Percula
02-20-2005, 05:34 PM
Live MTT, players range from the total newbe to seasoned players.
We are down to 15, hand for hand starts at 13. We are six handed at my table. A strong table with three of the six of regulars at the final table. I have the table chip leader on my right (~T$70K and I have about T$65K we are the two big stacks at the table) and a VERY lucky "chip n a chair" on my left that has come back from 500 just before we went to two tables. Everyone else at the table are getting short stacked or close enough that any action they get in will be for all their chips and they know it. I have also been doing a "count down" to the money (1 thru 10 pay) to increase the bubble fear, "down to 13, 3 more to go before the money! LOL".
Blinds are 3500/7000 with a 500 ante. I am UTG+2. There is 13,500 in the pot. A short stack with 18K pushs all-in from UTG, UTG+1 raises to 40K and I look down and find AK /images/graemlins/heart.gif
I go into the tank, and here is what I am thinking...
1) UTG is short and likely pushing with any ace or any paint.
2) I have played with UTG+1 many times, but have let him get the better of me one than once, pushing me off a better hand.
3) That UTG+1 is calling this with any pair or any ace, likely AT thru AK. That he did not push because he was afraid of me, I was dialing up his number all night out playing him on the flop or turn in every hand he played with me. Or coming over the top of him and making him laydown.
4) That I was either way ahead or in a race.
5) That the only guy likely to call after me is the chip n a chair guy, but he did not have enough to be much of a worry ~10K
6) The only way I see anyone else in the pot is if they have AA or KK.
7) That I shouldn't be going to war with another big stack unless I have a made hand, but that my gut is telling I am ahead here and need to push my advantage, as you do not get too many of those in a fast tournamnet like this one.
I decide to flat call and play the flop with either a stop n go style of play or reraise all-in to a check or smaller bet. Sure enough everyone else bails out.
Flop 3 T 8 with two clubs. UTG looks happy with the flop and I just know I do not have him beat, but no big deal, I have been king of the side pot all night, making more on the side than the main everytime. UTG+1 thinks for about a minute before the dealer calls the clock on him and looks pissed and pushes all-in. Time for me to go into the tank too...
1) I now am thinking he has AT and paired his kicker.
2) If I call here and lose I am out. If I call here and win the side pot I am a massive chip leader and can out play the rest of the table before the bubble breaks and have a big enough stack to really play for 1st.
3) If I fold here I still have enough folding equity to play the bubble and build back up before the final table, but will have a hard time at the final table with the rapidly increasing blinds (15 min levels).
4) That he might be just pushing with AJ, AQ or AK or a smaller pair. Back to that race again or dominated hand thing again.
Well I pussed out and folded. He showed AJ against QJ with the UTG catching the straight on the river (3 T 8 4 9). I would have won the side pot and put a huge dent in his stack and set me up to walk over the table until someone finally caught a hand and put me in good position to win it all.
In looking back over the hand...
1) I should have pushed to his reraise, he would have called.
2) I dont think the flat call was horible, not great but not horible. After all I thought I had overcome my weak play against him.
3) My fold on the flop was horid! My gut told me I was ahead, but my mind was not taking the advice. He has done this to me before, and I should have known he was making a move this time too.
BTW, chip n a chair went on to take first place! Some of the best intuitive play I have seen. Making the right call and hitting it hard everytime. He was down to 500 at 23 players and to come back and win it, now that was something to see. Me? I finished 10th, making two bone head plays in a row... UTG+1? Bubble boy losing to the chip n chair on a ugly hand, set over set over set.
We are down to 15, hand for hand starts at 13. We are six handed at my table. A strong table with three of the six of regulars at the final table. I have the table chip leader on my right (~T$70K and I have about T$65K we are the two big stacks at the table) and a VERY lucky "chip n a chair" on my left that has come back from 500 just before we went to two tables. Everyone else at the table are getting short stacked or close enough that any action they get in will be for all their chips and they know it. I have also been doing a "count down" to the money (1 thru 10 pay) to increase the bubble fear, "down to 13, 3 more to go before the money! LOL".
Blinds are 3500/7000 with a 500 ante. I am UTG+2. There is 13,500 in the pot. A short stack with 18K pushs all-in from UTG, UTG+1 raises to 40K and I look down and find AK /images/graemlins/heart.gif
I go into the tank, and here is what I am thinking...
1) UTG is short and likely pushing with any ace or any paint.
2) I have played with UTG+1 many times, but have let him get the better of me one than once, pushing me off a better hand.
3) That UTG+1 is calling this with any pair or any ace, likely AT thru AK. That he did not push because he was afraid of me, I was dialing up his number all night out playing him on the flop or turn in every hand he played with me. Or coming over the top of him and making him laydown.
4) That I was either way ahead or in a race.
5) That the only guy likely to call after me is the chip n a chair guy, but he did not have enough to be much of a worry ~10K
6) The only way I see anyone else in the pot is if they have AA or KK.
7) That I shouldn't be going to war with another big stack unless I have a made hand, but that my gut is telling I am ahead here and need to push my advantage, as you do not get too many of those in a fast tournamnet like this one.
I decide to flat call and play the flop with either a stop n go style of play or reraise all-in to a check or smaller bet. Sure enough everyone else bails out.
Flop 3 T 8 with two clubs. UTG looks happy with the flop and I just know I do not have him beat, but no big deal, I have been king of the side pot all night, making more on the side than the main everytime. UTG+1 thinks for about a minute before the dealer calls the clock on him and looks pissed and pushes all-in. Time for me to go into the tank too...
1) I now am thinking he has AT and paired his kicker.
2) If I call here and lose I am out. If I call here and win the side pot I am a massive chip leader and can out play the rest of the table before the bubble breaks and have a big enough stack to really play for 1st.
3) If I fold here I still have enough folding equity to play the bubble and build back up before the final table, but will have a hard time at the final table with the rapidly increasing blinds (15 min levels).
4) That he might be just pushing with AJ, AQ or AK or a smaller pair. Back to that race again or dominated hand thing again.
Well I pussed out and folded. He showed AJ against QJ with the UTG catching the straight on the river (3 T 8 4 9). I would have won the side pot and put a huge dent in his stack and set me up to walk over the table until someone finally caught a hand and put me in good position to win it all.
In looking back over the hand...
1) I should have pushed to his reraise, he would have called.
2) I dont think the flat call was horible, not great but not horible. After all I thought I had overcome my weak play against him.
3) My fold on the flop was horid! My gut told me I was ahead, but my mind was not taking the advice. He has done this to me before, and I should have known he was making a move this time too.
BTW, chip n a chair went on to take first place! Some of the best intuitive play I have seen. Making the right call and hitting it hard everytime. He was down to 500 at 23 players and to come back and win it, now that was something to see. Me? I finished 10th, making two bone head plays in a row... UTG+1? Bubble boy losing to the chip n chair on a ugly hand, set over set over set.