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I was taken aback by the first hand of the Final Table at Harrahs New Orleans in the recent circuit event. Here is how it went down, with my thoughts mixed in. Remember, this is the very first hand of the day:
Chip Leader (687k) raises from the 4 seat to 22k.
2nd in chips (400k) re-raises to 45k from the 6 seat.
4th in chips (300k) smooth calls from the 7 seat.
Let's break that sequence down: Chip leader raises, no big deal. 2nd in chips picks up a hand or wants to send a message, reraises. 4th in chips smooth calls so he must have a monster since the chip leader still has to act behind him on the re-raise. He can't figure he's priced into anything. At this point I would give the credit to the 7 seat, 4th in chips and put him on the biggest hand.
Until...
Chip leader reraises to 120k.
2nd in chips moves in for his 400k.
4th in chips calls for his entire 300k.
Wow. A ton of action. This sequence would tell me that the chip leader has a hand. If it was only 1 reraiser, maybe he comes back over the top with a marginal hand. But a reraiser and a smooth-caller? He must have something. The shove by 2nd in chips tells me he must have aces to have re-raised the initial raiser, been smooth-called and then re-raised again on top of it and still feels like his hand is the best. Aces or perhaps Kings. He was only invested for 45k, he could easily get away from almost anything else. The problem, however, is that I feel the same way about the smooth-caller's call. He must have aces or kings with only 45k invested and all that action in front of him (raise, re-raise, re-raise, all-in). How can he call with anything else? Being priced in is not a factor at this point for either of 2nd or 4th in chips since if they lose, they go out with something like $23,000 for 9th and a little more for 8th and the winner of it all takes $387,000. Only the chip leader can really contemplate that since he has them covered and can still have a good stack to play with. However, even he can still get away as he's in for 120k and there is still another 280k to call and there has already been one caller.
And the kicker.
Chip leader also calls the double all-in. AND he had the A,A. He must have been in shock when these guys started shoving and knowing that he had aces, had them dominated.
2nd stack turns over J,J for, in my opinion, a poor play. Very poor. You've had a raise in front of you, re-raised yourself only to have been called and re-raised (warning flags, anyone????) and you decide to shove for everything when you're only in for 45k and have 400k total??? With J,J???? I hate that play. You have to figure one of them has you. Plus, there is no need to shove at that point. The shows of strength around you are there. If you want to play them, call that re-raise and try to take it away on the flop if anything comes that could be considered a scare card. At that point, a call could mean he had almost any pocket pair that he initially re-raised with and Aces and Kings would be wary of any set.
Similarly, I don't like the play by Q,Q to call the all-in. Yes, it is hard to lay down Q,Q, much harder than J,J. But again, he had not once raised this pot, the other 2 guys each raised twice, doubling and tripling the amount (3x raise, 2x raise, 3x raise, 3x raise) and you're going to call that for everything? Again, only 45k invested at the time the action came back to him where he was put all-in. Have to figure one guy has at least K,K or A,A and another has at worst A,K. Don't like the call at all. Not as bad as the shove with J,J into the pot at the time, but still pretty rough. Just no need to risk it. The risk of all your chips and 9th place prize money (since he was the smaller of the chip stacks that could be eliminated, he would get the lower finishing spot if they were both eliminated) where you could easily be dominated 4 to 1 vs. reward (at best a coin flip for all your chips, where if you win you take the chip lead) doesn't seem to fit to me, not with all the action.
I can only recall seeing one hand like this, in the final table at the USPC at AC one year when one of the local pros (a young Italian-American guy) had a ton of action before him, looked down at Q,Q and folded it in about 1 second and watched the other two turn over A,A and K,K.
So the cards come, the A,A painkillers hold up and 2nd and 4th chip stacks are eliminated on hand 1 of the day.
The only thing I can think is that it being the first hand of the day, no one was in a groove yet or could believe that they were going to get cold-decked right out of the gate.
What a way to start the day though, huh?
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
One Flies In, One Flies Away
Home tournament again last Friday. Finished 8th, top 5 got paid. I need to do something to step up in this game and cash. I seem to be able to make the final table by playing with selective aggression but never seem to be able to make the plays that will get me to a powerful stack size while there.
