$22 NL HE MTT: Hand of the week: tricky spot with ATo

Andyreas

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Ok, here goes the hand:
We're ITM (16 left) in a small $22 tournament with 20 places paid. Pay jumps aren't relevant until top 10.

Hero (28 BBs) sits in MP and receives AdTc. Folds to him, he opens 2 BBs. Folds to BB (48 BBs) who calls. No reads on villian so far. Hasn't played many hands.

Flop (5.5 BBs): 8sAc7d
BB checks
Hero bets 1.5 BBs.
BB raises to 5 BBs.
Hero?
I am smelling two pair but it could also be a bluff and I think I cannot fold TP here; even if my kicker isn't great.
While we can expect some 3-bets pre from AQ/AK but nits sometimes don't do that.
Hero calls.

Turn (15.5 BBs): 6h.
BB donks 3.9 BBs
Hero?
Somehow this small bet is weird to me. JT got there and I'm still behind any two pair combo.
At least no flush draws.
But I think my hand is too weak for a raise and I doubt I have fold equity.
Maybe he exactly intends to make me call with this small bet but can I fold here?
Hero calls.

River (23.2 BBs): 3h
BB donks full pot
Hero?
Unfortunately he didn't check and My hand didn't improve (as expected) and I think I have to fold here and live on with my 17 BBs left.
Of course I might have been bluffed by a triple barrel but that's okay.
Hero folds.

I later looked him up on SharkScope and he's a winning player with a decent ROI.
 
Goggelheimer

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Ok, here goes the hand:
We're ITM (16 left) in a small $22 tournament with 20 places paid. Pay jumps aren't relevant until top 10.

Hero (28 BBs) sits in MP and receives AdTc. Folds to him, he opens 2 BBs. Folds to BB (48 BBs) who calls. No reads on villian so far. Hasn't played many hands.

Flop (5.5 BBs): 8sAc7d
BB checks
Hero bets 1.5 BBs.
BB raises to 5 BBs.
Hero?
I am smelling two pair but it could also be a bluff and I think I cannot fold TP here; even if my kicker isn't great.
While we can expect some 3-bets pre from AQ/AK but nits sometimes don't do that.
Hero calls.

Turn (15.5 BBs): 6h.
BB donks 3.9 BBs
Hero?
Somehow this small bet is weird to me. JT got there and I'm still behind any two pair combo.
At least no flush draws.
But I think my hand is too weak for a raise and I doubt I have fold equity.
Maybe he exactly intends to make me call with this small bet but can I fold here?
Hero calls.

River (23.2 BBs): 3h
BB donks full pot
Hero?
Unfortunately he didn't check and My hand didn't improve (as expected) and I think I have to fold here and live on with my 17 BBs left.
Of course I might have been bluffed by a triple barrel but that's okay.
Hero folds.

I later looked him up on SharkScope and he's a winning player with a decent ROI.
With 6 on the Turn, T9 (not JT) made the straight or 45 completed its gutshot.
Villain plays aggressively and takes over the initiative on the Flop.
There you had the chance of risking your tournament live with an AI
and hope for the best that villain is bluffing with a weaker pair, that he may fold.
After his raise on Flop you played the weakest line,
call flop raise, call on the turn, he smells the pot is his with an AI.
You could fold on the turn as he shows even more aggression,
his sizing is nicely chosen to lure you into the pot, here you could fold.
I think a good fold in the end,
one street earlier would have saved you some chips,
you only have a bluff catcher (Turn card, gives you a gutshot) here.

Problem here is BB´s range advantage and you are with AT o at the bottom of your range.
 
Last edited:
mariussica88

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This is an interesting hand...:unsure: I don't know exactly the structure of the tournament and how much a difference is in prizes but the way you played it...was the safest way, and you where left with 18-19bb after this hand, so GG on that. (y)

This is how I would have played it: against the BB range, at that stake I do believe that they know how to defend, so he will call very wide range there. This is what I think his range is:


1

This is what he should have:
2

So he has a lot of 8x, 7x, and draws, and I want to make my stand on that flop. I would have shoved that flop and end the hand there. He might have 2 pairs or A8,A7 but I'm not to worried about those hands. But this is me, I like to play a little bit more aggressive.

As played that small bet on the Turn screams "raise me" or he might have 88 or 77 and is a bit cautious that you might have 9T. But I do think that by the river you are behind.

I really like this hand. Thank you for posting it. I have some homework to do. :)
 
Bhargav

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Firstly your AT is not a good hand, it lacks suitedness and "T" kicker is bad. Your initial raise is fine.

After flop you should only check because of the above points(fold if you get a big raise back). But you revealed that you have marginal hand buy betting only 1.5bb. Allowing villain to put pressure on you.

I cannot guess what villain has. (he can bluff with bigger stack, he can have A with better kicker, pocket pair or anything)
 
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