Hi, here are several hands that I'm still thinking about from last night's local tournament. First, let me post the payout structure (because this is relevant in a few of my decisions):


T61000 total in play, $89 buy in

1st-$1340

2nd-$670

3rd-$330

4th-$270

5th-$225

6th-$170

7th-$130

8th-$100

9th-$90


Hand 1 (15/30 Blinds, 10 players)

I am dealt 9c4c in the BB. Cutoff limps in and SB folds. Up this point (and actually throughout the entire tournament), this player has seen EVERY flop, turn, and river with the exception of maybe 2 or 3 times. He's calling raises with Q5o, K3o, etc. Anyways, the flop comes AcAdKc. I check, he checks. Turn is 2c. I check and he bets T400 into the pot of T75. I have T470 left after posting the BB. What is your move?


Hand 2 (100/200 blinds with 20 ante, 9 players)

UTG folds, next player raises to T600. Two more players muck and the action is on me. I have AhKs. I have T4200 in my stack. Raiser has T4700 left. The raiser is definitely one of the better players at the table; he's been selectively raising and stealing the dead money. What is the best option here?


Hand 3 (100/200 blinds with 20 ante, 9 players)

Action is to the cutoff who raises it to T400. All fold to me in the BB. I look down and see Ks3s. I call for T200 more and see the flop of 7d3d3h. I have T2000 left. I checked and he bet T500 into the pot. Now what is the best way to play this hand to extract the most money from the cutoff?


Hand 4 (500/1000 blinds with 200 ante, 7 players, Final Table)

UTG moves all in for T900. I look down and see AdTc and my stack stands at T6000. What is the best option here?


Hand 5 (500/1000 blinds with 200 ante, 5 players, Final Table)

Approximate chip stacks are as follows--SB has T5000, BB has T20000, UTG has T6000, I am in the cutoff with T5000, button has T25000. I pick up JsTs after UTG has folded. What is the move considering the situation?


RESULTS BELOW

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Hand 1 - I thought about this for a while, but I just wasn't ready to risk my stack on a feel. I decided to fold my flush and by the way the other player folded when I tabled my cards, I knew I had him beat. I was almost certain he had an ace and was positive after the hand was over, but this guy was playing every single hand, so I wanted to wait to see if I could get his chips later at a better time. This did not happen as he bled off chips to the player in the next hand (who raised to T600 when I was holding AKo). Well, onto the next hand.


Hand 2 - I felt this was my worst decision in the entire tournament. Let me just say that first off. I reraised to T2000, a raise of T1400. As the action got back around to him, he quickly moved all in. I had already T2000 in the pot and with T2200 left, it seemed like an easy decision, but the fashion in which he moved in so quickly made me put me on QQ at the least. It was 80% either KK or AA. 20% QQ. Because of this I mucked and looked to rebuild my stack later on.


Hand 3 - I remember being involved in a hand with the cutoff where a player was all in and the flop came K43 (suits irrelavent). He bet T500 which I smooth called with KTo in the SB. I checked the turn when a 9 came out and he bet out T600; I mucked. He had KJo and beat the all in. Because of my call on the flop and muck on turn being the only hand I played against him. I decided a cautious check and call would make him think I either had a small PP or perhaps a 7. Turn came a 9c and I checked again and he put me all in, which I quickly called and doubled up with my trip 3s. He had KK. I think I would've doubled up regardless of how I played this hand, but would like to know how you think it is best to play this hand, especially if the button is on a steal. I thought my call on the flop would have been very suspicious looking to most players, but having been involved with him in the previous hand, I thought I gave him an image of being able to be pushed around.


Hand 4 - This might have been my second worst decision as I decided to fold. There is no way I smooth call with two huge stacks behind me, but I don't want to move all in here with an ATo. If I raise to anything reasonable, say T2500 or T3000, I might as well have moved in, since I essentially need to call a reraise now or leave myself in incredibly bad shape with a short stack and the blinds coming around. Anyways, UTG took it down with an A high holding KQ. I should have busted him, because he ended up doubling up 3 times all in and was still there when I busted out 5th. Speaking of which, onto the last hand.


Hand 5 - I moved in with JsTs hoping to win the dead money, T2500. Button folded as did the SB, then the BB sits back for two seconds and calls for T4000 more. I know I'm dead! He flips over AsQs. Flop comes Tc4c4d. Turn is Jc. Looking good until the Ac falls on the river. Now, I still felt this was the correct decision as only the top two places were paid anything decent. Finishing third, which I could have done, by trying to outlast the other two short stacks might have happened, but I wasn't going to try to win only an extra hundred doing that. If that A did not fall, I would have been sitting with about T12000 and if I could stay at the level until there were three left, I felt that if I could scoop a decent pot, I'd have a good chance at winning the whole thing.


Thanks,

Dan