[johnf]

UB 10-way SNG. Third or fourth hand of the event. Blinds 5-10. Everyone has the starting stack of 1000, give or take a handful.

I get A2s in late position, and call for the measly 10 chips. Flop comes 3s 4s 5d. Checked to the guy to my left. He bets the pot size of 60. I know nothing about this player.

What would you do? Call, make a small raise, or move in?

I'll tell you what I did and how it turned out, but I'd like to get your ideas first.

[lork]

I'd raise to about 250 or so. Right now you have the near nuts and a re-draw to the high nuts. If the guys only has a pair he'll have to drop his hand. You don't want someone with something like 5 6 suited staying in, because he might think he has the best of it. If he calls the 250 bet and the turn is a rag, push all or bet 500 or so. If the turn is a spade, slow it down and milk the pot.

I'm sure there are numberous (sp?) ways to play this, but I think this would draw the most profit and have the most success in the long run.

[razor]

I'd basically do exactly what lork said but I'd likely just triple his bet up to 180. Pretty much just my standard raise. If he reraises, move in. If a call, I'd play it just as LBJ suggested except I'd probably bet 400ish on the turn with a rag (half y'all's remaining chips and about the size of the pot) and then move in on the river.

If you really want to get cutesy you could do the raise on the flop and then check if a rag comes (something 8 or higher with no spade) and try to check raise all-in. I'd rarely do this and only if I knew the guy I was playing was very, very aggressive. If he is and you check, he may move in to try to take the $400 pot or bet the pot himself.

I'd play it like lork said originally, though, but with my increments, obviously.

[johnf]

OK, here's what I did, why, and how it turned out.

I decided that I didn't want the whole table hanging around in case an A, 2, 6, or 7 hit on the turn. Also, if I'm going to get all my chips in on a draw, I want to do it on the flop with two cards to come rather than wait for the turn.

So I raised to 200 in hopes of getting heads-up with the bettor. I've got a 38% chance of outdrawing any holding, and I could easily have him beat now or be freerolling. I decided I was willing to back this hand with my whole stack.

Everyone folds to the bettor, who made a strange re-raise of about 600 -- about 80% of what I had left. I figured I might be in trouble, but I was willing to go all the way with this draw, so I shoved in the rest. He showed 76o and I did not make my flush, so I was out in 10th.

I'm usually not one to make big risks early in an event, but I thought this was worth it. I've got a good chance of doubling my stack, which will put me in control of the whole SNG.

[razor]

I wouldn't have played it one bit differently. I was even going to mention (and forgot) in the first post that this was, however, a hand that I could see losing all my chips on. It was entirely possible he had 67o with no raises preflop, but even if that's the case you still had your nine outs. But I don't think you could play it assuming he flopped the nuts. He played it correctly and was rewarded, but I wouldn't do anything differently in a single-table tourny. You've got to keep in mind that he very well may have made the same bet if he had flopped a set, and then he would have had the 8-1/2 outs to hit a boat. It's just as likely he flopped two pair, and now his outs are down to four. A made straight with the nut flush draw, I think you've got to bet it just like you did.

I may have played a bit slower in a MTT unless it was relatively inexpensive. In a cheap MTT, I'd be glad I got an opportunity so early to get a lot of chips and would have played it basically the same way. It wasn't in the same ballpark of "can't get away hands" like flopping an underset to an overset, but it is the same sport (Pulp reference).

My couple of pennies.

[ThomasR]

The raise was fine, you had a hand and you should play aggressively. His reraise was an odd amount, but small enough to keep you in.

The question to be asked is, would you have folded if you'd been forced all-in? If so, you played it wrong. If you still were confident in having had the best hand, then your play was fine.

I personally haven't a problem, that's a harsh one, and his betting pattern was strange to say the least.