NLHE Tourney Hands

Hi, here are several hands that I'm still thinking about from last night's local tournament. First, let me post the payout structure (because this is relevant in a few of my decisions):


T61000 total in play, $89 buy in

1st-$1340

2nd-$670

3rd-$330

4th-$270

5th-$225

6th-$170

7th-$130

8th-$100

9th-$90


Hand 1 (15/30 Blinds, 10 players)

I am dealt 9c4c in the BB. Cutoff limps in and SB folds. Up this point (and actually throughout the entire tournament), this player has seen EVERY flop, turn, and river with the exception of maybe 2 or 3 times. He's calling raises with Q5o, K3o, etc. Anyways, the flop comes AcAdKc. I check, he checks. Turn is 2c. I check and he bets T400 into the pot of T75. I have T470 left after posting the BB. What is your move?


Hand 2 (100/200 blinds with 20 ante, 9 players)

UTG folds, next player raises to T600. Two more players muck and the action is on me. I have AhKs. I have T4200 in my stack. Raiser has T4700 left. The raiser is definitely one of the better players at the table; he's been selectively raising and stealing the dead money. What is the best option here?


Hand 3 (100/200 blinds with 20 ante, 9 players)

Action is to the cutoff who raises it to T400. All fold to me in the BB. I look down and see Ks3s. I call for T200 more and see the flop of 7d3d3h. I have T2000 left. I checked and he bet T500 into the pot. Now what is the best way to play this hand to extract the most money from the cutoff?


Hand 4 (500/1000 blinds with 200 ante, 7 players, Final Table)

UTG moves all in for T900. I look down and see AdTc and my stack stands at T6000. What is the best option here?


Hand 5 (500/1000 blinds with 200 ante, 5 players, Final Table)

Approximate chip stacks are as follows--SB has T5000, BB has T20000, UTG has T6000, I am in the cutoff with T5000, button has T25000. I pick up JsTs after UTG has folded. What is the move considering the situation?


RESULTS BELOW

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Hand 1 - I thought about this for a while, but I just wasn't ready to risk my stack on a feel. I decided to fold my flush and by the way the other player folded when I tabled my cards, I knew I had him beat. I was almost certain he had an ace and was positive after the hand was over, but this guy was playing every single hand, so I wanted to wait to see if I could get his chips later at a better time. This did not happen as he bled off chips to the player in the next hand (who raised to T600 when I was holding AKo). Well, onto the next hand.


Hand 2 - I felt this was my worst decision in the entire tournament. Let me just say that first off. I reraised to T2000, a raise of T1400. As the action got back around to him, he quickly moved all in. I had already T2000 in the pot and with T2200 left, it seemed like an easy decision, but the fashion in which he moved in so quickly made me put me on QQ at the least. It was 80% either KK or AA. 20% QQ. Because of this I mucked and looked to rebuild my stack later on.


Hand 3 - I remember being involved in a hand with the cutoff where a player was all in and the flop came K43 (suits irrelavent). He bet T500 which I smooth called with KTo in the SB. I checked the turn when a 9 came out and he bet out T600; I mucked. He had KJo and beat the all in. Because of my call on the flop and muck on turn being the only hand I played against him. I decided a cautious check and call would make him think I either had a small PP or perhaps a 7. Turn came a 9c and I checked again and he put me all in, which I quickly called and doubled up with my trip 3s. He had KK. I think I would've doubled up regardless of how I played this hand, but would like to know how you think it is best to play this hand, especially if the button is on a steal. I thought my call on the flop would have been very suspicious looking to most players, but having been involved with him in the previous hand, I thought I gave him an image of being able to be pushed around.


Hand 4 - This might have been my second worst decision as I decided to fold. There is no way I smooth call with two huge stacks behind me, but I don't want to move all in here with an ATo. If I raise to anything reasonable, say T2500 or T3000, I might as well have moved in, since I essentially need to call a reraise now or leave myself in incredibly bad shape with a short stack and the blinds coming around. Anyways, UTG took it down with an A high holding KQ. I should have busted him, because he ended up doubling up 3 times all in and was still there when I busted out 5th. Speaking of which, onto the last hand.


