20+2... 4 consecutive hands approaching the bubble

[wiggs73]

These hands are from a $22 Stars tournament. The top 63 cash and we're down to about 80 or so. The table, in general, has been playing tight. Not many hands get to a flop and nearly none see a turn or river. I've been playing tight and my standard move has been to open push, which has taken down the blinds a few times in recent orbits. I don't have any reads on the other players involved except for they've all been playing pretty tight and seem decent, but not great, at poker. Any comments are welcome. On to the hands.


PokerStars Game #2802757522: Tournament #13543577, Hold'em No Limit - Level IX (300/600) - 2005/10/14 - 15:53:54 (ET)
Table '13543577 6' Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: bjournson4 (16155 in chips)
Seat 2: Kenta (5630 in chips)
Seat 3: acpce1 (7108 in chips)
Seat 4: chiplicker (6840 in chips)
Seat 5: wiggs73 (4227 in chips)
Seat 6: CharlieAces (15131 in chips)
Seat 7: coola (9996 in chips)
Seat 8: running solo (10597 in chips)
Seat 9: Rriovcekr (3787 in chips)
bjournson4: posts the ante 50
Kenta: posts the ante 50
acpce1: posts the ante 50
chiplicker: posts the ante 50
wiggs73: posts the ante 50
CharlieAces: posts the ante 50
coola: posts the ante 50
running solo: posts the ante 50
Rriovcekr: posts the ante 50
chiplicker: posts small blind 300
wiggs73: posts big blind 600
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to wiggs73 [Js Ts]
CharlieAces: folds
coola: folds
running solo: folds
Rriovcekr: folds
bjournson4: folds
Kenta: folds
acpce1: folds
chiplicker: raises 6190 to 6790 and is all-in
wiggs73: calls 3577 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [Ac 9h 6s]
*** TURN *** [Ac 9h 6s] [7h]
*** RIVER *** [Ac 9h 6s 7h] [Jc]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
chiplicker: shows [6h Kh] (a pair of Sixes)
wiggs73: shows [Js Ts] (a pair of Jacks)
wiggs73 collected 8804 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 8804 | Rake 0
Board [Ac 9h 6s 7h Jc]
Seat 1: bjournson4 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: Kenta folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: acpce1 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: chiplicker (small blind) showed [6h Kh] and lost with a pair of Sixes
Seat 5: wiggs73 (big blind) showed [Js Ts] and won (8804) with a pair of Jacks
Seat 6: CharlieAces folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: coola folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: running solo folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Rriovcekr folded before Flop (didn't bet)



PokerStars Game #2802763018: Tournament #13543577, Hold'em No Limit - Level IX (300/600) - 2005/10/14 - 15:54:46 (ET)
Table '13543577 6' Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: bjournson4 (16105 in chips)
Seat 2: Kenta (5580 in chips)
Seat 3: acpce1 (7058 in chips)
Seat 4: chiplicker (2613 in chips)
Seat 5: wiggs73 (8804 in chips)
Seat 6: CharlieAces (15081 in chips)
Seat 7: coola (9946 in chips)
Seat 8: running solo (10547 in chips)
Seat 9: Rriovcekr (3737 in chips)
bjournson4: posts the ante 50
Kenta: posts the ante 50
acpce1: posts the ante 50
chiplicker: posts the ante 50
wiggs73: posts the ante 50
CharlieAces: posts the ante 50
coola: posts the ante 50
running solo: posts the ante 50
Rriovcekr: posts the ante 50
wiggs73: posts small blind 300
CharlieAces: posts big blind 600
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to wiggs73 [3c Js]
coola: raises 1200 to 1800
running solo: folds
Rriovcekr: folds
bjournson4: folds
Kenta: folds
acpce1: folds
chiplicker: folds
wiggs73: folds
CharlieAces: folds
coola collected 1950 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1950 | Rake 0
Seat 1: bjournson4 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: Kenta folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: acpce1 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: chiplicker (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: wiggs73 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: CharlieAces (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: coola collected (1950)
Seat 8: running solo folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Rriovcekr folded before Flop (didn't bet)



PokerStars Game #2802766367: Tournament #13543577, Hold'em No Limit - Level IX (300/600) - 2005/10/14 - 15:55:24 (ET)
Table '13543577 6' Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: bjournson4 (16055 in chips)
Seat 2: Kenta (5530 in chips)
Seat 3: acpce1 (7008 in chips)
Seat 4: chiplicker (2563 in chips)
Seat 5: wiggs73 (8454 in chips)
Seat 6: CharlieAces (14431 in chips)
Seat 7: coola (11246 in chips)
Seat 8: running solo (10497 in chips)
Seat 9: Rriovcekr (3687 in chips)
bjournson4: posts the ante 50
Kenta: posts the ante 50
acpce1: posts the ante 50
chiplicker: posts the ante 50
wiggs73: posts the ante 50
CharlieAces: posts the ante 50
coola: posts the ante 50
running solo: posts the ante 50
Rriovcekr: posts the ante 50
CharlieAces: posts small blind 300
coola: posts big blind 600
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to wiggs73 [Ad 7h]
running solo: folds
Rriovcekr: folds
bjournson4: folds
Kenta: folds
acpce1: folds
chiplicker: folds
wiggs73: raises 1000 to 1600
CharlieAces: calls 1300
coola: calls 1000
*** FLOP *** [Ks Js Th]
CharlieAces: bets 1200
coola: raises 1200 to 2400
wiggs73: folds
CharlieAces: calls 1200
*** TURN *** [Ks Js Th] [3h]
CharlieAces: bets 1200
coola: calls 1200
*** RIVER *** [Ks Js Th 3h] [3s]
CharlieAces: bets 1200
coola: calls 1200
*** SHOW DOWN ***
CharlieAces: shows [Kc Tc] (two pair, Kings and Tens)
coola: mucks hand
CharlieAces collected 14850 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 14850 | Rake 0
Board [Ks Js Th 3h 3s]
Seat 1: bjournson4 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: Kenta folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: acpce1 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: chiplicker folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: wiggs73 (button) folded on the Flop
Seat 6: CharlieAces (small blind) showed [Kc Tc] and won (14850) with two pair, Kings and Tens
Seat 7: coola (big blind) mucked [Jh 9c]
Seat 8: running solo folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Rriovcekr folded before Flop (didn't bet)