A few hands to recap:
4th hand of the tournament, 25/50 (opening stack: 1500). I look down at 8c9c and raise to 150 in middle position, get one caller, then a guy in the small blind reraises to 375. Another 225 into 725(big blind folded) and I make the call and the other caller folds. Pot is now 950 and we're heads up. Flop is a bonanza for me 8,8,3. He leads out for 600 and I reraise all in for another 525. Again, with two rebuys allowed I know he's going to call as there is no benefit to folding and playing short stacked. He even says to me "I have to call you," and I expect he knew he was behind. We flip and he shows K,K no flush draw. Turn is a brick, river brings him another K and fills up his boat. Rough. I would have loved to have been an early chip leader and to start to lean on people and loosen right up.
Rebuy. Get A,8 suited right away and think that I don't like it so much but I have to play it so I raise and sure enough end up losing even more when the flop misses me by a mile and my c-bet gets reraised all in. Now 40% of my second rebuy is gone and I know I have to tighten up and either wait for cards or the right spots to shove over the top. I pull of the latter a couple of times and rake in a few hundred each time, slowly trying to build back up. I give some chips back trying to make something with a pair of threes but then finally wake up to a few hands. I shove with 10,10 and get a call by a guy who didn't want to and his Ace/rag combo goes down. Then I get K,K and unfortunately my raise draws no callers but I pull in the blinds. Then at 200/400 I get A,10 suited, raise it up to 1600, get reraised all in (I'm at 3200), another person on a short stack calls and I realize I'm priced in and with a rebuy in my pocket there is no sense in folding into the big pot and being left with 1600 when I can rebuy for another 1500 so I call. Dominated by A,Q on the big stack and 9,9 on the short one. No flush falls for me and a 9 hits the turn and I bust again.
Rebuy #2. Short stack blinds at 200/400 and about to raise up. I shove almost right away and my A,J suited rivers me a flush to double up. I decide to be patient even though I need to accumulate chips, probably a bad decision, but I was hoping to get some decent cards and lop some chips off the table chip leader who had more than the rest of us combined. Finally after hovering for awhile I reraise all in with J,J and get a call by shortstacked A,9 and the jacks hold up and give me enough chips to not sweat the ever-increasing blinds for a couple rounds, as well as knock out the player that allows us to consolidate to the final table.
Final table. Well, I just played awfully here. I barely made any moves. In fact, I can only remember playing two hands. First, at 300/600 I raised to 2000 with A,Q suited and got no callers, including the big blind who folded 5,5. He had me outchipped by maybe a couple thousand but didn't want to play for most of his stack with that hand. Not sure if I wanted him to either but since the play was aggressive at the table and I was not making moves a race was probably the best I could hope for. Then a few hands later in the small blind at 300/600 I outthought myself and felt the burn of knowing I made an awful play. After three limpers into the pot and with my stack at about 4400, I look at K,5 off. Another 300 to call but the big blind to my left has just used his last rebuy and I feel certain if I limp he will shove for his 1500 and I decide I don't want to play K,5 for 1500 so I fold. Of course, he doesn't shove, only checks his option and the flop comes king high, which ends up would have been the winning hand. Just brutal. The very next hand on the button, I fold J, 8 off under a raise and the flop comes J,8,x and the raiser shoves all in and my burn is gettting worse by the second. So I think you know how this song is going to end. A couple hands later I find K,9 of diamonds, raise it up to 2000, get reraised all in for my last 2400 and after checking the time (blinds went up to 400/800 right after this hand started) decided to make the call. I had had success earlier with King high when going all in, and I generally (not always) would rather do it with a hand like this than with a weak ace but in typical fashion, he flips over the painkillers (A,A). I pick up an inside straight draw (Q) on the flop, a flush draw on the turn but nothing materializes and I'm out again.
I have to mix up my game more and make the necessary adjustments at levels like 100/200 in this game to accumulate chips. Playing back at people in earlier levels with rebuys available usually draws calls and in later levels usually draws shoves. But I am handcuffing myself with tight play in all rounds and need to fix that, and quickly.
