Will I ever figure out how to play tourney's???

[davidross]

As you might have guessed, I just went out of the Stars $500K and I'm feeling pretty angry with myself. I do this far to often for my liking, twice this weekend as a matter of fact. I'm posting this mostly to punish myself, and I plan on printing it out and keeping it next to the computer to remind me, but I'm really starting to wonder if I will ever "get" it. Any comments are of course welcome.

First the hand that has me so ticked. I have 20K and have gone 2 orbits at this new table only playing 1 hand. I raised 2 off the button and won the blinds. When I arrived I was the chip leader, but now the villain in this hand has me covered by 5K or so. THere are 500 left, 270 get paid, and the average stack is around 13K. Blinds have just gone up to 400/800 with an ante of 100. I get JJ UTG and raise to 2400. Button calls and the blinds go away. Flop is K 8 7, two diamonds. I check, button bets 2300 and I think and call. Turn is a 3 putting 2 spades on board. I check and he pushes. I call and he shows AK, and I'm done.

THis hand is eerily similar to a hand I went out on in the SUper on Friday or THursday, when I was in a great chip position again, got QQ UTG and raised, got re-raised by the button who wasn't desperate and had enough chips to hurt me but not take me out. I knew right then he had me beat. THe rational player with AK pushes here and raises the amount he raised with AA or KK. JJ and less I think he just calls or maybe pushes. So what do I do?I re-raise him all in and he calls showing me his aces to prove what a great read I made.

So what happens to me in this stage of the tournament? I've had my share of success, but if I'm really honest with myself it's only because on nights I'm successful I'm lucky enough to avoid hands where I make top pair or an overpair, and still lose. I think I can play a short stack pretty well because there really isn't a whole lot of decision making once you decide to play. I was feeling so good about my play tonight. I had even laid down KK on an AQJ board about 30 minutes earlier, and had been rewarded by flopping a set of T's 2 hands later and busting a guy for his last 8K. For whatever reason, I seem to get desperate to hang on to chips at this middle stage of the tournament. Early on I can be carefree, not panicking when my stack dwindles, waiting for a chance to double up, but once I put myself in a good chip position I seem to tighten up and I'm loath to let a hand go once I have some chips in there.

I play fairly weak post-flop, but I'm aware of my image and can use it to my advantage. I can check not only when I miss, but also when I hit, and get a lot of check-raise opportunities against the people who know I'll check my AK when I miss. I also have good success with semi-bluffs, again I think because I do play so cautious post-flop. But for the same reasons, I guess I suspect everyone is trying ot run over me when I check a hand like my JJ tonight, and then I overthink and blow off the rest of my chips.

Ok I'm done ranting, hopefully I play it better next time. Now I guess I go back to the boring limit games and try to make a living. Cya at the tables.

GO Gavin.

[Firefly]

hey david...
I think you have a problem with what your head is telling you vs what your heart is telling you.
The JJ hand, I absolutely knew you were beat. You have to fire on the flop and make the opponent define his hand...then you can know you are beat. You cannot allow your ego or whatever to convince you that you are ahead...listen to your brain, it is correct.