1. 2011-03-30 04:06:40

   Sharing a couple of hands, for feedback

   
   Last Saturday, I played at the $60 buy-in 5,000 starting chips tourney at Thunder Valley. There were 137 entrants, making the prize pool a bit over $6,000, top-14 paid. I made the money, though I busted in 12th place in a painful maneer (as is all bad beat, as usual!) There are 3 hands I want to share, that caused me to think quite a lot! I look forward any feedback.

   HAND#1: round #2, blinds 50/100, stack 5,200, position small-blind. After a couple of limpers in early position, a very active young guy with a 6,000+ stack raises to 300. It's folded to me and I discover I have a small pocket pair . At a tight table, I would fold 50% of the time, raise very rarely, but here I felt I should flat-call, he could have a pretty wide range, and would pay me off if I hit a set, otherwise, I could afford letting go of 300 chips at this point of the tournament. Also, I was not expecting any crazy play from the BB or the limpers; in fact, I got even surprised that even one, the UTG, called: many players at that table were playing really soft/weak. Flop is and the pot 1,000. Again, at a tight table I would lead and bet as I hit my set, but here I decided to go for a check-raise as I was expecting the original raiser to continuation bet, or even the other player between us could act. As expected, it goes check, bet 600: I follow up with my plan and announce raise. Now, I would raise 1,500 heads-up but decide on 1,800 to tell the third guy I was very serious, and make less profitable straight or spade flush draws. It goes fold from UTG, and tank/moan/call from the raiser. He looked uneasy, surprised by the resistance, I put him on an over pair or a big draw (mix straight & flush?) I thought that with a higher set or an unlikely made straight he would re-raise to force me to commit now with lesser hands or abandon any draws. Turn is the expanding straight and flush draws possibilities, the pot is now 4,600 and I have 3,100 chips left: a check is out of question, a bet less than all-in is possible, but would make draws cheap and show an apparent weakness that would not buy me anything: I shove 3,100. He tanks for a while, and asked me if I had an over pair, or just paired the flop, but I stare at the felt and he finally calls, showing top-2 of the flop, drawinng dead to the last 2 sixes or eights. River is a blank and I double-up. I felt all the time that I was walking a very thin line, and could have taken safer and slower actions. It's one of those hands that put me in quandary and force me to think a lot and read the situation pretty intensely for e to decide on a course of action. Not sure I would re-play it the same way if a single small parameter would change.

   HAND#2a: four hours into play, past the bubble, down to 12 players, 2 tables of 6, playing hand-for-hand. Previously, blinds go up to 4,000/8,000 on my big blind, while a new player seats on my left to replace a busted guy from the previous hand. I have 43,000 chips, the guy on my right has a monster stack close to 200,000 and I saw the other table had one similar monster stack. If the average stack is supposed to be 57,000 now, in fact the ten "normal" guys we are around 30,000. The new guy folds, a guy shoves, folded to me, but I have crap and have to fold my BB. Down to 35,000 I post the 4,000 SB and the new guy with 38,500 posts the 8,000 BB. Everyone folds to me and I shove my 35,000 with a hand I'll discuss as HAND#2b, it's not the point now. The HAND#1a is in fact the the BB called me with: he caught a on the river to bust me, there was lots of noise of "sick" or "gross" and I was really disappointed and angry, while keeping a polite face and saying "good game" but thinking "what a donkey!" for the following 2 hours. But was he? What would I do in his position? is 49% to win against a totally random hand, add a 2% tie to make it not a losing hand. Pot odds were a 27,000 call to win 70,000, or about 39%. So in a cash game, unlimited funds, and assuming I could shove with really any two cards, the BB is perfectly right to call, getting a more than good price. But the situation was different. It's a tourney, and a loss would leave him with 3,500 chips, less than the coming small blind, and a sure way out. On another hand, blinds are so high, that now could be the right time to gamble regardless of odds: survival seems harder than ever if he lets go of his blinds, while doubling up now would put him in a very secure spot. One point for a call? Also, it might seem reasonable to assume I have better than a random hand: if you reduce my range to the top 7 Sklansky Hand Groups (pairs, painted, suited connectors or 1-gappers), his odds are still almost 39%, getting the right price! Again one point for a call. Honestly, in his shoes I would have folded, but I've learnt a lot running those numbers, and maybe next time I would call too?!

   HANDS#2b: In the hand described before, it's my action on the SB, with 31,000 chips left, a decent stack. I have no history on the guy on my right, the 8,000 BB, who got me covered but not by much. My hand is and against any other players at the table, who had previous history of me never showing a bluff ever, I would shove instantly but here I hesitated: the new guy made me uneasy and I thought about folding, and survive just a few more hands. But then, that's one of those leaks I have that I try to plug, and I convinced myself to not play scared, and shove anyways. He called with and I am a 64% favorite. Blank rainbow flop and turn leaves him with the 3 remaining sixes and 3 queens, 6 outs, less than 15% but fate decided it was time for me to go home, and a six shows up. Next time, I will shove again, because I think that's the proper play to get deep, rather than folding my way a couple of notches up.

   That's all, folks!

   Posted by Frederic at 2011-03-30 04:06:40

   View all posts

Comments on “Sharing a couple of hands, for feedback”

1. • Posted by Tony Gags g 2011-03-31 15:32:48
   • 

   • Seems like you played both hands very well. 1800 seems a bit small giving the nature of how draw heavy the board is. there was 900ish pre then with the turn bet that makes the pot 1500ish. 1800 makes the pot around 3300ish 1200 to call with 3300ish in the pot is good odds if he has any kind of draw here and having to shove 3100 on that turn puts you in an awkward spot. I think raising to 2100-2300 would make your turn decision less awkward, but if you are a good hand reader then your raise on the flop is fine if you feel you can get away from it on the turn. You still would have 25 plus bb left. The only thing about the final hand that I think you can question is if there were no ante in this tournament. IF there was then that is a shove 100 percent of the time. If not, like I said earlier it is all about your read on the table. Can you wait for a better spot? Are the p[layers shoving light? Blah Blah blah. Ya know the little things the math doesn't account for. Sounds like you got unlucky, but overall seems you played those hands alright.