A few hands to recap:
4th hand of the tournament, 25/50 (opening stack: 1500). I look down at 8c9c and raise to 150 in middle position, get one caller, then a guy in the small blind reraises to 375. Another 225 into 725(big blind folded) and I make the call and the other caller folds. Pot is now 950 and we're heads up. Flop is a bonanza for me 8,8,3. He leads out for 600 and I reraise all in for another 525. Again, with two rebuys allowed I know he's going to call as there is no benefit to folding and playing short stacked. He even says to me "I have to call you," and I expect he knew he was behind. We flip and he shows K,K no flush draw. Turn is a brick, river brings him another K and fills up his boat. Rough. I would have loved to have been an early chip leader and to start to lean on people and loosen right up.
Rebuy. Get A,8 suited right away and think that I don't like it so much but I have to play it so I raise and sure enough end up losing even more when the flop misses me by a mile and my c-bet gets reraised all in. Now 40% of my second rebuy is gone and I know I have to tighten up and either wait for cards or the right spots to shove over the top. I pull of the latter a couple of times and rake in a few hundred each time, slowly trying to build back up. I give some chips back trying to make something with a pair of threes but then finally wake up to a few hands. I shove with 10,10 and get a call by a guy who didn't want to and his Ace/rag combo goes down. Then I get K,K and unfortunately my raise draws no callers but I pull in the blinds. Then at 200/400 I get A,10 suited, raise it up to 1600, get reraised all in (I'm at 3200), another person on a short stack calls and I realize I'm priced in and with a rebuy in my pocket there is no sense in folding into the big pot and being left with 1600 when I can rebuy for another 1500 so I call. Dominated by A,Q on the big stack and 9,9 on the short one. No flush falls for me and a 9 hits the turn and I bust again.
Rebuy #2. Short stack blinds at 200/400 and about to raise up. I shove almost right away and my A,J suited rivers me a flush to double up. I decide to be patient even though I need to accumulate chips, probably a bad decision, but I was hoping to get some decent cards and lop some chips off the table chip leader who had more than the rest of us combined. Finally after hovering for awhile I reraise all in with J,J and get a call by shortstacked A,9 and the jacks hold up and give me enough chips to not sweat the ever-increasing blinds for a couple rounds, as well as knock out the player that allows us to consolidate to the final table.
Final table. Well, I just played awfully here. I barely made any moves. In fact, I can only remember playing two hands. First, at 300/600 I raised to 2000 with A,Q suited and got no callers, including the big blind who folded 5,5. He had me outchipped by maybe a couple thousand but didn't want to play for most of his stack with that hand. Not sure if I wanted him to either but since the play was aggressive at the table and I was not making moves a race was probably the best I could hope for. Then a few hands later in the small blind at 300/600 I outthought myself and felt the burn of knowing I made an awful play. After three limpers into the pot and with my stack at about 4400, I look at K,5 off. Another 300 to call but the big blind to my left has just used his last rebuy and I feel certain if I limp he will shove for his 1500 and I decide I don't want to play K,5 for 1500 so I fold. Of course, he doesn't shove, only checks his option and the flop comes king high, which ends up would have been the winning hand. Just brutal. The very next hand on the button, I fold J, 8 off under a raise and the flop comes J,8,x and the raiser shoves all in and my burn is gettting worse by the second. So I think you know how this song is going to end. A couple hands later I find K,9 of diamonds, raise it up to 2000, get reraised all in for my last 2400 and after checking the time (blinds went up to 400/800 right after this hand started) decided to make the call. I had had success earlier with King high when going all in, and I generally (not always) would rather do it with a hand like this than with a weak ace but in typical fashion, he flips over the painkillers (A,A). I pick up an inside straight draw (Q) on the flop, a flush draw on the turn but nothing materializes and I'm out again.
