Very early in a tournement this hand come I could really use some feedback. The blinds are 25-50 Im in middle position with KcJc open raise to 150 the button calls and the BB calls. Flop comes 5c7c7s action checks around. Normally I would have made a continuation bet here (especially with a flush draw) but i know the button player well and he mosdef could have a 7 in his hand I also read his body languge well so i checked to see what he would do. His check was a lagit one so at this point i disregard him from the hand. As the turn is coming off BB bets 500 into 475 pot. At this point Im thinking he has air cuz if he was slow playing 55 or a 7 he would aleast wait until the turn was on the table before he bets. Well the turn is Qc so i make my flush and im 99% sure its good so I make the call (button folds) hoping to suck more chips on the river. river comes 2s perfect card right? BB checks I bet 500 and he moves all in over the top for about 1500 which is all but 350 of my chips. Now Im 99% sure he doesnt have 55 or a 7 in his hand to make a fullhouse and it doesnt feel like QQ so either he has an ace high flush or im good right? But his body languge is suddenly telling me he has a strong hand so out of confusion I call and he tables 22 for a rivered boat. YUCK! so where did i go wrong what could I have done differently?

Problem= You raised preflop, caught the perfect flop for your hand, plus the flop most likely missed everybody else, and checked.

You were aggressive when behind and passive when ahead.

Bet the flop, though I can see checking against two players to avoid being check-raised. Raise the turn if you're 99% sure you're good. Too many bad cards.

But the problem is the river.

While technically you were right, I don't know how you can be 99% sure he doesn't have a boat when he just shoved all his chips in the middle. Honestly, I'd probably check behind here. He won't fold the nut flush or a boat. He won't call with a naked Ac or two pair. With A7, he might make a crying call. You also set up a check-raise bluff by betting. I'm not sure why you called the check-raise. Certainly no one will put him on 22, but his CR is a boat or a bluff. I don't think you see a bluff very often here.

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Don't tap the glass!

Ok AdRock I love ur feedback you have posted on some of my other threads aswell and I respect your opinion. But here is the deal I checked the flop cuz I had a player I knew very well behind me and he is a very aggresive type with a huge range and mosdef would have raised with a 7 maybe a 5 and also a raise bluff here is not beyond him. So realisticly my checking was actually pot control (while drawing to a flush on a paired board). Also the villain in this hand was a very soft fishy type player I believe he very well would have called with two pair or a smaller flush so I was actually betting the hand for value considering I eliminated QQ, 55, and a 7 from his hand so there is only one hand I could realisticly put him on here that has me beat ace high flush. 22 never even entered my mind and I admittedly was blind sided by it. However I do agree with one thing and that is his CR on the river is mosdef either a fullhouse or a bluff, and his body languge was telling me it was not a bluff I mosdef should have folded there. Thank you very much for your feedback you shed some light on this hand for me.

I think AdRock hit it on the head - no surprise there. The problem with checking the flop is that you really just gain no information. You need to give the V behind you the chance to define his hand somewhat. His check behind on the flop could still be anything from air to a monster. Lead the flop - if the guy behind you raises, this early in the tournament, I'm just going to let it go. Early on is when you want to be accumulating chips easily when possible. There's no need to get into a big pot on a draw at this point.

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As I said, I don't think checking the flop is a terrible play. I actually have trouble with boards like this because I'm afraid of monsters. No one is folding a 7 and if you bet, you could get raised or worse* check-raised off a good draw. But too often I fear trips here and let a pot get taken away from me. If V has a two pair, you're even money and if he has a baby pair (his actual holding), you're a big favorite. The problem with checking is when you miss the turn, you become an underdog and someone can take the pot away. All too often, I've checked this flop hoping to get lucky on the turn, then someone bets 3/4 of the pot on the turn and I have to fold -- especially if the turn is an A or Q -- even though I probably have the right price to call IF I could see his cards.

I'm glad we agree on the river. Sometimes you have to check behind an obvious winner just in case it isn't a winner. I played a hand last night where V bet a jack-high flop and I called with OESD. I made the straight on the turn and V led again, I raised him, and he called fairly quickly. The river was a jack and V checked. I "knew" I had the best hand mainly because he checked, but I also couldn't figure out how V could call so easily without a set or top two both of which now beat me. On the flip side, trip jacks has to pay me off so checking leaves a LOT of money on the table. After 30 seconds, I checked behind and he showed second pair.

* Being check-raised is worse in the sense that you set yourself up by betting.

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Don't tap the glass!

Oh OK now I understand where you are coming from AdRock. Thanx again for your insite! I think one of my main problems in tournaments is that im a deepstack cash game player and I have devoled my game to win big pots. I used to play a more aggresive take it while you can type game that I believe you are discribing, but for me it wasnt working cuz I would make one mistake in a big pot and lose all the profit I'd been grinding out. Now I make a lot of small mistakes on my way to wining one or two big pots and into the profit. I prolly seem like a fish to most players watching me play until its time to get the money in. Alot of good players don't like my style but it works for me.

Just a side note I battled back made it down to 5th (turny paid 4) and nigotiated a deal where 5th got there money back. Yeah for me!