The UTG Min raise in Tournaments

58o

How often does the UTG minraise represent weakness as opposed to a Monster in tournies. It often sets off alarm bells in my head and puts me on the back foot in a hand.
Consider this hand from The 75k guarantee tonight. I have already seen villain minraise in EP then re-raise a raiser a couple of orbits earlier so his UTGT minraise sets me on edge. Comments on how it was played. This hand was the beginning of the end for me

Table Name Hand ID Game Stakes
MTT Table 4 15014152-90 Holdem No Limit 200/400
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : Hand Start.
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : Seat 1 : HERO has $16,620
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : Seat 2 : MICHAEL999 has $20,790
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : Seat 3 : ChelseaIan has $10,670
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : Seat 4 : schorscH has $7,130
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : Seat 5 : LuckyCU has $10,950
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : Seat 6 : noemotions has $7,970
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : Seat 7 : gadunned has $6,380
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : Seat 8 : +Sly Boy+ has $5,000
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : Seat 9 : carpman1 has $5,300
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : carpman1 is the dealer.
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : HERO posted small blind.
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : MICHAEL999 posted big blind.
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : Game [90] started with 9 players.
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : Dealing Hole Cards.
[Jan 21 22:05:58] : Seat 1 : HERO has Js Jh
[Jan 21 22:06:02] : ChelseaIan called 400 and raised 400
[Jan 21 22:06:03] : schorscH folded.
[Jan 21 22:06:04] : LuckyCU folded.
[Jan 21 22:06:05] : Stakes: 200/400 Current level: 6 Level up in: 13 min. Break in: 35 min. Players : 364
[Jan 21 22:06:06] : noemotions folded.
[Jan 21 22:06:07] : gadunned folded.
[Jan 21 22:06:07] : +Sly Boy+ folded.
[Jan 21 22:06:13] : carpman1 called 800
[Jan 21 22:06:13] : HERO called 600
[Jan 21 22:06:19] : MICHAEL999 called 400
[Jan 21 22:06:20] : Dealing flop.
[Jan 21 22:06:20] : Board cards [Qh 4h 8c]
[Jan 21 22:06:22] : HERO checked.
[Jan 21 22:06:25] : Stakes: 200/400 Current level: 6 Level up in: 13 min. Break in: 35 min. Players : 361
[Jan 21 22:06:25] : MICHAEL999 checked.
[Jan 21 22:06:30] : ChelseaIan bet 800
[Jan 21 22:06:43] : carpman1 folded.
[Jan 21 22:06:45] : Stakes: 200/400 Current level: 6 Level up in: 13 min. Break in: 35 min. Players : 357
[Jan 21 22:06:46] : HERO called 800 and raised 1,600
[Jan 21 22:06:49] : MICHAEL999 folded.
[Jan 21 22:06:58] : ChelseaIan called 1,600
[Jan 21 22:06:58] : Dealing turn.
[Jan 21 22:06:58] : Board cards [Qh 4h 8c 5h]
[Jan 21 22:07:05] : Stakes: 200/400 Current level: 6 Level up in: 12 min. Break in: 34 min. Players : 353
[Jan 21 22:07:05] : HERO checked.
[Jan 21 22:07:09] : ChelseaIan checked.
[Jan 21 22:07:10] : Dealing river.
[Jan 21 22:07:10] : Board cards [Qh 4h 8c 5h 3h]
[Jan 21 22:07:13] : HERO checked.
[Jan 21 22:07:19] : ChelseaIan bet 3,200
[Jan 21 22:07:21] : Hero called 3,200
[Jan 21 22:07:21] : Showdown!
[Jan 21 22:07:21] : Seat 1 : HERO has Js Jh
[Jan 21 22:07:23] : Seat 3 : ChelseaIan has Ts Ah
[Jan 21 22:07:23] : ChelseaIan has Flush AQ543
[Jan 21 22:07:23] : ChelseaIan wins 14,400 with Flush AQ543
[Jan 21 22:07:24] : Stakes: 200/400 Current level: 6 Level up in: 12 min. Break in: 34 min. Players : 351
[Jan 21 22:07:32] : Hand is over.
[Jan 21 22:07:32] :

ArmaniJeanss

You've given you're screen name away near the end, edit the post if you want to keep it secret.

re, the MinRaise.

I only play STTs by the way.

Against an unknown opponent in the first couple of levels I tend to find it to be a big hand more often than not.
As the blinds get higher, I find its more often a weak A or a small/medium pocket pair.

Lplate

Myself and Connie have had discussions about the utg minraise in online mtts.It has become a lot more prevalent in recent months. I have become convinced that someone has written an article somewhere saying that it will look like a very strong bet and a whole host of clowns are applying this advice regardless of holding. If I have a hand I'll make a standard reraise as normal and take it from there. Most of the time utg is folding to these bets. If they reraise/push, then I'll expect to be up against a genuine hand, depending on the player.

redzerdrog

it is unbeliveable the amount of time i see this from players and the majority of the time they do not have a premium hand, infact I vary rarely see this from AA or KK or so on they usually limp or standard raise.

ps. I hate min raises

smurph

A little off topic, but I was playing in the GJP game at the weekend. blinds were 50 100, Iimped in in Mid position with 8d9d (I know it was one of those games) 3 spades came on the flop its checked around to me so I took a stab at the pot and bet 500, folded to SB who min raises it to 1k, I called. He checked blind on the turn, No spade appeared, so I checked what he had left, (approximated 4k) and bet 5k, he folded and i showed my monster hand:rolleyes: while mumblin (I hate min raises).

Why he min raised my bet? and why did he check blind on the turn?. I just couldn't figure out what he was up to so I did the "If in doubt bet" option.

kebabfest

funny you mention it. I have been noticing the min raise a lot more in live tourneys recently. Personnally think it is due to the fact that players who want to play from early position with non premium hands , but if they get reraised will fold want to put some kind of blocker on the situation.
Quite frankly I hope they keep doing it