Late in MTT - Too Aggressive? (a mini tourney report)

[DonT77]

I've been running very bad lately in MTTs (although doing well in SNGs and Ring Games), so last night I decided to step down a couple of notches and play the $3+0 MTT on Stars (with 1881 entrants)- hoping to get back some confidence.

For the first two hours I was on an average stack, slowly accumulating chips - playing my regular tight game. After the 2nd break I started to concentrate more and play more aggressively. Then I caught some cards - winning a couple of huge multiway pots that put me into the top 10 overall in chips.

Recently whenever I've had a big stack I've been too aggressive both raising and calling, and I would bust out before the money even. So this time I'm playing as if I'm on an average stack - TAG.

I pretty much stay in the top 10 in chips for the next 3 hours, peaking as high as #2 and briefly falling into the 30s after a steal-gone-bad attempt, but then quickly moving back into the top 10. I'm definitely winning my share of blinds and I got lucky once on a semi-steal when I raised with QJ in LP and got called by AA in the SB. The flop came KQQ and I pushed all-in since the SB was short-stacked anyway. But for the most part, I usually got my chips in with the best of it.

We get to the final 2 tables (18 players remaining) and I'm in 4th chip position with 295,000 and the average is 157,000 with the max being 392,000. The blinds are at 10K/20K. The payout is something like $1200, 800, 600, 400, 300... 9th=$85, 10-18=$45

After a player gets knocked out from each table (we are playing 8-handed now) I get 77 in the BB. An unknown UTG raises to 60K (3xBB) and it is folded to me in the BB. UTG has about 80K remaining after his raise. The only thing I know about UTG is that he hasn't played the last 4 or 5 hands since we merged from 3 tables down to 2. I don't know what to do here - I'm thinking that if I push, get called, and lose to an overpair or overcards, then I'll move down to like 11th in chips - but if I win, then I can make a good run at the big money. I'm also thinking that it is weak-tight to fold 77 in this position with a large stack. Then an (bad?) idea comes to me: If I push, he will likely call and I'll be a coin-flip or dominated - but if I call and then push ATF I might get him to fold; "yeah, I'll try a stop-n-go" I think to myself. The flop comes 653u - I think, that's perfect, I have an overpair with a gutshot, I'll push here - I'm called by JJ and get no help. Any comments on this play?

Now I'm in 11th in chips but I'm really focused on placing in the top 5. A few hands go by and few more players get knocked out, now we are 7-handed with the other table being 6-handed. I'm UTG with AKs. I've got 152K with the 20K/10K blinds clipping at my heals. With my stack being <10BB and with another 30K about to come off in blinds, I immediately think about pushing - but then I wonder if I should limp-call or limp-raise or... screw it - slide the bar to the right, I'm all in. I get called by a MP player with QQ and bust out in 13th place.

Would any of you have played these last 2 hands differently? I was very discouraged to play for 5 hours and only win $42, but I guess my confidence is restored. I'll be back playing in my $50 live events this weekend and next, and in the $10-$30 MTTs on-line. See you there!

[Prime Time]

I like you stop n go on hand 1, at least he did'nt have you covered.
Bust out hand, close one but I like pushing. Especially because you are low on chips. Lost a coin flip, thats how it goes. Good Job. You R back [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Sam T.]

I like the stop and go as well, and you couldn't ask for a better flop. Oh, well. Would you have pushed if the flop came AKQ or AKJ? That might convince me to stop my stop and go. (And yes, I know this means it's not a stop and go, but there you go.)

[DonT77]

Yeah I still would have pushed if the flop came AKQ (Any board that looks scary to me could look just as scary to my opponent).

Thanks for the feedback guys. I felt that the plays I made were okay, but I wanted to see if there were some other thoughts out there.