Hand 5 - I moved in with JsTs hoping to win the dead money, T2500. Button folded as did the SB, then the BB sits back for two seconds and calls for T4000 more. I know I'm dead! He flips over AsQs. Flop comes Tc4c4d. Turn is Jc. Looking good until the Ac falls on the river. Now, I still felt this was the correct decision as only the top two places were paid anything decent. Finishing third, which I could have done, by trying to outlast the other two short stacks might have happened, but I wasn't going to try to win only an extra hundred doing that. If that A did not fall, I would have been sitting with about T12000 and if I could stay at the level until there were three left, I felt that if I could scoop a decent pot, I'd have a good chance at winning the whole thing.


Thanks,

Dan

1) Move in. He probably wouldn't make such a huge overbet if he is full or hit a higher flush.


2) Move in. A smaller reraise is pointless as it would make you pot stuck and your hand is too good to muck here.


3) I would move in. You probably won't get any more action unless he has outs to beat you. If he has an overpair or A7, he would probably call, so it wouldn't matter, but if he is on a semi-bluff w/ two diamonds, you have to deny him any implied odds.


4) UTG would play here 50% of the time. Move in to isolate him.


5) Fold. You aren't that desperate yet and don't want to play a J-high hand here w/ 3 players to act behind you, two of which can afford to call and one who cannot afford to fold any playable hand.


cu


Ignatius

Dan,


Here goes, I made up my mind before reading the results, honest :


1) If he's that much of a maniac, you have to play it. How much of a better situation do you need ? He could be anything from drawing thin to absolutely stone dead. Whether you raise or call depends how you have seen him react to raises up to this point. If he's bluffing completely, will he call you anyway if you raise ? Or will he follow it up on the river if you call ? BTW you should rest assured that however you might play your hands it would be some considerable achievement to play a hand worse than he plays this one.


2) As you now realise, to get half way in and then fold is the worst thing you can do. If you think your opponent is a lot better than you (which is the impression I get), bash it all in with AK here. This is unlikely to be a mistake given the range of hands he can have, and means you can't be outplayed later in the pot (as happened I'm afraid).


3) Depends on the player. In fact the information we really need to answer the question is contained in your own answer ! Your thinking was good on this one. Once again your opponent plays the hand dreadfully. Where is this tournament :-)


4) With just the question there is no way I could answer this. We need to know your position and what kind of players/stacks are behind you. If there are two big stacks behind you, you are correct to fold I think. You don't have to put yourself in jeopardy just to bust other people, that's not your problem.


5) I play it just like you did. Tough break to run into as big a hand as that behind you but even so you were probably only a 2-1 dog.


Hope this helps,


Andy.

Ignatius and Andy,


Thanks for the comments. Yeah, I thought the player in the cutoff got a little too fancy for his own good when I flopped the trip 3s. I would've definitely raised a little more than just doubling the blinds. I'm going to call with any two cards at that point.


The funny thing is if I played that AK, I probably would've gone bust...The player said he had KK and I believe him by the way the hand went down. As soon as it got back to him, it was all-in. He knew I was pot committed, so I doubt he would make that move with QQ (only a 1 in 5 chance I thought). BTW, I don't think the player is better than me, but I don't like going all in drawing thin. I should have reraised maybe less? I'm not sure; I don't think flat calling is an option. Bad read on my part when he first raised, I thought it was another steal attempt.


On hand 4, there were certainly players behind me who could easily cover me, so I didn't feel like I should mess around. I was hoping the SB would call for T500 and check it down with the BB, but the SB mucked and so it was just the BB against the all in.