PokerStars Game #2802773878: Tournament #13543577, Hold'em No Limit - Level IX (300/600) - 2005/10/14 - 15:56:31 (ET)
Table '13543577 6' Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: bjournson4 (16005 in chips)
Seat 2: Kenta (5480 in chips)
Seat 3: acpce1 (6958 in chips)
Seat 4: chiplicker (2513 in chips)
Seat 5: wiggs73 (6804 in chips)
Seat 6: CharlieAces (22831 in chips)
Seat 7: coola (4796 in chips)
Seat 8: running solo (10447 in chips)
Seat 9: Rriovcekr (3637 in chips)
bjournson4: posts the ante 50
Kenta: posts the ante 50
acpce1: posts the ante 50
chiplicker: posts the ante 50
wiggs73: posts the ante 50
CharlieAces: posts the ante 50
coola: posts the ante 50
running solo: posts the ante 50
Rriovcekr: posts the ante 50
coola: posts small blind 300
running solo: posts big blind 600
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to wiggs73 [Js Kh]
Rriovcekr: folds
bjournson4: folds
Kenta: folds
acpce1: folds
chiplicker: folds
wiggs73: raises 900 to 1500
CharlieAces: folds
coola: raises 3246 to 4746 and is all-in
running solo: folds
wiggs73: calls 3246
*** FLOP *** [Qc 8s Jh]
*** TURN *** [Qc 8s Jh] [5c]
coola said, "of course"
coola said, "KJ?"
*** RIVER *** [Qc 8s Jh 5c] [As]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
coola: shows [8d Ah] (two pair, Aces and Eights)
wiggs73: shows [Js Kh] (a pair of Jacks)
coola collected 10542 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 10542 | Rake 0
Board [Qc 8s Jh 5c As]
Seat 1: bjournson4 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: Kenta folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: acpce1 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: chiplicker folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: wiggs73 showed [Js Kh] and lost with a pair of Jacks
Seat 6: CharlieAces (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: coola (small blind) showed [8d Ah] and won (10542) with two pair, Aces and Eights
Seat 8: running solo (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: Rriovcekr folded before Flop (didn't bet)

[KneeCo]

I would be tempted to raise more pf with the A7, maybe to 2000.
What was your plan if the BB folded that hand?

If you converted these hands so they are easier to read you will probably get more responses.

hand converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)


Looking at the 4 hands though I'm not sure about some of the plays. The call with the JTs is a little questionable IMO. Has the player in the SB been raising/pushing a lot when folded to him. If you think he will push with any two cards here or has been pushing all in everytime it's folded to him I may make a stand here also.

J3o fold is standard.

Your raise with A7o looks fine. However in your opening statement you said that the table had been tight. The player in the BB called just short of a 3xBB raise with J9o which is definetly not considered tight. Then he raised on a very scary board with just 2nd pair horrible kicker. He then called down to the river with this hand.

Without much of a read on the table your A7o looks fine but seeing how the BB played this hand I would be careful trying to steal his blind without a good hand and expect to get full value from him when I do have a good hand.

I'm guessing that you didn't go look at the hand history to see what coola mucked when he lost. Something you should do everytime a hand is over. If you had you probably would not have raised with KJo. Since you now know that the SB is a loose player and there is a good chance you will get played back at.

When you got reraised with the KJo you should have folded. It costs you too much of your stack to call with this mediocre hand. Just about any hand that reraises you here has you beat and you were lucky to be up against A8o and not dominated by a bigger hand.

Hands like JTs and KJo maybe good enough to raise with and even push all in with from late position when you are short stacked. But they are not good enough to be calling raises and pushes with. Part of the reason you raise and push with these hands is the chance that eveyone will fold and you will win and when you are called you still have a decent hand. When you call with these hands you only have 1 way to win and that's by having the best hand on the river. You need to be more careful with these types of hands.

[wiggs73]

Badger, great response. Thank you.

First, the JT hand... this was 1/2 making a stand, 1/2 just hoping to double up. My main fear was that I had been pushing so much to keep up with the blinds that someone would play back at me. I figured any decent player would be pushing with a wide range from the SB if it got folded to them and I felt like JTs would probably not be a big dog to that range. I felt it was a questionable call, but I wasn't trying to sneak into the money so that looked like a fine time to take a chance to double up. I also hoped that if I won, people would be scared to play at me when I was BB.

The A7 hand, I was just trying to pick up the blinds. I would have tried to pick up the pot if I had gotten a caller and they checked and the board looked reasonable. I couldn't see continuing with the hand though on a KQJ board with a bet and raise in front of me.

The KJ hand, again, I mostly just wanted to pick up the blinds. However, after he overpushed, let's look at the odds. There is 7046 in the pot and a call costs me 3246. That's 2.17:1 odds I'm getting on my call. I didn't think I was ahead with the call, but didn't think I was a 2:1 dog to his range to push there either. And again, it helps my table image for people to see that if I raise, I'm prepared to put my entire stack in.