My tourney game must suck.

[Russ McGinley]

I've tried to qualify for the WSOP in a few spots and unfortunately I have not been playing many tourneys lately and I feel my game has struggled mightily. Here's a situation that just came up that I think I made the right play but I'm not sure:

Stars $80 sat. to the $615 WSOP qualifier
25 entrants, top 2 get seat, 3rd gets $500 or so
17 remaining, hero is deal K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] in MP3
Avg. chip stack is about 2k
Blinds: 15/30
Hero has 1550TC
Villain has 2940TC

Folded to hero. Hero raises to 120TC.
SB calls, all others fold. (pot = 270TC)

Flop: J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

Checked to hero. Hero bets 200TC. Villain raises to 600TC. Hero...?

[LethalRose]

I push

[sloth469]

Now tell him why you push.

[Hotrod0823]

With those blinds and that hand I think its a fold PF. What are you looking to accomplish by raising PF? Stealing 45 chips from the blinds?

Don't think this is a terrible flop for you but even with your flush outs (that my not be good) and your gutshot I don't think you can just call the raise. Either fold and get away while you can OR push and hope for a laydown.

Either way I think the best idea is to fold PF and avoid the tough decision.

[LethalRose]

gutshot + 2nd nut flush + possible overcard (unlikely)

at this point I gamble.

[captainzodiac]

everyone keep saying push here to these situations,and i just don't see why,if you fold you still have aprox 40 bb left.
i know the odds are about 50/50 on your draw,factoring in the str8 draw with the queeens,still seems desperate,just play solid poker and forget the all in draws, seems alot more effective here.

[niin]

8 people are already gone after just 15 minutes? That seems pretty fast for the WSOP $73 qualifiers at 'Stars.

In any case, way too early to bother with K9 at this blind level. Shoulda just taken your free turn card that you bought with your pre-flop raise and see if you hit your flush.

[Russ McGinley]

[ QUOTE ]
With those blinds and that hand I think its a fold PF. What are you looking to accomplish by raising PF? Stealing 45 chips from the blinds?

[/ QUOTE ]

Basically I just tried to steal the blinds. I heard Phil Ivey say that he tries to steal at least once per orbit (which I never bother with usually), so I gave it a try.

I thought the flop was about as good as I could have hoped for. Inside straight draw + 2nd nut flush draw. After the raise, I felt I was up against a hand like KQ, AJ, AT, QJ. I don't think I'm up against a set or QQ-AA.

I did push all-in, was called by AJo. Turn brought a red 8, giving me 3 more outs, but I missed the river and was eliminated. I guess I played a little too fast when it wasn't needed. Had I not been thinking about the "one steal per orbit" thing, I probably would have folded PF.

[Russ McGinley]

[ QUOTE ]
8 people are already gone after just 15 minutes? That seems pretty fast for the WSOP $73 qualifiers at 'Stars.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, the first 5 people busted out within the first 5-10 hands.

[niin]

Early in a tournament, stealing blinds isn't as important... once the blinds get a bit bigger, stealing at least once per orbit (which pays your blinds for that round) is more worth it.