PPM IV Tourney Report (Long)

[modaddy]

I apologize in advance for the lack of editing ... this is the first one of these that I have posted and I honestly don't have much time left today to edit it further.

This is a summary of my road to victory in last night's PPM Super. It was a roller coaster ride all the way!

Level I

no hands played...

Level II

Pick up Qd 7c in the big blind. One MP limps. Flop comes Kc Qs 3c. I check, limper makes a courtesy bet, I decide to see the turn. Turn gives me trips, wahoo! I check again, MP pushes in his stack (only $240), and I call. He shows A8o. :-)

With $1325, I limp with 66 from EP. SB with $545 pushes in, and I decide to gamble to build up my stack this early. She has AQ, but flops a Q and I don't improve. Down to $780.
How do you guys feel about this play?

A few hands later, I pick up KJo on the button and I raise 3x BB. BB pushes in for $365 more, and again I decide to gamble. This time I've well ahead -- he has 98s. I stay ahead on the K93 flop, but fall behind when he turns a 9, and lose when he fills up on the river.

Level III
Down to only $200 with blinds at $30, I call a couple of limpers with KQo. With no action on the 52565 board and checked around to me, I succcessfully steal the $150 in the pot to give me a little more wiggle room.
I steal another pot from the BB with a min bet when SB checks the flop.


Level IV
Open push with big slick from MP and take down the blinds.

With $410 in the Big Blind, I pick up A3s. Button makes a $150 bet, and despite my new years resolution not to bust out with any Ace smaller than AJ, I push in. He calls with 65, but I survive and double up.

I limp with QTo in middle position (it's a pet hand :-) ), end up HU against the BB and again steal with a minbet when he checks the flop.

Next comes the hand referred to by bgarf. I limp with Td 9d from MP. Guy on my left raises to 200, one MP limper calls, and I decide to see a flop, although in retrospect, I hate this move because a) I'm short stacked and don't have as much in the way of implied odds if I hit the flop, and b) I'm out of position against the raiser.
Nonetheless, flop comes 6d Jd 7s, giving me a flush draw and a couple of straight draws. MP checks and I shove my remaining 700 chips in. with ~13 outs (and possibly more) it seemed like a reasonable move at the time. You know the rest -- he had AA but I rivered my flush to get my first "real" stack of the day - $2065.

I grab the blinds two hands in a row, once with KJo from the cutoff, and once with AA (doh!).

In another hand, I call a minraise on my right with AKo, Raiser checks the J8T flop and I decide to take my free card. J on the turn, check-check, 7 on the river. He now bets 50 into the $275 pot and I decide to call. He shows KQ and I take it down.

A few hands later, I limp w/ KQo in MP. Short stack ($335) pushes in and I call for about 1/7 of my stack. He shows KQ and we chop it.

Later I pick up Q8o in the big blind. Cut off raises and I want to try to discourage steals so I decide to make a small play at it. I call, flop comes K62, I lead out about 3/4 of the pot and he instafolds. I show.

I'll say at this point that in writing this report, it feels like I was doing way too much gambling early on... what do you guys think?


Level V
My first major suck out came on this hand. I had AJs in the BB with $2253. Short stacked MP ($544) pushes, and SB ($1863) calls. I wanted to get head up against the short stack so I put SB all in. He calls showing AQ; short stack had KQ. I'm in trouble but flop my J to take down a $3k pot.

Next came a hand that I felt really made me feel like I was in a good groove. I call one limper in MP with As Qh. Four see the flop, which comes Ac 7h 6s. I bet the pot and get one caller (who has twice my stack) . Turn is Jc and I check - partially because his fast call on the flop made me nervous, and partially to induce a bluff on the river. Now the 3c comes on the river. I check again, planning to call a small to medium sized bet. But he puts me all in! Although this smells like a steal, this is one spot where I felt gambling was clearly wrong. I chunked it.

I grab another pot after limping with QJs. The flop comes AT8, giving me a well-concealed double gutshot. No one calls my pot-size bet.

With 86s in the SB, I complete and see a 974 rainbow flop. I take a stab at it, but get raised. It felt a little weak to me, and so I decided to call, planning to take another stab at it if I improved OR if a scare card came. The turn was a 6, I checked and he checked behind. On the Qd river, I decided to fall for the obvious ploy to induce a bluff and bet about 3/4 of the pot with my pair of 6's. He folded and I dragged a nice pot.


Level VI
In LP, I call 3 limpers with Ks Ts. Flop comes Kh Jc 8c and gets checked around to the guy on my right who minbets $150 into the almost $1K pot. Feels like MHIG but vulerable, so I raise it to $750, and everyone folds.

