Villan who gets 8, K (and down cards of 4,5)

At each street where I could bet, I knew I was a lock to have the best hand and the best draw. Simulations put it at about 55% on each street.

It almost feels stupid to ask this, but I have been burned so many times where I accumulate a lot of chips and then lose them back in a situation like this. Should I be pushing my edges like this, or playing it safer to accumulate more chips in a safer position?

(Translation for the "flop heads" -> You have AT, and for some reason you know your opponent has KQ. Do you push that edge to the max or play it more cautious until you are in a more domineering position??)

GTA Poker

You have the absolute nuts on every street you put the money in...you can't play it any differently

Richard~

it's usually better to get yourself into spots where villain will back down but almost always will I go for the win hard and not be the one backing down when I know I have a slight edge

djgolfcan

Its the difference between cashing and winning

Sometimes the stars align and every time you are ahead, you hold. This was not one of those times.

Milo

GTA Poker wrote: »

You have the absolute nuts on every street you put the money in...you can't play it any differently

So frigging this . . . We ALL know he should have folded . . . and YOU know you got your money in good. If you are even THINKING of playing this kind of hand differently, you should stop playing poker.

I will again use my Larry Bird quote. Red Auerbach used to laugh when people would tell him that a certain athlete "came to play." Red would always point out Larry Bird and say, "Larry never comes to play, Larry comes to WIN."

I like Larry Bird.

asxn557

I disagree. Sure if you played 100,000 hands where you are in this position, you will be a winner. But in tournaments where you are trying to stay alive, there is always that 10%-30% that they catch up and win. Betting is supposed to give you information and possibly make them go away. When they don't go away, you know there is a chance you'll lose unless you already have the nuts. So when I don't have the nuts, I check/call and not raise on later streets to minimize the downside. While you probably made the 'correct' play, the 'correct' play isn't always the right play in the circumstances.

Meistro

If you think variance is a bitch when you are playing a +EV game, just try playing a -EV game (which is what checking and calling is) and see how much you hate it! You're not trying to stay alive in tournaments, you're trying to make +EV decisions. If you know you have an edge there's no reason not to push it.

Checking instead of betting on later streets is just going to make your opponents life easy and your life hell. In poker and in life, victory goes to the aggressor. Sure, you will save a few bets when you get out drawn and just check call instead of bet call, but you'll also lose a few more pots this way, and not get value from your good hands.

There are situations which justify a passive check call line. WAWB, vs maniac bluffers, etc. But poker is not a game to play if you have fear in your heart.