Queens And A Side Pot

[David_Nicoson 1]

This is a hand I played at Binions yesterday in the 1/2 NL no max.UTG is a fairly aggressive local. Button is another local (a 1/2 to 5/10 pro), Julie. She takes a lot of flops from position. She also often overbets the pot with hands she figures are best. UTG has $82.Button has about $180.I have them both covered.UTG raises to $10.Folding.Button calls.I raise to $45 with QQ from the BB.UTG re-raises all-in to $82 ($37 more).Button calls.I think it's most likely that UTG has me beat, but I might be up against AK. I'm getting more than 5-1 to play the hand, so I'm certainly not going to fold at this point.The only question is how to manage a possible side pot. I'm confident that I have a better hand than the button. If I put in any raise here, it commits her to the pot, even if she misses the flop. I raised all-in for value, expecting a call. An older man at the table (Dave, yet another local) suggested that I should have flat called and then pushed on a safe flop. I think I'm missing an opportunity to value bet with that method. Any contrary opinions?

[ICrushHomeGames 0]

This is a hand I played at Binions yesterday in the 1/2 NL no max.UTG is a fairly aggressive local. Button is another local (a 1/2 to 5/10 pro), Julie. She takes a lot of flops from position. She also often overbets the pot with hands she figures are best. UTG has $82.Button has about $180.I have them both covered.UTG raises to $10.Folding.Button calls.I raise to $45 with QQ from the BB.UTG re-raises all-in to $82 ($37 more).Button calls.I think it's most likely that UTG has me beat, but I might be up against AK. I'm getting more than 5-1 to play the hand, so I'm certainly not going to fold at this point.The only question is how to manage a possible side pot. I'm confident that I have a better hand than the button. If I put in any raise here, it commits her to the pot, even if she misses the flop. I raised all-in for value, expecting a call. An older man at the table (Dave, yet another local) suggested that I should have flat called and then pushed on a safe flop. I think I'm missing an opportunity to value bet with that method. Any contrary opinions?

I would push here out of mere confusion. Button could have anything from AA-JJ, or AK or AQs. I guess that AA and KK are possibilities, though I'm confused with 2 cold calls pre-flop. I'm not sure exactly how loose you're suggesting she is, but if she's a pro (even an ultra-LAG) she wouldn't be coming with less than TT. I understand the case for flat-calling and pushing on a non-threatening flop, but the only hands that you beat that are calling here are JJ and TT, depending on the board.I'm thinking just push, hoping for 2:1 or better, and just snap your fingers if button shows the overpair. I wouldn't worry about value betting when she already has half her chips in the pot. But IMO queens are too big to lay down here against 2 aggressives.

[bcook823 0]

Because you would be playing the pot, with an experienced player, out of position I think Dave is wrong. He is exactly right, if you were to get a safe flop. However, if a T, J, K, or A comes then you might fold the winner, if she showed strength. The gal may even bluff you out of an empty side pot, a bad play normally, but if she thought she could beat the all in, but not you she might make a play.

[asandu 0]

If your read is that you have the best hand (and it sounds like you felt you were pot committed) then I definitely like the push. Play it based on your read and live with it.Looking back, I'm not sure the read that you are ahead is correct, though. She just flat called 2 re-raises, with you still left to act. (although one was a short stack reraise) What do you think she would have put YOU on? (don;t know what your image is).Good post.

[David_Nicoson 1]

If your read is that you have the best hand (and it sounds like you felt you were pot committed) then I definitely like the push. Play it based on your read and live with it.Looking back, I'm not sure the read that you are ahead is correct, though. She just flat called 2 re-raises, with you still left to act. (although one was a short stack reraise) What do you think she would have put YOU on? (don;t know what your image is).Good post.

She considers me a by-the-book player, so she'd have to put me on AA-QQ. She called with AJs. UTG had AA. With complete knowledge of the cards after UTG's re-raise, I think I would still push.

[David_Nicoson 1]

Because you would be playing the pot, with an experienced player, out of position I think Dave is wrong. He is exactly right, if you were to get a safe flop.

I'm thinking the safe flop push isn't so great for me, but I could be missing something.If I push her out of the main pot on the flop, I haven't gained that much (given my read that I am probably behind UTG). Maybe I'm just too confident in my read, and I still have a chance to win the main pot unimproved. E.g., UTG has AQ and the button has AK. If it's the other way around (UTG has AK and button as AQ), then eliminating only one of the aces against me in the main pot doesn't help much.If I get a safe flop, push, and the button folds; my expected value from the side pot is zero.If I push preflop when I'm ahead and she calls, my expected value from the side pot is positive .If I am behind the button preflop, I'm probably going broke either way.

[bcook823 0]

Wasn't expecting you to say she had AJs, bet you were equally shocked.