I decide to call a button ($3813) minraise with 5h Jc in the BB. Flop gomes 5d 9c 6c, giving me a pair and backdoor flush draw. Button bets $150, I raise to $500, and he smooth calls. Another 6 comes on the turn, which doesn't help me. Of course, button doesn't know this and folds when I bet $900. :-) I suspect he had overcards and I was ahead anyway.

At this point I'm up to $4298 and decide to start flexing my muscle a little bit. I make my first "official" blind steal with K6o on the button and take it down.

Level VII
In MP I pick up AA. An EP short stack ($1372) limps for $200. I raise to $1400 (would a minraise be better?), and he calls with KQ. I hold up. :-)

I steal a couple more blinds, then pick up AA AGAIN. Make my third raise in a row, and $1800 short stack takes a stand against the table bully with A8o. I hold up. :-)

I complete with T2s in the small blind. 3-way action, flop comes 762, and gets checked around. When a 7 comes on the turn, MP bets out. This smells a little fishy -- with an overpair or a 7 he was likely to have bet the flop... I decide to call. The river is an offsuit Q. I want to get him to fold a 6 if I can, so I bet out 200 into the $1000 pot. He raises to $500. I still don't trust him and decide to call it. He shows 53. :-) I'm now up over $10K, 50xBB.

A few hands later, I limp on the button with Ad 2d. BB, LP limper, and I see the flop which comes 7h Ts As. It is checked to LP who bets the pot ($700). I didn't like my action here -- I chose to min raise. As it turned out, this worked OK -- he had JJ with a backdoor flush draw. Would definitely welcome feedback on this one...

Level VIII
I crank up my steals a little bit, starting to raise with any two faces from MP or later. I feel one of my biggest tournament strengths is calibration of my steal frequency, and it felt like I was going pretty close to optimum rate on these.

I lose my first non-blind pot in about 45 minutes. I call an EP raise to $1K with 55, short stacked BB pushes in for $500 more, and I call. EP and I both check when the board comes Kc 9h Ad, Td on the turn. When a 5 comes on the river, giving me a set I put another $1K into the pot, I couldn't get Ep to call (QQ, maybe?), so I didn't even get the side pot -- BB had KK!

I steal the blinds with KK. Didn't try to get fancy, just raised and hoped someone would "take a stand"...

In the BB with 77 at $12K, MP (nickname Virus1975) with $9600 minraises to $600. $3K stack pushes in, and I don't like being sandwiched between the re-raise and the other big stack at the table, so I decide to let this one go. Correct?

I mix it up a little with Virus again. He minraises again from EP. He's new to the table and has been pushing things around since he got there, so I want to try to reestablish my dominancy. I call with Ah 9h on the button. Flop comes 4c 7c 2h. He bets out $425, which seems a little weak, so I try to push him off of it with a $2K raise. He pushes in and so I, of course, fold.

I lose another pot to Virus with 55. I limp in from MP, he checks his BB. Flop comes A74. He checks, so I take a stab at it ; he calls. 7 on the turn, check check. 4 on the river, he minbets and I feel obligated to call. He shows TT.

At this point I'm down to $9k at really frustrated at how I've been pissing away chips. I'm also down to the point where I can't quite steal as comfortably as before.

Level IX
I pick up 88 in the SB with $8K left. EP with $9700 raises to $1100. I call, hating myself for doing it. The flop looks deceptively favorable (3 7 2), and for some reason (I don't remember why?) I checked it to the raiser, who now bet $3000. I let it go.

Now down to $6770, I start getting a bit impatient... I attempt a steal from CO with K3o. BB calls, and when the flop comes 984, he checks. I take a second stab at it for $2400 (1/2 of my remaining stack!) and he lets it go. Whew.


Level X

I observe that the player 3 to my left has been very tight and start picking up her blinds at every opportunity. I probably grabbed them 5 or 6 times during the tournament.
These steals alone get me back up to $9600.

With TT in the BB, tight player ($14K) raises to $1800 from EP. I decide to just call and see what develops. I flop top set on a T 9 2 board. When I check, she bets $2800 and just call. Then the worst possible turn comes for me -- the case Ten, giving me quads. This pretty much killed my remaining action; she wouldn't even call $3000 when I bet the river.

I then curse my luck as I get moved to a new table and lose my blind stealing target. I have $15K at this point, and the stacks to my left are around $9K, which is just enough to be dangerous.


Level XI

I get a little pushy and raise to $1600 with ATo from MP. Button ($22K) calls. The flop comes K5T, and when I bet about half the pot, I get min raised. This could be a straight draw but I don't feel like mixing it up with the bigger stack so I fold to the raise. Thoughts?

