Step 5 not that hard
 

I won an entry into a 2-table Step 5 fairly easily. I was wondering what the play was like. I figured at $1000 buyin there would be a high percentage of pros and some top pros I might have seem on TV.

There wasn't a lot of bad play to take advantage of, but there also didn't seem to be a lot of opportunity to get into trouble if you more or less knew what you were doing.

The early play was pretty tight. You didn't get a lot of loose action, but it was fairly easy to pick up a pot with a bet.

There were a few weak players. An early position player raised 3xBB to 120. A mid position player went allin for 800. The player to his immediate left called. The player going allin had 88 and the caller had KK. That move might work a lot of times, but it seems EV-.

Once the blinds got to 50/100, a lot players were getting knocked out. With 4 of 20 places paying there was no point in playing supertight.

I wound up a smaller stack with about my original chips in push fold mode. The same thing happened to me in Saturday's Party Poker Million. I am pretty comfortable playing that way. It's all the math of what hands you can push with in what position, as well as playing position, players, and the table.

With the blinds 75/150, I pushed from the button with T850 and AQo. I got called by the BB with T950 and A4s. This was actually a good call, as he was getting 3-2 pot odds, but was less than a 3-2 dog against the range of hands I was likely to have, and he needed to double up. Anyway, he won the hand with trip 4s and I finished 10th. If I had won this hand, I would probably have cashed.

It seemed pretty easy to stay even until push/fold mode. I am not looking to have a big EV+ on these things, since I am not buying in directly, but I would like to make it fairly break even.

Re: Step 5 not that hard
 

i deposited 100 bucks in PP with the intention of trying out the step challenge. my goal was to get a step 5 ticket and be a longshot at the money.

IMO breaking through Step 2 was the hardest part. Step 3 and 4 you can make the money by just playing tight-aggresive and opening up slightly when the blinds get higher. By picking your spot in step 3 and 4 you're in the money easily.

Step 5 was a major disappointment for me. I didn't know what to expect from the play except that some of the players would be very very solid. I ended up bubbling 5th. I started final table with about 2k in chips and was down to 1700 when i doubled through with TT vs AQ, got QQ right away and called UTG hoping to re-pop a steal and lay down if a flop was unfavourable. A somewhat loose player who had been on some steals raised-all-in and i made an automatic call (had him covered by 1800), he turned up KK and i was back to where i started with 6 left and some big stacks to my right. i eventually got blinded out as everytime i was going to steal the big stacks opened up.

I think it's possible to make the money but you need some solid play and need to pick your battles.

Re: Step 5 not that hard
 

I think you and I had pretty good results. You only expect to cash one time in five. When you cash, you cash for good money.

If the big stacks are raising all the time, you need to pick a spot to push with a decent hand, even if you know you will be called.

Re: Step 5 not that hard
 

With the blinds 75/150, I pushed from the button with T850 and AQo. I got called by the BB with T950 and A4s. This was actually a good call, as he was getting 3-2 pot odds, but was less than a 3-2 dog against the range of hands I was likely to have, and he needed to double up.



I think this hardly a good call. You obviously have played tighter than a virgin on her 16th birtday. I would give your range of hands much more credit than thinking that my A4s is even money. I actually think this is a horrible call considering his tournament life is at stake with A4. Now, if you got A4 on the button in this same situation, I say push. Do you see why?

Re: Step 5 not that hard
 

i was considering pushing back with T3, but with my stack size vs. his it's an auto call. I think my best hand was 75h which i did not push on.

Re: Step 5 not that hard
 

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With the blinds 75/150, I pushed from the button with T850 and AQo. I got called by the BB with T950 and A4s. This was actually a good call, as he was getting 3-2 pot odds, but was less than a 3-2 dog against the range of hands I was likely to have, and he needed to double up.



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I think this hardly a good call. You obviously have played tighter than a virgin on her 16th birtday. I would give your range of hands much more credit than thinking that my A4s is even money. I actually think this is a horrible call considering his tournament life is at stake with A4. Now, if you got A4 on the button in this same situation, I say push. Do you see why?

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A4s is a 7-3 dog against a pair or an ace (which is what I am most likely to have), but a 3-2 favorite against king or queen high or some junk, maybe a little less against a suited connector. If I had aces, it is likely I would limp or something. I certainly would have pushed from the button with a lot of hands. Therefore, I think on average he is less than a 3-2 dog.

This guy had been moved from the other table just as I pushed 3 hands in a row. I had hands where I had proper odds to push and I had been playing solidly all along (which is probably one reason I didn't get called), but he may have thought I was making loose raises.

He may also want to make a point of defending his blind, although table image is not important if you have busted out. We both needed to double up to cash. I think it was a good call.

Re: Step 5 not that hard
 

are you going to make another attempt at swimming up the river?

i've got some promos to clear on PSO then i'm going to rebuild some of my bankroll then maybe take another shot at the single tables

Re: Step 5 not that hard
 

I'm not questioning your logic for why he called - you were there, but I do remember a thread from not too long ago where someone went to the trouble of calculating what hands stand the best chance against the likely holdings of a 10xBB push pre flop. The results came back A10 or better and 66 or better. Don't you think he would have been better off waiting for a chance to push himself, rather than call you?

Re: Step 5 not that hard
 

This was a less than 6xBB push from an aggressive player on the button. I could have had 22, 33, KQ, KJ, and various medium to large suited connectors or gappers. He has enough money in the pot that he is getting 3-2 pot odds. If it was an early position push for 10xBB, then I agree he probably needs atleast AT or 66 to call.

Calling is EV+ or atleast EV even. I think it is worth gambling at this point. He is at a disadvantage as a small stack and he did not appear to be a good player compared to the others left in the Step, so I think it is worth gambling. He can push himself, but picking up the blinds is not like doubling up.

I thought, "what a fish," when I saw A4s, but after thinking it over, it seems like a reasonable play.

Re: Step 5 not that hard
 

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are you going to make another attempt at swimming up the river?


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Yeh, I am pretty happy with the result even though I didn't win anything. I fool around some with the 1-tables, but I am primarily an MTT player and am better at the 2-tables.

I won 2 Step 3s. In one I busted out and won a Step 2. In the other I won another Step 3. I played that and won a Step 4. Played the Step 4, came in 13th and won a Step 2. Turned that Step 2 into a Step 5, and came in 10th in the Step 5.

I multitable the Steps 1 and 2. For Steps 3, 4, and 5, I play only that and take notes on each hand.

I like to play them partly because I play at a higher level than usual and I think it improves my play. I am cautious and usually play in fairly low buyin games I can beat.