Last night I placed second in a home tourney of 18 players. It had been a while since I played one of these so of course taking home 6x my buy-in was nice. Nothing too spectacular about this one.
The way I busted was this: Blinds were 1000 / 2000 with 300 ante, I was holding roughly 50,000 and my opponent 40,000. He raised pre-flop I called with my 10-J. Flop comes out Jx 4s 6s and I go all-in, he calls and shows Q-Q which hold. Down to about 10,000. I look down at 8h-9h and call, he puts me all-in and I call. Flop comes out 5 8 9 rainbow with his A-5, and naturally the turn is another 5 and that holds. No regrets here, happy with the way I played throughout the tourney.
Showing posts with label Tournament Results. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tournament Results. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Aggressive Playing Results in a Bust
I don't like to admit it, because quite frankly it doesn't happen often (hardly ever), but I think I was outplayed on this hand. The end result is that I was busted very early in a small buy-in tournament ($100). I went into this one thinking I was going for the gold and wanted to chip up early (blinds at 20 minutes); Well, that didn't work out as planned. Moral of the story: Always play great poker. Like I need to teach myself that lesson again (apparently I do). In this hand, I'm going to write it with you only knowing my cards, then I'll tell you the opponent's cards at the end.
The PLAY
Blinds at 50-100. Fold to me in middle position, I open raise with Q-9d for 300. Folds around to SB who thinks about it and calls, BB calls. 900 to flop. Flop is Q-x-x (rainbow), SB checks, BB bets 500, I raise to 1,500, SB folds, BB calls. 3,900 to turn. Turn is a K (still rainbow board, no straight draws). BB checks, I bet 2,100, BB thinks a bit and calls. 8,100 to river. River is a small blank, BB checks, I put the rest of it in (5,300), BB thinks a bit and calls. I'm out.
The ANALYSIS
When BB bets on the flop, he could be betting with anything there - you know the range of hands already: a medium pocket pair (he didn't re-raise pre-flop), a big ace (including A-K), maybe a queen (Q-J, Q-K, or perhaps A-Q). I raised to show continued strength and get some more information, as well as knock out SB just in case he was thinking about sticking around, so when BB calls I have a good chance I'm beat right there. I narrow the hands down to a bigger Q, and possibly a big pair like J-J just in case he doesn't believe me and is putting me on A-K. When the K comes on the turn and he check-calls my bet, it's pretty clear I am beat at that point - with a bigger Q or Q-K for top two (I eliminate A-K, K-K at this point, but it is also possible he has A-A). That would explain both actions so far from my opponent. When he checks on the river though, I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a monster (top two or even a set) so the only way I could win the hand is to go all-in and hope he only has a Q and will fold due to the K out there. Of course, I also thought he could be checking because I've been aggressive on every street - pre-flop, flop, and turn. I go all-in and he calls off the rest of his stack - very early in the tourney - with A-Q. What do you think of that call? Would you have made that call in that spot?
Alternate Play
The only other way I think I would have played this is simply to call the 500 on the flop and then check it down with the guy. Obviously that would have been the more conservative approach. With all my aggression on every street, I really felt like I needed to continue it to the river to take the large pot. With the pre-flop call and then bet on the flop, if my opponent is in fact playing a smaller pocket pair which is why he checks the turn and then the river, the most I would have won is the 1,900 (900 pre-flop + 1,000 on the flop with the 500 bet and my call theoretically), since he would have folded to any continued aggression with a smaller pocket pair. But I think as soon as I get caught in the aggression mode with the chips in the pot, I think I am committed to seeing it through.
Final Thoughts
The only thing I'm happy about in this hand is that I pretty much nailed his hand by the river on a bigger Q, so I was pretty sure he would fold to my all-in bet. Obviously he smelled a rat somehow and caught me. Whoever you are, kudos to you sir.
The PLAY
Blinds at 50-100. Fold to me in middle position, I open raise with Q-9d for 300. Folds around to SB who thinks about it and calls, BB calls. 900 to flop. Flop is Q-x-x (rainbow), SB checks, BB bets 500, I raise to 1,500, SB folds, BB calls. 3,900 to turn. Turn is a K (still rainbow board, no straight draws). BB checks, I bet 2,100, BB thinks a bit and calls. 8,100 to river. River is a small blank, BB checks, I put the rest of it in (5,300), BB thinks a bit and calls. I'm out.
The ANALYSIS
When BB bets on the flop, he could be betting with anything there - you know the range of hands already: a medium pocket pair (he didn't re-raise pre-flop), a big ace (including A-K), maybe a queen (Q-J, Q-K, or perhaps A-Q). I raised to show continued strength and get some more information, as well as knock out SB just in case he was thinking about sticking around, so when BB calls I have a good chance I'm beat right there. I narrow the hands down to a bigger Q, and possibly a big pair like J-J just in case he doesn't believe me and is putting me on A-K. When the K comes on the turn and he check-calls my bet, it's pretty clear I am beat at that point - with a bigger Q or Q-K for top two (I eliminate A-K, K-K at this point, but it is also possible he has A-A). That would explain both actions so far from my opponent. When he checks on the river though, I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a monster (top two or even a set) so the only way I could win the hand is to go all-in and hope he only has a Q and will fold due to the K out there. Of course, I also thought he could be checking because I've been aggressive on every street - pre-flop, flop, and turn. I go all-in and he calls off the rest of his stack - very early in the tourney - with A-Q. What do you think of that call? Would you have made that call in that spot?
