Am I an idiot?: a novella

[invictus]

This is not a bad beat rant, I just want to know what better players think of the way I played a decisive hand.

Last night I made it to the final four in a local no-limit hold'em tournament that only pays the top three finishers. When we got down to four I had about 6,000 chips, Big Stack had 16,000, the other two players had 5,000 and 3,000. Big Stack is playing very loose-aggressive (he called a pre-flop raise with 8-2 offsuit and flopped a full house) and catching tons of cards, breaking people right and left. Earlier he had gone broke twice and rebought both times. Anyways, once we get down to four I start slaughtering him. I win six head-to-head pots in a row against him. Everytime he calls me I have a huge hand, everytime he folds under pressure I am either bluffing or semi-bluffing. He is clearly confused, terrified to enter any pot with me. Now I have 12,000 in chips, Big Stack has 13,000 (he is still crushing the small stacks) the other two guys have 3,000 and 2,000. Then this happens....

Big Stack is in the small blind, I am UTG and see Q spades J spades. I call the big blind, hoping to check-raise. Sure enough Big Stack raises 200, big blind folds, button has already folded. I re-raise 1,000. Big Stack looks bewildered, he thinks for 3 minutes at least then flips his lucky fifty cent piece to determine whether or not to call, I don't think he's acting and put him on rags since all day he has called any raise so long as he has a facecard. Lucky JFK says call.

Flop comes A clubs Q hearts 10 spades

I have second pair, need a King for the nut straight, and have a very outside chance at a flush.

Big Stack checks. I raise 5,000. This time 5 minutes go by before he croaks "call." I smell weakness all over him.

Turn card is 4 hearts.

I move all-in. This time he calls quickly. He flips over A diamonds 4 clubs.

I pray for a Queen or a King but my sins draw me an 8 of whatever. Just like that I'm out of the tournament, out of the money and out of luck.

How bad of a move was it? In retrospect I should have just leaned on the small stacks till I broke them before trying a coup against the only player who could hurt me badly. I have read many poker books and know my timing was horrible. On the other hand, I smelled weakness and truly believed I had the best hand. In the back of my head the whole time was every poker experts' exhortation "Be aggressive." The worst part is that I was by far the most skilled player at the table and know I could have outplyed them all if I hadn't been broke.

So, Am I an idiot?

[hetron]

Tell me the buyin amounts, prize pool, and payouts f0r 1-2-3. That info is important.

[scrub]

This is probably better suited for the tournament forum--you'll get a lot more responses there.

Welcome to the forums!

scrub

[illmatic]

Sounds like you were in second chip position, correct?

You played well against the guy, but eventually he's going to pick up a hand against you, and he did. I'm sure you've you read "Tournament Poker"? One hand out of the money, with blinds escalating, it might be good strategy to stay put, steal here and there and let one of the two short stacks bust out, or join in picking on them.

later.
illmatic

[mullaney]

Yeah, I think you made your stand in a really bad place. First off, limp reraising with QJs? Interesting but a bad plan in my opinion. Why not attempt to steal the blinds with by raising under the gun? I gotta have something stronger to attempt this. Second pair on the flop. When he calls your bet here, it's too likely that he has an ace.

You gotta be more patient at the end and attack the little stacks. There is too much to lose when you go to war over second pair with the other big stack.

[DcifrThs]

[ QUOTE ]
Tell me the buyin amounts, prize pool, and payouts f0r 1-2-3. That info is important.

[/ QUOTE ]

not in this situation. it does not matter virtually at all. in first chip position with two stacks close to broke 1 out of the money it is TEXTBOOK survival mode. remember gambling theory and other topics and TPFAP, the two big guys who go to war increase the ev of the little stacks no matter who wins.

you're giving people free expectation here and costing yourself a LOT. not to mention qjs is NOT a hand to limp reraise with.

the situation to do that would be if you wwere in a ring game and had that control over him.

further, you should also take into account that because he is scared to be in a pot with you he will ONLY continue in a pot with you when he has something he thinks is best.

i would call the bb, call preflop and give it up on the flop no question. next hand. lets get those little guys out and then terrorize the table.

-Barron

[ohkanada]

Limping and going to war with the big stack on the bubble with 2 small stacks with QJs isn't a good plan. Find a better situation and flop and cards.

Nothing wrong with slowing down a bit once you are up to 12k. Attack the small stacks not the large one.

Ken Poklitar

[invictus]

$300 buy-in with unlimited rebuys

Payout:

Winner: 70 percent
2nd 20 percent
3rd 10 percent

It may sound like rationalizing but I was trying to crack the big stack since the payout for the winner was so disproportionate.