I have to mix up my game more and make the necessary adjustments at levels like 100/200 in this game to accumulate chips. Playing back at people in earlier levels with rebuys available usually draws calls and in later levels usually draws shoves. But I am handcuffing myself with tight play in all rounds and need to fix that, and quickly.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
I Put $900 On The 5th Horse, In The 6th Race
A little post-Kentucky Derby perspective and analysis. First off, I had keyed Big Brown at the top of my bets. His trainer, Dutrow, often only enters horses he believes will win races. A few years ago he entered a horse called Connie's Magic in two races only three or four days apart at Belmont and won both. So when I heard him talking about all the money their stable was going to be laying on BB, added to his past performances, I was sold.
Unfortunately, I had planned on a quicker pace, something that would benefit the closers and allow them to get up to fill out the exotics. The first quarter of 23 1/5 was nowhere near the speed duels of past years, when either rabbits or overmatched horses figured their only shot was to get out in front and try to hold up. This pace scenario played perfectly into a stalker's situation and Big Brown was properly situated near the lead the entire race and showed himself the best around the turn and down the stretch. Unfortunately for me, the closers that I had filled out underneath Big Brown - Colonel John, Visionaire, Court Vision and Pyro - never got the trip, the ride or the pace they needed and left me with a handful of losing tickets.
Big Brown looks to be for real and I fully expect to see him in person at Belmont gunning for the Triple Crown in June.
Unfortunately, I had planned on a quicker pace, something that would benefit the closers and allow them to get up to fill out the exotics. The first quarter of 23 1/5 was nowhere near the speed duels of past years, when either rabbits or overmatched horses figured their only shot was to get out in front and try to hold up. This pace scenario played perfectly into a stalker's situation and Big Brown was properly situated near the lead the entire race and showed himself the best around the turn and down the stretch. Unfortunately for me, the closers that I had filled out underneath Big Brown - Colonel John, Visionaire, Court Vision and Pyro - never got the trip, the ride or the pace they needed and left me with a handful of losing tickets.
Big Brown looks to be for real and I fully expect to see him in person at Belmont gunning for the Triple Crown in June.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Mama Tried to Raise Me Better, But Her Pleading I Denied
Played in the home tourney again last Friday night. 28 players. I came out firing and playing loose/aggressive from the get go and got some chips on bluffs and reading weak play when I had marginal hands. Unfortunately, I was at a table of half people who were among the less experienced in the tournament and I donked away half my chips on a big post river bluff with 10,8 off on a board with 3 spades, an ace and a queen and I bet big and a guy with pocket jacks (!!!) made the call. So I then ended up pushing in with nothing when I was in the BB to either win or rebuy and a guy with K,7 called and won. Note to self: don't try to bluff beginning players, they get married to hands. So I rebought and was starting to get cards and bully people a little when I was in the 200 BB with about 3000 (1500 to start). One limper, an all-in of 500, then a call before me. I look down at 3,8 off and make the call, as does the initial limper. 2000 in the pot. Flop comes K, 8, 3. SB checks, I go all in, hoping it will be read as an overbet by someone with a king. Initial limper doesn't hesitate and counts out his chips methodically and calls. We show. Initial all in of 500 has nothing, I have 2 pair and limper (who didn't reraise after the 500 raise since he was a novice player who limped or called everything, never raised) shows K,K for a set. Turn gives him quads and I'm busted again.
So I rebought again, my final allowed rebuy of 1500 (starting chip count). Blinds were at 100/200 and only a few minutes before moving to 200/400, so I began to shove in order that the blinds wouldn't catch me and the guy next to me was doing the same with his last 2 rebuys and I won both of those off of him in 3 hands, once with a better kicker on my ace, then another when my pocket sevens held up against his A,8. Right after that happened I also was able to double up when two players went all in short-stacked with nothing and I woke up to a nice A,K.
My table finally splits (down to 2 tables) which was a good thing. I get to my new table and pick up a couple of hands right away and grab some more chips. Then I get the painkillers (aces) against another player's preflop all in of A,x and am really piling it on, probably now close to 14-15k in chips. I got bluffed out of a hand a couple later, but I hadn't made a hand myself postflop (A,Q) and couldn't make a call anyway and was happy to fold, even though it turned out I was ahead. No need to risk. However, against the same guy a few hands later, I get K,J and call his raise. Flop comes K and 2 rags. He goes all in and I call immediately. He has ace high and I'm ahead but an ace comes on the turn and I lose. I thought he had me outchipped but he didn't and I went from about 15,000 in chips to 3,800. I moved all in the next hand with Q,J suited and picked up the 400/800 blinds so got some breathing room there. After that, I played pretty well, made the proper moves to pick up limped pots by shoving and built up to more than 8,000 again. Then, got lucky in a 3 way pot (other 2 all in and I had them both easily covered) when I had Q,Q against 9,9 and A,K. Flop brought a K, Turn brought an A and river brought a Q and won it for me. So I was back again up to about 14,000 and sitting nicely and made it to the final table of 10.
