Play A Tournament With Strategy

[strategy 4]

I took a little time off, so here is a link to the first part of this series. Long story short, I played a tournament and I want to know if you agree with what I'm doing. I'll have the emoticon suits in the next part if someone knows which converter for Stars tournaments will work for this board.This is the toughest part of the Stars structure. The blinds double twice and we start doing antes as well. I hadn't played too many hands, but I don't think anyone at my table was paying attention to that. A few players were playing pretty fast and loose, so I didn't have many chances to collect some blinds.-----PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t150 (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cxUTG+1 (t12060)MP1 (t5395)MP2 (t2480)CO (t1575)Button (t7370)SB (t990)Hero (t3200)UTG (t1955)Preflop: Hero is BB with [Ah], [Jh]. 4 folds, CO raises to t1575, 2 folds, Hero calls t1425.Flop: (t3225) [Js], [Ks], [Kc] (2 players)Turn: (t3225) [Td] (2 players)River: (t3225) [6d] (2 players)Final Pot: t3225I felt like his jamming range was pretty loose with his chip position and all, but that kind of reasoning ("What would I do if I were him?") has gotten me into a lot of trouble before. He'd jammed once or twice in the last two rounds, but no real reads.-----MP1 (t12600)MP2 (t8020)MP3 (t2330)CO (t3145)Button (t7145)SB (t6320)Hero (t4775)UTG (t3235)UTG+1 (t5465)Preflop: Hero is BB with [4c], [7d]. 7 folds, SB completes, Hero checks.Flop: (t300) [6s], [As], [9s] (2 players)SB checks, Hero checks.Turn: (t300) [8c] (2 players)SB checks, Hero checks.River: (t300) [Ah] (2 players)SB checks, Hero checks.Final Pot: t300Seven high was good. I didn't take a shot at the pot because it seems like three-flush boards get way more action than they should in blind vs blind confrontations. Plus, I do kinda have seven high and no draw.-----SB (t12450)BB (t6070)UTG (t2955)UTG+1 (t3145)MP1 (t6745)MP2 (t8570)Hero (t4850)CO (t3010)Button (t5240)Preflop: Hero is MP3 with [Qh], [Qs]. 2 folds, MP1 raises to t450, 1 fold, Hero raises to t1250, 4 folds, MP1 calls t800.Flop: (t2725) [Ts], [8c], [5d] (2 players)MP1 bets t450, Hero raises to t3600, MP1 folds.Final Pot: t6775I hadn't played a hand in a few rounds, but I wasn't expecting much respect here.-----MP1 (t12900)MP2 (t5095)MP3 (t2730)CO (t4570)Button (t3320)SB (t9395)Hero (t6775)UTG (t4475)UTG+1 (t5240)Preflop: Hero is BB with [Ah], [Qd]. 3 folds, MP2 raises to t600, 1 fold, CO calls t600, 3 folds.Flop: (t1425) [4h], [9s], [3c] (2 players)MP2 checks, CO checks.Turn: (t1425) [9h] (2 players)MP2 bets t450, CO calls t450.River: (t2325) [6d] (2 players)MP2 bets t900, CO calls t900.Final Pot: t4125This is still the 75/150 level. MP2 was very loose.MP2 shows [As 6s] (two pair, Nines and Sixes)CO shows [7h 7d] (two pair, Nines and Sevens)MP2 tilted his last 3000 off the very next hand with K9o.-----PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cxButton (t12700)SB (t1630)BB (t6145)UTG (t3320)UTG+1 (t9320)Hero (t6525)MP2 (t7620)CO (t7240)Preflop: Hero is MP1 with [8s], [8d]. 2 folds, Hero raises to t800, 4 folds, BB calls t600.Flop: (t1700) [5d], [6s], [9d] (2 players)BB checks, Hero bets t800, BB folds.Risky play. Raises from EP weren't getting much respect.-----BB (t13500)UTG (t4625)UTG+1 (t4790)MP1 (t7730)MP2 (t12840)Hero (t7125)Button (t6820)SB (t1695)Preflop: Hero is CO with [7d], [7s]. 4 folds, Hero raises to t600, 1 fold, SB raises to t1695, 1 fold, Hero calls t1095.Flop: (t3590) [9s], [Qd], [Ks] (2 players)Turn: (t3590) [9d] (2 players)River: (t3590) [Ad] (2 players)Seat 9 (small blind) showed [5s As] and won (3590) with two pair, Aces and Nines-----MP1 (t13500)MP2 (t5625)CO (t6090)Button (t7430)SB (t10840)Hero (t5430)UTG (t6820)UTG+1 (t3390)Preflop: Hero is BB with [As], [Ts]. 4 folds, CO raises to t400, 1 fold, SB calls t300, Hero calls t200.Flop: (t1200) [8d], [Qh], [9d] (3 players)SB checks, Hero checks, CO bets t500, SB folds, Hero raises to t1000, CO calls t500.Turn: (t3200) [2h] (2 players)Hero bets t2500, CO folds.Final Pot: t5700The feared mini-check-raise. I'm pretty sure I had a read; I don't try this play very often.-----Blinds are now 100/200 with a 25 ante.UTG (t13500)UTG+1 (t5625)MP1 (t4690)MP2 (t7430)CO (t10440)Hero (t7430)SB (t6620)BB (t3390)Preflop: Hero is Button with [9c], [9s]. 5 folds, Hero raises to t800, SB raises to t1800, 1 fold, Hero calls t1000.Flop: (t3750) [7c], [7s], [Ts] (2 players)SB bets t1000, Hero raises to t5000, SB calls t3795 (All-In).I think it's fairly obvious what he had this hand. I have a lot to say about this one but I'll leave the analysis to you.-----I get moved to a new table. I'm on a short stack and I have no reads. Sweet life.CO (t8665)Button (t20675)SB (t1060)Hero (t735)UTG (t18269)UTG+1 (t6609)MP1 (t3267)MP2 (t9400)Preflop: Hero is BB with [Qc], [3d]. UTG calls t200, 1 fold, MP1 raises to t3242, 4 folds, Hero calls t510 (All-In), UTG folds.Flop: (t4127) [Qd], [4h], [8c] (2 players, 1 all-in)Turn: (t4127) [8h] (2 players, 1 all-in)River: (t4127) [Td] (2 players, 1 all-in)Seat 8 showed [Jc Jd] and lost with two pair, Jacks and EightsQ3 sexx. That's the last hand I played at the 100/200 level. The blinds moved up to 200/400 a few hands later and my stack remained around 1900. Don't be shy with your comments.

