Some help for a tourney newbie please

jkstay · #1 01-25-2005, 03:58 PM

I've been playing limit ring games for about a year (I've worked my way up to 3/6 so far), but the tourney bug has bitten me, so I'm trying to get my feet wet by playing sit and go's. I just finished reading TPFAP and HOH, and I've read Aleo's Party $10 + $1 SnG guide. I've got some bonuses to clear at Poker Stars, so I've decided to start with their $5 + .50 SnG's.

I just finished a tourney there, and I'd like to get some feedback on three of the hands I played. I've included a few comments about my thoughts, but I'd appreciate any comments on all streets. Thanks in advance for your help.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (9 handed) converter

MP3 (t1230)
CO (t2870)
Button (t1075)
SB (t895)
Hero (t1950)
UTG (t625)
UTG+1 (t1605)
MP1 (t1200)
MP2 (t2050)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 calls t50, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, Hero checks.

Flop: (t125) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets t100, MP2 calls t100.

Turn: (t325) K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets t150, MP2 raises to t450, Hero folds.
In looking at this hand again, I'm thinking I should have just check folded the turn...by calling my decent sized flop bet, MP2 was saying he at least had an A. Is this thinking too weak? 

Final Pot: t925

---------------------------------------------------------
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (5 handed) converter

Button (t4700)
SB (t1645)
Hero (t2825)
UTG (t2930)
MP (t1400)

Preflop: Hero is BB with T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG folds, MP folds, Button calls t200, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (t600) 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets t400, Button calls t400, SB folds.

Turn: (t1400) A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets t600, Hero calls t600.
Here I think I had the odds to call...I was getting 3.3:1 pot odds, and I figured I had 14 outs (as long has villian wasn't drawing to a higher flush). Was I wrong calling this? 

River: (t2600) 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets t800, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t3400

-------------------------------------------------
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (5 handed) converter

Button (t6700)
SB (t1545)
Hero (t1225)
UTG (t2630)
MP (t1400)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
UTG folds, MP folds, Button calls t200, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (t600) Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets t600, Button calls t600, SB folds.
At the time, I thought it was worth taking a stab at the pot here. Looking back on it, it seems foolish to me. If I'd had a larger stack, it might have been ok, but I didn't have enough chips to be pulling this type of play with.... 

Turn: (t1800) 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets t425 (All-In), Button calls t425.

River: (t2650) J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t2650

11t · #2 01-25-2005, 04:40 PM

Your fold is probably a good one with the A8s. A player limping in from that positiion with an ace is almost garunteed to have you beat. I do think betting out on the flop is the right thing to do, just to see where you are at in the hand.

However, I think the other two hands were misplayed. You bet out 400 into a 600 pot with a weak hand and with the one stack that had you covered, and was probably willing to play with you, left to act behind you.I would assume that he did indeed call with ace high or he was attempting to buy the pot when you checked. You lost 1000 chips on this hand, almost 1/3 of your stack when it was obvious to everybody at the table what you had and what you had done. Yes you did most likely have 14 outs, but I think that checking the flop and tryiing to get a free card and folding to a large raise with a trailer park flush draw is your best move.

On your last hand, either push all in preflop, or on the flop if you are the sb/bb or fold at this point in the tournament. Again however you made a raise out of position with the big stack left to act behind you, and he was obviously willing to play with you from your previous raises out of position with weak hands. If he was watching the tournament he was aware of your loose aggressive play. Again though, betting half your stack on the flop is a fool hardy play since if you get called you are forced to go all in on the turn.

It is all in or bust so you don't lose your fold equity, but you must choose your spots wisely against the proper players.

I'm no expert though, but that is just how I see it. You lost most of your stack in the blinds with hands you wouldn't have even played otherwise. Not only that, but you did it on flops that weren't even that great for your holding and with the big stack left to act behind you. Position is so much of tournament poker imo. You lost your entire stack on bottom pair with a flush draw, and bottom pair.

El Maximo · #3 01-25-2005, 05:02 PM

Hand #1 -

I like the flop bet. I probably would have made a smaller bet. In HOH he talks about value betting and probe betting. With a weak kicker I would have made a 1/2 pot size value bet. Its kinda of a probe bet also. I think by keeping the flop better smaller it would have allowed you to make a smaller turn bet and fold to the re-raise and lose less chips

Hand #2 - I normally just check and fold/call depending on what the flop action is. My post flop play is weak and Im not sure how you should proceed when your semi-bluff bet was called.

Hand #3 Check and fold or push. I would check and fold and look for another opportunity. The Button has a huge stack and is going to be tough to push off this hand if he caught something.

schwza · #4 01-25-2005, 05:54 PM

hand 1: that's fine. i would have bet a little more on the turn to extract value from flush draws and T's.

hand 2: also fine. i would have considered a c/r all-in on the turn, but probably would have wussed out and check-called. he is pricing you in nicely.

hand 3: i would have either bet 350 and planned on folding a raise or i would have pushed directly. when you bet 600, there's no way you can get away from the hand, and you're going to get more action (that you don't want) by potting it rather than pushing.

tomscuba · #5 01-26-2005, 05:18 AM

I´´m a relatively sucessfull tourney junky myself. No pro. Heres a few GENERAL things I notice. And I may be completely wrong, but these 3 things helped my progression.
1. playing from the blinds is, IMO, where you find some of your trickiest situations. Your getting marginal holdings, hitting pieces of every flop, and are presented with opportunities to attack based on flop texture. This and you somehow feel comitted because we wrongly see that blind post as our money. I have found that bold moves work with rag flops--and that If anyone withstands my initial pounding, I shut it down. Basically, I´ve been attacked and chose to defend with K9suited, hit a piece or a draw--and ended up thinking--how did I let myself get so involved? Blind play is tricky--plan a strategy.
2. You value bet ok holdings (ok) then folded when someone threw chips at ya. Not saying it was wrong (hand 1 it was definately right) but I try to pick out players like that to help me survive thru the mid/late rounds. be careful of your..
3. Table image. recall how you played the last 2 or 3 hands where you folded or showed---then duplicate the pattern for a nut/nut draw/ flop bluff. If they´ve rolled over u twice-set a trap--stuff like that.

These are things i´m working on myself too. I hope it goes well for ya. Keep yer chin up, and good luck.

tomscuba