one last Party $55 hand - 88 in the BB

[Che]

Same Party $55 MTT as other recent posts. This one happened as the bubble was approaching but prior to hand for hand. Maybe 110 left, 90 paid. Avg. stack around 7000.

Blinds 200/400

Straightforward, unimaginative guy (the one who limp-reraised all-in in AQo hand, which had not yet happened when this hand occurred) makes standard open in MP for 1200 of his 8776 chips.

Folded to me in the BB. I have 8 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 8 /images/graemlins/spade.gif and 10583 after posting. I call.

Flop: 2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif K /images/graemlins/heart.gif 2 /images/graemlins/spade.gif (Pot=2600)

Check, he minbets 400, I call.

Turn: 7 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif (Pot=3400)

Check, he minbets 400, I call.

River: 3 /images/graemlins/club.gif (Pot=4200)

Check, check.

Thoughts?

[schwza]

i like the pre-flop call. my initial reaction was to push, but you'd be risking 8376 to win 1800, which is pretty unappealing. but you have too much hand to fold, so i like a call.

i'd bet that flop. pretty unlikely that he hit it, and you'll be in a tough spot if he bets a normal-sized bet.

i like the turn check. hope that he checks behind or minbets.

on the river, i think his most likely hand is a "i want to show down cheaply" hand, like 66, AQ, 99, etc. i don't feel confident that he'll fold 99, so i'd check and see if he has a bigger pocket pair.

[LethalRose]

with your stack I checkraise the flop or bet it, near the bubble he'll fold just about anything here..

If i have a read on him as folding to raises id do this with air, if he comes back its an easy fold..and you're still left with a healthy stack.

But your line is ok too.

[Che]

He had QQ. I should have bet the K and pushed him out.

Sigh. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[MLG]

Don't be so sure he folds. My number one mistake at party is trying to bet people off what I know is 2nd pair.

[Che]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't be so sure he folds. My number one mistake at party is trying to bet people off what I know is 2nd pair.

[/ QUOTE ]

Most Party players would not fold, but I now think this guy would have. If only this hand had come a few orbits later. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

As for the Party calling station phenomenon, I know what you're talking about. I went over 40 tourneys without even making the money when I started at Party, and the primary leak was that people were not folding to my bluffs like they did at Stars and it took me a long time to get that through my thick head.

Now I play a rather TAG game at Party, and I've done well. I mix in more LAG as the buyin goes up, but even in the Million I don't play as laggy as I do at Stars.

Kinda weird how different sites have different breeds of players (but the good players can still be successful at any site).

Sometimes I wonder if the disagreements in this forum are rooted in where players developed their skill set. If someone started at Party, I can understand why they don't like the "push any edge" approach as much as someone who started at Stars. The bubble also plays differently so that might be the root of more differences in 'belief systems' so to speak. Just thinking out loud, I guess.

Later,
Che

[MLG]

I think you are pretty right. I don't think its a conincidence that I hit a down swing at the same time I moved from only playing Stars to playing Party and UB. It kind of makes sense though, since apparently lots of people agree that California, Vegas, and AC players all have different styles as well.

[Stipe_fan]

I totally agree with MLG. I had JJ with a K-x-x flop. I made a 1/4 pot bet making it look like I was weak. If he was a smart player, he would think I was big thus the smallish bet. He called. I then made a pot sized bet on the turn making it appear as if I sucked him in. He thinks then calls. I then check the river. He shows QQ.

Again, I concur. PPs in the hands of a weaker player is super glued to their hands. They can't fold it. I've tried other strategies to simulate a hand but the fish simply call you with second or third pocket pair.

Stipe