My first move at the table was questionable, I'm sure the other guy hated it and I kind of did too but I am still testing out not being so conservative in my play and trying to take some risks, even some very dubious ones. I'm in the 1400 BB, a guy moves all in for 4000 total before me and everyone else folds. 6100 in the pot and 2600 to call, I have rags, I called. He was wired with Jacks and easily beat me. So I was down to maybe 9000 after that round but then made a button play on a guy who had raised to 3000 two to my right. I look down at A,K suited and shove for my 9000 and the blinds and he all fold. I got credit for a power button move by the table but in reality I had a hand and that was my only play. But I took the credit anyway. This hand is important because of how things went later on.
As an aside, I had the host, the best player at the table, to my right and another real solid guy to my left (he gave me the props for the button play). To his left were 2 players who I didn't think were as strong, then it alternated around with good and average players.
So I was back up to around 14k and folding dreck. One player busted and was done and another 2 busted but had rebuys left and rebought and folded a few hands in a row while not in the blinds. In theory, I should have figured they would have busted soon and brought us to the bubble (top 6 got paid). In reality, the very next time I was on the button, I look at A,J off. Same guy two to my right raises again, this time to $4000 and everyone else folds. I shove for roughly 14,000 and the blinds again fold. He almost insta-calls with Q,7 of hearts, without bothering to figure out pot odds or anything. He also had over 20,000 in chips so could have folded without being crippled in any way. Now, the pot odds (roughly 2 to 1 on his 10,000 call) make it a viable play as long as I don't have aces, kings or queens in which case he's a huge dog. However, to lose this hand does really hurt him and makes him probably 3rd shortest stack. Personally, I would have dumped it as there wasn't a need at that point to risk 70% of your chips on Q,7 of hearts. Maybe he thought I was bullying him specifically or playing from position only. Don't know. Maybe he thought I should have folded to his raise or was merely stealing again but if I double through him, I'm the chip leader. I checked the odds calculator after I got home and I was 60/40 ahead preflop. Either way, the flop came Jack high (pairing me) with two hearts (now down to 54/46 in my favor) and the turn flushed him and I was drawing dead. It hurt because I had played pretty well for 4 hours and even my bust out was not a bad play in my opinion, maybe even a good one and it all added up (or subtracted down) to a $60 loss for the night.
I still can't get over that hump to the winning zone but I feel like it's only a matter of time. I'm pleased that I didn't turn into a rock when we got down to 9 players, I went for the big play with a good (the best) hand and got marginally unlucky, rather than make it a foldfest and hoping others busted to get me into the money.
I'm hoping to make it to Atlantic City, perhaps this weekend, for some more live action at the tables.
So I rebought again, my final allowed rebuy of 1500 (starting chip count). Blinds were at 100/200 and only a few minutes before moving to 200/400, so I began to shove in order that the blinds wouldn't catch me and the guy next to me was doing the same with his last 2 rebuys and I won both of those off of him in 3 hands, once with a better kicker on my ace, then another when my pocket sevens held up against his A,8. Right after that happened I also was able to double up when two players went all in short-stacked with nothing and I woke up to a nice A,K.
