Hands from EPT qualifier

sahaguje · #1 01-09-2005, 01:41 PM

Hi,

I just played a qualifier on Stars for an EPT event, and I would like to know what you think about my play. Here are the only 3 important hands, not very interesting, but I think I could have done better.

72 entrants, we start at 2500, no rebuy, level increases every 30 minutes. I dont play a hand during the 20 first minutes, and then I get dealt AKo.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (9 handed) converter

BB (t1470)
UTG (t2870)
UTG+1 (t3400)
MP1 (t2550)
MP2 (t2560)
MP3 (t2610)
Hero (t2410)
Button (t2500)
SB (t2470)

Preflop: Hero is CO with K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
UTG calls t20, UTG+1 calls t20, MP1 folds, MP2 calls t20, MP3 folds, Hero raises to t120, Button folds, SB calls t110, BB folds, UTG calls t100, UTG+1 folds, MP2 calls t100.

Flop: (t520) 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (4 players)
SB checks, UTG bets t20, MP2 calls t20, Hero raises to t300, SB raises to t680, UTG folds, MP2 folds, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t1540

SB is not a good player, he enters with a lot of hands, and dont play them well on flop, but here that read does not help me. Should I have just called on flop ? Raised more ? Maybe could I have called his reraise, but what is my plan on next street ?

After 15 more minutes, I get 66.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (8 handed) converter

UTG (t1920)
UTG+1 (t4580)
MP1 (t2530)
MP2 (t2560)
CO (t2460)
Hero (t1870)
SB (t4200)
BB (t2720)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
UTG raises to t40, UTG+1 calls t40, MP1 folds, MP2 calls t40, CO folds, Hero calls t40, SB raises to t240, BB calls t220, UTG calls t200, UTG+1 calls t200, MP2 calls t200, Hero calls t200.

Flop: (t1440) Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (6 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG bets t1680 (All-In), UTG+1 folds, MP2 folds, Hero folds, SB folds, BB folds.

Final Pot: t3120

My main question is : should I have called preflop ? It was expensive, but a lot of callers, and I close the round of bettings. On the other hand, I can hit my set and still lose, with such a small pair and so many callers...

20 minutes later, I find KK.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (9 handed) converter

BB (t2700)
UTG (t5050)
UTG+1 (t4010)
MP1 (t2170)
MP2 (t1585)
MP3 (t3605)
Hero (t1435)
Button (t6405)
SB (t1970)

Preflop: Hero is CO with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls t30, MP1 folds, MP2 calls t30, MP3 folds, Hero raises to t150, Button calls t150, SB folds, BB folds, UTG+1 folds, MP2 calls t120.

Flop: (t525) 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (3 players)
MP2 checks, Hero bets t420, Button folds, MP2 raises to t1435, Hero calls t865 (All-In).

Turn: (t3245) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t3245) 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t3245

This was my last hand of the tourney. What should I have done differently ? I knew MP2 was not a good player. Should I have folded for his reraise ? Just checked behind in order to see an inocuous turn before commiting myself to the pot ?

All comments appreciated, I would really like to improve my tournament level.

Thanks.

sahaguje

partygirluk · #2 01-09-2005, 01:49 PM

Hand 1 fine. You might raise a little less on the flop as it is drawless, but 300 is OK. Good fold to the reraise. When a player C/Rs a PFraiser on this board they can beat Ace high, unless they are total maniacs.

Hand 2 is an easy call. Rule of thumb is call of 1/15 of your stack with any pair if you are sure you won't get raised. Hitting a set is a great double up opportunity.

Hand 3 was well played. Unless MP2 is ultra passive you can not get away from this hand. A bad player could have any pair, a 6, a flush draw etc. as well as a set or two pair. The money is just not deep enough to find out.

sahaguje · #3 01-10-2005, 07:08 AM

Thanks for your comments.

In hand 3, wouldnt it be superior to check behind ? The board was full of draws, and some of them could be favorites if there were 2 cards to come. My opponent, with Ac 3c, was actually almost a 2:1 favorite over my hand. I remind you it was a qualifier with 10 tickets to be won, and the blinds increased very slowly, so accumulating chips was not as badly needed as in a regular tourney.

This leads to a more general question : with an overpair and position on a flop full of draw possibilities, is it better to check behind on flop in order to see an inocuous turn before betting ? Or should you make draws pay for that card, even if by doing so you let them get proper odds to go all in with their draw on the flop ?

Thanks for your answers.

sahaguje.