Tag Archives: call

Just Too Passive at the Tourney

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Me and some colleagues played $20 SnG. Blinds were 100/200 and we’re down to 5 players. Player 1 who was me had 4672, player 2 had 4249, player 3 had 3172, player 4 who was the SB had 4545 and player 5 had 3362.

Back then, my opponent was actually player 4, the SB. I believe he played aggressively. In the event other players limp in or make min raises, he would raise preflop, and if weakness is just around the corner, he would raise.

It was mid-part when I was dealt Ad Ks UTG. Then I raised to 600, SB called, while BB folded. The pot at such point was $1200. Flop then came and brought 3d 6d 9d. Later, SB checked and I placed 700 bet. SB once again called. And so I thought he might have KdQd or an overpair with a diamond. He might also be considering the idea of stealing the pot which was $2600 then.

Turn came and brought 9c. SB then checked and so I placed 1500 bet. He then called. Pot then was already $5600. River came and was 4c. SB then checked and I followed. Revelation time came and he flipped over 5c 5s. I was surprised to be honest.

Now as I recall the said event, I was wondering if my mistake was with my turn bet. If I could have pushed more at some point, maybe I was able to take home the pot. Maybe if I could have also checked and taken a free card, perhaps I went home happy. What do you think?

In general, was it a misplay? At first, I thought he was the idiot but later I realize it could have been also me, who was the idiot or what.

Thanks in advance!

Brewer
Brewer,

That was a pretty strong call by your opponent. He may have felt that you were raising with an ace and just continuing on the flop. You tried to stay aggressive and he kept calling it down.

Your opponent may be somewhat of a calling station. I don’t think your play is bad in that spot, but I wouldn’t have tried it again on him.

About My Mistake

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Hey there!

In a tourney with a thousand of players, I had 12K in chips and blinds were up at 200/400. Being the first one to act, I called. By the way I had AQ then. Quite disturbing, nobody raised. There were four players keenly observing who saw the flop actually.

Flop then came and was Jd Kd Kc. Other two players checked while the other one placed 800 bet. Except from me, everyone else’s folded. Because I felt like gambling more, I called and then hit the 10 of spades thus giving me a straight. One of the other players then placed 1600 bet and then I raised to 4K. Later, he called.

River then came and was 9. He then opted to check. Afterwards, I decided to bet 1600 and so he went all in. Then I called, but I discovered he had a full house, Kings over nines and so I was busted out.

Now, I’m curious if after the turn I should have decided to go all in, considering he might not actually call pre flop with K J, and he may have with K 10. What do you think? Also, I think it was so foolish of me, though I knew he had a K, I still gave him another card that may complete his full house. However, I also thought that maybe it was not foolishness, I was just unlucky perhaps. The result would have been the same if he called all in on the turn with K9 back then.

But still I was thinking, where did I went wrong? At what point? At not raising pre flop? Or else calling his 800 bet after the flop and drawing to a hand against a tall stack?

Hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you very much!

Lockett Zubak
Lockett,

You were in early position with A-Q. That is not necessarily a raising hand. Some do, I tend not to unless I haven’t played in a bit. On the flop, you had a gutshot straight. You really did not have proper odds to draw to the straight, but you did and hit.

After the flop, I don’t think you opponent is going to fold. He flopped a set. Since you didn’t raise, he has no reason to put you on a king, and even if he did, I still doubt he would fold.

I think that after the flop, you just got unlucky. You sucked out on the turn, and he resucked out on the river.

Might Have Folded the Turn

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Hello,

I played a $69+6 Double Stack online tournament with 3k starting chips just the other night. At some point, I just found myself in the BB with KK. By the way, blinds were 50-100.

There were three players left, player A, player B, and me. Back then, I had 4.9k, player A who was the small blind had 13k and player B who was in the second position had 5.6k.

At near mid-part, player B was leading with a 350 raise, player A called, while I raised to 700. Eventually, two players called. Flop came and was 8-3-t rainbow. I then placed a bet 1800. Two Players again called. Later, I just found myself bothered thinking of the set of 10s. In the end, I just decided to call due to some factors/reasons like the poor possibility that a certain player has a straight, the chance that I might lose to a set, etc.

Afterwards, player B pushed through while player A called. I remember player B had JJ and player A had 88. Quite surprisingly, I ended being the chip leader therefore I knew then that I’ve made justice to the hand. However, I’m wondering if you were on my shoes, could you have folded the turn? How about in a cash game?

Thanks!

Regards,
Berner
Berner,

If I really thought I was behind to a set of 10’s on the flop or if there was an all-in and a call before me on the turn, I would think my A’s were no good. I would have folded too. Probably would have done the same in a cash game too. Although, I would have probably reraised on the flop.

On Scary Flop

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Hello,

Just the other day, I joined no-limit tourney. From 1183 players, we were eventually trimmed down to 5. Unfortunately, I can’t exactly recall the stack sizes. But somehow, I believe they were 700K 500K 325K 297K 112K.

On the other hand, blinds were 8 to16K, and moving up to 10 to 20K in roughly 5 minutes or so.

In middle position, I have pocket AAs. Well the table was fine then but only with many limping and folding and all. At some point, I raised two times the blind to get me heads up. However, it was folded to the big blind, who eventually opted to call. Flop came and was 10-10-9 rainbow. I then placed 40K as my bet however my opponent re-raised me in an instant to 80K. Thinking that I’ll be more or less the underdog, I called. Turn then came and was a blank. My opponent placed 45K as his bet into a pot of 232K and so I folded. Afterwards, he showed J-9 off suit.

