I won! But I'm not happy about it...

[ddubois]

... because I had to suck out to do it.

http://ddubois.bounceme.net/poker/pty_11142004_01.txt - as usual, I suggest downloading and using the Party Replayer (http://teamfu.freeshell.org/replayer.html). This is $50/5 Party.

I bascially didn't play until level 4, except one ill-advised EP limp with A8s. Throughout the tournament, I really wasn't happy with where I called and where I didn't, nor where I pushed and where I didn't. It felt like when the cards were flopped, I was constantly in with the worst of it, but the times I lost were always for a non-critical portion of my stack. Even reviewing it now, I'm not sure which hands were just bad play on my part, and which "had to happen".

Finally, my explanation for the 96o hand is this: I had folded my SB to him the last three orbits, I thought he would give me respect. But in retrospect, I had made a mental note earlier that he was a bit on the loose aggressive side, at least in the early rounds, so I should have known he would not fold an ATo type hand.

[adanthar]

I don't know what else you could do over most of that tournament. (Maybe raise that QJo, but not with LAGgy big stacks behind.) The only hand I don't like is your J8s all in; the short stack will call too many of his hands. I understand the theory, but it's just too weak a hand in EP to do this IMO.

3 handed, I push A4 to that minraise, fold the 96o (I don't care how tight you are, there isn't a guy on the planet in this spot that folds AT here), and you certainly don't 'have to call' the JTo on the last hand; I'd say that's pretty bad.

But, mostly, I would just announce my cards and actions far far less. Do you really want everyone at the table to know you think it's a good idea (whether it is or not) to push Axo?

[stupidsucker]

I am strugling with when to push when not to push sometimes .

Why is the follwoing not a push hand?

***** Hand History for Game 1178246046 *****
200/400 TourneyTexasHTGameTable (NL) (Tournament 7187233) - Sun Nov 14 16:10:32 EST 2004
Table Table 11548 (Real Money) -- Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 7
Seat 2: Panelman (1050)
Seat 3: P0K3RM4N (1155)
Seat 4: Dustin3369 (2215)
Seat 5: daddydink (2280)
Seat 7: gfair (790)
Seat 9: jackshelby (1870)
Seat 10: OHOH_ALLIN (640)
Dustin3369 posts small blind (100)
daddydink posts big blind (200)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to P0K3RM4N [ Qd, 6s ]
gfair folds.
jackshelby folds.
OHOH_ALLIN folds.
Panelman folds.
P0K3RM4N folds.
Dustin3369 raises (300) to 400
daddydink folds.
** Summary **
Main Pot: 600
Panelman balance 1050, didn't bet (folded)
P0K3RM4N balance 1155, didn't bet (folded)
Dustin3369 balance 2415, bet 400, collected 600, net +200
daddydink balance 2080, lost 200 (folded)
gfair balance 790, didn't bet (folded)
jackshelby balance 1870, didn't bet (folded)
OHOH_ALLIN balance 640, didn't bet (folded)


but this one is a push? You are much further from the BB, and the BB has 50% of his stack in, and should call with almost any 2.

***** Hand History for Game 1178259622 *****
jackshelby finished in seventh place.
300/600 TourneyTexasHTGameTable (NL) (Tournament 7187233) - Sun Nov 14 16:14:42 EST 2004
Table Table 11548 (Real Money) -- Seat 5 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 2: Panelman (1500)
Seat 3: P0K3RM4N (705)
Seat 4: Dustin3369 (1965)
Seat 5: daddydink (4260)
Seat 7: gfair (930)
Seat 10: OHOH_ALLIN (640)
gfair posts small blind (150)
OHOH_ALLIN posts big blind (300)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to P0K3RM4N [ 8h, Jh ]
Panelman folds.
daddydink: oh
P0K3RM4N raises (705) to 705
P0K3RM4N is all-In.
Dustin3369 folds.
daddydink folds.
gfair folds.
daddydink: sorry man
daddydink: thats brutal
OHOH_ALLIN folds.
Creating Main Pot with $1155 with P0K3RM4N
** Summary **
Main Pot: 1155
Panelman balance 1500, didn't bet (folded)
P0K3RM4N balance 1155, bet 705, collected 1155, net +450
Dustin3369 balance 1965, didn't bet (folded)
daddydink balance 4260, didn't bet (folded)
gfair balance 780, lost 150 (folded)
OHOH_ALLIN balance 340, lost 300 (folded)

I dont particularly lilke this move either.

