Evaluate this play please

Anonymous

The following hand with the flop I saw is in theory a dream come true but it's also for me one of the toughest types of hands to play m in terms of making the most money. This was in a single table sit and go, I believe a $20 one with 3 people left (so we were all "in the money" at that point).

Thank you in advance


PokerStars Game #459311755: Tournament #1717731, Hold'em No Limit - Level VII (100/200) - 2004/05/30 - 02:01:27 (ET)
Table '1717731 1' Seat #5 is the button
Seat 4: Monteroy (4285 in chips)
Seat 5: heydbo (2710 in chips)
Seat 7: MrPostman (6505 in chips)
Monteroy: posts the ante 25
heydbo: posts the ante 25
MrPostman: posts the ante 25
MrPostman: posts small blind 100
Monteroy: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Monteroy [8s As]
heydbo: folds
MrPostman: raises 200 to 400
Monteroy: calls 200
*** FLOP *** [5s Qs Ts]
MrPostman: bets 1000
Monteroy: calls 1000
*** TURN *** [5s Qs Ts] [Ad]
MrPostman: checks
Monteroy: checks
*** RIVER *** [5s Qs Ts Ad] [7c]
MrPostman: checks
Monteroy: bets 400
MrPostman: calls 400
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Monteroy: shows [8s As] (a flush, Ace high)
MrPostman: mucks hand
Monteroy collected 3675 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3675 | Rake 0
Board [5s Qs Ts Ad 7c]
Seat 4: Monteroy (big blind) showed [8s As] and won (3675) with a flush, Ace high
Seat 5: heydbo (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: MrPostman (small blind) mucked [4c 4s] - a pair of Fours

HellmuthFan

Very nice. Congrats on winning the hand. If anything I would check the flop, we may bet with an ace or even a flush draw trying to get you off your hand. And I would flat call. Thats the only thing I would have done differently and then bet big on the turn and a bigger bet on the river. Someone else will give you a better play though I am sure...

Dick Hertz

Without knowing anything about how this player has played since the beginning of this tourny I can only give you my opinion of how to play the hand based on the hand not on the players.

Personally if we were 3 handed and I had A8s in the big blind and the small blind made a small raise pre flop I would reraise. In your case I would raise around half of my chips. I dont think it would be a mistake to raise all in either but I would want to pot commit myself with this hand.
Unless you had a read on this player that he only raises small with a big hand I think a reraise preflop is the way to go. The reraise should tell your opponent that you intend to play this hand for all of your chips and let him decide if he wants to play with you. ( thats why I say to raise around half of your chips if you dont put them all in)

It looks to me like your opponent was probably making a lot of small raises or doing a lot of limping preflop and then betting the flop no matter what hit the board to steal the pot. This is a common strategy that works very well when players are trying to either squeek into the money or hope to move up the pay scale.

I think your play after the flop was good. Not much else you can do once you flop the nuts. He bet into you and you smooth call.( I like this)
both check the turn( good)
You bet an amount you felt he would call on the river and got paid off
I think your play was fine after the flop.
I wonder what you thought he had? If you felt he might have a big spade in his hand then you could have bet 400 on the turn. This might have induced him to move in on you. Since he called your river bet he probably would have called the turn as well.

Anonymous

Well, it was a very strange sit and go in that almost no hands were raised pre flop the whole time. There was a 5 hand streak where everyone folded to the big blind even. This fellow had folded his small blind to me (after everyone else folded) many times, so frankly I did not think my hand was the best hand, but I figured with a small raise it was worth a gamble to see the flop.

I was hoping he had an ace something when the ace hit. When he did not bet I figured maybe a small pair or a couple face cards. I did not really see him calling any kind of huge bet. I just hoped he would catch up on the river (ie: maybe he had a single high spade and a 4th one would hit)

DJP

I agree with your call after the flop. I wouldn't have re-raised there. He'd probably fold. Unless he's holding K,x of spades and figures you for lower cards. After the turn, I would have checked. If he bet, I would then have taken the full time alloted before calling or raising. Even if he bet into you, or if he checks to you, or if you bet first. You would want to appear weak here. Keep him thinking he has a chance. Then I usually will bet about half the pot after river is shown. If he bets first though, then you know what to do. lol

As always, watch out for the full house draws, cuz I've lost a few nut flush hands that way. Hurts like hell when you soft pedal someone for more of his cash, and he flops a fullhouse on the river.

Jay

I like how you played it from the flop and on. I would've played about the same way. Good job.