How would you play these hands?

bkm · #1 06-07-2005, 06:40 PM

I've been having a bad run lately and think part of the problem is that I'm playing too conservatively in the middle and late game. So, would you fold, limp, raise, or push these hands?

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (5 handed) converter

MP (t705)
Button (t530)
SB (t3500)
BB (t2305)
Hero (t960)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].

Blinds go up after next hand

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (7 handed) converter

UTG (t570)
MP1 (t2015)
MP2 (t1875)
CO (t640)
Hero (t490)
SB (t1675)
BB (t735)

Preflop: Hero is Button with K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
4 folds Hero ????

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t300 (4 handed) converter

Hero (t2060)
SB (t2286)
BB (t969)
UTG (t2685)

Preflop: Hero is Button with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
1 fold Hero ????

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t300 (4 handed) converter

Hero (t1091)
UTG (t2136)
Button (t1938)
SB (t2835)

Preflop: Hero is BB with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
1 fold, Button raises to t1000, 1 fold, Hero ????

The blinds will raise to 200/400 in a couple hands. I'm not sure what the button's raise means. He hasn't made any moves like that earlier. Earlier I tried to steal the blinds when I was on the button with blinds of 100/200. I raised to 1000 and he called his remaining t800 as the BB with a QTs and flopped a Q to win.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (5 handed) converter

UTG (t1185)
MP (t770)
Hero (t775)
SB (t4085)
BB (t1185)

Preflop: Hero is Button with K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG calls t100, 1 fold, Hero ????

Blinds go up to 150/300 next hand.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (5 handed) converter

Hero (t470)
SB (t1750)
BB (t1625)
UTG (t2495)
MP (t1660)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
2 folds Hero ????

Blinds will be going up to 100/200 in a couple hands.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (6 handed) converter

Hero (t580)
BB (t755)
UTG (t2915)
MP (t955)
CO (t1165)
Button (t1630)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
UTG calls t200, 3 folds, Hero ????

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t300 (4 handed) converter

Hero (t1320)
BB (t3320)
UTG (t2130)
Button (t1230)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
2 folds, Hero ????

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (7 handed) converter

MP1 (t1510)
MP2 (t2410)
CO (t460)
Button (t1255)
Hero (t530)
BB (t570)
UTG (t1265)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
4 folds, Button raises to t600, Hero ????

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (7 handed) converter

UTG (t1510)
MP1 (t2410)
MP2 (t460)
CO (t1405)
Hero (t480)
SB (t470)
BB (t1265)

Preflop: Hero is Button with J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
4 folds, Hero ????

jgunnip · #2 06-07-2005, 06:54 PM

without and reads.

hand 1) I push AQ. Great hand to be pushing into the monster stack blinds.

hand 2) I push this. You stack needs some help and K5s isn't a bad hand and it looks like you have a good amount of FE here.

hand 3) I fold K6.

hand 4) I call w/ KT.

hand 5) probably push K8.

hand 6) I push K2

hand 7) fold 98. A push is getting called by the limper or BB and 9 high doesn't fair well.

hand 8) pusheds Q6. most of the time unless big stack is smart he's just trying to coast to the money at this point.

hand 9) fold 33

hand 10) I push.

I'd also be worried about how you got so low on chips in a lot of these examples. It's really killing your FE.

jzieg2313 · #3 06-07-2005, 06:57 PM

I'll take a stab....

1. Push
2. Really depends on the blinds...probably push
3. Tricky spot...not really sure (can't run the #'s)
4. No way you can fold this.....
5. I think the next blinds would be 100/200...Fold
6. Push
7. Usually fold if I'm not on tilt
8. Fold
9. Fold...You still have some FE left (I hate coin-flip at best situations)
10. Push

Hope this helps....

JZ

jzieg2313 · #4 06-07-2005, 07:00 PM

5. I would push this too if UTG had not limped already, didn't that change your thoughts? Anyways, we agree on almost everything else...

JZ

niin · #5 06-07-2005, 07:05 PM

In general, I'd push any of those I was first in, fold the rest. The exception is KT in the BB when you're in for 1/3rd your stack already, gotta call that.

jgunnip · #6 06-07-2005, 07:18 PM

[img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]
It could just be me but I thought some of those were pretty close. Glad to see someone else saw most of them the same way.

lastchance · #7 06-07-2005, 07:22 PM

Hand 1: Not pushing is dumb.
Hand 2: Tough, but I think I push here. K5s on the button, only a 10x BB stack really needing chips.
Hand 3: With a short BB, I think I'm getting called too much. I fold.
Hand 4: Instacall, and push almost any flop.
Hand 5: It's somewhat close, but I'm pushing.
Hand 6: POOOSH. Anything else is dumb.
Hand 7: You only have 3x BB. You're getting called here, but there's a huge overlay. I think I limp along and try to get folds by betting 90% of pots.
Hand 8: Push. Need the extra chips, even with a short button.
Hand 9: It's tough, I fold. With 5x BB, you are getting desperate, but I hate calling 33.
Hand 10: Push, and it's not close.

DasLeben · #8 06-07-2005, 07:51 PM

1. Push
2. Push
3. Push
4. Ehh, I'm on the fence. I probably call though.
5. If the blinds are coming up next hand, I probably push this.
6. Push
7. Fold. Wait until you can open push with something before the blinds hit. This might be close though.
8. Push
9. Depends on the button's range. If he's been aggressive towards the blinds, I'll call this.
10. Push

Edit: I just had another look at hand 4, and I realize Hero is in the BB. You have to call this.

Also, I'm surprised at the number of people that say to fold the K6o hand. SB isn't going to call you without something big, and pushing this hand against the smallie (even if he calls with a huge range) is nicely +EV.

bkm · #9 06-08-2005, 03:44 PM

It looks like I played it the same way others would. I play 10-SNG sessions and this is the first time I didn't finish ITM once. In last night's session, I played 314 hands in 9 SNGs (I played 10 but didn't get 1 summary) I had 15 pairs with only 1 pair above 7s and that was a pair of 10s. Not getting any premium pairs makes it a bit difficult to win.

In the hands in my original post these are the results.
1) Pushed AQo and ran into JJ and lost
2) Pushed K5s and ran into TT and lost.
3) Pushed K6o and was called by QTs and lost to a pair of Qs
4) Called with KTs and flopped top pair. Unfortunately, the button flopped the nut flush and I lost.
5) Pushed K8o and was called by 22 and I lost.
6) Pushed K2s and was called by K9. Neither of us improved so I lost by a kicker.
7) I completed with my 98o. Pushed when I flopped a pair of 8s, but UTG flopped a pair of Qs and I lost.
8) Pushed Q6o, BB called with 98o and flopped a pair of 8s and I lost.
9) Folded 33
10) Pushed JTo and was called by KJo which paired his K and I lost.

Besides bad luck, one of my problems is that I haven't been paying attention to when the levels end. I'd play tight and have t500 with the blinds at 25/50 and think 'OK, I have 10xBB. I'm in decent shape, but I have to make a move soon.' and I don't notice that this was the last hand of the level. The blinds go up to 50/100 the next hand and now I only have 5xBB. I pass through the blinds and now I down to 3.5xBB. So, in a few hands I go from 10xBB to 3.5xBB without playing a hand. SO, I've really got to start paying attention to that.