[gobears 0]

1st Hand: AJs is very close but it's a fold only because I hate AJ but I would call with AQ. 2nd Hand: I check it down with 7 high too - pot is small3rd Hand: QQ seems fine4th Hand: I call with AQ in the BB and let it go when I miss the flop5th Hand: Slightly bigger raise preflop then I usually make but otherwise is fine as that flop is good for 886th Hand: Fine - you have to call the push as you're priced in7th Hand: Sounds like you had a read that CO was weak with that less than 1/2 pot bet post flop. With no reads, I would fold postflop.8th Hand: Tough one - I get all my chips in with that flop tooLast hand: I like it - you have some dead money in the pot since UTG will probably fold so you're getting great pot odds. Perfect application of the Dutch Boyd M<3 when in the blinds strategy.

[mk 11]

Posting without reading gobears.Hand 1 (AJs): Such a borderline hand, because his range has to include weaker aces down to A9 to move this into coinflip territory. If you think he'd make this play with KJ-KT, QJ, it obv moves it into +EV territory. The reason it's so close is because it costs about half your stack to call. But then again, villain is possibly aware of this and is pushing with a weaker range than what we'd expect. Tough one.Hand 2 (74o): I fire out on the turn after he checks twice no matter what my cards are in these situations. You'll get Q-high, J-high, etc. out. Half the pot is fine. Plus, if you wait for the turn it doesn't look like an auto bet, but more like you were maybe hoping your opponent would bet.Hand 3 (QQ): I've been mixing flat calls in with my re-raises if someone opens and I have position with QQ. I saw Pat do it when we were playing at the same table and the blinds were still fairly small relative to stacks, and I was like, damn that was sexy. You keep the pot fairly small preflop, allowing yourself to get away easily when overcards flop, and you get a lot of action when the board is safe. I've doubled through JJ-88 a few times with this strategy; they just can't believe you didn't re-raise preflop. But re-raising is obv fine too. I've been using something like 70% re-raises, 30% flat calls.Hand 4 (AQo): Decent spot to try a squeeze play, you could pop it to 2k, they'd both most likely fold, and if not, it isn't disastrous in any way. You've got a hand to play and chips behind. I would definitely at least call. People like stealing with hands like AJ-A7. If I flop an ace, I might stack somebody.Hand 5 (88): Preflop is fine, I use something like 50% raises, 50% calls if I'm first in from MP with a mid pair. Great flop for your hand, gotta protect, fine.Hand 6 (77): I play it the same. A5, lol. Absolutely crushed by your range. They try so hard to give their chips away sometimes.Hand 7 (ATs): I like it. I use this play at least once per MTT, lol. Usually they just fold on the flop. Firing another barrel takes stones, but you gotta do it.Hand 8 (99): Meh, I'd like to think I'd have no problem laying this down preflop after the re-raise. Without a read, this is usually a bigger pair. Online players are terrified of taking a flop with AK, so I've grown accustomed to seeing them just move in with it in spots like these. If you're calling the re-raise for set value, the odds just aren't there. Stacks aren't deep enough.Hand 9 (Q3o): Fine, doesn't matter much what you get it in with.

[amarillotg 0]

hand 4 - AQo - this is either a raise or fold imo. even the opening raiser was that loose then i probably would have re-raised pre-flop. nothing wrong with folding either.hand 7 - ATs - risky play. you put a large portion on your stack in there with a very weak draw. i'd probably check/fold the flop. if i was going to c/r on the flop id make a larger raise and put him to a decision. he has to call with almost anything with the min-raise.everything else i play pretty much the same.

[strategy 4]

hand 4 - AQo - this is either a raise or fold imo. even the opening raiser was that loose then i probably would have re-raised pre-flop. nothing wrong with folding either.hand 7 - ATs - risky play. you put a large portion on your stack in there with a very weak draw. i'd probably check/fold the flop. if i was going to c/r on the flop id make a larger raise and put him to a decision. he has to call with almost anything with the min-raise.everything else i play pretty much the same.

4. I had a read that the pf raiser was loose and fast, so I really don't know why I mucked AQ. I don't know what I was thinking :\7. I agree that a bigger check-raise is safer.

[lostless 0]

7. I agree that a bigger check-raise is safer.

I don't mind a delay bluff here if we believe he is weak. A smooth call and a nice bet when he checks the turn. That play makes me so hot. I love it. And if he bets twice he probably has it.