3 tournament hands

[Roy__Batty]

it's a satellite. It's PLHE (I more used to nlhe but well, must not be that different)
9 places to the main tourney.
10th to 15th get money

*****First hand*****
9 players on my table

UTG+1 (Hero): 8000T with 66
UTG+2: 12500T VPIP=35% PFR=11%
Button: 20000T VPIP=32% VPIP=3.2%
Blinds 200/400

Average stack is around 12000T.
30 players left.
I limp
UTG+2 raises it to 1200
Button calls
I call 800
I'm not sure about my preflop call. I mean, I call to hit a set but, for a set, I merely get the appropriate 10:1 odds. I consider MP1 and button as under average players so, if I hit a set and one of them has top pair, I'll double up. That makes my call EV+. But as sklansky says in TPAP, I should avoid close gambles. and I think this situation is close to a gamble because I put at risk 10% of my stack for slightly positive EV.
During this hand, I was thinking about folding. considering the skills of my opponents, I thought I could wait for better opportunities. But I thought that, if I won that pot (with a set), I'd get a stack insuring me to be in the first 9 places provided I played cautiously.
So I called, didn't hit my set, and lost 10% of my stack.
I understand that a laydown would seem to be a very weak play but I always keep in mind sklansky's suggestion to avoid gambles when opponents are of under average skills.
Any opinion? Some of you would have folded?

*****Second hand: I lose a good chunk of my stack*****
7 players on my table
Blinds 400/800
UTG+1 (Hero): 16000T that's a slightly under average stack.
UTG+3: 6000T VPIP=34% PFR=24%

Hero raise 800=>1600
UTG+3 calls
More than 20players left
Flop=Jd 7c 2s; Pot=4400
there's only one over card, I'm confident my opponent does'nt have a bigger pocket pair (he would have gone all in with such a small stack and a high PFR), so I bet the pot, putting my opponent all in. He calls all in with QJs and wins the pot.

On this flop, I think there's nothing to do but double up my opponent. He's quite laggy and I can have the best hand. If I check and he bets, I'm almost obliged to call and if I bet the pot, I'm not sure he'd be able to laydown 88 of less. I guess I had to shove here.

****Third hand: mandatory gamble*****
Average stack around 20000T
6 players on my table
Blinds 600/1200
UTG (Hero): 6000T I'm 12rd out of 13. I get ATs.
SB: 12500T VPIP=6%!!!! PFR=1.6%
BB: 5500T VPIP=11%!!! PFR=2.7%

I'm not sure what I should have done. There was two things I could do: fold or go all in. With my small stack, given all medium/small stacks play very tight, I can't wait to be blinded out, won't be enough to place in the first 9. So I moved in and try to take the blinds or double up. If I double up, well, I'll have less than the average stack but I can very well finish in the 9 first at the end, because the player to my right is extremely tight and I'll be able to steal his blinds.
SB move all in for 12500
BB calls all in for 5500
Well, at this point, I know I'm in big trouble as the two rocks move in.
SB has ATs, BB AQo.
BB takes it, SB and I split the side pot, I'm all in on BB nest hand and out.

I almost never play tourneys, I'm more a cash game player. I'd appreciate any thought on my 3 plays. I'll play a few more of these satellites, players are not very good. I'm amazed how many laggy players there are and how come other play so tight. I'm myself pretty tight but never seen someone play less than 10% of its hands lol.

[Roy__Batty]

i'm quite disappointed to get no feedback
sure it's no set vs str8 hand or such stuff but i thought it deserved a comment

First of all, explain more your hands, cards and bets of everybody. What's you hand in secnd hand, I guess 99.

Here's what I think :

First hand : You shouldn't just call when the blinds are so high, it looks too weak. After the first call, you had to call the raise (small raise 3x BB when there's already a limper) and fold to the flop if you don't hit. The error is to limp here.

Second hand : I agree with you play, just unlucky. the guy called with QJs, you may don't have a very good table image. What are your stats, flop %, raise,...

Third hand : A10 is weak to go all-in, but given your stack, you had to do it. it was very dangerous, but may don't have a better hand before you are blind out.

What was the buy-in, number of entrants, ...

Good job

[Tailgunner]

First hand - I'd probably have called here too.

Second hand - What did you have, 99/TT? You're right, I don't think you could escape if bet into you and a push at least has a little fold equity.

Third hand - I think the logic was pretty sound here as well. A fold is too weak and you've got a good holding to play short-handed into a tight field. With a short stack you had no choice but to push, the rocks just happened to catch strength at the right time. Hey, at least you came out alive. Sorry to hear ya missed the FT, put the money to good use.. looks like you've got some skills in the tourney arena [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Ill take a stab

#1I think the line is ok in the 1st one. However this is dependant on reads. If this player was caught stealing blinds or over playing his hands I may push back at him with 88. You are getting 2-1 odds to call the extra 800, but what worries me is the button after you. So this again is read dependent.

#2 I might be missing it but I didn't see what your hand was...

#3 You're not "doubling up" if you only hope to steal the blinds. If your reads are correct on the SB and BB I'd make this play. UTG steals are tough to pull off on the internet and Id probably turn on the heat once the blinds have passed. Id say wait for a better spot to push your chips in.

[Lloyd]

No post *deserves* a response. And your post looks way too long to read. Break it up and be more succinct and I think you'll get a better response.

[Roy__Batty]

tx for the input
second hand: yes i had 99, forgot to tell it

my image: i'm a tight player, not aggressive enough i guess
VPIP around 18% PFR around 7%
I almost never came to a showdown, taking the blinds or taking the pot on the flop.
as concerns my 66, yes i hesitated to raise it, preferably a min raise, which was enough to take the blinds a couple of times, maybe because some people realized i didn't play many hands. Had i min raised it, i would have fold to a 3BB reraise i think.

as concerns the tourney, there were around 70 players, a 10+1$ rebuy satellite.

[Roy__Batty]

i'll try next time
haven't posted very much

[Roy__Batty]

[ QUOTE ]
Ill take a stab

#1I think the line is ok in the 1st one. However this is dependant on reads. If this player was caught stealing blinds or over playing his hands I may push back at him with 88. You are getting 2-1 odds to call the extra 800, but what worries me is the button after you. So this again is read dependent.


[/ QUOTE ]
the raiser and the button were quite loose, if i reraise with my sixes, i'm sure to get at least one call. Even with 88, i think i don't reraise, but i preferably open with a small raise.
With tens or better, i would have thought hard about reraising. But i wouldn't have liked this situation, as, considering the moderate skills of the raiser and the button, i could have waited for better opporunities to shove preflop.