Holes in my game?

[Cosimo]

Sometimes I do well in SNGs. Sometimes I don't. I've been on a bad run for the past 31 tournaments, and I'm not sure why. So here's some hands.

1) Blinds 50-100, 7-handed. I'm UTG+2 with 865 chips, smallest stack yet the largest is only 2200. I open-raise all-in with A7s. What range of hands in this position are worth going all-in with? Is a minraise or 3xBB raise better?

2) Very next hand I get 77. I fold, in part because I'm worried about getting called down later. It seems that a good number of my chips come from stealing with crap from the button or SB. Do I stop stealing with crap, start raising hands like this, or something else? Should I be worried about winning tons of hands preflop because I'm going all-in and not getting called? Is UTG+1 too early to play 77 here?

3) Blinds 30-60, 5-handed. In the BB with Q9o, smallest stack with 440 chips. One limper. Flop 552r, check-check. Turn Qh (two hearts on board). I bet 150 of my remaining 380 (leaving me with 130). Should I have gone all-in? Check-folded? Check-called? River brings a third heart. What then?

4) Blinds 50-100, 5-handed. I am the smallest stack, in the SB with 460, J3o. Folded to me; I go all-in.

[PrayingMantis]

[ QUOTE ]
1) Blinds 50-100, 7-handed. I'm UTG+2 with 865 chips, smallest stack yet the largest is only 2200. I open-raise all-in with A7s. What range of hands in this position are worth going all-in with? Is a minraise or 3xBB raise better?


[/ QUOTE ]

This is a bit close. I would rather have worse hands to push with in better positions (LP, button, SB), than mediocre aces from UTG+2. However, if the opposition is very tight, this could be a good move. Being a bit patient with a short stack is very helpful, IMO. You are not desperate.

[ QUOTE ]
Very next hand I get 77.

[/ QUOTE ]

77 is a much better hand than A7, for a steal-push, IMO. Being in UTG+1 makes it a bit tough, but it will generally be better than your previous push, in these stages of the game. But again, when I push I am more interested (in a way) in my position, the type of opposition, and my image, than in the hand itself. Because what you really want to get with these hands, is, usually, folds. 77 is a very good hand for a short-stack, but it's good to pay attention to other variables too.

[ QUOTE ]
I bet 150 of my remaining 380 (leaving me with 130).

[/ QUOTE ]

If you bet 150 and it leaves you with 130, you should generally push. With these shorts stacks, hands should very rarely go to turn or river anyway, if the players know what they are doing.

[ QUOTE ]
4) Blinds 50-100, 5-handed. I am the smallest stack, in the SB with 460, J3o. Folded to me; I go all-in.

[/ QUOTE ]

At a certain stage you should actually tighten-up as a short stack, as people will call you with garbage because of odds. I'm not saying you shouldn't push here, if you think it's the right move, but you better also take in your read on BB, and on the other players, as the overall dynamics of the game is very important in making such decisions.

But basically, J3o is a very bad hand to be all in with. Even 97, for instance, is better IMO, because of the usual range of hands that will call you.

Only some thoughts.

[Cosimo]

Thanks for the comments, Mantis.

A few more hands. All at UB. The first one is especially striking: still eight people after 50 hands, level 7.

5) 8-handed, blinds are 75-150, 405 chips. UTG with QJs, I push all-in.

6) 6-handed, blinds at 20-40, I've got 840 chips. I'm in CO with AQo. One fold, one limp, I raise to 3xBB. Blinds fold, limper calls. Flop comes KQ9r. Limper bets pot; I fold.

7) 5-handed, blinds at 50-100, I've got 735. One fold, I go all-in with ATo from CO.

8) 7-handed, blinds at 50-100, I've got 1545. Folded to me; I raise to 3xBB with K9s from CO. BB reraises to 500, I call.

9)

Ultimate Bet No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t10 (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

saw flop|<font color="C00000">saw showdown</font>

MP2 (t1130)
MP3 (t810)
CO (t915)
Button (t525)
Hero (t1150)
<font color="C00000">BB <font color="purple">(Villain)</font> (t990)</font>
UTG (t930)
UTG+1 (t1450)
UTG+2 (t1140)
MP1 (t960)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K/images/graemlins/heart.gif, Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+2 calls t10, <font color="666666">4 folds</font>, Button calls t10, Hero completes, BB <font color="purple">(Villain)</font> checks,

Flop: (t40) Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 8/images/graemlins/club.gif, 5/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(5 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets t40</font>, Villain calls t40, UTG+2 folds, Button folds.

Turn: (t120) 7/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets t120</font>, Villain calls t120.

River: (t360) 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets t360</font>, <font color="CC3333">Villain raises all-in to t820</font>, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t1080

[joker1976]

1) fold, unless your opponents are super tight
2) raise, 77 is a good hand
3) allin
4) fold unless opponent is tight and has less than T900

[PrayingMantis]

[ QUOTE ]
5) 8-handed, blinds are 75-150, 405 chips. UTG with QJs, I push all-in.


[/ QUOTE ]

Ouch. 8 handed, blinds at 75/150, having 405 chips is bad. You are getting into the blinds, which will eat your stack. Tough one. Lousy position for a push, though. But things look so bad, pushing is probably fine. Got to double up or bust.

[ QUOTE ]
6) 6-handed, blinds at 20-40, I've got 840 chips. I'm in CO with AQo. One fold, one limp, I raise to 3xBB. Blinds fold, limper calls. Flop comes KQ9r. Limper bets pot; I fold.


[/ QUOTE ]

I'd usually raise more, if I'm raising a limper. 3xBB will not put enough pressure on him, so you don't achieve much. On the flop, it's a decision based on your read. If he's passive enough (looks like one), it's a good fold. And this is actually where having position on him helps you a lot.

[ QUOTE ]
7) 5-handed, blinds at 50-100, I've got 735. One fold, I go all-in with ATo from CO.


[/ QUOTE ]

Looks fine.

[ QUOTE ]
8) 7-handed, blinds at 50-100, I've got 1545. Folded to me; I raise to 3xBB with K9s from CO. BB reraises to 500, I call.


[/ QUOTE ]

Ugh. What is your read on BB? What's his read on you? What's his stack? What is your plan here?

Hand 9: Again: What is your read on BB? What's his read on you? Or is it too early? When he calls you on the turn, he could very well hit the flush already (when 4 people see the flop, and there's a flush draw, and one is calling your bet, there's a nice chance he's on the draw, especially if he's a one who likes chasing).

On the river I'm not sure I like your bet. You could use a smaller one and still fold to a reraise. Against some players checking there is better, IMO. TP good-kicker, on the river, against a loose caller playing from BB in an unraised pot, with this board showing, is not a hand I'm terribly enthusiastic about.

All IMO.