With $12K and ATs in the BB, button with a little under $12K bets 3xBB ($2400). I decide to to take a stand and raise to $4700, intending to fold if reraised. He mucks.

I get in other conflict as BB with Qc 9c. SB ($20K to my $15K) minraises, and I call. Flop comes As 4s 3s. He bets 800 and I decide to take a stab at it, raising to $2200. He calls. Then a fourth spade appears on the turn, he minbets, and I decide to fire a second barrel. He calls. An offsuit 4 appears on the river, he minbets a third time and my options are try to raise him out or fold. I surrender. This fiasco brings me back down to $7K in chips. I'm kicking myself.

I open raise with KQo from MP and let it go when BB comes over the top.


Level XII

This is when things really turned around. Blinds were up to 500/1000 so I was looking to make a move with only $6K.

I open push with 54S from the cutoff and get called by KTo. My 4 comes on the river and I double up to $12K

Next hand I get AKo in MP. Guy on my right raises to $2000, I reraise to $6000, and he pushes all in. I seriously consider mucking, but hey, you have to win at least once with AK to win a tournament, right? I call, he shows KQ, and I hold up to improve to $26K.

I call an EP raise with 9h 8h in the SB, and fold when raiser leads into the Kc 4c 9s flop.

Later I pick up my 3rd AA of the tourney. Guy on my right (who raised and then pushed w/ KQo) limps $1000. I raise to $4000, and he calls. I'm looking to make a big flop, because he has me covered and I've busted w/ AA way too much. :-) The flop is NOT what I was looking for : 8h Qc 9h. He checks and I bet $3000 into the $6500 pot. He check raises to $6000 and I decide to just call and see what develops. The turn is a brick, and he leads out $4200. I'm still not sure if I'm ahead but do NOT want to give him the chance to put me all in, so I just call again. Another brick on the river, and he finally gives up, showing AT. I drag the $39500 pot.

I attempt to steal from the cutoff with 64o. Short stack calls for most of his chips, then leads out the rest when the flop comes 652. I have top pair to his A2, and don't even need the straight I end up making on the river.

I raise from MP with 9c Tc. $6K stack moves in and I decide to call for another $4K. He has AK but neither of us improve.

I end the level with about $40K and am leading the tournament at this point.


Level XIII was pretty boring.

Level XIV

Pick up my FOURTH AA, but only pick up the blinds.

Raise it up to $8K with AJs in MP. BB with $16K pushes in, and I ponder a bit before finally calling. He has AQ (doh!) but I get my flush on the river and bust him.

I call a $6K short-stack's push with AQo but lose to his KT.



Level XV

I lose a monster pot with As Qs. EP with $26K raises to $10K. I have $55K and think I can push him off a lot of pairs and maybe even AK, so I put him to the test. He thinks a bit before calling with TT, and I don't improve. In retrospect, I think risking half my stack on this play was probably stupid.

Tight blind player from level X gets moved to my table, two to my left. I promptly resume stealing her blinds at every opportunity. :-) Only once does she come over the top and I have an easy fold.

At this point we're down to 12 and I am definitely starting to feel like victory is in reach, even with my earlier blunders.


Final Table

I go card dead for about half an hour, and before I know it, blinds are at $2K/$4K and I'm down to $21K. I start looking for a double-up opportunity, and decide to push in from the cutoff with K8s. My blind stealing victim calls with A6o (only $13K, so I have her covered), and the flop comes
Jc
5h
6c

I take a deep breath. The turn is....
4h

The river is a beautiful, magnificant, awe-inspriring King of Clubs, and we are down to 8.

Entering the bubble we looked like this:
Total number of players : 7
Seat 1: ho35ho35 ( $61764 )
Seat 2: dfwben ( $59098 )
Seat 3: jetmen12492 ( $41550 )
Seat 5: modaddy2 ( $43197 )
Seat 6: Nsane1 ( $15086 )
Seat 7: Wombats ( $104294 )
Seat 9: stephenbarto ( $49011 )


Jetmen was one of the worst final table players I've ever seen. Even down to 3-4 BB he missed multiple opportunites as SB where I would have easily folded if he had pushed.

I was able to grab Nsane's blinds a few times to strengthen my position. Jetmen and Nsane were close to each other in chips for most of the FT so their chips were easy money.

One hand that I troubled over was this one:
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t4000 (8 handed) converter

Button (t46612)
SB (t46098)
BB (t47550)
Hero (t37197)
UTG+1 (t15086)
MP1 (t110294)
MP2 (t56011)
CO (t15152)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].

