In this poker tournament strategy hand, I make (almost) the best of holding pocket Kings.

1. KK in PokerStars Tournament
Although KK is not one of the tougher hold'em hands to play, I mixed it up a little bit with this opponent
who has been playing very LAG and since we had clashed several times already, I felt a little more
poker tournament strategy was needed to get more value on the river. I just don't think I bet enough.
What do you think?
Big hand, standard raise.
The big blind is sitting out, so I wanted to make this raise look like I was trying to steal the blinds without
a fight. My range could presumtiously be wider than normal here because of that. The player to my left
is a gambler and the two of us have engaged in several hands already. He is no that bad of a player,
KK in PokerStars Tournament - 1

2. but he does tend to over-bet and play too many hands. This is a $2 tournament, so that much is
standard. So I was happy that he flat called me, making the pot $900.
Everyone else folds, and I hit a decent flop, that deserves a bet here now, which is what he would be
expecting me to do, since as I mentioned, we have clashed already. I bet just under half pot and my
opponent flat calls me. I think that's great because I can assume now he has a Q. Two pair is unlikely,
and this guy probably would have reraised me prflop with 55 or 66. It's just the way he plays.
KK in PokerStars Tournament - 2

3. Okay an interesting development in this now lucrative poker tournament hand. With the deuce on the
turn I decided to check. My opponent's AF factor is infinite, so I checked in order to induce a bet from
him. I was trying to make it look like I had AK, as this would be my standard check holding that hand.
He does just that by betting 580, making the pot 2,320. So either now I am crushed to a set, or he has
a Q. No way I am laying off this hand against this opponent, and now it is time to check-raise.
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4. This is a good chunk of my stack here really, so this is a tough spot for him holding only a Queen. Well,
that's what I would be thinking anyway. He flat calls my check raise, and the pot is over 4,000 now.
Since I am looking kind of committed to this hand right now, this would be a good time for him to come
over the top if he had a set. So his flat call still leads me to beleive he has only has a queen. I guess
there is an outside chance he is slow playing AA too, which would just be shitty.
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5. A jack on the river, and honestly that card freaks me a little for two pair now, as would an 8, 9 or 10.
Nonetheless, the pot is too big to turn away now so I just might as well shove. But woops, not sure what
I was thinking here and only bet 1,440 or slightly more than a quarter of the pot. I feel if he has a
queen, he is calling all in. If I am beat, then I am calling his reraise anyway.
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6. As soon as he flat calls I know I am #winning.
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7. Tournament Indicator shows he had KQos, so right away I feel I should have gotten more from him on
the river. A slight miscalculation there, in an otherwise game-changing hand.
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8. However, it worked out even better for me later on in the poker tournament when he bet his top pair
hand into my nut straight. This hand, and this player actually sent me to the final table where I took this
90 player tournament down. Love turning $2 into $50.
KK in PokerStars Tournament - 8