On hand 5, the opinion seems to be mixed. I felt if I didn't move in, by the time I posted the BB (assuming I fold the next hand UTG) I would only be left with about T3000 and surely facing a raise from one of the big stacks. I felt I needed to win the dead money and was hoping the BB would lay down his hand, but he woke up with AQs. What can I do?


BTW, as the J fell on the turn, I knew it was too good to be true, I was waiting for the K to fill his gutter, but the A came instead.


And this tourney was played in the Bay Area (California)...


Dan

1) Go all-in. I doubt I would have checked since there are so many cards that kill your hand.


2) I would raise to 1800.


3) I probably would have lead the betting and hoped he raised. If you check-raise here he is going to have you pegged for a 3. I think I just call the flop and lead the betting on the turn.


4) You don't mention your position on this hand. If I was in early I would fold. If I was in late or the SB I would raise to try to get headsup with a desperate raiser.


5) I think this is close to going all-in and waiting for 1 more hand. I most likely go all-in.


Ken Poklitar

ohKanada@hotmail.com

Ken,


Thanks for your comments. I was thinking on hand 2, since you recommended T1800 (And I raised to T2000), there doesn't seem to be a difference. But perhaps I could have raised to T1200 and represented aces or kings with my small reraise defining my hand. If he had kings, perhaps, he now has to sit back and wonder if I really hold aces with that move? Thoughts?


Dan

Hand 1: I think you have to call here and check the river for you lat few bucks (he MAY check a higher flush behind you, and some chips are better than none). I give him an ace. He slowplayed and the turn brought a possible flush. He did not want you to make a cheap flush on the river. Call


Hand 2: You should have made it 1500, then you can muck if he moves all in--You said he is a saavy player and he did raise in early position. I really dont like to committ all of my chips with Ak. That said, once you made it 2K you have to call all in. He could have Ak, and even if he has KK your price is right.


hand 3: forget extracting money, the pot is big enough. Just move in and hope he does not have you beat. I can tell by the way you phrased the question what did not happen, but he could make a flush to beat you the turn (or hit a full with a pocket pair). The pot is well over 1000 and you only have 2K left? dont get greedy. BTW dont call preflop with this hand, for only a couple hundred more you could lose you whole stack. what is the flop had come K-3-3?


Hand 4: just call 1000. You will play with the BB and the all in. Hopefully the BB will check it down to knock out the UTG. With less than 1 BB he does not have to have much to raise here. He coul dhave KJ or A6. Dont worry about the stacks behind you. If they wake up with a hand (AK, AA, KK or QQ) they will move all in, and you just fold. If they have almost anything else they will look to call and check it down with you to move up the pay scale.


Hand 5: This hand can go either way. I am not clear what the blinds and antes are. If I have more than 4 rounds I pass on j-10. If I have 3 rounds left I move in with it. between 3 and 4 is close. I lean towards mucking. People will be looking to bust the shorter stacks any chance they get, and you can NOT WIN without improvement. I would rather have A6 (of course worse in this case, but in general) than J-10. Still not awful, a fairly close play.

Russell,


I would have had only two more rounds in regards to hand 5. Blinds were 500/1000 with 200 ante. I had 4900 after posting my ante and the next round was coming up where blinds would be 700/1500 with 300 antes.


Thanks for the advice on hand 2, 1500 seems to make a lot more sense. And on hand 4, I'll try calling. This has happened to me 3 times at a final table where I pick up ATo in middle position and haven't called an all in bet from early position (1.5x the BB was the most ever the all in was)


Again, thanks for your help...


Dan

"I would rather have A6 (of course worse in this case, but in general) than J-10. "


I don't know about this, against the kinds of hands you will get called by, namely an Ace or a pair. There are a whole bunch of these hands against which you would rather hold JT. A6 is only noticeably better against JJ, QQ, KK, KJ, QJ, KT, QT. Note that if someone does call you with A2-A5 (a bad call IMO) there is a high probability of a split pot.


Andy.