Is a raise here obvious? I'm in very comfortable position if I just fold, but still... QQ is QQ. And short stacks DO double sometimes. :-)

I eventually decided to raise to $10K, intending to fold if reraised by a big stack. I took down the blinds uneventfully, but not without increasing my pulse considerably.

Eventually, Jetmen withered away to nothing, to the point that on the final hand, the entire table was able to limp as he was forced all in by his blind. NOT a good spot to be in!

Nsane was one happy camper -- he ended the tournament with $172 in chips.


Conclusion

Alhough I regretted some of my earlier gambling moves, I'm a strong believer in building a big stack early, and I think that justifies some of my seemingly reckless behavior. Recognizing blind stealing opportunities was probably the single most imporant factor to my victory. I had decent cards that generally held up, got the 2 or 3 suckouts that one needs to do well in a tournament, and kept my head on straight even when short stacked.


I'm so pumped up about the trip and the WPT event I could burst... now if I can just satellite into the Bay101 event I'll be one happy chipmunk!

Thanks again to all of the sweaters who showed up. Trout power forever!

[Bigdaddydvo]

very nice report and congratulations are in order.

doing my damndest to join you but I've had the absolute worst cold streak for the qualifying satelites...I've probably pissed away one regular buy in. Am trying to qualify right now...been very card dead and down to T600. Gonna have to start pushing soon.

[bgarf]

AWESOME recap, Modaddy...gained lots of experience from reading it. Hoping to watch you as the "unknown" at the cruise final table!


"There is no nobility in being superior to others; true nobility is in being superior to your previous self."
Hindu proverb

[Roman]

congrats!

[Che]

[ QUOTE ]
Pick up Qd 7c in the big blind. One MP limps. Flop comes Kc Qs 3c. I check, limper makes a courtesy bet, I decide to see the turn. Turn gives me trips, wahoo! I check again, MP pushes in his stack (only $240), and I call. He shows A8o. :-)

[/ QUOTE ]

I probably bet or check-raise the flop rather than check-call, but it depends on the player, stack sizes, etc.

[ QUOTE ]
With $1325, I limp with 66 from EP. SB with $545 pushes in, and I decide to gamble to build up my stack this early.

[/ QUOTE ]

I gamble early at times, but 66 is not the hand I do it with, especially given the opponents' big overbet (overbet is assumption, since I don't know what level 2 blinds are in this tourney) usually means mid-pair (77-JJ) in my experience.

[ QUOTE ]
A few hands later, I pick up KJo on the button and I raise 3x BB. BB pushes in for $365 more, and again I decide to gamble. This time I've well ahead -- he has 98s. I stay ahead on the K93 flop, but fall behind when he turns a 9, and lose when he fills up on the river.


[/ QUOTE ]

I probably fold to the raise, but I like the call better than the 66 call.

[ QUOTE ]
Down to only $200 with blinds at $30, I call a couple of limpers with KQo. With no action on the 52565 board and checked around to me, I succcessfully steal the $150 in the pot to give me a little more wiggle room.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why didn't you steal this on the turn?

[ QUOTE ]
despite my new years resolution not to bust out with any Ace smaller than AJ

[/ QUOTE ]

This resolution is -EV. Much too tight for shortstacked play.

[ QUOTE ]
Next comes the hand referred to by bgarf. I limp with Td 9d from MP. Guy on my left raises to 200, one MP limper calls, and I decide to see a flop, although in retrospect, I hate this move because a) I'm short stacked and don't have as much in the way of implied odds if I hit the flop, and b) I'm out of position against the raiser.
Nonetheless, flop comes 6d Jd 7s, giving me a flush draw and a couple of straight draws. MP checks and I shove my remaining 700 chips in. with ~13 outs (and possibly more) it seemed like a reasonable move at the time. You know the rest -- he had AA but I rivered my flush to get my first "real" stack of the day - $2065.

[/ QUOTE ]

Were limpers being consistently punished, or was no raise/small raise (like this one to 4BB) the norm? If limpers were not being punished, the limp is fine. Otherwise, I open-raise from MP. Calling the raise preflop is borderline, but OK given that you were obviously in a gambling mood.

Flop play is perfect.

[ QUOTE ]
Later I pick up Q8o in the big blind. Cut off raises and I want to try to discourage steals so I decide to make a small play at it. I call, flop comes K62, I lead out about 3/4 of the pot and he instafolds. I show.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hate the show. You may have developed a tight image on the AK hand, but now you have blown it and the folding equity you had built up is out the window. This is especially bad if you are in a gambling mood and will be semi-bluffing a lot.