My table finally splits (down to 2 tables) which was a good thing. I get to my new table and pick up a couple of hands right away and grab some more chips. Then I get the painkillers (aces) against another player's preflop all in of A,x and am really piling it on, probably now close to 14-15k in chips. I got bluffed out of a hand a couple later, but I hadn't made a hand myself postflop (A,Q) and couldn't make a call anyway and was happy to fold, even though it turned out I was ahead. No need to risk. However, against the same guy a few hands later, I get K,J and call his raise. Flop comes K and 2 rags. He goes all in and I call immediately. He has ace high and I'm ahead but an ace comes on the turn and I lose. I thought he had me outchipped but he didn't and I went from about 15,000 in chips to 3,800. I moved all in the next hand with Q,J suited and picked up the 400/800 blinds so got some breathing room there. After that, I played pretty well, made the proper moves to pick up limped pots by shoving and built up to more than 8,000 again. Then, got lucky in a 3 way pot (other 2 all in and I had them both easily covered) when I had Q,Q against 9,9 and A,K. Flop brought a K, Turn brought an A and river brought a Q and won it for me. So I was back again up to about 14,000 and sitting nicely and made it to the final table of 10.
My first move at the table was questionable, I'm sure the other guy hated it and I kind of did too but I am still testing out not being so conservative in my play and trying to take some risks, even some very dubious ones. I'm in the 1400 BB, a guy moves all in for 4000 total before me and everyone else folds. 6100 in the pot and 2600 to call, I have rags, I called. He was wired with Jacks and easily beat me. So I was down to maybe 9000 after that round but then made a button play on a guy who had raised to 3000 two to my right. I look down at A,K suited and shove for my 9000 and the blinds and he all fold. I got credit for a power button move by the table but in reality I had a hand and that was my only play. But I took the credit anyway. This hand is important because of how things went later on.
As an aside, I had the host, the best player at the table, to my right and another real solid guy to my left (he gave me the props for the button play). To his left were 2 players who I didn't think were as strong, then it alternated around with good and average players.
So I was back up to around 14k and folding dreck. One player busted and was done and another 2 busted but had rebuys left and rebought and folded a few hands in a row while not in the blinds. In theory, I should have figured they would have busted soon and brought us to the bubble (top 6 got paid). In reality, the very next time I was on the button, I look at A,J off. Same guy two to my right raises again, this time to $4000 and everyone else folds. I shove for roughly 14,000 and the blinds again fold. He almost insta-calls with Q,7 of hearts, without bothering to figure out pot odds or anything. He also had over 20,000 in chips so could have folded without being crippled in any way. Now, the pot odds (roughly 2 to 1 on his 10,000 call) make it a viable play as long as I don't have aces, kings or queens in which case he's a huge dog. However, to lose this hand does really hurt him and makes him probably 3rd shortest stack. Personally, I would have dumped it as there wasn't a need at that point to risk 70% of your chips on Q,7 of hearts. Maybe he thought I was bullying him specifically or playing from position only. Don't know. Maybe he thought I should have folded to his raise or was merely stealing again but if I double through him, I'm the chip leader. I checked the odds calculator after I got home and I was 60/40 ahead preflop. Either way, the flop came Jack high (pairing me) with two hearts (now down to 54/46 in my favor) and the turn flushed him and I was drawing dead. It hurt because I had played pretty well for 4 hours and even my bust out was not a bad play in my opinion, maybe even a good one and it all added up (or subtracted down) to a $60 loss for the night.
I still can't get over that hump to the winning zone but I feel like it's only a matter of time. I'm pleased that I didn't turn into a rock when we got down to 9 players, I went for the big play with a good (the best) hand and got marginally unlucky, rather than make it a foldfest and hoping others busted to get me into the money.
I'm hoping to make it to Atlantic City, perhaps this weekend, for some more live action at the tables.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Slow times
I have been bogged down the past couple of weeks with trying to find a place to live. Sounds easier than it is in my neck of the woods. However, there will be some poker this weekend and I promise to fire a couple of card-related posts up.
I've also been perusing some of the poker clips on you tube, love the high-stakes poker game where kid poker runs into quads twice in the same session and donks off a half mil or so even in the face of his opponents' both representing monsters. Even the pros are not immune to getting married to hands. I encourage you to track the clips down if you have the time. one is against Lindgren and the other against Hansen.
