3 hands- From top 5 to low stack

Chuckster · #1 02-15-2005, 12:06 PM

I was top 5 in chip count (1250 entrants, down to 70...already in the money)

Hand #1
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t2000 (9 handed) converter

MP1 (t8268)
MP2 :#A500AF(VILLIAN)/ (t7704)
MP3 (t13305)
CO (t8398)
Button (t14472)
SB (t7965)
HERO (t49693)
UTG (t17038)
UTG+1 (t36863)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
3 folds, MP2 :#A500AF(VILLIAN)/ raises to t7604, 4 folds, HERO calls t5604.

Flop: (t14008) K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)

Turn: (t14008) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)

River: (t14008) 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)

Final Pot: t14008

Is this an automatic call considering my stack? Although it is about 8000 in chips, it still is a decent size %age of my stack. Should I be avoiding these situations and just be more patient??

Hand #2:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t2000 (9 handed) converter

UTG+1 (t8168)
MP1 (t17108)
MP2 (t13205)
MP3 :#A500AF(VILLIAN 2)/ (t8298)
CO (t14372)
Button (t6865)
HERO (t41989)
BB (t16938)
UTG :#A500AF(VILLIAN)/ (t36763)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG :#A500AF(VILLIAN)/ raises to t6000, 3 folds, MP3 :#A500AF(VILLIAN 2)/ raises to t8198, 4 folds, UTG :#A500AF(VILLIAN)/ calls t2198.

Flop: (t17096) A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)

Turn: (t17096) 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)

River: (t17096) 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)

Final Pot: t17096

Do I need to gamble it up here. Is this the classic case of two below average stacks getting deperate? I still feel that with a raise and re-raise my AJ looks bad. This was just immediately after the previous hand posted and I had the "here we go again...the collapse is coming" attitude. Thoughts??

Hand #3:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t2000 (8 handed) converter

MP2 (t11368)
CO (t13508)
Button (t23205)
SB (t13772)
BB :#A500AF(VILLIAN)/ (t13175)
HERO (t34389)
UTG+1 (t13338)
MP1 (t42261)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
HERO calls t2000, 6 folds, BB :#A500AF(VILLIAN)/ checks.

Flop: (t4700) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
VILLIAN checks, HERO bets t12000, VILLIAN calls t11075 (All-In).

Turn: (t27775) T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t27775) J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t27775

This was 5 hands after the AJ fold. I've dropped from 49,000 to 34,000 in a matter of 7 hands. Would you fold, raise, or call with this hand?? Given the flop, can I do anything else but put the villian all-in here??

I went from top 5 to out in 50th place in a matter of minutes. I feel that my game is really hurting as far as playing with a monster stack. Odd as it sounds, I feel more comfortable playing with an average or below average stack and figthing and clawing my way around.

Thoughts on these hands?

Thanks in advance

Sam T. · #2 02-15-2005, 12:19 PM

Hand 1: I don't like doing it, but I think this is a good call. The blinds are creeping up on this guy, and he's pretty desperate at 3.5 BB. You are probably the happy side of a coin-flip, but bear in mind that he's going to make this push with Ax, so you may be in better shape than that.

Hand two: One push I might call, a push and a raise, I think you gotta let this go. How often is someone going to re-raise like this with a hand worse that AJ?

Hand 3: Muck pre-flop. You're in terrible position, and you do not want to face a raise here.

Why push the flop? Overbets like this just scream "I have nothing but a draw", and you'll get called by some crappy hands that beat yours. Bet less and see what happens, or take the free card.

Chuckster · #3 02-15-2005, 02:33 PM

I agree with mucking pre-flop.

However, once I was in and flopped the nut flush draw, I figured putting him to the test for all his chips was the best choice. If I bet smaller, say 4,000...and he goes all-in, I pretty much have to call the last 6,000 as there would be close to 15,000 in the pot. Although my pot odds might say not to call, I would still be left with T20,000 if I missed.

Figuring this out, I decided to put him all-in. Let's not forget that he called with nothing but A-Q (although it was good). I feel many would fold in his same shoes.

billyjex · #4 02-15-2005, 02:44 PM

Hand 1: Easy call. The guy has 4xbb and could (should) be pushing most any ace, two high cards, lower pairs than yours, etc. It's very doubtful you're an underdog here.

Hand 2: Easy fold. Two opponents showing strength and a willingness to get all their chips in the middle makes AJo seem weak.

Hand 3: Easy fold preflop. Most of the time you'll be throwing away 2000 chips this stage of the tourney when someone reraises all in.

Since you made it to the flop, a semibluff isn't bad, but I think I would take the free card on the flop.

Chuckster · #5 02-15-2005, 02:54 PM

Hand 1: Most of you are correct with the read on the villian. He had A-4o and his Ace took it down. Considering I was already in for the BB, I think its a MUST that I call

Hand 2: The re-raise messed it up as I obviously would have taken the hand. What pissed me off was that They both had worse hands (K-10 and some other garbage). I still think that I need to fold this, although they were both in "desperation" mode

Hand 3: Villian had A-Q and called all his chips with Ace high. I need to get away from playing these Ax suited hands (especally out of position). Even in good position I don't like them too much because if you hit an Ace....then what? You basically are hoping for 2 pairs or a flush draw when you play Ax suited. Considering I was in already, and hit the flush draw, it was tough to put the villian on a hand like AQ. In retrospect a bet for about 3500 might have worked better in this situation.

sdplayerb · #6 02-15-2005, 03:03 PM

I think you played the first two perfect.
In #2, raise and reraise, AJ is worthless. More important the initial raise was from UTG with a lot of chips and he can greatly damage you. Unlikely you are ahead of him. Why do u think he is desparate?

Now #3, you limp from UTG for that much of your stack with crap. That is very bad. It is raise or fold at this point of the tourney as it is. I'd fold since UTG 8 handed. But I'd definitely raise before calling. 6 handed I am raising there, 7 handed I am raising from any position other than UTG.

You played the flop fine, that is a no brainer.