***** Hand History for Game 1178273652 *****
OHOH_ALLIN finished in fifth place.
P0K3RM4N: sorry pot odds
400/800 TourneyTexasHTGameTable (NL) (Tournament 7187233) - Sun Nov 14 16:19:02 EST 2004
Table Table 11548 (Real Money) -- Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 4
Seat 3: P0K3RM4N (2130)
Seat 4: Dustin3369 (3465)
Seat 5: daddydink (3445)
Seat 7: gfair (960)
P0K3RM4N posts small blind (200)
Dustin3369 posts big blind (400)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to P0K3RM4N [ 3s, Ad ]
daddydink folds.
gfair: no luv
gfair raises (960) to 960
gfair is all-In.
P0K3RM4N raises (1930) to 2130
P0K3RM4N is all-In.
Dustin3369 folds.
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 6c, 6d, 9s ]
** Dealing Turn ** : [ Td ]
** Dealing River ** : [ 8d ]
Creating Main Pot with $2320 with gfair
Creating Side Pot 1 with $1170 with P0K3RM4N
** Summary **
Main Pot: 2320 | Side Pot 1: 1170
Board: [ 6c 6d 9s Td 8d ]
P0K3RM4N balance 1170, bet 2130, collected 1170, lost -960 [ 3s Ad ] [ a pair of sixes -- Ad,Td,9s,6c,6d ]
Dustin3369 balance 3065, lost 400 (folded)
daddydink balance 3445, didn't bet (folded)
gfair balance 2320, bet 960, collected 2320, net +1360 [ 7h Ah ] [ a straight, six to ten -- Td,9s,8d,7h,6c ]

and this next one.. Why didnt you just push over the top preflop, or on the flop?

***** Hand History for Game 1178279626 *****
400/800 TourneyTexasHTGameTable (NL) (Tournament 7187233) - Sun Nov 14 16:20:52 EST 2004
Table Table 11548 (Real Money) -- Seat 4 is the button
Total number of players : 3
Seat 3: P0K3RM4N (2370)
Seat 4: Dustin3369 (4585)
Seat 5: daddydink (3045)
daddydink posts small blind (200)
P0K3RM4N posts big blind (400)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to P0K3RM4N [ Ac, 4h ]
Dustin3369 raises (800) to 800
daddydink folds.
P0K3RM4N calls (400)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 3d, 3h, Ah ]
P0K3RM4N checks.
Dustin3369 bets (400)
P0K3RM4N raises (800) to 800
Dustin3369 raises (1200) to 1600
P0K3RM4N calls (770)
P0K3RM4N is all-In.
** Dealing Turn ** : [ 6c ]
** Dealing River ** : [ Qs ]
Creating Main Pot with $4940 with P0K3RM4N
** Summary **
Main Pot: 4940 | Side Pot 1: 30
Board: [ 3d 3h Ah 6c Qs ]
P0K3RM4N balance 2470, bet 2370, collected 2470, net +100 [ Ac 4h ] [ two pairs, aces and threes -- Ac,Ah,Qs,3d,3h ]
Dustin3369 balance 4685, bet 2400, collected 2500, net +100 [ As 9h ] [ two pairs, aces and threes -- As,Ah,Qs,3d,3h ]
daddydink balance 2845, lost 200 (folded)

Im not trying to criticize, I want to find my own flaws.

[adanthar]

The first hand is against two big stacks who will be calling weak aces and so on based on their actions. Plus, you have 1100 on the button with 7 people in. There's plenty of time left to find a real hand.

I don't like the second hand. The third is iffy but since the BB will fold almost everything and you're getting over 2:1 and *would* make this call if you were the BB...eh, I don't know. I've tended to fold A3 and reraise A7-A8+ in spots like that one but I think they're all marginal.