I've also been perusing some of the poker clips on you tube, love the high-stakes poker game where kid poker runs into quads twice in the same session and donks off a half mil or so even in the face of his opponents' both representing monsters. Even the pros are not immune to getting married to hands. I encourage you to track the clips down if you have the time. one is against Lindgren and the other against Hansen.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Running into the Painkillers
Sorry on the delay of the report on my first taste of the home tournament I played in last Friday night. It's a great game, very well run, populated by players who run the gamut of experience. For instance, two to my right was a pro player who regularly plays very high level games at the Borgata in Atlantic City. Then, a few seats over from him was a woman who had virtually no poker experience and zero hold 'em experience. Stepping in as a new player into this tournament, which has been regular and ongoing for a number of years, put me at an immediate disadvantage since I needed to figure out who was who in terms of experience, aggressiveness and skill, as well as make my decisions with regard to the structure and blinds, which was one of the most vital aspects of the game.
Chip and clock management was so vital in this game because while the blinds and levels were manageable with relation to opening stack size (1500), each player was allowed 2 rebuys, making for some very aggressive play. At any point, in any level, you were at risk of playing a hand for all your chips. Anytime your stack dwindled even a little below its opening count, you were better to start shoving with any decent hand (and sometimes with anything, period) and hope to pick up pots or get called and get lucky. Of course, being new to this game and structure, I wanted to be aggressive but found that most times I was beaten into the pot or had nothing to play if I wasn't. I did succeed in following my plan to stay aggressive from position in all instances and picked up some pots when my preflop raises drew other players' warning flags and my c-bets finished the pot off. However, in such a delicate structure, without having amassed a great deal of chips (some raises were re-raised or shoved upon and a couple of bluffs got sniffed out) I found myself just over my starting count when I looked down at 6,6 out of position. I raised, was re-raised all in and rather than play with a small amount of chips against growing stacks, made the call, hoping to be in a race against a big ace. Well, I was against a big ace. Two of them in fact, and I was left behind like Macaulay Culkin. I had him outchipped by a 25 chip so I tossed that in the next hand, waiting to lose it so I could rebuy. Well, of course I look down at Q,Q and inwardly bemoan my luck to make the move one hand too early or not to have been able to rebuy just yet. Well, as it turned out, I would have lost that rebuy immediately as two other hands shoved, one with 9,9 and another with K,K that held up.
So I rebuy and only a few hands in I look down at 5,5 in the BB. I raise the limped pot and only the small blind calls. The flop brings me a set with two diamonds on board as well. SB bets and I shove all in. He mutters to himself what a bad call it would be if he makes it. Then he revises his previous comment and now says it would be a terrible call. Of course, he eventually does make the call and is on a diamond draw. Not a terrible call in this structure, especially since he had the chips to make it but I manage to fade any diamonds or backdoor straight possibilities and double up.
At this point, the blinds moved to 100-200 and I began to try to make things happen and ran into some roadblocks. Raises were shoved back at by smaller stacks looking to double up (or possibly to give them a chance to rebuy) and some of the bigger stacks were now formidible, having gobbled up small stack shoves themselves. So picking spots was very important, but after getting caught stealing a couple times, I was able to snag blinds with shoves UTG with Qc10c and Kh9h in consecutive rounds. However, I needed to make something happen quickly, so upon looking down at 4,4 in an unopened pot, I shoved out of position. I was immediately called by the player to my left, not a good sign since she too was out of position. Everyone else folded and once again I had picked the wrong moment to shove and had come face to face with the Painkillers, aka A,A. I again did not catch up and at this point in the game the 100/200 level was only seconds from ending and with the next level at 200/400 and the BB about to hit me, I chose not to use my last rebuy since I would have had to shove in the first 2 hands and then likely again in the next several if I did not double up immediately. So I was left slightly lamenting that I didn't push earlier in previous rounds where I might have been able to double up or take down a pot or rebuy if I didn't, whereas now I found myself with the last rebuy worthless to me.
I plan to try and play regularly in this game, and as the skill levels are so wide but with the majority of the players seemingly above average, I think it promises to provide a lot of good experience in a wide variety of situations.
