Playing a $50+5 Sit n Go on Stars, I came across the following three hands at various points in the tourney that I found to be extremely compelling. I don't know if I played any of them well and would like the input of others.

First hand is about five hands into the tourney. I'm two off the button, and with blinds still at 10/20, I decide to limp with [7d] after one EP limper. The button limps, SB completes, and BB checks.

(5 players) Flop: [6s][2d] (Pot: T100)

It's checked to me, and I lead out for 80. The button calls and the rest fold.

(2 players) Turn: [6s][2d][5c] (Pot: T260)

The 5 is a great card for me, as it gives me an open-ended straight draw in addition to the flush draw. I bet 160, and button surprisingly min raises me. I call.

(2 players) River: [6s][2d][5c][4c] (Pot: T580)

The river card gives me the stone cold nuts. Here is where I decided to get creative - checking the nuts. Button bets 400, and I re-raise all-in. He calls for his last 500 or so.

Here is my thought process throughout the hand. I limped preflop with medium suited connectors, which I consider to be a pretty standard limp. On the flop, I bet when it was checked to me and only with one opponent to act. It didn't seem likely that anyone before me had a monster as they probably would have bet with the draws out. I bet, representing AJ and hoping to take it down. When button called me, I tried to figure out what he could have. I thought it was possible that he had JT, QJ, or KJ, and figured that he would raise with AJ. I also thought there was an outside chance he playing something like [Qd] or [Td], which obviously worried me. While I decided that I was gonna check and try to see the river for free if the flush didn't come, I decided to bet the turn when my outs increased by 6. With 15 outs to what would most likely be the winning hand, I figured a bet like 160 would throw him off his hand, whether he had a Jack or a flush draw. My big mistake was that I didn't stop to think about what he could have when he min raised me - I just called by impulse, which is fine but led to what I think is a questionable (at best) river play. I should have immediately put my opponent on a set and bet the river strongly - instead, I gave him a free chance at showdown with 4 to a straight on the board. I was extremely lucky that he bet and even moreso when he flipped over JJ for the top set.

Anyone disagree with my river play? Flop bet? Turn bet? Does anyone re-raise allin on the turn?

I'll post the next two later, can't write too much at once.

On the river I'd be very unimaginative and put a 3-400 bet out there, I generally think that if I draw and hit it I should get a bit extra if I can. With poker being a game of incomplete information, having the nuts on the river is the best you can get and I generally find straights, esp runner runner are extremely tough to see, to work your hand hand out he'd have to think they were suited diamonds as well.

In short, his raise on the turn implies a decent hand and one that is near certain to pay off a 3-400 bet on the river, I actually think I'd be more prone to check the river in a cash game, where there's no doubt I'm not losing, and hope to reraise big. In a tourney, my approach is every chip counts and I eventually need them all

Molina

Please try to keep the posts in the correct forum.. I reposted this in the SNG forum.