Final Table Play: Staring Requirements

[EasilyFound]

I hope this is okay to post here even though it is not strictly a STT. Decided to try two-tables for a while. Not having as much success. Getting used to playing a fuller table where blinds are high and chip stacks vary.

This is the final table of a $10 two table tourny. I often have trouble playing the final table, whether I have chips or not. So I'd like comments about starting hand requirements, whether these hands are playable. One hand you will see how I opened, and then a re-raise push. As for reads, nobody appeared to be playing wild or loose. One player, dtwhitey, was clearly on auto fold. He got disconnected or was away from the table, but he was folding even in the BB in an unrasied pot. So he was a non-factor.

Thanks for looking:

Hand 1:

NL Texas Hold'em
Level:5 Blinds (50/100)
Seat 9 is the button
Total number of players : 9
Seat 1: JimmyHi ( $635 )
Seat 2: mmdmed ( $2540 )
Seat 3: Shufle_up ( $2755 )
Seat 4: bailey458 ( $1240 )
Seat 5: traderjml ( $2705 )
Seat 6: dtwhitey ( $2065 )
Seat 7: EasilyFound ( $2990 )
Seat 9: SpawnRulez ( $1770 )
Seat 10: cubbies_1908 ( $3300 )
Trny:17967118 Level:5
Blinds (50/100)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to EasilyFound [ Jh Ad ]
mmdmed folds.
Shufle_up folds.
bailey458 folds.
traderjml calls [100].
dtwhitey folds.
EasilyFound ?????

Hand 2:

NL Texas Hold'em
Blinds (50/100)
Seat 10 is the button
Total number of players : 8
Seat 2: mmdmed ( $2475 )
Seat 3: Shufle_up ( $1955 )
Seat 4: bailey458 ( $1415 )
Seat 5: traderjml ( $4030 )
Seat 6: dtwhitey ( $1915 )
Seat 7: EasilyFound ( $2840 )
Seat 9: SpawnRulez ( $2120 )
Seat 10: cubbies_1908 ( $3250 )
Trny:17967118 Level:5
Blinds (50/100)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to EasilyFound [ Ac 8c ]
bailey458 folds.
traderjml folds.
dtwhitey folds.
EasilyFound ?????


Hand 3:

NL Texas Hold'em
Blinds (75/150)
Seat 2 is the button
Total number of players : 7
Seat 2: mmdmed ( $4675 )
Seat 3: Shufle_up ( $2130 )
Seat 5: traderjml ( $5070 )
Seat 6: dtwhitey ( $1915 )
Seat 7: EasilyFound ( $2990 )
Seat 9: SpawnRulez ( $1895 )
Seat 10: cubbies_1908 ( $1325 )
Trny:17967118 Level:6
Blinds (75/150)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to EasilyFound [ Ad Qd ]
dtwhitey folds.
EasilyFound raises [400].
SpawnRulez folds.
cubbies_1908 is all-In [1325]
mmdmed folds.
Shufle_up folds.
traderjml folds.
dtwhitley folds
EasilyFound ?????

Hand 4:

NL Texas Hold'em
Blinds (75/150)
Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 7
Seat 2: mmdmed ( $4675 )
Seat 3: Shufle_up ( $2055 )
Seat 5: traderjml ( $4920 )
Seat 6: dtwhitey ( $1915 )
Seat 7: EasilyFound ( $1665 )
Seat 9: SpawnRulez ( $1895 )
Seat 10: cubbies_1908 ( $2875 )
Trny:17967118 Level:6
Blinds (75/150)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to EasilyFound [ Qc Tc ]
EasilyFound ????

Hand 5:

NL Texas Hold'em
Blinds (75/150)
Seat 5 is the button
Total number of players : 7
Seat 2: mmdmed ( $4675 )
Seat 3: Shufle_up ( $2055 )
Seat 5: traderjml ( $4845 )
Seat 6: dtwhitey ( $1990 )
Seat 7: EasilyFound ( $1665 )
Seat 9: SpawnRulez ( $1895 )
Seat 10: cubbies_1908 ( $2875 )
Trny:17967118 Level:6
Blinds (75/150)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to EasilyFound [ 7c Ah ]
SpawnRulez folds.
cubbies_1908 folds.
mmdmed raises [375].
Shufle_up folds.
traderjml folds.
dtwhitey folds.
EasilyFound ??????

Hand 6:

NL Texas Hold'em
Blinds (100/200)
Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 2: mmdmed ( $6995 )
Seat 3: Shufle_up ( $2255 )
Seat 5: traderjml ( $4745 )
Seat 6: dtwhitey ( $1915 )
Seat 7: EasilyFound ( $1515 )
Seat 10: cubbies_1908 ( $2575 )
Trny:17967118 Level:7
Blinds (100/200)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to EasilyFound [ Ah 2s ]
EasilyFound ??????

[ QUOTE ]
Getting used to playing a fuller table where blinds are high and chip stacks vary.

So I'd like comments about starting hand requirements, whether these hands are playable.

[/ QUOTE ]
I think you should treat these situations just like you would if it was a single table tournament. The blinds for the hands you have given aren't really that high relative to the chip stacks.

[EasilyFound]

When I said high blinds, I guess I was comparing it to a full table at a STT, which is usually early on, when the blinds are lower, and you don't have to put as much of your stack, comparatively, in play by raising preflop. Does that make sense?

Sure, it makes sense. But, in full table (or nearly full table) play, the blinds often get to these levels (especially factoring in twice as many chips) so all I'm saying is the situation should not be that foreign.

[EasilyFound]

I get it. I should continue to play the same way until my blinds get too low, at which point I have to start thinking about making a move before I start to lose my fold equity.

[skipperbob]

[ QUOTE ]
I get it. I should continue to play the same way until my blinds get too low, at which point I have to start thinking about making a move before I start to lose my fold equity.

[/ QUOTE ]

"Zachary" /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[EnderIII]

1: limp behind or raise to 350ish
2: suited aces are overrated, pitch it unless you'd normally go for a blind steal in that spot
3: pretty easy call, good pot odds, good hand
4: easy fold utg, harder fold, possibly a push from cutoff or button
5: if the big stack is likely to call you (which readless, he probably is) this is a fold too
6: harder fold than 4, but utg this is bad news