My tourney game must suck.

[sloth469]

No need to steal here. Still very early, you steal later in the game when the blinds are substantial not here. A sat like this I'm using a tight SNG strategy the first 3 or 4 rounds. There will be plenty of stealing opportunities for you later as long as you have a stack to back you up.

If I got myself into your position, I'd probably push too. Even if you give the other guy credit for AT or AJ you have about 15 outs twice and at that point the pot is laying you 2.5 to 1 on the call. Calling off that much of your stack is out of the question. I don't hate a fold here if you can honestly say you have any edge over the field, judging by your play here that is doubtful. Take it to the felt, let the cards fall as they may, you made your bed you gotta lie in it.

-sloth

[sbu97]

First, you shouldn't have tried to steal here, too early. Second, pushing here on your draw is risky. The guy called your big raise with bad position, then check raises you. He could have a lot, including a higher flush draw, AK, maybe KQ suited or non, etc. I don't think you can think you have 12 outs here. It's too early in the tournament to take those chances, your not getting the odds you need. Fold.

[Chaostracize]

There are things to keep in mind here.

The tournaments Phil Ivey plays stay at limits longer, meaning tighter play early on; not so online. There is the frenzy to build the stack from everyone, so stealing is likely to be unsuccessful in the first few rounds of online tournies (Especially since it's "only" t120).

Also, there are antes worth stealing with Phil's tournies, and not online tournies. I admit I don't know the structure of yours tourney, but I assume there were no antes at this point anyway.

Sure, if this level last an hour, try to steal a few pots here and there so you aren't pegged a rock, but if they blinds are going up every 15 minutes, it's just not worth it this early with such a mediocre holding.

[Russ McGinley]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I usually play tight in the beginning but then get into the trouble of being short stacked in the middle and late stages of the tourney.

After I busted 17th in the $73+7 qualifer, I won a $3+R qualifer which just ended (6am EST). I think I played very well despite not getting a lot of premium hands (one AA, one or two KK, several JJ). I was in 8th chip position when we got to the final table but I battled back.

Weird side note, the top two places got seats and 3rd place paid $317. Once we got to three-handed, this fu<font color="black"></font>cknut, with the chip lead, went all-in preflop every single hand. Me and the other player just folded every time until one of us picked up a hand, and I did in the BB with TT. He actually had something decent, A9, but he couldn't spike an ace and he was down badly, but that didn't stop him from going all-in and doubling through the other guy. After more of his all-in crap, I picked up AKs on the button and limped (he'd just go all-in anyway), and he did move all-in, then suddenly the other player went all-in! I thought about it for a moment and folded, as if I had called and lost, I would be crippled. This clown shows T3o. Other player had 99, board finished 3-Q-6-A-A. Down to about 8 BB, he moved all-in again, and a few hands later, I had AQo in the BB. He goes all-in, SB calls, I think and fold. He shows 32o! Other player had something, I dunno, but he won. Now, through all of these all-ins, this player had built his stack up enough so that an all-in loss didn't knock him out, and now we were all about tied.

Eventually, I was able to limp on the button with A9o, he limped (!) and the BB checked. Flop was 9-2-7, I checked, he bet like half his stack, I put him all-in, he called with 63o. Naturally he picked up a 6 on the turn to give me quasi-nightmares, but a harmless 8 hit the river and I won. He really wanted that $300, I guess.

Also, even though it was a rebuy tourney, I only did an initial rebuy in the beginning to 3000TC and the add-on at the break. I'm kinda proud of that, I suppose.