1. 2010-07-21 21:09:23

   Thunder Valley, 7/21 tourney

   Concepts: strategy, hand reading
   
   Context: $40 buy-in daily tournament at Thunder Valley is now live, and typically gets 60 to 90 players. Starting stack is 3,000 with blinds 25/50 doubling up every 20 minutes. Yesterday, I made the money and the final table, but barely and painfully: nursed a short stack all the time, and survived through ugly shoves. Yet, rich of the money I got back, I decided to make a exception to my personal once-a-week rule and returned today.

   I came at the table with a strategy: open up my game a little, take more chances and try to build a stack up early. Mid-round #2 (50/100) I have already collected a couple of small pots with unexceptional hands I would probably not have played usually, and am up but just a bit to 3,100. The villain under the gun looks at his cards and I see him get all stiff. His hands shaking, he min-raises to 200 and looks at the ceilling. My read is that he's got aces. It's folded to me, on the button, I look at the blinds who don't seem too interested, and ready to fold. My hand is and I decide to call with those connectors.

   Flop is the villain bets 300 so I flat-call with middle pair to see what the turn will bring. Bingo: . Villain checks, nervous like hell. I believe he'll check raise: I have 2,600 chips left, and decide that 700 should open the way getting us both all in. Sure enough, he raises to 1,500, I re-raise all-in and he insta-call, and slams his aces on the tables. His face when he saw my two-pair hand: priceless, but I must dodge quite a few of his outs (I am in fact about 3 to 1 to win.) River is a killer: and his two pairs beat mine. I am out.

   On second thoughts, I believe I made several mistakes. For one, if he had Kings or Queens instead of Aces, his reaction could have been similar - though I think the open bet would have been bigger - so betting all on my read he had Aces was risky. Also, on the turn, I could have waited before going all-in: just call the 1,500 and if a king, deuce, ace or ten hits, I can fold and survive with my remaining chips, otherwise , I know he'll never fold his aces and he'll call my 1,000 final bet.

   What would you have done?

   Posted by Frederic at 2010-07-21 21:09:23

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Comments on “Thunder Valley, 7/21 tourney”

1. • Posted by Lizardsplay g 2010-07-26 23:36:43
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   • Well, I gave the 1pm tournament another shot today. Thought I was playing pretty solid, tight aggressive to start out. Opened up a bit after the break. I got moved so I had to learn some new players, one was a regular. The older guy w/that hat and the mumble over his every hand, love the guy he ships his chips my way more often then not... Ok so AA comes my way w/about 5.5k in chips sitting in front of me, BB is 600. I got so stoked about actually hitting some cards I froze a bit on how to play them.. Two players in front of me one is the big stack every one folds to me, I bump it up to 1800, folds to the BB he calls, flop 6 j k. Im putting him on hitting his K, I throw out 3k. Call, damn whats up with that, he has me. Check , check turn, check, check river. BB throw's down pocket 6's for trips. Bust my AA, so it went down hill from there had to push w/silly cards. Ok so I officially hate AA, but it must be a weak point in my game.. I thought of throwing out 3k or all in pre flop just to get the blinds. I guess the positive is at least I put my chips in w/cards.... TV see ya in a few weeks.

2. • Posted by Frederic g 2010-07-26 22:41:53
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   • You're right, Lizard. With now routinely 70 or 80 players, most folks won't give up easily. Either they are weak players and are clueless that they might be beat, or they're decent players and know they need to build a larger stack to fight said weak players.
     In this particular case, it played in my favor, as I expected the villain to hold to his pocket aces till the end. I was not trying to get him off the hand, at the opposite: wanted to suck out the max out of him!
     Note: I might go this Thrusday 7/29 to TV for the 1pm daily tournament: let me know if you plan on going, we could meet there!

3. • Posted by Lizardsplay g 2010-07-24 14:51:27
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   • One thing about the Thunder Valley tournment I have noticed is that u get called on everything – at least before the 1st break. Getting value for what might be the nuts at the turn is risky business...

4. • Posted by Jason M g 2010-07-23 06:16:42
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   • tough beat, man. i think you can assume the guy doesn't have KK or QQ on that flop, especially considering the min raise. it's hard to say for sure, but most people try to protect their KK/QQ because they don't want to lose to a dumb ace.

     i think it's great how you actively thought about building the pot in such a way that he could get all in on the turn. a lot of people just flat call without thinking.

     i would not check the turn. you have to charge for the draw. if they guy shoves, you obviously call. however, i think you are right to just call the raise. at this point, your opponent has put in a ton of money behind and will certainly check-call or shove the river, so you are in control.

     tough beat, man. keep up the good playing, though.

5. • Posted by Frederic g 2010-07-22 19:31:58
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   • Feedback from Dave E: if I was reasonnably certain that the villain won't fold, whatever happens, I should have checked the turn, and raise/shove on the river IF the river was a blank... saving my chips otherwise. (honestly, with only 500 chips invested, I am not sure the guy would call my all-in if the board looks scary)