I think my multi table tourney play sucks

[DemonDeac]

new to table and havent really been paying attention
satellite to $200K Saturday
hanging around 1000 the whole tourney playin rock-solid early on

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

UTG+2 (t1700)
MP1 (t730)
MP2 (t875)
MP3 (t1325)
CO (t3015)
Button (t580)
SB (t1590)
Hero (t1185)
UTG (t745)
UTG+1 (t495)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO calls t50, Button calls t50, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (t200) 9/images/graemlins/club.gif, 3/images/graemlins/club.gif, 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t200</font>, CO folds, Button folds, SB calls t200.

Turn: (t600) 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t300</font>, SB calls t300.

River: (t1200) 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero folds.

Final Pot: t1200


The SB moved all in on the river and had me covered. Don't know why it didnn't show up on the converter.

Is this the right fold? I think he beat me. Every time he would check/call, he would "act" like he was thinking about it to call and then would. Smells like a set of 3s.

your thoughts on all streets?

[Pepsquad]

Flop Check-Call. Turn Check-Call. River push. Either a slow-played set or a completed straight on the river IMO.

[DonButtons]

Or he missed his flush draw.

[Punker]

I probably would have pumped it up to 200 preflop. Might have bet a little less on the flop (say 125). Decreasing your bet on the turn this dramatically is pretty dangerous, since you go from betting full pot to half pot (as well as keeping a few chips behind); thats a real signal of weakness. Unfortunately, its a tough spot no matter how you slice it, but I think you played it ok generally speaking.

[DemonDeac]

yea. i tried going through everything you guys said in the heat of the moment. i was gonna raise preflop, dont know why i pussied out, prolly a little scared with only 7s. his play just wreaked of a set or 7/8 for the turn straight, but i think he might have raised the turn with the completed straight with the club draw out there possibly.
and i should have bet more on the turn, i agree
thanks guys

[John W]

Why not just play for a small pot and check the turn and call the river if the price is right. And to answer your question, folding is correct. After he called the 200 after the flop I'm in check down mode from then on.

[jackaaron]

Tourney's are great, aren't they?

After the flop, you had a pair, but here's what is running through my mind right now. I have a pair, and if anyone else with a pair of 8's up has me beat right here. If someone has one 9, they have me beat (e.g. J 9)...so I have a few decisions. I don't know how the others acted recently, so from this perspective I would only check, then fold (unless someone put out a very cheap bet). However, you could look at your stack and decide to put out a feeler bet (defintely less than 200), and if it's called the other guy SHOULD have something (unless he's a calling station).

Tell me if I'm wrong, but when you made that 200 bet, you weren't thinking of your moves all the way to the river, were you? Your thinking, at the time, would at least be that you will make someone else pay 200 to see the next card, and if they do, and you get nothing else you should fold right there.

I would have checked after the flop, and if someone bet anything 3bb or over, I would have folded because you don't have the money right here to throw away on one pair of 7's.

But, I'm tight-aggressive, and that might not be your strategy. It's a hard strategy because it requires a LOT of patience, and sometimes tourney players don't really believe it works well.

[El Maximo]

You had some 2 late position limpers and a the SB completed. You need to put these guys on a range of hands first. Im thinking small pairs, Axs and Any A, suited connectors and any 2 broadway. This flop was good for you but it most likely helped one of them. I make a value bet of 1/2 - 3/4 pot to charge any draws and see where I stand. On the turn Im putting him on a draw but am wary of slow-played trips. I would make a 1/3 pot size bet on the turn. This is large enough to charge him to draw and easy enough to let go if he comes over the top. I find these type of hands difficult to play. If he had a set or hit his draw you are losing money on this hand everytime. I think HOH talks about the difference between good and bad players is the amount of money they lose on hands like these.

Disclaimer: My post flop play is poor at best. Just my 2 cents.

[joeboe2001]

Haven't read HOH, but how was the flop good here?

My play would have been to check, check, and fold--IMO low pairs should be played as cheap as possible, especially with one or more overcards on the board.

[El Maximo]

Good may have been the wrong adjective to use. Im not totally unhappy with this flop. 9 is an overcard but not a terribly scary card. I think your ahead on this flop the majority of times.