[ QUOTE ]
I'll say at this point that in writing this report, it feels like I was doing way too much gambling early on... what do you guys think?

[/ QUOTE ]

If the structure pays a big payout to the top 2% or so and nothing to the rest (this is a guess, I have no idea), gambling early is optimal play unless you are much, much better than the field.

[ QUOTE ]
In MP I pick up AA. An EP short stack ($1372) limps for $200. I raise to $1400 (would a minraise be better?

[/ QUOTE ]

Since you haven't minraised any other hands, no IMHO. Either minraise with several hands to mix it up or not at all. (Others will disagree, I'm sure. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img])

[ QUOTE ]
I complete with T2s in the small blind. 3-way action, flop comes 762, and gets checked around. When a 7 comes on the turn, MP bets out. This smells a little fishy -- with an overpair or a 7 he was likely to have bet the flop... I decide to call. The river is an offsuit Q. I want to get him to fold a 6 if I can, so I bet out 200 into the $1000 pot. He raises to $500. I still don't trust him and decide to call it. He shows 53. :-) I'm now up over $10K, 50xBB.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very strange. I check the flop, then bet the turn when its checked around. If I got to the river the way you did, I probably lead for about 600.

[ QUOTE ]
A few hands later, I limp on the button with Ad 2d. BB, LP limper, and I see the flop which comes 7h Ts As. It is checked to LP who bets the pot ($700). I didn't like my action here -- I chose to min raise. As it turned out, this worked OK -- he had JJ with a backdoor flush draw. Would definitely welcome feedback on this one...

[/ QUOTE ]

Need pot and stack sizes on flop to comment on this one.

[ QUOTE ]
In the BB with 77 at $12K, MP (nickname Virus1975) with $9600 minraises to $600. $3K stack pushes in, and I don't like being sandwiched between the re-raise and the other big stack at the table, so I decide to let this one go. Correct?

[/ QUOTE ]

I fold here, too, but that doesn't make it correct. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[ QUOTE ]
With TT in the BB, tight player ($14K) raises to $1800 from EP. I decide to just call and see what develops. I flop top set on a T 9 2 board. When I check, she bets $2800 and just call. Then the worst possible turn comes for me -- the case Ten, giving me quads. This pretty much killed my remaining action; she wouldn't even call $3000 when I bet the river.


[/ QUOTE ]

Does tight player mean "would only open-raise AA-JJ/AK in EP"? If so, I think I bet at that flop since all the overpairs put you in and you double up. You lose the continuation bet you would have gotten from AK, but a tight player might occasionally check behind with AK so the +EV of doubling up far outweighs the -EV of not snapping off the bluff from AK.

I hope others comment on this one.

[ QUOTE ]
Next hand I get AKo in MP. Guy on my right raises to $2000, I reraise to $6000, and he pushes all in. I seriously consider mucking

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you serious?

[ QUOTE ]
I call an EP raise with 9h 8h in the SB, and fold when raiser leads into the Kc 4c 9s flop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Stacks are too short. Fold preflop.

[ QUOTE ]
Later I pick up my 3rd AA of the tourney. Guy on my right (who raised and then pushed w/ KQo) limps $1000. I raise to $4000, and he calls. I'm looking to make a big flop, because he has me covered and I've busted w/ AA way too much. :-) The flop is NOT what I was looking for : 8h Qc 9h. He checks and I bet $3000 into the $6500 pot. He check raises to $6000 and I decide to just call and see what develops. The turn is a brick, and he leads out $4200. I'm still not sure if I'm ahead but do NOT want to give him the chance to put me all in, so I just call again. Another brick on the river, and he finally gives up, showing AT. I drag the $39500 pot.

[/ QUOTE ]

If he saw the ATo Level 11 hand, you have to *at least* call the minraise. When you only call the minraise, you have induced a bluff and are forced to call the next time he bets. You *might* be able to get away if he fires big on the turn and river, but even that is questionable given that your postflop play looks much more like a missed AK than AA.

[ QUOTE ]
Hero is UTG with Q, Q.

Is a raise here obvious? I'm in very comfortable position if I just fold, but still... QQ is QQ. And short stacks DO double sometimes. :-)

[/ QUOTE ]

Given that at least one of the shorties is playing too tight, this is an easy fold. If you're going to raise/fold, why not minraise? A minraise UTG has just as much folding equity as 2.5 BB, don't you think?

[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

You asked for it, you got it, mo! This was a very fast review so I may have overlooked something and really butchered a couple of hands so let me know if anything looks way out of line.

Congrats on the win!

Oh yeah, you also asked for my thoughts on limit. Here's the one thing I know about limit: it sucks. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Later,
Che