Pocket kings and I shove flop

[Ethan]

I pick up pocket kings and raise to 17 preflop from the sb.

I get two callers and go to a flop.

Q, 9, 7 two spades.

I bet 20$.

Player to my left raises to 75$.

Third player folds and I shove for 270$ total.

She calls with ace ten of spades.

And the board runs out and she hits an ace.

Did I play it too aggressivley? (discounting the results ofc)

[Hans Griese]

I would size up the C-bet a bit. That’s a somewhat scary board for KKs. $30 seems a better to me. Don’t know if it would have mattered this time, but still.

I am curious what you thought she was raising you with – is she a tight or loose player? A tight player, this is easily a call or even a (tight) fold. There’s just no real bluffs there. With a looser player a raise could be entertained, but even then you may not be getting the money in good. A10 spades is about a flip, something like 108 spades is ahead, Q9 is ahead, 99s, 77s, etc. So a call seems best

I think you did overplay it a bit, but I think folding would have been too weak. You’d have ~$200 left into a turn with a pot of ~$180, so if a spade or the ace comes you could have a good think then.

But what do I know?

[Patrick Brennan]

I agree with Hans but I think my C bet would be closer to pot size like $45 or $50 to really deny equity. It might slow down the raiser and get you a call instead. Then re-evaluate on the turn and if an A or spade miss you might win the hand with a large bet on the turn or if it hits you might lose less.

[DeeKay]

I think the re-raise would slow me down to consider what we are looking at. Considering it limps to you, I’d have to be careful of small pairs. Possible 77 could be in there range. Suited Q-9 could also be in their range. And of course Any weak suited ace. If you think you are looking at suited cards or set, I think you still have enough behind that you could call the $75. Then depending on the turn, you can rip it in for $200 or check call if you still think your Kings will hold.
Bottom line, you got it all in good needing to dodge 12 outs. Just slightly better than a coin flip.

[Ethan]

The problem is that on that flop when she raises there and the turn comes a blank I don’t think any worse hands would call if I rip it in there for 200 do you?

[Patrick Brennan]

I like what Deekay says in flatting the re-raise. You know you’re likely ahead here but there are some very scary cards that can come on the turn. By flatting you get to see if an A or spade hit which will likely get you to slow down because your hand essentially turns into a bluff catcher. My only hesitation is it leaves you with $195 to shove into a pot of $201… doesn’t leave a ton of fold equity if your opponent is on a combo draw here (completely possible and likely the scariest holding your opponent could have except for a set). And I wouldn’t really worry about a player with a worst hand calling… I kinda just want a fold when I shove against this kind of board with KK.

That’s why I prefer a larger C bet… if you size the C bet up to pot sized you’re more likely to just get a call from the opponent and not a re-raise. You’re opponent only raised to try and build the size of the pot (incase their jams hits) and to get to the river for cheap. See a lot of players will flat the raise and check the turn even when the A or spade don’t hit. Giving them the ability to see the river without having to call a turn bet… it’s very sneaky.

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