Party $40k Guar. hand

[el Jefe]

last nights PP $40k. about an hour in and we've lost half the field (~2500 started) but are far from the money. Avg stack is 2000 and I have 1655 to start the hand. blinds are still relatively small (25/50) but go up to 50/100 in about two minutes. UTG is very loose and has lost 2/3 of his stack over the last 15 minutes calling alot and folding post-flop. No real reads on UTG+1.

9 handed. big blind is 50.
UTG (1030) and UTG+1 (2580) limp
two folds and I make it 250 in CO-1 with A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
folded around to the limpers who both call (pot 825)

flop is K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

UTG goes all-in for 780
UTG+1 goes all-in for 2330

Hero (1405)...???

let me end by saying while new to MTTs I'm not at all happy with my results (0 cashes thus far in about 25 large field tourneys -- mostly these and a few Supers -- yeah I know, get back to us when you're 0-1000) However, it seems as though hands like these can be critical early on for either accumulating chips or avoiding trouble and I'd like to be sure I'm playing them right

thanks.

-Jeff

I'd say you're on a few flush draws, maybe another AK, KQ, KK (unlikely), AA (unlikely due to pf action).

Very tough but i'd probably call

[Rizen]

I couldn't call here. The 40k tournaments are awful enough early on I wouldn't be surprised to find out after you folded that you were actually ahead, but I'd have a hard time risking my entire stack against an all in bet and a raise all in in front of me. I think you run into a set/2 pair here often enough to offset the times you run into KQ or a flush draw, and it's such high variance in a tournament with so many weak players there are much better spots to get your money in IMO.

-Rizen

[People_Mover]

I call and lose to a river flush.

For on-line tournaments... I have adopted a new strategy with AK.

All in preflop no matter what. I know this sounds ridiculous and very low level... but in 2500 person MTT I have had great success with this.

1) If you're up against any under pair, it's only a coin flip if you see ALL 5 cards. I can't tell you how many times I have raised preflop, gotten two callers, and had one of them push all-in on a ragged flop... Obviously I can't call.... either they have a better hand or have out-played me.

2) You will get insta-called by hands you dominate such as AJ, KQ, ect due to the fact that they think you have a small pair and they are willing to flip a coin [when in fact you have them crushed].

3) 95% of the time you will either be way ahead or 50/50 coin flip. Against 2500 people that are hard to read (because they suck) I'll take those odds all day long.

4) It's the quickest way I have found to accumlate chips quickly, and you are never giving 89 suited the right price to call pre-flop and try to bust you.

In the last 7 MTT I've played in PP I have had two bad beats, one horrendous play by me that knocked me out, two cashes for double the buy-in, one cash for 8 times the buy-in, and most importantly - one first place for $5,000 (5$ no rebuy, 2500 entrants). I play under scuba_groves if you want to verify my results.

[el Jefe]

[ QUOTE ]
I call and lose to a river flush.

[/ QUOTE ]

that's exactly what I did.

nh

-Jeff

what can you do... don't let bad results cloud the fact that you made a good decision.

I prefer folding here because people are getting knocked out so fast (and playing so poorly) that I can find plenty of better spots to get my money in. If there was not a flush draw out there, I'd probably call.


-Gross

[Pat Southern]

[ QUOTE ]

In the last 7 MTT I've played in PP I have had two bad beats, one horrendous play by me that knocked me out, two cashes for double the buy-in, one cash for 8 times the buy-in, and most importantly - one first place for $5,000 (5$ no rebuy, 2500 entrants). I play under scuba_groves if you want to verify my results.

[/ QUOTE ]

Find a few more threads to brag about your 7 tournament track record, I know I'm impressed every time I see it.