Chip and clock management was so vital in this game because while the blinds and levels were manageable with relation to opening stack size (1500), each player was allowed 2 rebuys, making for some very aggressive play. At any point, in any level, you were at risk of playing a hand for all your chips. Anytime your stack dwindled even a little below its opening count, you were better to start shoving with any decent hand (and sometimes with anything, period) and hope to pick up pots or get called and get lucky. Of course, being new to this game and structure, I wanted to be aggressive but found that most times I was beaten into the pot or had nothing to play if I wasn't. I did succeed in following my plan to stay aggressive from position in all instances and picked up some pots when my preflop raises drew other players' warning flags and my c-bets finished the pot off. However, in such a delicate structure, without having amassed a great deal of chips (some raises were re-raised or shoved upon and a couple of bluffs got sniffed out) I found myself just over my starting count when I looked down at 6,6 out of position. I raised, was re-raised all in and rather than play with a small amount of chips against growing stacks, made the call, hoping to be in a race against a big ace. Well, I was against a big ace. Two of them in fact, and I was left behind like Macaulay Culkin. I had him outchipped by a 25 chip so I tossed that in the next hand, waiting to lose it so I could rebuy. Well, of course I look down at Q,Q and inwardly bemoan my luck to make the move one hand too early or not to have been able to rebuy just yet. Well, as it turned out, I would have lost that rebuy immediately as two other hands shoved, one with 9,9 and another with K,K that held up.
So I rebuy and only a few hands in I look down at 5,5 in the BB. I raise the limped pot and only the small blind calls. The flop brings me a set with two diamonds on board as well. SB bets and I shove all in. He mutters to himself what a bad call it would be if he makes it. Then he revises his previous comment and now says it would be a terrible call. Of course, he eventually does make the call and is on a diamond draw. Not a terrible call in this structure, especially since he had the chips to make it but I manage to fade any diamonds or backdoor straight possibilities and double up.
At this point, the blinds moved to 100-200 and I began to try to make things happen and ran into some roadblocks. Raises were shoved back at by smaller stacks looking to double up (or possibly to give them a chance to rebuy) and some of the bigger stacks were now formidible, having gobbled up small stack shoves themselves. So picking spots was very important, but after getting caught stealing a couple times, I was able to snag blinds with shoves UTG with Qc10c and Kh9h in consecutive rounds. However, I needed to make something happen quickly, so upon looking down at 4,4 in an unopened pot, I shoved out of position. I was immediately called by the player to my left, not a good sign since she too was out of position. Everyone else folded and once again I had picked the wrong moment to shove and had come face to face with the Painkillers, aka A,A. I again did not catch up and at this point in the game the 100/200 level was only seconds from ending and with the next level at 200/400 and the BB about to hit me, I chose not to use my last rebuy since I would have had to shove in the first 2 hands and then likely again in the next several if I did not double up immediately. So I was left slightly lamenting that I didn't push earlier in previous rounds where I might have been able to double up or take down a pot or rebuy if I didn't, whereas now I found myself with the last rebuy worthless to me.
I plan to try and play regularly in this game, and as the skill levels are so wide but with the majority of the players seemingly above average, I think it promises to provide a lot of good experience in a wide variety of situations.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Home tourney preview
Playing in a home tournament tonight, that is semi-regular. It's my first time playing in it and it is supposed to have players of wildly different skill levels. What I like about it is that it is a cheap entry and they allow 2 rebuys, so I plan to mix up my play. Usually I play cautiously, with bouts of aggression at selected opportunities. Basically, I try to get myself in good spots and hit them hard, then stay out of the fray when uber-aggressive and uber-tight guys make plays into pots, unless I have a hand worthy of mixing it up or I'm really priced in. I pride myself on my patience ordinarily and making good reads on my opponents and dictating my play based on how the table is playing. However, tonight, with the 2 rebuys in my pocket, I plan to play very aggressively from position even so far as becoming one of those uber-aggressive guys, represent hands early and often and chase down some draws where I would ordinarily muck. In short, get out of my comfort zone and play as if I'm at a single table satellite type event, where early chip-gathering is a must. I think there will be about 25-30 people at this thing so it will be important for me to identify early on the better players so not to attempt bluffs on the more inexperienced players who will call down everything with top or second pair. We'll see how my adaption to a new style fits and whether or not I'm suited to such a style of play.
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