500+50 tourney report (LOTS of poker content and I need help!)

[zuluking]

I'm still kinda new to MTT's, having played limit cash games most of my life, so any help would be appreciated. This is the 5th "big" tourney I've ever been in, by big I mean a $200 and up buy-in tourney (that's big for me), though I have played a few low buy-in tournies over the years.

I won a 50+10 satellite on my second try to get into this B&M tourney. This is the toughest competition I've ever faced. The satellite was a piece of cake. The main event was packed with excellent players. 100 players total started.

I'll admit up front that in a NLHE tourney, I hate getting AQ and AK in early position. And with that...

16,000 chips to start, level 1 blinds are 100/200. I get A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] in MP, its folded to me, I open raise to 1500, the button calls. Flop is 8 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] I bet 3000, button calls. Turn is 5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] I check, button checks. River is 2 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] I check, button checks and turns over J10 offsuit. I've got 11,000 in chips.

Still level 1, I get K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] UTG and open raise to 800. MP calls, CO raises to 2500, and I re-raise all-in. MP hims and haws, and debates, and sits in the tank. Finally he says, "I just can't lay this hand down.", and calls with A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] WTF?!?!? CO folds, the board is no help for MP and he's sent home. Chip count 27K.

Final level 1 hand I play: I'm MP with K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] and open raise to 800. 3 callers and the flop is J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] I bet 3000 and all 3 fold. Chip count 30K.

Level 2, 200/500 blinds. I get K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] in MP and open raise to 2000. Folded to the SB who is short stack and goes all-in for 5,500. I call, he's got JJ and I flop a K to send him packing. Chip count 33.5K at the first break.

Level 3, 500/1000 blinds. I get K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] MP+3 and open raise to 4000. Only the button calls and the flop is 2 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] I check, the button checks. Turn is 8 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] I check, button bets 3000, I raise to 10K and the button folds. Chip count 38.5K.

Level 4, blinds 1K/2K. I get A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] UTG and go all-in. UTG+1 and UTG+2 are both short-stacked. UTG+1 hims and haws, and stares me down. By now I'm thinking he's got middle pair. He finally calls, and UTG+2 insta calls. Uh-oh! The rest fold and I'm up against KK (UTG+1) and AA. The board is no help (duh) and UTG+2 triples up and criples me. Chip count 11K.

The very next hand I get A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] in the BB. MP had called the BB, everyone else had folded. I push and get called by K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] An ace hits on the turn and I double up to 23K.

Level 5 (2K/5K blinds) is approaching in about 5 minutes and I'm in MP with K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] I open raise all-in for 23K. SB thinks and thinks, finally folds and BB insta-calls me with AA and I'm out in 35th place.

Any comments and any help appreciated. Thanks.
zulu

[ClaytonN]

You open raise too large. Beyond that, I like how you played your hands postflop for the most part.

I agree, there is really no reason to bet 19x the BB UTG. You will only get called by hands that beat you. If they can't beat you, you only win the reletively small blinds. Risk vs reward is not there.

[JC_Saves]

At 100/200 level why are you raising with AK 7.5BBs? I think that is way too much with this kind of hand up front. Especially, given the fact you will oftentimes be a significant dog when you miss the flop.

WIth the KK hand why go all in after a 8.5BB reraise to 12.5BB from someone with position on you, and even still one more player to act? I think that this play is shaky at best.

Lvl 3 KK hand: You cannot check this flop given there are 2 flush cards there. You are giving him a free chance to make you cry. You have got to bet at minimum 1/2 pot to 2/3 pot to at least give him improper odds if he chooses to pursue a flush.

Lvl 4 AQ offsuit: AQo UTG is a good hand, but it is not hand that you should be raising all-in with your entire table to act behind you. I would at most bet 3BB, and more often I would limp with AQo UTG. You left yourself zero ways to get out of this hand if you needed to and as a result you lost a ton of chips when you didn't need to.

If you limped with AQo and one of the short stacks went all in, and then another player goes all-in, it should give you pause to think that you are dominated and way behind. You would then have to assess the pot odds to see if it is even remotely feasible to call. Considering you lost 27K in chips I question your definition of short stack.

A short stack is not the smallest chip stack at the table. It is when someone is down to say 12BB or thereabouts. Having someone be able to put in 27k did not make them a short stack by any stretch of the imagination.

Your last hand was played when you had about 12BBs. You could have limped with this hand and seen what the flop was, and you even could have bet 3BBs and you would have known something was up when the BB calls you, and then you would have to play it by ear on the flop.

I think that you risk far more chips than are necessary to accomplish what you want to do. You either don't give people an opportunity to make a mistake by calling, or you risk more than you have to.

When you go all in you remove all furthe decision making by yourself and others if they call you. Whereas you could have then made a bet on a scary board and gotten someone to fold or you yourself could get away from a hand.

[LSUManiac]

Not a bad finish. I finished 4th in this tourney, just missing the truck for first prize. I ended up with a nice grill, though. One of those hands sounds familiar, I may have been at your table at some point.

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16,000 chips to start, level 1 blinds are 100/200. I get A K in MP, its folded to me, I open raise to 1500, the button calls. Flop is 8 J 2 I bet 3000, button calls. Turn is 5 I check, button checks. River is 2 I check, button checks and turns over J10 offsuit. I've got 11,000 in chips.

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The opening raise here sounds a bit large. I generally never raise more that 4 times the big blind, unless I am going all-in. When I make a continuation bet on the flop, I generally like to bet less than the pot size (about 1/2 to 3/4 of the pot).

