Not Sure About My Call

I was in a game of $10 buy-in last week. Earlier part of the game, I was the chip leader with pocket 6s and a flopped set. However, later on, my cards dried up, therefore I had to tighten up. Also, my stack decreased after I paid blinds.

Following rounds and I folded, also limped into hands with suited connectors. I was in the small blind when I was dealt AQ suited. A certain player called the blind while others folded without doubts.

Later, I had to raise 2,000 hoping to steal or else have some excitement and then win the pot. Unfortunately, I was re-raised by the big blind, the second-biggest stack. Others folded immediately while I called afterwards.

Few seconds passed and he flipped over Jacks.

Now I was thinking if I made the right call. What’s your thoughts on this?

Thanks!

Irwin
Irwin,

Both of you woke up with big hands in the blinds. A-Q against just the big blind is usually a favorite. He just happened to wake up with a pair. You still had over cards however.

I would like more information on your stack. If you were short stacked, then this call was fine. If you had a medium or larger stack, then this may have been a poor call as this was one of the stacks that could bust you.

Overall I think that it was a case of two reasonable hands going to war and you happened to be on the short end of the stick.

At an Online Tournament

Hello,

Just the other night, I joined an online tournament with $10 buy in. Earlier, I was moved to a new table with approximately $7500, this was in chips. By the way, I started with $5000 and the blinds back then were at $100/200 and were moving almost twice just within 30 minutes.

I believe the room was filled with loose players as well as tight players. At some point, I was able to have pocket fives in the BB. Few minutes and middle position player, player in cutoff, and on the button limped in. SB folded and I just checked. Flop came and brought 765 rainbow, thus giving me a set of 5s. I then placed $800 bet while middle position player folded. For approximately $2200 player in cutoff moved all-in. Player on button followed for approximately $7000, that eventually had me covered. I then called though there was much risk as I was hoping the board would be a pair.

Later, player in cutoff turned over J7 unsuited while player on button had 43 unsuited. Turn and river came but were blanks and so I was busted out.

Now as I look back, I know I’ve committed couple of mistakes. I believe I should have raised pre-flop. It was an honest mistake as I believe there are too many loose and strange calls in small buy-in tournaments that actually make effective reading and bluffing not possible. I also believe that I should have considered the idea that the button had the straight or at least had a hand that had me beat. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,
Gifford
Gifford,

I think you played correctly preflop. Pocket fives are really not a raising hand. Raising may have thinned the field, but you said the field was a mixed bag. A raise may or may not have worked. Pocket fives are limping hand, in the hopes to flop a set.

Beyond that, I think you played the hand find. You flopped a set, bet and then the cutoff moved all in. The button flopped a near miracle hand and moved all in. You were correct to call the bets. Also remember that you had 8 outs to still win after the flop.

I would have played it the same way and probably went broke too.