On the fourth hand, like I said, I push PF, but once you hit the flop...well, he's not folding an ace and he'll bluff off some more chips with any other hand, so why not let him?

[ddubois]

[ QUOTE ]
Why is the follwoing not a push hand?
Dealt to P0K3RM4N [ Qd, 6s ]

[/ QUOTE ]
Two big, loose stacks behind me. Still early, not desparate yet.

[ QUOTE ]
but this one is a push? You are much further from the BB, and the BB has 50% of his stack in, and should call with almost any 2.

[/ QUOTE ]
I goofed. I didn't sufficiently consider the likelihood of BB folding when I pushed. However, in favor of pushing: 1) I was shorter and thus more desparate at this point compared to the prior quoted hand, 2) I think being in a non-steal position may actually have more fold equity than a button steal, 3) I have BB covered, and my hand is better than random, and 4) when I'm called, J8s is a better hand, roughly a 1:1.7 dog instead of a 1:2.1 dog (if you assume a caller would probably hold a top 15% (http://home.earthlink.net/~craighowald/data/matchup2.html) hand).

[ QUOTE ]
I dont particularly lilke this move either.
Dealt to P0K3RM4N [ 3s, Ad ]
gfair raises (960) to 960
P0K3RM4N raises (1930) to 2130

[/ QUOTE ]
He seemed like a really loose raiser - like when he got caught with queen-rag. I actually thought I had the best hand. I pushed to isolate, knowing the BB could not call without AK,AA-QQ.

[ QUOTE ]
and this next one.. Why didnt you just push over the top preflop, or on the flop?
Dealt to P0K3RM4N [ Ac, 4h ]
Dustin3369 raises (800) to 800
P0K3RM4N calls (400)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 3d, 3h, Ah ]
P0K3RM4N checks.
Dustin3369 bets (400)
P0K3RM4N raises (800) to 800
Dustin3369 raises (1200) to 1600
P0K3RM4N calls (770)


[/ QUOTE ]
I have no clue what the right play is pre-flop. I made a loose call since we were in the money already. However, I think a flop CR is right, as by checking to him, he will probably stab with a pocket pair. Does anyone think a CR all-in will ever get him to fold A5-AT? If so, that's probably what I should do. If not, then a min-raise might look like weakness and might encourage him to re-bluff a big pair (out of frustration perhaps). I'm not sure which scenario is more likely. Once he came back over, I knew I was behind, but with the paired board I correctly assumed I had many outs to a chop.

Thank you for the responses, and don't be afraid of appearing critical, as I am in fact seeking criticism, and I'm sure some is warranted.

[ddubois]

[ QUOTE ]
you certainly don't 'have to call' the JTo on the last hand; I'd say that's pretty bad.

[/ QUOTE ]
Really? I'm surprised you say that. With 300/600 blinds, I was getting quite an overlay, and I had over 3x his chips, so it wasn't the end of the world if I lost. Hmm.... I suppose if he's raising top25% I'm roughly a 1:1.6 dog, and paying 1745 to win 2945. If my calculations are right, it's +84 chip EV? Yes, that is more marginal than I thought.

[ QUOTE ]
But, mostly, I would just announce my cards and actions far far less. Do you really want everyone at the table to know you think it's a good idea (whether it is or not) to push Axo

[/ QUOTE ]
You're right. I was in a chatty mood. The table seemed pretty competant about position steals, so it seemed unlikely I was leaking anything important, but there's no reason to risk it.

[ QUOTE ]
he'll bluff off some more chips with any other hand, so why not let him?

[/ QUOTE ]
So you're saying flop CR is not the best line, but instead I should just keep check-calling?

[adanthar]

I think it's a style thing. He's got a little too many chips for it to be a sure call, and since I know I'm a dog I'd rather fold this one and then go all in myself with two cards the next hand.

The flop CR is fine since a call has the same effect as a CR does on this flop (you're not calling with pocket sevens) and without an ace he'll check behind on the turn for sure. I guess you could call the flop, then go all in on the turn and hope he takes it as a bluff, but I usually CR here.