Top Pair - Weak Kicker

Sit n Go Tourney No Limit $2 + $0.20 buy-in 800 in chips at start

The table was fairly passive except for one guy (Copper) who would call pretty much any bet with almost any hand. Big Blind and UTG had been playing passively.


The first bet I made was to see if anyone had the ace. After that I was pretty sure Copper was going to call all my bets so I checked to the river.
I really wasn't too comfortable with my hand due to the low kicker.

Here's the hand. Blinds are 15/30

Preflop:

SB Piper (1420) A8
BB Mudhelmt (1280)
Teken (1540)
Lkrt (740)
Tekman (750)
Copper (820)
Itcorbin (20)
Dealer Jbyrne (1430)

Teken, Lkrt, Terman all fold
Copper Calls
Itcobrin folds
Dealer Jbyrne calls
Piper calls
Mudhelmt Checks

Pot = 120

Flop = 9 A Q Rainbow

Piper - Bets 30
Mudhelmt - Folds
Copper - Calls
Jbyrne - folds

Pot = 180

Turn = 3

Piper - Checks
Copper - Checks

River = 2

Piper and Copper both Check

I won 180 on the pair of aces at the showdown.

I think I played the hand way too passively. My raise after the flop got just a call so no sign of any strength. I didn't think raising after the turn or river would accomplish anymore Copper checking, and I wasn't to confident in my hand. My thought was with if he's just gonna check any bets I make will just be putting more chips in the middle with a hand I'm not comfortable eith, against a guy who I have no idea what he's playing.

What's a better way to play top pair with a weak kicker?

Does posting a hand the way I've done it make sense?

well, top pair is usually a pretty good hand in sng's, but still a lot of this depends on your style. me personally, i'm aggressive in sng's. its early, so don't go over the top, but i'd check preflop, bet 60 on the flop, then 60 or 90 on the turn. if he calls both or reraises, i'd check/fold, he very easily could have two pair or something.

basically, its up to you, its all situational. the only tip i have, is if you bet 30 on the flop and he calls, either bet 60 on the turn or check. if you bet 30 again, i think you run the risk of a reraise, although at a 2 dollar sng i'm not sure if anyone would be smart enough to do that.

In the case that you decribed I think that you played it a bit too passively. If you were not comfertable with your hand you should have not raised after the flop, but once you have done that and was left heads up with a calling station I would assume that I have the better hand after the flop, and his chances of improving with the rags on the turn and river are pretty slim. I would bet the turn, not too much, probably 30 or 60 and if he calls I would bet the river again.

Why do you all say "raise"? Nobody raised anyone at any point in this hand. I'm sincerely asking, because there's a guy at my home game who says the same thing. I check, and he says "I raise". Am I missing something?

w/r/t this hand keep betting into a guy like this until some sign that you're beat. Bet half the pot on the turn; if he calls that you can check at the end just in case, but you're giving him a chance to knock you off a tolerable hand.

If he has KJ or KT here you're making it worth his while to hang out with you. ick.

Sorry, I meant Bet, not raise. In my home poker games we use the term raise to refer to both a bet and a raise

w/r/t ???

What if guys won't fold out? Some people will call pretty much any bet with any draw.

Are you forced to camp and try and take them out with a monster?