8 replies to this topic

[Petoria]

Well, on Saturday there was a nearby tournament, $150 buy in. I didnt know but there was a tournament on the following day as well, but apparently you could pay $250 for the both of them so that's what I did.

Day 1: Well, as with any live tournament outside of Vegas and AC, the structure was horrible and definitely encouraged very fast play. There were about 350 people playing in this event.

You started with 1500 in chips, and there was one add-on available for 1800 chips when you dropped below 600 or sometime during the 3rd and 8th level. To give you an idea of how quick it is here are the first few levels.

Level 1: 25/50
Level 2: 50/100
Level 3: 100/200
Level 4: 200/400

O yeah, the levels are only 30 min. long. Ridiculous, dont you agree?

Anyway, I made the dumbest bluff of my life during the 2nd level, and used that add-on pretty quick. I made a move with K2o against a calling station, and when he called my bet on the flop, he literally sighed louder than anyone I've ever heard sigh before. I through out a bet on the turn anyway, because I'm a complete donkey. After that though, I told myself that I was going to play really good poker, and I did. I doubled up on a coin flip with T's, then I had about 3000, I picked up 77. UTG limped with blinds 100/200. I determined that the hand sucked and made it 700 to go from UTG+1. BB called, limper called. flop 268, they both check, I move all in, they fold. I doubled up one more time, and with 70 left, I had about 7 BB's. Since 40 paid, I knew that I had to make a move, and did so with A5 in LP, and the BB woke up to AK. I realize now that I shouldve waited for a little while, because everyone was making really poor folds when they were getting proper pot odds, so I really couldve blinded down for another round, and had almost the same amount of fold equity as bad as those players were. Sometimes I get a little overaggressive and think, ace = push when I get under 10 BB's. I also think I should wait for a hand with better potential when moving, since I'm more likely to be dominated when I move with a weak ace. The good news is that my friend cashed and I traded 15% with him in the tournament. I got $45 back, so I can't complain. Wait a minute, I played horribly in critical pots, and I only got $45, of course I can complain. DAMN IT

I took some money and put it on the cash table in the most passive 1/2 NL game in history. Unfortunately, I couldnt catch a hand, and only made $100 on the night. There was one interesting hand towards the end of the session that, after talking to a very skilled player, I realize that I played it horribly.

It goes like this: I have 98s, UTG, it was the ultimate passive game with hints of aggressive from the good/drunk players. I limp, and there were 5 limps behind me to the button who is a TAG, very good player. He makes it 22 to go, SB calls cold, I call, 2 more callers. 22 was standard for the situation and I had about 400 to back it up, and there are 3 players who also have over 400 in front of them. The flop comes 89Q, I think "yay" when I see the 89, and "****" when I see that there are two diamonds and a ridiculous amount of draws on the table, and since nobody ever folds that this is gonna get expensive if I want to gamble. I check, with the intent to check/raise the button all in. Unfortunately, the resident drunk/maniac of the table, makes it 100 straight, button calls all in for 85, now what the hell do I do here? It's one of the more confusing situations I've come across in a while, also of note that the SB took like 2 min. to fold, so I was 100% certain that he had a Q, bc if he had a draw, this guy would be playing. My conundrum is that I know 100% that the drunk maniac has a flush draw, maybe flush draw + gutshot or maybe the nuts. He has AT LEAST a flush draw though. The button I'm about 80% confident that he has an overpair, but he's not moving with crap, maybe a set. So I think I'm faced with a tough decision here, and my option was to fold, but really what I shouldve done is called 100, then pushed in on the maniac on a non-diamond turn. I folded because I was pu$$y, and was leaving in 10 min. I didnt want to lose a bunch of money on one of my last hands either. So that was a poor decision by me, but I've learned a lot from it, and consider myself more fearless because of it. It taught me that money shouldnt mean that much to me, and, if I want to be a great poker player one day, that I have to let all of that go.


Wow, this blog-like post turned out to be pretty long. I guess I'm going to have to break it up into two parts. It would be cool if you made some comments on the two hands that I described. The 2nd part of this post is going to be much more fun, because I finished in..........(to be continued)

[gobears]

1st Hand with 7BB's in LP with A5o - I'm pushing every time.

2nd Hand - if a non diamond falls on the turn, would the drunk/maniac still call your push? If so, I like the call/push. Otherwise, I'd think about pushing here to get all his chips into the middle. Button is all-in so we can't do anything there but we want to make the sidepot as big as possible with the drunk.

[Petoria]

1st Hand with 7BB's in LP with A5o - I'm pushing every time.

2nd Hand - if a non diamond falls on the turn, would the drunk/maniac still call your push? If so, I like the call/push. Otherwise, I'd think about pushing here to get all his chips into the middle. Button is all-in so we can't do anything there but we want to make the sidepot as big as possible with the drunk.

well, the problem I've read about before from a great online tournament player (SamENole) is that when you push with Ax, you're only going to get called by hands that dominate you, in particular, bigger aces. So I should be pushing with hands that have more possibilities. Here's a link to the article if you want to read it:

http://www.pocketfives.com/80BFB869-4F9C-4...0FB9E9ADED.aspx


On the 2nd hand, I'm pissed that I didnt consider the size that the side pot was going to be if I pushed. I'm really upset at myself for that pot. He was calling an all-in on the turn, GUARANTEED.

Thx for the response gobears.

[hotbacon]

Where did this take place?
(I live in terre haute)

[gobears]

well, the problem I've read about before from a great online tournament player (SamENole) is that when you push with Ax, you're only going to get called by hands that dominate you, in particular, bigger aces. So I should be pushing with hands that have more possibilities. Here's a link to the article if you want to read it:

http://www.pocketfives.com/80BFB869-4F9C-4...0FB9E9ADED.aspx

Well you were close to his inflection point as he said that he'd push with Ax at 6BB's or less in LP.

Sam was actually on my right in LP in a PS MTT when I was in the BB and he had around 7 BB's. Folded to him and he raised 3xBB - my action in the BB with A8o. I pushed as I had him covered; any guesses as to what he had?

[Petoria]

Where did this take place?
(I live in terre haute)

I'm actually home from school in northen IN. Shoot me a PM if there are any games down there, though, bc I'm going to be in TH for most of the summer.

Well you were close to his inflection point as he said that he'd push with Ax at 6BB's or less in LP.

Sam was actually on my right in LP in a PS MTT when I was in the BB and he had around 7 BB's. Folded to him and he raised 3xBB - my action in the BB with A8o. I pushed as I had him covered; any guesses as to what he had?

Not really, although he was in LP I understand that he could have Ax, he proly moves with any reasonable two in that situation.

I'm probably being too critical of myself, I see your point

[RDog]

Your push with A5 could go either way. I probably wait. I am only pushing with that hand if the BB is going to be almost forced to call me with marginal hands where I might be a fav if I get called.
In the other situation, I push or smooth call but no way I fold. You play 98, you can't ask for a much better flop. The more I play, the more I see people betting that amount with much less hands than you would think. You also still have a redraw if you are beat. Push or call. Most likely I push and make him make a decision.

[gregdon8]

1. i would rather push with hand like 9-10 or suited connectors, for reasons you yourself mentioned...only getting called by dominating hands

2. thats the flop you are hopin for when holding 89s...other than trips. I call push blank on turn everytime.

[MasterLJ]

89s UTG is disgusting. Drawing hand out of position to a raise =\.

I'd fold to that action as well btw. In a passive game I'd have to put someone on JT.