Stopping some possible leaks

[rustyboy]

Been running well, working up from the $10s to the $20s and I figured there is no better time to improve than when I am winning. I went through an entire tourney history for the "interesting" hands and wondered if I made the right possible play in a few spots. Thanks in advance.


1. Blinds 15/30. I haven't played a hand. Folded to me in MP with 9 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif9 /images/graemlins/club.gif. Only ~14 hands into it. I raise to 125. Folded back to me.

Is my raise too much? I don't really want a flop multiway for sure, but even against one caller I need to be careful.

2. Blinds 25/50. Still only played the minimum of hands. Catch 88 in BB with stack of 1030. Shorter stack with 550 UTG+1 raises to 150. Folded to me. I push.

Too agressive? His range is probably any ace in this instance and I want a coinflip or even against a possibly worse hand here with the stack sizes, correct?

3. Blinds 100/200, down to five, I have 3000/8000 chips now, before posting. UTG with 1200 open pushes. In the SB, I have 44. BB has 2200 chips b4 posting, enough to dent me for sure. Both seem solid, UTG more so than than BB. Im getting 1500:1100, if the BB folds. Call, push, fold? All three crossed my mind.

4. Bubble time, Blinds 150/300. I have 4000 b4 posting, SB has 900. Others are waiting for SB to get knocked out and have even stacks. UTG and button fold. SB pushes for remaining 600. In BB I have Q9 /images/graemlins/spade.gif. 1200:600, easy call right?

Thanks again guys.

[Jackrabbit Slim]

1. First of all, I don't raise anything to 125 first in on level 2. If the table has been passive, I'd probably limp this one and try to hit a set. A raise to get the blinds like you did is probably fine as well, although I don't do it much (not at all actually). Getting called by the button and having to play this relatively large pot out of position would suck.

2. If the raiser isn't a complete idiot, he's not raising from that position just to fold to your raise. I think taking a probable coinflip here for more than half of your pretty decent stack is very unnecessary. Just fold.

3. You have a nice stack, the blinds are tiny and 44 sucks, throw it into the muck.

4. Yes, very easy call.

[Wes ManTooth]

1. too aggressive, even more so if it is 9 or 10 handed

2. too aggressive, possible call and with a safe flop push, also depends on villian reads

3. not sure, i would fold

4. call

[Fatdogs12]

1 - ohh god that raise is insane with 99 and blinds that arn't worth anything. I call for set value and dump it otherwise. TOo many ways to go broke for nothing.

2 - with 20 bb's. I fold this. I hate calling a push, why do you want a race here? Why not use those 600 chips in a push against someone else, at least then you get the benefit of fold equity.

3 - 44 with the chip lead? Again why risk your stack? I can't wait to fold this. Would be interested in other peoples comments on this one (your reasoning that is).

4 - I def. call this one.

[splashpot]

1. I actually think this is fine. My default raise at that level is 120, but it doesn't matter. If there were limpers before me, I might just call and try to hit my set. But folded to me, I'll just try to steal.

2. I like a stop n go here. Call now, push almost any flop.

3. 44 sucks.

4. Easy call.

[helpmeout]

Looks pretty good to me

1. I normally bet 90-120 but 125 is fine.

2. I like this move, most times he folds the times he calls you are probably 50/50 so definately +EV.

3. 44 is cheese easy fold.

4. real easy call

[wiggs73]

1. I don't like the raise from MP here. If you get a caller, you're likely to be out of position post-flop. If you were in LP, I'd raise since you're more likely to buy the button. I wouldn't really mind a call from either of the blinds since I'd have position on them. Also, I'd only raise to 90. By keeping the pot small pre-flop, your post-flop bets can be smaller, but still large in relation to the pot.

2. I don't think you have much FE over the raiser since he has such a small stack. I think if he's putting 150 in, he's puting 550 in and 88 isn't a hand I want to risk half my stack with in this situation. I only like a call if you're planning on using a stop-n-go, but I still don't like that line very much. I like a fold here more than anything. Note that with a smaller stack, I'd like a push fine. I'd probably push this hand with a stack that was the same size as the raiser's or smaller.

3. I'd fold this too. I'm not really looking to double the shorter stack up here, and I don't see you being significantly ahead here much of the time. You also have 100 chips in out of a 3k stack, so there's no real pressure to call here. I think you lose more in terms of equity when you lose the hand than you gain when you win.

4. Good odds, you still have lots of FE if you lose, and you even have a decent hand. Pretty easy call.

Im not as experienced, but #2 PUSH looks bad.

1. You have pretty much zero FE. The guy raised more than 1/3 of his stack in early position. 550 chips is low at this point and hes probably gonna wanna gamble.

2. In a cash game, this could be +EV as someone suggested, but its different in a tourney.

a) you push and WIN, go from 1000 -> 1500 chips, not THAT big a difference.

b) you push and LOSE, go from 1000-> 500 chips, a HUGE difference because your now in terrible condition. You have just lost a huge amount of FE.

I would fold, but the stop and go sure looks tempting =).
Brian

[rustyboy]

3. I folded
4. I called

Just wondering other's opinions.