QQ shortstacked. To slowplay or not?

NickyOD · 23-11-2005 12:23pm #1

Shortstacked at the shouthcourt last night BEFORE the add-on and I've already taken the rebuy thanks to some of the most awful poker I've ever played, but I'm hoping to redeem myself in this hand.

I have 3200 in chips. Blinds 200-400.

UTG has just been crippled and goes all in for 700. It's folded around to me in the SB with QQ. The BB has 5K and is an "average" player.

What do I do?

handsfree · 23-11-2005 12:28pm

flat call if and push on the flop if it suits u.try and make it look like a bluff so do it quickly. if the bb has a hand good enough to call your all in and hits you'll be out anyway.

Washout · 23-11-2005 12:30pm

QQ is my least favorite strength hand. and id only want one other hand up against them. id play it aggressivly to try and push the BB out. no slow play for me here.

cardshark202 · 23-11-2005 12:38pm

I'd flat call here and hope the BB tries to isolate with a strong ace or medium PP (or big PP:( !). I'd push on any non A or K high flop.

Lafortezza · 23-11-2005 12:51pm

Call and push no matter what comes.

Ste05 · 23-11-2005 1:04pm

I think I'd be trying to maximise my potential winnings from the BB here, and don't really care or worry about the Storty at all, he's just a side note to this hand, and so I'd flat call pre-flop, to get the BB involved, then bet about half the pot (1K) (to give the BB odds to call with marginal hands) on any non A or K flop, with the intention of going all-in on the turn or if I am re-raised.

If an A or K flops, then I'm re-evaluating the situation again.... but would possibly push, I'd have to make up my mind at the time as to what I'd do....

EDIT: I wouldn't be too worried about going out, if you're outdrawn by the BB so be it, but it'd set you up for a good run at taking first place if you can double up here... I think a push on any flop will only be called by a better hand normally and why I wouldn't be always doing it. But alot would depend on the average stacks etc. and the structure of the tournament (not too sure about the structure of this tourney) so possibly my plan has flaws but in general this is what I'd do..

NickyOD · 23-11-2005 1:48pm

Ste05 wrote:

I think I'd be trying to maximise my potential winnings from the BB here, and don't really care or worry about the Storty at all, he's just a side note to this hand, and so I'd flat call pre-flop, to get the BB involved, then bet about half the pot (1K) (to give the BB odds to call with marginal hands) on any non A or K flop, with the intention of going all-in on the turn or if I am re-raised.

If an A or K flops, then I'm re-evaluating the situation again.... but would possibly push, I'd have to make up my mind at the time as to what I'd do....

EDIT: I wouldn't be too worried about going out, if you're outdrawn by the BB so be it, but it'd set you up for a good run at taking first place if you can double up here... I think a push on any flop will only be called by a better hand normally and why I wouldn't be always doing it. But alot would depend on the average stacks etc. and the structure of the tournament (not too sure about the structure of this tourney) so possibly my plan has flaws but in general this is what I'd do..

Good analysis. I'm short stacked with no rebuy left. The other shortstacks chips aren't worth **** to me with this hand. I absolutely have to get the BB involved and like you said I'm not afraid to go bust trying to get his chips.

I was lucky with the flop. Q-K-x I check. BB hesitates before checking. Turn is a dangerous Ace but I quickly checked again pretending to be uninterested hoping he would bet. He bet 1000 I go all in and he calls with KJ. UTG had K9 and I missed the ten on the river to more than double through. A bit risky but I really had no choice but to play it this way.

Daithio · 23-11-2005 2:11pm

I don't see the point of just flat calling and then pushing, for an extra 300? What you're hoping for is for the bb to call with any two cards and then hit a pair. Then you check to him, let him bet and then you push. I wouldn't be worried about him having an ace or king either, the odds of that are pretty slim, and then the odds of him hitting one on top of the odds of already having one are slimmer again. I flat call, check to the BB, hope he hits something and go over the top. If he doesn't hit the flop I bet on the turn and hope he has hit something there. Basically you've got a pair of queens heads up, and the chances of them getting outdrawn by any random hand are fairly slim.

cardshark202 · 23-11-2005 3:16pm

Ok, there's going to be 2100 in the pot and you only have 2500 left so thats why pushing unless you flop a monster is a good idea. If you only bet 1k and are called, you only have 1500 left with a pot of 4500 giving the BB great odds to call if hes on a decent draw. If you check, and the BB checks behind you're giving him the opportunity to outdraw you so I really thinking pushing is the only option.

NickyOD · 23-11-2005 3:29pm

cardshark202 wrote:

Ok, there's going to be 2100 in the pot and you only have 2500 left so thats why pushing unless you flop a monster is a good idea. If you only bet 1k and are called, you only have 1500 left with a pot of 4500 giving the BB great odds to call if hes on a decent draw. If you check, and the BB checks behind you're giving him the opportunity to outdraw you so I really thinking pushing is the only option.

I'd make a small bet of maybe 800 if I don't flop the set and I'd call his reraise but I don't want to jam. I want to feign weakness and get him to double me up.

speedytom · 23-11-2005 3:56pm

I would pass. Got to put the utg player on AA, KK or AK.

POKERKING · 23-11-2005 4:19pm

you jokin??

cardshark202 · 23-11-2005 4:22pm

NickyOD wrote:

I'd make a small bet of maybe 800 if I don't flop the set and I'd call his reraise but I don't want to jam. I want to feign weakness and get him to double me up.

I see what you're saying but I think it all depends on the texture of the flop. If the board is flushing/straightening I think jamming is the best option. If its a pretty inconspicuous flop then a small bet may be the best option and if you are called, jam on the turn.

padraig_f · 23-11-2005 4:40pm

I'd be all-in pre-flop. When you call you're giving the BB great pot odds (6 to 1) to draw out on you. And you have to hope he hits a good enough hand to pay you off, but not too good that it beats your QQ. With a player all in, it's hard to get paid off after the flop by a pair lower than queens, because when someone bets at the dry side pot they'll have a stronger hand than usual.

RoundTower · 23-11-2005 5:07pm

padraig_f wrote:

I'd be all-in pre-flop. When you call you're giving the BB great pot odds (6 to 1) to draw out on you. And you have to hope he hits a good enough hand to pay you off, but not too good that it beats your QQ. With a player all in, it's hard to get paid off after the flop by a pair lower than queens, because when someone bets at the dry side pot they'll have a stronger hand than usual.

This is the main thing that would swing me to putting it all in preflop. You said the BB is an "average" player but that isn't all that helpful here. He probably isn't likely to bluff the dry side pot.

A lot of players will understand that you could be sticking it in with A4 or KT or 66 here in an attempt to gamble heads up with the short stack with some added money, so I don't think he needs a monster to call you. In the game he might well have called you with K9 had you stuck it all in preflop, but you would need him to hit exactly top pair of nines to pay you off afterwards.

QQ shortstacked. To slowplay or not?

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