NL Tourny AhQh play

Early in the tourney, blinds 15 - 30, I have 1200 which is average, at my table 3 stacks bigger and the rest smaller or around same, players range from loose passive to just plain loose. I am in the BB with AhQh. UTG limps, MP limps, button limps, SB calls and raises another 30!? I figure him for some kind of crazy build the pot play and reraise another 300 to try and either take down the pot there or get it heads up. UTG has 1000 and calls, MP folds, button has 1800 and reraises allin. SB folds.


I call time. I can't figure him for a monster, why limp on the button after two players and let the blinds in? He plays loose, but I don't know how wildly. And if UTG had a big hand he would have reraised my raise. I figure I'm a good chance and decide to call and UTG calls so were both allin.


I flopped two pair but the button had KJo and hit a T on the turn to bust both of us. That's OK, my questions relate to my play.


1. Initial raise, the amount and the reasoning for it OK? Or being out of position with so many limpers should I just call and see what comes down?

2. My decision to go allin OK? I have been reading TJ's book and he says that only AA and KK are big enough hands to risk your whole stack early in a tourney. Should I have folded to the buttons allin raise?


thanks

Is this on-line ? In one of the free tournaments ?? I only ask because it sounds typical of the type of play you find there, particularly the raise of 30 and the huge all-in reraise with a piece of crap :-).


In the event you got it in with the best hand, although you probably realise that a flat call pre-flop (of the 30 raise) might have been better. One thing is for sure, when TJ wrote his book, he was not referring to this kind of game. Make sure you know the context of anything you read by anyone (yes even me :-)) before you apply it too rigorously in a different kind of game.


Andy.

Andy


Tx. You got it, it was online. I am trying to use these online tournaments as practise for the real thing. How worthwhile do you think they are? I am a successful live game player but cannot seem to crack it in tournaments. The usual scenario for me is I do OK for a while and get down to the last 25% of players of so and then bomb out. Trying to find out what I am doing wrong. What are your thoughts on the different skills needed to be successful in tournaments as opposed to live games? Play more like a loose aggressive, even maniacal at times? Can you be good at both?

I really think the free ones are not worth a great deal. Too many people are just playing crazily and in a way that would cause them to go broke in no time in the real world. By contrast some of the online money tournaments can be good, Paradise single table tournaments are good for short-handed and final table practice.


Can you be good at both tournaments and live games ? Yes, but it's difficult. Some players evolve a style suited to one or the other by trial and error and can become very successful, but you really need to think to do well in both.


As for tournament play, the key is to be flexible. Sometimes you have to rock up, sometimes you have to gamble, and everything in between. Mostly this is related to your stack size and the blinds but your opponents have a big effect on it too. You have to be able to change gears and then you have to know when to do it - and we all get it wrong sometimes.


I would either stick to money tournaments (even $5 or $10 on Paradise is OK) on-line or get out into RL play if you can !


Good luck,


Andy.

1) I would have just called the small raise and not re-raised. As you say you are out of position unless everyone folds except the SB.


2) Fold. Fold. Fold. Why risk your stack with AQ? It is the death hand in NL.


Too bad you lost since you did flop 2 pair.


Ken Poklitar

I have played both the pokerstars and pokerpages free NL tournies.


I found the players in pokerpages tournies seem to have improved since the original free tournies. I think the fact that players are rated based on how you finish in multiple tournies has made some difference.


The only NL pokerstars tourney I played I found typical free mentality going on. Lots of all-in raises early.


I tend to agree with Andy that they are not worth much but they are fun and if you find a serious table the play will give you some cheap experience.


Ken Poklitar

You have to just call preflop. The risk is to great that someone will come over top of you with somthing here. It is very possible that an early position player is trapping (not the case here, but this is results oriented). You could have raised 300 if you had 5000, not when have 1200. The problem is with only 1200 25% of your stack is already in.


A limo with AQ is great here. If it gets re raised you simply muck. If it is limped you just check and fold when you miss, and when you hit big youare well hidden.