Now, as I look back, I know I misplayed the hand. Somehow, I’ve stumbled on these stuff:

  1. I know for a fact that raising with AA is always a balance between narrowing the field down to a heads up situation and determining the kind of hand range you are up to. Badly, because I have given him the chance to call, he was then obliged to do so.
  2. Supposedly, I should have placed more bet on the flop to better specify the situation. On the flip side, I was more into re-raising.
  3. I realize I should have called the turn, though it was a value bet. Also, I should have considered the odds which was 6-1 then, it was already so good actually.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Jon Jablonski
Jon,

My thought is that if you are going to call on the flop, you would be better off raising to make him either commit or to push him off the hand. If on the turn you thought you were behind, folding to his be is the right move. If you called his all in and he had trip 10’s or a full house, then you 5% to win. You would not have odds. I would have put him all-in on the flop.

Casino Tournament

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Hello,

Just last week, I got the chance to play my first ever casino tournament. Honestly, I wasn’t that sure of all the moves, decisions, etc. I pushed through so I want to hear straight from you. Consider the following facts:

  • Was third round of no limit texas holdem tournament
  • Blinds $10/$20 and for every 15 minutes will be doubled
  • $200 was my starting chip stack
  • $300 my present chip stack

Blinds were moving fast and I’ve foreseen that they’ll become a large proportion of my stack. I believe I have played just right as I have already won some pots though just small pots actually. Of course, when I only have $300 or more in chips, I don’t want blinds to go up, specifically to the $100 mark.

In second position, I was dealt pocket Jacks, UTG then folded. Later, I raised to $60 then except for the button who called, everyone else folded. Slowly, I started gathering some readings on my mind about a certain player whom I believe was my opponent.

Eventually, flop came and was Q-6-2. Then I placed $60 as my bet and he raised to $150. Afterwards I re-raised all-in due to some reasons. First, I believe he was a bit of a pot stealer and that he didn’t had a queen or a set. Second, almost half of my chips were in the pot already, it would be difficult for me to go on in the event I fold. Third, he would have folded already if he was on a steal. Fourth, quite the same thing, he would have called in case he was on draw.

What’s on your thoughts? If you were on my shoes at such situation, will you do the same thing?

I know you’re the one who could help me. Thanks in advance.

Andre Boudrias
Andre,

You were in a tournament that offered a small amount of chips and a very high blind structure. After betting on the turn, you had 120 of your 300 in the pot. If you folded here, you would have lost nearly half of your stack. After raising to 150, you had to call 90 in a pot of 330, which is 3.5 to 1 on your money. If you call here, you are going to be pot committed. Your choices are really go all-in or fold.

With the bad structure of this tournament, I would have pushed and hoped that the player did not have a queen, although it was likely. In a tournament with a bad structure, you must get lucky early and get some chips. To do so, you either have to play like a maniac and get lucky, or push your big hands as hard as you can.

Playing PK Q’s

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Hello,

In an online tourney I played recently, I faced a very terrible situation. I have to choose between the two: call but will let all other players see a flop or raise by which there’s a possibility of AA or KK ahead.

I want to ask, in early stages of an online tourney after a raise UTG as well as four callers, how would you play pk Q’s? Any idea?

Thanks in advance!

Daniel Ryncarz
Daniel,

Pocket queens are only behind to two hands preflop. I would make a strong reraise. This is a type of situation early in a tournament that you can go to war with since you usually have a strong advantage. While there is a possibility of kings or aces with the UTG raiser, they very well may have JJ, 10-10, or A-K.

Revealing Cards

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Hello,

I’m just wondering, can a player reveal his cards in the event he has already went all-in before the end of the hand and is just waiting for the other players left in the side pot to finish betting? Say there were three remaining players, player A, player B, and player C. Player A has $20, player B has $30, and player C has $5. At some point, player C went all in before the flop while player A and C opted to call. Do you think because he was into betting and was just waiting for the betting to finish, he can then flip his cards over?

Thanks!

Regards,
Polk
Polk,

When a player goes all in and two or more players are in the pot, the all-in player must wait until the end of the hand and the side pot, if any, is determined between the other players.

On Heads Up

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Hi,

I’ll start by sharing that I was once a tenderfoot in the game of poker, specifically in Texas Holdem. I tried to research then and study the basics of the game to eventually improve myself and my skills. However, at a three-six table at the Nugget casino in Sparks Nevada something happened that distracted me. The dealer joined our game on his break. At such instance, I was on the button holding A,5 suited. Following scene was that I raised the blind and had three callers. I don’t why but quite to my surprise one of the callers was the dealer. Of course, flop came and was J, 5, 2 rainbow. Afterwards, the table checked to me and so I bet. Once again, I had three callers. Turn came and was a 7. Again, the table checked to me and so I bet one more time. At that point, two folded while the dealer called. Then river card came and was a 3. The dealer then placed a bet therefore I raised as if I have JJ.

Later on, the dealer played with his chips and all. Afterwards, he suddenly exposed his pocket cards. Does it mean he folded? For me, exposing your cards was like folding other way around.

Well, I remember he had A, 7 by which had me beat. I then turned my cards over, had them in the middle and collected the pot. Quite surprising, he said loudly he’d call.

Can you please explain to me if he could actually call? I’m confused to be honest.

Thanks!

Regards,
Weatherford
Weatherford,

His hand was not dead when he exposed his cards. Exposing your hand does not constitute a fold and he was within his rights to call.

Cards in Poker

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Hello,

I’m wondering if cards always play themselves in poker, particularly in Texas Holdem or else it’s actually on the hands of the player to determine the best 5 card. What do you think?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Joe Schmidt
Joe,

In a casino, cards speak. This mean it is the dealer’s responsibility to award the pot to call the hand and award it to the correct winner. The player should know what their hand is, but it is not required.