My first two hands -- some tough calls. Youch, did I do this right?

[Grisgra]

First hand of a $30 Paradise SNG. Blinds are 5/10, 1000 in chips. I'm in the SB with 8 /images/graemlins/club.gif7 /images/graemlins/club.gif.

Three or callers, I complete -- I mean, why not?

FLOP:
5 /images/graemlins/heart.gif 9 /images/graemlins/heart.gif 6 /images/graemlins/spade.gif

I don't go overboard, just bet 50.
BB raises to 170!

Everyone else folds.
Now, I've got the nuts, but I also know that if BB has two hearts, and he's a fish (about half the players at this SNG are, on average, I think), he'll actually CALL. And I'll have a 33% chance of getting knocked out.

So though I have the nuts, I resist the urge to go all-in, deciding to wait and see what the turn brings.

TURN: 3h /images/graemlins/heart.gif

[censored]. I prepare to check/fold, given what I was told about not being too risky early in SNGs. He checks.

RIVER: 3 /images/graemlins/spade.gif

Do I bet here? A little something? I check, he checks.

I take it in, he had 96o. Did I play it right?
----------------------
VERY NEXT HAND I get AA

Two callers to me, I raise to 70. A guy behind me calls, one of the original callers also calls.

FLOP: 2JJ rainbow.

Greeeeat. Guy in front bets 65, I raise to 200 (okay?), he calls after the other guy drops.

He calls.

Turn is a 4, completing the rainbow.

He checks, I bet 100, he calls.

River is the 6 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. The board is 2JJ46.

He checks.

I . . . . ?????

I check, that's what I do. Correct?

He shows J3 /images/graemlins/heart.gif, the fucker, and scoops it in.

Please, critique on all streets, both hands appreciated, but I felt pretty good overall.

(Of course, later in the match when the blinds were 15/30 I raised to 400 after a bunch of callers, and was reraised all-in by a guy in the SB. I foolishly called, he showed me AA.

Lucky me, I caught a set, and the match is still going on . . .

[rjb03]

Hand 1:
Completing from the SB is fine. Playing scared with the nuts is not. If you think he'd call this early in the tournament when you hold the nuts, push. Simple. The fact you are holding a "random" hand in the SB would make it easier for him to call. Would you fold here on the bubble because you fear getting knocked out 33% of the time. You have to make these decisions once in a while. That's poker. You can't let him control the pot. This only gives him the edge. He can get a free card on the turn for the flush if he was on the draw, which he did. That's bad. Then when the river misses, he can fold without second thought to any bets. He is preserving chips, not you. You let him lose the least amount possible because he controlled the size of the pot and the action.

Hand 2:
He played this pretty bad. Checking the river was pretty stupid on his part. I'd probably bet about 250-300 on the turn and check the river if he called then checked because there are no real draws out there. If he had a pocket pair, that would've been a bit strange if he played it that way.

[Grisgra]

I finished 4th -- random J3h guy had 4k and there were three of us with ~2k, and the guy UTG pushed all-in. Blinds were 50/100 at that point, I think. Anyway, I had QQ. I HAD to call -- and sure enough, he had TT . . . and caught his set /images/graemlins/frown.gif.

But that was different -- if I win I know i'm in, and even with the chip leader. Here, I'm paranoid because I can recover from being down a little if he catches his flush.

You're right though, I played it a little too timid -- there's not a 33% chance I'll be eliminated, that's only the case if he has two hearts. If he has two pair or a set or whatnot, then I'm better than 67% to win I think.

Ah well, that's why I post these hands. Next time I'll reraise all-in in that situation and cross my fingers.

[SmileyEH]

The first hand shows some very basic flaws in your play. I would drop down to $10+1's to work them out.

-SmileyEH

[Grisgra]

You mean just being too tight/playing scared? Was playing too loose earlier, looks like I just overadjusted /images/graemlins/smile.gif.

Used to play $30 SNGs at Paradise all the time last year, in general did pretty well. Just need to knock off the cobwebs, it's been awhile.



The problem with the $10 games is that they are sooo random I don't feel like I'm getting a feel for how to play at higher limits. But you may be right, you may be right.

[rjb03]

$10 should not be more random as far as your success rate goes. They should be easier to beat than higher limits, regardless if you think people are playing too loose. Also, when you're adjusting your play, it should not be from aggressive to passive, but from loose to tight.

[wjmooner]

Hand 1-- All in right after he raises. Easy push. He showed aggression and you have the nuts, what more do you want?

Hand 2-- Played fine post flop, but you might have wanted to raise more to get rid of the J3.

C

[Grisgra]

The raise was 6xBB, how big should it be? I mean, frankly, most of the time I'd love J3h to call. Shees! I still can't believe he did . . . ugh. Not too many flops that would hit him better than me -- maybe one in ten if he's lucky.