No particular reads. Two, three players off the bubble in HORSE tourney. I'm above an average stack, villain is among chip leaders.

I don't really know which way he's going here, and feel like even in a best-case scenario I'm getting freerolled by a better low draw and/or a pair that can backdoor two pair/trips.

On fifth, preferred line? Check/call? Bet/fold? Bet/call? Check/fold?

Tournament - 7 Card Stud High-Low (600/1,200), Ante 100, Bring-In 200 (converter)

Seat 1: 8,644
Seat 2: 6,781
Seat 4: 13,789
Hero: 8,975
Seat 7: 15,807
Seat 8: 5,315

3rd Street - (1.00 SB)

Seat 1: xx xx J___folds
Seat 2: xx xx 8___folds
Seat 4: xx xx 5___brings-in___folds
Hero: 7 3 A___completes
Seat 7: xx xx 6___calls
Seat 8: xx xx A___folds

4th Street - (3.33 SB)

Hero: 7 3 A 8___bets
Seat 7: xx xx 6 4___calls

5th Street - (2.67 BB - 3,200)

Hero: 7 3 A 8 6
Seat 7: xx xx 6 4 3

Tough spot. I'd definitely check...and probably fold I think. Especially given the stacks in the tourney.

I agree this is probably the best action given the circumstances. Sometimes I'd be tempted to peel here but catching another baby only gives you a 7-low which is still inferior to Villain's possible 6. Your high draw isn't very strong either so check/fold is probably best.

Much as I love betting fourth street, you should be checking and calling here. You really don't want two bets to go in, because his stack is big enough to chase and yours isn't, and there will be many spots where you have to fold fifth where you wouldn't in a cash game. This one's probably a check-fold in cash too.

I agree getting raised on fourth sucks, but should I really be checking there? Is giving up a free card better than maybe getting a fold if villain loses his mind (because he really never folds here, right?) or at least keeping the lead in the hand?

Anyhow, hand seems standard, since I check folded fifth. :-(

I'm with this guy. In a cash game, I'd likely bet fourth, but in a tournament situation, I think you need to keep the pot small on fourth, and you need to fold fifth. This is not a hand you want to go broke with.

would you feel the same way about folding if it were a cash game? i think 4th is pretty standard and i'd c/c 5th

One saving grace is the dead 5, my philosophy especially cuz its tourney is that we are handcuffed here. check call check say a little prayer then squeeze and call.

I think if this were cash hero has to call 5th

agree w the gross cf as played and that checking the turn to keep the pot smaller would have been better

Betting 4th is not bad in that we should be ahead equity wise, but checking increases our FE on 5th, given villain should never be folding anyway we might as well see another for free if possible

If this same hand checked through on the turn hero could fold 5th more decisively

I also think that given the size of the pot a lot of strong players will go at least 1 more street, villain's range here is super relevant

easy call on 5th. Villain should probably raise 4th if he has 7654 6542 6543 some 653A hands etc. Villains most likely hand is probably a 7 low draw and a pair with a gut shot straight draw which only has slightly better equity than our hand and we're getting almost 4:1.

Bet 4th 100% of the time, boring check call on fifth though.

I would fold 3rd
-razz hand
-2 diamonds are dead
-a 5, 6 and ace behind us, 2 of whom have us covered
-tournament bubble situation and we're not one of the chip leaders. We're also not a short attack. When you are an average stack on the bubble, I feel like you generally are supposed to play pretty tight.
-the easiest way to win high is pairing our ace so i think one of them being dead hurts us quite a bit
-only 6 players dealt in so fewer antes to collect if steal is successful

I think every street is played well by you but you have to call 5th and then decide on 6th based on the cards if you're going to play this way. In general I think you're stationing him down. The only scenario where I think you can fold 6th is if villain hits a 2 5 or 7 and you brick. It's a gross situation and but the pot is too big, he can have hands like 78 6, 85 6, A6 6 etc. which you're really close too.

It sucks but you gotta call

A lower variance strategy that I do is play

A strat I do in tournaments is check some of my even boards for balance and for lower variance. This board is probably ok to do this on, the A8 is drawing worse than the 46 for low. If you do want to fold 5th then I think you should consider checking 4th.

Josh