$400 live tournament with $100 bounties. Usual weak/overly splashy FL field.

Blinds 300/600 with 600 BBA. Both me and Villain had around 25k.

I am dealt QcQh in early position. Raise to 1400, BU calls, BB (V) calls. (5100)

Flop T52 all spades. BB checks, I bet 1800. Wasn't sure what to do as the board obviously favors opponents' ranges but decided I wanted to charge anyone with the ace of spades.

BU calls again and V shoves for around 25k. He had me covered so bounty was not a factor (at least for me). He was an older guy but had already made several moves in less than an hour of playing with him so didn't seem overly tight.

This was a really weird overbet and initially I thought he might be stealing with the A of spades, but then I realized he could also be overzealously trying to protect a set or low flush. Just felt like I was either flipping or miles behind and not getting good odds to call.

Thoughts?

I think you can fold without a spade.

You're going to call and lose pretty often whether you're ahead or behind. You also have the other player who once in awhile you'll be drawing almost dead to

Easy fold and I don’t really think there’s anything interesting/weird about that decision. I like the small flop cbet for value/protection. Checking leaves us in no man’s land on a variety of turn cards (spades, T, K or A).

Yeah thanks, I made a few uncharacteristic mistakes in this tournament and was questioning this hand as a result when I probably shouldn't have been.

Yea I think folding here is ok. I kinda like checking this flop without a spade. Hand becomes much easier to play when we don’t cbet. A lot of hands like 2 small spades may jam here + maybe sometimes from a K or A of spades.

Sometimes maybe exploit cbet super small here also. This is wonky but sometimes I like to cbet super super small just to get info. If a 1/8th pot can get folds also, why cbet 1/2 to 1/3 pot honestly? Seeing another card from a float isn’t the worst thing in the world.

I agree the sizing was a little big but nothin crazy. Looks like he went around 35%. I woulda bet about 1100 myself for about 20% but also wouldn’t mind just betting 700-900.

I think its an easy fold. With a flush draw its more interesting.

I would also have checked the flop because we don't have a spade and BTN is in the hand. In the miracle case where we are called and turn a set and it's the 4th spade we are screwed. Also we get to see if BTN checks and then if BB checks the turn.

Yeah this is good advice, if BTN checks and BB checks the turn (as long as it's clean) we have a clear bet.

Your thoughts about the Ace of spades are backwards. You are only a small (equity) favorite against the naked As, but you have a terrible equity realization problem against that, because it can easily polarize, and leave you with the mediocre bluff catcher that you have. Betting small is fine to put hands like 88 with a spade in a tough spot. It has no value against someone with the As.