Chip leader what strategy

patmac

Found myself chip leader with approx 60k of 208k total in a €90 freezeout in Athlone last night. This was a new experience for me and I ended up 7th:( and missing out on the money after playing 6d9d on the button and ran into Jd 2d on a Kd 10d 4s flop with a 5d turn, this took most of my chips as I had put my opponent on KK, gutted on the way home I was thinking if I just sat there and played AA,KK,AK or QQ, I would have ended up in the money at least. I Have won a few minor tourneys before but coming from 6th or 7th entering the final table. I think not having a definite plan contributed to my downfall. Any ideas on this from boardies would be apreciated.

ollyk1

patmac wrote:

Found myself chip leader with approx 60k of 208k total in a €90 freezeout in Athlone last night. This was a new experience for me and I ended up 7th:( and missing out on the money after playing 6d9d on the button and ran into Jd 2d on a Kd 10d 4s flop with a 5d turn, this took most of my chips as I had put my opponent on KK, gutted on the way home I was thinking if I just sat there and played AA,KK,AK or QQ, I would have ended up in the money at least. I Have won a few minor tourneys before but coming from 6th or 7th entering the final table. I think not having a definite plan contributed to my downfall. Any ideas on this from boardies would be apreciated.

Can you give more detail on the 6d9d hand Pat?

Did you raise on the button or did you limp? What were the blinds? What was the other guys stack size and position?

What stacks at the FT were you targeting and why?

What was the prize structure and would you be happy to finish 4 or 5th and only get double your buyin back or do you play to win and not care about going out 7th?

patmac

ollyk1 wrote:

Can you give more detail on the 6d9d hand Pat?

Did you raise on the button or did you limp? What were the blinds? What was the other guys stack size and position?
Limped in blinds 800/1500 villian stacks was 47k I had 49k he was seat 4, I was seat 5, he had won last 3 major pots ko'd 8th and 9th. he bet 4500 on flop and 4500 on turn I reraised all in.
What stacks at the FT were you targeting and why?
Didn't enter my head to attack stacks (1st lesson?)
What was the prize structure and would you be happy to finish 4 or 5th and only get double your buyin back or do you play to win and not care about going out 7th
1st €700 cash and €400 ticket for 25k tourney in Galway, 2nd €350 cash and €400 ticket, 3rd €350, 4th €200, Wanted 1st or 2nd as I am married to West of Ireland woman and there would be picture and no sound for a week if I spent, wasted (in her opinion) €400 to play in a poker tourney.

ollyk1

patmac wrote:

Did you raise on the button or did you limp? What were the blinds? What was the other guys stack size and position?
Limped in blinds 800/1500 villian stacks was 47k I had 49k he was seat 4, I was seat 5, he had won last 3 major pots ko'd 8th and 9th. he bet 4500 on flop and 4500 on turn I reraised all in.
What stacks at the FT were you targeting and why?
Didn't enter my head to attack stacks (1st lesson?)
What was the prize structure and would you be happy to finish 4 or 5th and only get double your buyin back or do you play to win and not care about going out 7th
1st €700 cash and €400 ticket for 25k tourney in Galway, 2nd €350 cash and €400 ticket, 3rd €350, 4th €200, Wanted 1st or 2nd as I am married to West of Ireland woman and there would be picture and no sound for a week if I spent, wasted (in her opinion) €400 to play in a poker tourney.

Picture no sound - classic. I thought only my Dad used that line.

So the guy limps in the cutoff and you limp behind with 6d9d on the button. I don't like that for a start Pat. Raise to 6k or fold. It's a terrible limp by him and you should punish it with a raise and position.

I presume the flop came with a flush draw that he bet out on? If so I'd have have either reraised significantly or folded depending on whether he's the sort of guy to raise with flush draws. If the flush is made on the turn I don't think I rerasie all-in as played becasue he's only calling you with a higher flush so you aren't being rewarded for this push. Better to call it down and keep the pot smallish at this stage and see if your hand is good.

You should be attacking middle stacks relentlessly not tangling with your fellow chip leader. You should have a plan for this. Some guys fold preflop, some on the flop and some on the turn and you should play them accordingly. If you normally make the FT as a small stack you need to be pushing in on the middle stacks whom you can hurt. Similarily if you are the CL you should be pressuring the middle stacks becasue if you pressure a shortie you'll probably be priced in to call if he pushes all-in and a shortie won't feel he has much to lose.

For this reason alone I would have folded or as a second (poorer) alternative raised to push him off the hand preflop. Calling is the third and worst option in my opinion.

90% of the time I enter a pot at a FT its with a raise. Limpage in a fast structured event at this stage is a costly and wasteful excerise Pat. And finally play to win so don't beat yourself up over not winning a measly €100 profit. Good luck.

patmac

ollyk1 wrote:

You should be attacking middle stacks relentlessly not tangling with your fellow chip leader. You should have a plan for this. Some guys fold preflop, some on the flop and some on the turn and you should play them accordingly. If you normally make the FT as a small stack you need to be pushing in on the middle stacks whom you can hurt. Similarily if you are the CL you should be pressuring the middle stacks becasue if you pressure a shortie you'll probably be priced in to call if he pushes all-in and a shortie won't feel he has much to lose.

Looking back I played it all wrong last night attacked the shortstack as well and lost, thanks excellent advice.