Alternate Play
The only other way I think I would have played this is simply to call the 500 on the flop and then check it down with the guy. Obviously that would have been the more conservative approach. With all my aggression on every street, I really felt like I needed to continue it to the river to take the large pot. With the pre-flop call and then bet on the flop, if my opponent is in fact playing a smaller pocket pair which is why he checks the turn and then the river, the most I would have won is the 1,900 (900 pre-flop + 1,000 on the flop with the 500 bet and my call theoretically), since he would have folded to any continued aggression with a smaller pocket pair. But I think as soon as I get caught in the aggression mode with the chips in the pot, I think I am committed to seeing it through.
Final Thoughts
The only thing I'm happy about in this hand is that I pretty much nailed his hand by the river on a bigger Q, so I was pretty sure he would fold to my all-in bet. Obviously he smelled a rat somehow and caught me. Whoever you are, kudos to you sir.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
WSOP Satellite...Cancelled (Boo Hoo)
Well, Kristin's satellite to the WSOP Main Event is cancelled. Why? She got engaged (and is getting married in the summer). Can you believe that? Unreal. But seriously, I'm really happy for her and Doug and wish them all the best. Congratulations! At least she gave me my $550 from the super-satellite win (from this tourney).
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
I'm A Super-Satellite Champ!
Last night I took down a KBCR 2008 WSOP super-satellite. (Check the calendar on the bottom of the page for more information.) In this series of home tourneys lasting for 20 weeks, each weekly sit-n-go is $55 and the winner gets a seat at the $550 satellite around June. The winner of the June satellite goes to the WSOP Main Event with $1,000 in cash to help with expenses.
There is nothing too spectacular about last night's win. I was playing well and chipped up early against a dead money player stacking off to me. Overall I made good reads and good plays. There was no serious confrontation until I got heads-up as a slight dog (25k to 15k in chips). I got lucky early on when I pushed with an open-ended on the flop and my opponent called with top pair, and ended up turning the straight. We played close to 1.5 hours heads-up. It was a good match and quite a worthy opponent. I'm looking forward to the satellite to the WSOP!
There is nothing too spectacular about last night's win. I was playing well and chipped up early against a dead money player stacking off to me. Overall I made good reads and good plays. There was no serious confrontation until I got heads-up as a slight dog (25k to 15k in chips). I got lucky early on when I pushed with an open-ended on the flop and my opponent called with top pair, and ended up turning the straight. We played close to 1.5 hours heads-up. It was a good match and quite a worthy opponent. I'm looking forward to the satellite to the WSOP!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
WSOP $300 NL at Harrah's Atlantic City
Sunday December 9 found myself and a few friends playing in the $300 + $40 NL WSOP sponsored tournament at Harrah's in Atlantic City. Starting chips at 4000, blinds starting at 25-50 for 45 minute rounds.
A big shout out and congratulations to my friend Walt who ended up in 10th place at the event, out of a field of 701 players. As luck would have it, at around the third level Walt was moved over to my table with about 2500 in chips, all but outta there. He played two hands well back to back and shot up to about 20000 chips. We stayed at the same table through level seven when I busted out, more on that in a second. On day two at the final table I estimated perhaps 4 or so short stacks relative to the blinds, and Walt was one of them. Roughly 30 minutes into the first round Walt found himself on the button with rockets. He raised pre-flop and the cut-off limper called. With the stacks so short, there was only one move on the flop of 9-J-K: all-in. Player calls and turns over Q-10 for a straight. Ouch.
Overall, I was happy with my play but could just not get any momentum going. I stayed above water at about 12 or 13 times the big blind through level seven. How I busted out: Folds around to a late position limper and I look down at A-J suited in the small blind. I go all-in hoping to pick up 4600 in needed chips (I had about 10000 total at this point). Big blind folds and limper thinks a long time and finally calls showing 5-5. 5-5 holds and I'm out in place 170 or so, 100 positions from the money. Bummer. At least I made my money back at the tables.
A big shout out and congratulations to my friend Walt who ended up in 10th place at the event, out of a field of 701 players. As luck would have it, at around the third level Walt was moved over to my table with about 2500 in chips, all but outta there. He played two hands well back to back and shot up to about 20000 chips. We stayed at the same table through level seven when I busted out, more on that in a second. On day two at the final table I estimated perhaps 4 or so short stacks relative to the blinds, and Walt was one of them. Roughly 30 minutes into the first round Walt found himself on the button with rockets. He raised pre-flop and the cut-off limper called. With the stacks so short, there was only one move on the flop of 9-J-K: all-in. Player calls and turns over Q-10 for a straight. Ouch.
Overall, I was happy with my play but could just not get any momentum going. I stayed above water at about 12 or 13 times the big blind through level seven. How I busted out: Folds around to a late position limper and I look down at A-J suited in the small blind. I go all-in hoping to pick up 4600 in needed chips (I had about 10000 total at this point). Big blind folds and limper thinks a long time and finally calls showing 5-5. 5-5 holds and I'm out in place 170 or so, 100 positions from the money. Bummer. At least I made my money back at the tables.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
