1st ever NL tournament, critique please?

[stantheman]

I'm a regular LL player, trying out my first ever NL tournament on UB (its a freeroll, so the downside for me is minimal) /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Here are 2 hands for critique, if you please. My NL experience to this point amounts to watching the Travel Channel in my boxers on the couch, so please be as harsh as possible - I welcome it.

Hand #1 (Blinds are 15/30):

I'm in EP with A /images/graemlins/heart.gif10 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif, my stack is 1240.

UTG (his stack is 2855) calls 30, I raise to 100, folded around, UTG calls. Pot is 245.

Flop comes 9 /images/graemlins/spade.gifJ /images/graemlins/heart.gifA /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

He checks, I bet 120. He calls.

Turn is 10 /images/graemlins/club.gif /images/graemlins/smile.gif

He checks, I bet 200. He calls.

River is A /images/graemlins/spade.gif /images/graemlins/grin.gif

He checks, I go all in for 820, he calls.

He flips 8 /images/graemlins/club.gif8 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif /images/graemlins/confused.gif

My boat is good, I double up.

What could he possibly have put me on to call my all-in? Is this just a case of "it's a freeroll, what the hell", or do you see calls like this in $$ games also?


Hand #2 (Blinds are 150/300):

This is the hand I busted out on. Unfortunately for the accuracy of this post, I was pretty pissed after it happened and was therefore not consciencious enough to print a history, so this is from memory.

I'm on the button with AKo, my stack is around 8500.

Folded to EP (he is tourney chip leader, probably around 16,000) who raises to 600. I reraise to 2000. Blinds fold, he reraises all-in.

I have to finish in Top 20 (I'm in 5th at this point) to make it to final round, so I'm telling myself to stay conservative. But, I just can't resist, so...

I call his all in.

He flips QQ, the board is rags, I'm out. /images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Was this a bad play? I have to figure I'm no worse than even money against any possible hand, and I'd probably play it exactly the same next time if I had the chance. Right or wrong?

Thanks in advance for any advice/critique/flames.

[Nottom]

Hand 1:
Fold preflop. ATo is not a hand to be raising from EP with early in a tourney. It is however a good hand to go broke with.

Other than that I guess you played OK, You should probably bet a little more on the turn. I don't know what to say about your opponet except, it was a freeroll.

Hand 2: One important rule to remember when its getting late in a tourney and you are near the top and can basically coast into the money .... AVOID the big stacks.

When its to you on the button you have a tough choice. If you plan on calling a 3-bet, you might as well go all-in yourself. He might fold a hand like TT or JJ. The other option is to smooth-call and see if you hit your hand on the flop so you can get away cheaply if you miss. Or of coarse you can just fold, it wouldn't be a crime unless EP has been trying to bully the table a lot with frequent steals, but an EP raise usually means business so it really wouldn't be a bad idea.

[thekid]

Stantheman,
I think you definitely overplayed your 2nd hand. First of all your opponent has you covered. Secondly he re-raised your re-raise which is a pretty good indication that you are probably behind, and if you call this you are at best looking at a coinflip (which I don't think is good enough to make the call of his all-in bet). I think the play was probably a call of his raise and see the flop. If you hit your ace or king, you can bet or, since you are in position, you can check raise him. If you don't hit the A or K, you can check fold and stay in the tourney. I would definitely seek other posts though. I may not be the best person to offer advice. Good Luck.

Thekid

[gavrilo]

FYI - there is a Tournament Forum on here.

Hand #1 I would muck preflop but the rest of the hand is fine.
Hand #2 AK is a hassle. If the raise is coming from a loose player, I would probably pop him, coming from a solid player, I might just flat call and take a flop. Generally speaking though, if I reraise and he comes back over the top of me all-in, I don't like my hand anymore especially when It's my whole stack. Making a decision between mucking and having chips left versus calling all-in with AK, I'm mucking.

[stantheman]

Thanks to all for the replies. I'll move this over to the tournament forum.

[fireman664]

1st hand.....yes you see these calls in ring games, that is why I moved from limit to NL.
2nd hand.....If your goal was to make the final table, and you were close, this should have been an easy fold. You need to have more than just a slight advantage to make a call for your stack (and your actually a slight dog). On the other hand, if your goal was all or nothing, then I dont think its a bad call. basically a coinflip to double up and move into chip lead. My 2 cents .....Id like to hear from Sklansky or Ray Zee on this one.