My First Live MTT

[nightlyraver]

I played in my first live MTT while in Vegas last week, so I though I'd post some key hands and thoughts and see if I get any input.

The MTT in question was the morning tourney at Aladdin on Wed. of last week. $40, about 130 players, top 9 get paid, fun fun fun.

First off, I lie; this was not my first live MTT. In fact, my first live MTT was the morning before, same time same place and many of the same players. Nothing really noteworthy - picked up some small pots up front. The only interesting part was when this woman in EP limped, two MP players limped and I raised big on the button w/ AK. Woman in EP moves in and it's folded to me. Well, getting over 2:1 on my money dictated a call. Her aces held up and she took most of my chips. I busted out soon after.

OK, so here is the more interesting tourney:

I started out at table 11 with one of the dealers, one guy who played at my table the day before and the husband of the woman who slowplayed those aces. I wasn't getting fantastic cards, but I limped into a couple pots and folded on the flop. Finally I get AA in EP and since the table was raising preflop almost every hand, I decided to limp in. The hubsband of the woman who slowplayed AA the day before (let's call him Bob) limps and the blinds stay in. The flop comes Kxx with 2 diamonds and the blinds check. I decide that I'm not fooling around with the hand, so I move in (a bit of an overbet). Bob thinks for a moment and calls for all his chips. He flips over KQ and I bust him. Very satisfying, especially since I was chatting with him earlier about his wife's play.

I continued with my str8 forward game for a while and picked up some small pots. A player on the short stack moved in for about 2.5xBB and two players called. I called from the BB w/ 86s. Flop comes QT7 and it gets checked around. A 9 falls on the turn and I fire a small bet into the side pot. Luckily a player with A9 moves all-in and I quickly call. Busted my second player and more than doubled up, putting me in a comfortable spot.

I was able to push my big stack around and steal a couple of decent pots without contest. A new player with a stack about my size moved to the table and was UTG. He raised the minimum and it was folded to me on the button. I was in seat 4 and he was in seat 7, so I didn't hear/see his action correctly. I actually thought that he was moving in so I moved all-in with my pair of 6's in order to fold out the blinds. After they folded, I started to pull my raise back and was ready to flip my cards over. The dealer stopped me and told me that I wasn't called yet. I look over, saw his big stack and inadvertantly said, "oh, I thought he was all-in." I was thinking, "oh man I hope he folds." After a minute of thought the guy calls and flips over AJo. I win the race and scoop a monster pot. He left all embarrased right in front of his girl - it was sad. In hindsight, it was actually a fantastic play given the fast structure (especially since I should have easily put him on that hand). But alas, it was a brilliant move made by accident.

I was able to muscle my way into some more small wins before getting moved to the final table. I started with about an average stack, there being about 2 short stacks. The blinds were crazy at this point. I stole the blinds once from the button on a total steal raise and then again from the small blind when I open-pushed my A7s.

I basically relaxed as two or three players got knocked out. Finally a shortstack moved in from EP and got called by a player in MP. I also called with my 52s from the BB since I was getting about 5:1 pot odds. Amazingly the flop came 622r and it went check, check. A queen fell on the turn - my miracle card. MP checked and I fired out a small bet (MP had a habit of grossly overplaying top pair). MP moves in for his last few chips and I call faster than I've ever called before. He flips up AQo and I knock out 2 at once.

I was card dead after that and the blinds were killing me, especially when it got down to 3-way action. I stole the blinds several times, but couldn't get anything substantial going. The big stack on my right kept raising my bind with a fairly wide range (normal under these conditions). Finally I was dealt JTo, the best hand in several orbits, and he raises my blind again. This time move all-in and he calls for a few more chips. His A2o holds up and I'm sent to the rail in 3rd place.

All in all I had a total blast. I even got to show off at the final table in front of the wife. Busting people in real life and walking away with paper money is soooo much better than online. Also, online play has definately prepared me for the fast structure of small buy-in live MTT's.

[nightlyraver]

any comments...

Can't really comment much. You seem to act like there were not any hands you played wrong.

[TomHimself]

[ QUOTE ]
Can't really comment much. You seem to act like there were not any hands you played wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]I think for once your right gators.


Congrats on your finish