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Still level 1, I get K K UTG and open raise to 800. MP calls, CO raises to 2500, and I re-raise all-in. MP hims and haws, and debates, and sits in the tank. Finally he says, "I just can't lay this hand down.", and calls with A 8 WTF?!?!? CO folds, the board is no help for MP and he's sent home. Chip count 27K.

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This is the hand I recall. I pretty much had the same reaction.

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I'm MP with K J and open raise to 800. 3 callers and the flop is J 2 3 I bet 3000 and all 3 fold.

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I would've done the same.

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Level 2, 200/500 blinds. I get K K in MP and open raise to 2000. Folded to the SB who is short stack and goes all-in for 5,500. I call, he's got JJ and I flop a K to send him packing. Chip count 33.5K at the first break.


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I would have done the same.


Level 3, 500/1000 blinds. I get K K MP+3 and open raise to 4000. Only the button calls and the flop is 2 9 K I check, the button checks. Turn is 8 I check, button bets 3000, I raise to 10K and the button folds. Chip count 38.5K.

I don't have a problem with checking the flop, with just 1 player in the hand; however, when the flush did not come on the turn, I would probably make a bet of about 1/2 the pot.


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Level 4, blinds 1K/2K. I get A Q UTG and go all-in. UTG+1 and UTG+2 are both short-stacked. UTG+1 hims and haws, and stares me down. By now I'm thinking he's got middle pair. He finally calls, and UTG+2 insta calls. Uh-oh! The rest fold and I'm up against KK (UTG+1) and AA. The board is no help (duh) and UTG+2 triples up and criples me. Chip count 11K.

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How many chips did you have to go all-in UTG?

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The very next hand I get A 5 in the BB. MP had called the BB, everyone else had folded. I push and get called by K 9 An ace hits on the turn and I double up to 23K.

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I would only do that if the limper had an average or lower stack.

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Level 5 (2K/5K blinds) is approaching in about 5 minutes and I'm in MP with K J I open raise all-in for 23K. SB thinks and thinks, finally folds and BB insta-calls me with AA and I'm out in 35th place.


[/ QUOTE ]

Tough spot here with the approaching level increase. I still probably throw a 2.5-3x big blind raise here.


Overall, I think it may help you to raise just a little bit less preflop, to say 3x the big blind or to mix it up between 2x and 4x.

[handsome]

[ QUOTE ]

Level 3, 500/1000 blinds. I get K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] MP+3 and open raise to 4000. Only the button calls and the flop is 2 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] I check, the button checks. Turn is 8 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] I check, button bets 3000, I raise to 10K and the button folds. Chip count 38.5K.


[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not too fond of this flop check. Let me figure your thought process out: "I've got top set (the nuts right now). I need to check to let my opponent bluff at me."

HOWEVER, it *appears* as though you've been making continuation bets the entire tournament, so a check on that type of board (with that much money in the pot) is definitely going to raise flags. I would say villain checks behind about 90% of the time here. Also, we can't be too fond of the two diamonds. I would just bet about 2/3 of the pot and hope villain has something to play along with (AK, KQ).

[zuluking]

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Level 3, 500/1000 blinds. I get K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] MP+3 and open raise to 4000. Only the button calls and the flop is 2 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] I check, the button checks. Turn is 8 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] I check, button bets 3000, I raise to 10K and the button folds. Chip count 38.5K.


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I'm not too fond of this flop check. Let me figure your thought process out: "I've got top set (the nuts right now). I need to check to let my opponent bluff at me."

HOWEVER, it *appears* as though you've been making continuation bets the entire tournament, so a check on that type of board (with that much money in the pot) is definitely going to raise flags. I would say villain checks behind about 90% of the time here. Also, we can't be too fond of the two diamonds. I would just bet about 2/3 of the pot and hope villain has something to play along with (AK, KQ).

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I had a real good read on this guy, which is why I played the hand the way I did. I wasn't worried about the flush possiblity and I knew he'd bet at me on the turn. He'd been doing it to people all day.

[AceHiStation]

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This is the toughest competition I've ever faced... The main event was packed with excellent players.

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I open raise to 1500, the button calls... button checks and turns over J10 offsuit.

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Finally he says, "I just can't lay this hand down.", and calls with A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] WTF?!?!?

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Just wanted to get that out of the way.

On to my content, seems like these guys covered almost everything, especially that you're raising way too big preflop. If you're attempting to steal the blinds, the goal is to risk the minimum amount of chips required to accomplish this stack. I typically raise very large(4-5BBs) in early rounds in attempt to isolate my opponents. Once the blinds become very large and players begin stealing blinds and you stop seeing many flops, this is when you want to try and raise as little as possible to accomplish the task. Position is also much more important here as you will find in several tournaments that AQ-AK or any PP AA-88 will reraise you all-in and attempt to resteal. It is because of this that I think you should fold the following hand preflop:

[ QUOTE ]
Level 4, blinds 1K/2K. I get A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] UTG and go all-in. UTG+1 and UTG+2 are both short-stacked. UTG+1 hims and haws, and stares me down. By now I'm thinking he's got middle pair. He finally calls, and UTG+2 insta calls. Uh-oh! The rest fold and I'm up against KK (UTG+1) and AA. The board is no help (duh) and UTG+2 triples up and criples me. Chip count 11K.


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Although I'm curious, does anyone consider a limp here? Obviously this particular hand you weren't going to see a flop for cheap, but is this a profitable play in other situations?

Just my thoughts,
-Ace

[zuluking]

Har! Well, those 2 players didn't last very long. But the rest were goot I promise!

[LSUManiac]

I found that the play was overall good in this tournament. They probably had 8 good players and 2 bad players on every table. It was unfortunate that the end of the tournament was a crap shoot, with the decreasing round time at the end. I was chip leader going into the final table, but I only had about 12x the big blind.