$11 - QQ - 2nd blind level

[zook]

No reads.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t60 (10 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

MP2 (t1692)
Hero (t1920)
CO (t1930)
Button (t1238)
SB (t1820)
BB (t2420)
UTG (t1370)
UTG+1 (t1660)
UTG+2 (t715)
MP1 (t5235)
Preflop: Hero is MP3 with Q, Q.
5 folds, Hero raises to t180, 3 folds, BB raises to t300, Hero ???

[ChrisBCritter]

See a flop. You have position, let him hang himself. Blinds are still harmless, so don't play back yet. A flop without an A or K, and I'm looking to raise his flop bet, and fold to super aggression. QQ is an excellent but still dangerous hand in this spot.

You say no reads, but how did he build his stack? Did he show down at all? It's probably too early for him to think that you are stealing his blinds (if he has a concept of that), so a raise (min-raise from the look of it) from him there tells me that he's probably sitting on a really strong hand (JJ+, AKs).

This is not a good spot to push, as only a better hand will likely call you. If you are sure that he is FOS, then go ahead, but this is a great spot to see a flop, and then re-evaluate.

[drmcboy]

push is not bad, call and see flop probably better.

[zook]

I pushed, he called and flipped AQo, and I breathed a sigh of relief until the an ace came on the flop and I busted out 10th. So you guys give good advice... if I had just called, then I could have laid it down when the ace came on the flop.

Chris, he built his stack with two hands in which he raised pre-flop, and got a couple of callers who folded to moderate post-flop bets (~1/2 pot size). Since he didn't showdown either of those hands, I didn't have a good read on him. But since he raised three hands pre-flop out of about 10 (this was a speed sng) I could have read him as lagg? That would have made me more likely to push though I think.

[Staresy]

But since he raised three hands pre-flop out of about 10 (this was a speed sng) I could have read him as lagg? That would have made me more likely to push though I think.

maybe, but it's tough when you aren't seeing his hands. He could be a tightie who just happened to pick up some big hands from the off.

[drmcboy]

If I knew he was a big enough donkey to re min raise, then call push with AQ, I would tell you to push all day.

The reason we said call and see a flop is becauase typically, you won't see this play from anything below AK/JJ, and it's more common with AA/KK/AK (I would always smooth call with JJ here). AA/KK you're going to go broke unless you get lucky and A/K flop. AK is going to call your push pre flop but may fold if he whiffs flop. Also, he may c-bet with AK and you pick up some more chips.

[zook]

Yeah, I realize it was a good push in retrospect (one form of retrospect anyway), I just wanted to know how to play it correctly, given I didn't have a good read.

At the first couple of blind levels of $11s, morons seem to push and call pushes with very marginal hands, and while I love to take advantage of that and double up, I figure if I ever move up to $22s it's not going to happen as much...