IPC PPP SAT - 2 HANDS - Help!

The Ace Face

Played in sat last night - felt I played solid, disciplined folds to raises, kept out of trouble, robbed blinds with "questionable" holdings to keep momentum/stack going etc. However, over the past 2/3 weeks since I have started playing again ( after my 6 month break ) I have found that I do well early doors in MTTs and get from a 500 field to last 100 or in last nites example from 123 to 28th!:mad:
At this stage of tournie I seem to have dropped to below average and am playing allin poker to try and double up..I can't seem to get into top 10 at this stage to play my way into FT part of tournie. This is starting to piss me off...I feel that I may be too keen to avoid losing that I am not extracting sufficient chips from my strong hands - last nite with 12 tickets available I was obviously conscious of the fact that I didn't have to be top 4 or 5 to reach my goal and took this into consideration. I'm not a tight player ( as some boarders will confirm!:D ) but am getting frustrated....I have detailed 2 hands for peoples view...any assistance would be great


Hand 1: I have 5k in chips ( average for tournie ) get 99 in LP 4/5 limpers I limp for value ( cost 400 ). Both blinds limp. Flop is A95 rainbow...1 bet of 400 called by one guy..I reraise to 2k...suppose hoping to get called by an Ax player or maybe with 2 pair etc. They fold I win about 3k. Up to 8k

Q: Was my play correct here?
Q: Was I Too agressive, should I have flat called?

Hand 2:
I have 1010, trying to remember hand! 2 EP limpers, cautious not too raise if they were limping with AA/KK/QQ etc so I flat called on button. BB played too. 600 to play. I had 9k ish - slightly above average. Flop comes 1064 2 hearts. Pot was 3.2k so I bet out 3k after everyone checked. Obviously flush draw was my concern. They all folded.

Q: I am again being too cautious in wanting to take down pot too early. Should I bet 2k or would some people check here and root for no heart to trap? I felt I gave someone 2:1 to call which was insufficient odds for a flush draw and anyone with 2p TPTK or O/P may go with me.

Any advice is much appreciated. WD Aidan..wp...

Ray

PiperT

Hand 1: Don't like the limp pre-flop. However, it worked out OK for you when you hit your set. Its a rainbow flop with no draws. I might flat call or even min-raise to build the pot. You scared them off. You still added 3k to your stack so its not a bad result.


Hand 2: Again, I don't like the limp pre-flop.
You hit top set, nice. Your are right to be worried about the flush draw but you are still giving them the odds to play with 2 cards to come, in my opinion. I personally look for min 2:1 (4th street) and 4:1(5th street) if I am on a nut flush draw. Some people might disagree with this.

If you get a caller here you pretty much know where you stand. If a heart comes then you still have outs for your house. All in all it was another result for you so I wouldn't get too despondent about the way you played it.

My only criticism is limping in both cases. You were lucky to hit the set each time.

sikes

Hand1: Limp is fine. Obviously, with the A showing, the utg limpers with KKQQ are going to be scared off. Call and try to eek a few more out on the turn. If a gutshot hits, fairplay to them!

PiperT wrote:

or min-raise to build the pot.

Dont min raise. dont become the agressor for such little $$. A min raise and 2 calls < next bet from original aggressor.

Hand2: This hand is going to be difficult to get payed off on. We know 3 of the tens are out there and the fact there is a flush draw means we prob have to bet. Also 77-99 will be scared off by the flush draw. I wouldnt bet so much tho, i think we are at a stage we would love a double up, and id imagine a FD will push. Betting a little less encourages that

PiperT wrote:

you are still giving them the odds to play with 2 cards to come,

A call by a FD would be just horrible considering stack sizes and immediate pot odds. Pushing would be right tho.

One other thing, try to avoid putting the results in the initial post becuase it influences how we think!!! I dont think they were played badly, you just got unlucky in that noone had a hand.

bops

I think you played them both fine - happy to hit your sets and at least take down nice pots without any scary moments - you can't help it if noone had a hand worth calling/raising your bets

You seen like the type of player who would be happy to do the above - this is the best way to getting good results in tourneys - slow and safe. What f**ks you up is at the later stages when it gets crapshooty - you have to win your races & you are just not getting the rub of the green

opr

I push preflop in both spots.

Edit - Sorry didn't see stack size in second one you can maybe afford to make a raise.

I mean playing these hands for set value with these stacks and blinds is really bad imo.

Opr

The Ace Face

opr wrote:

I push preflop in both spots.

Edit - Sorry didn't see stack size in second one you can maybe afford to make a raise.

I mean playing these hands for set value with these stacks and blinds is really bad imo.

Opr

I understand your point, however, I am never pushing with 99 or 10/10 to be called by a cowboy with QJ or A7 and lose a race. Thats pure gambling imho, I would rather fold them. I rarely limp, only in LP for value with 77-JJ hoping for a set to clean someone out.

Thanks for replies so far.

Ray

opr

The Ace Face wrote:

I understand your point, however, I am never pushing with 99 or 10/10 to be called by a cowboy with QJ or A7 and lose a race. Thats pure gambling imho, I would rather fold them. I rarely limp, only in LP for value with 77-JJ hoping for a set to clean someone out.

Thanks for replies so far.

Ray

I would suggest this way of thinking is why you do well in the early part of tournaments and don't seem to be making FT's

Opr

BobSloane

hand 1. i would also limp here preflop. call on the flop. There's been a bet of 400 into a pot of about 2000 and a call? A raise here is good if you're holding 7 2 offsuit maybe. Nobodys calling that raise OOP without a decent Ace i think.

hand 2. TT, an unraised pot and the button. You have to raise here pre-flop I think. You want to play big pots in position. You even have the bonus of good cards! If one of the EP limpers pushes hard then you'll prob have to drop your hand. But don't credit them with AA just cause they limped.
As played I would check that flop and take my chances that a scary heart didn't fall. If it doesn't you might hopefully get someone looking to take it down on the turn- particularly if an overcard falls.

Hitman Actual

First off, don't be worrying so much about being above average stack size. Just pay attention to your stack size relative to the blinds and you'll be fine. You also seem to be thinking/worrying too much that other players are flopping big hands when you flop big as well, but usually when you flop a set you'll be waaaay ahead, so try to extract as much money as possible. Don't worry about being outdrawn either; if it happens, it happens.

In the first hand, limping is kinda ok I guess, but with so much dead money in the pot, and a 5K stack with blinds at 200/400, I much prefer a push (a smaller raise would be horrible). Most of the time you'll pick up the dead money, but getting called by an overpair isn't really a gamble at this stage: you need to get at least a couple of double-ups to hit the top 12 (or whatever). And don't raise the flop bet, just call and take it from there.

In the second hand, definately raise, although it's a bit tricky as you'll be close to 10BBs when you do this. Maybe push, but it's hard to know which is best without knowing the game. Don't be so worried about people limping early with monsters; remember that they're close to a ticket as well and probably won't risk slow-playing much either. A 2K bet would be fine on the flop, and remember as well that some flush outs here fill you up. Edit: checking behind on the turn is fine as well, and probably the better line.

kebabfest

The Ace Face wrote:

I understand your point, however, I am never pushing with 99 or 10/10 to be called by a cowboy with QJ or A7 and lose a race. Thats pure gambling imho, I would rather fold them. I rarely limp, only in LP for value with 77-JJ hoping for a set to clean someone out.

Thanks for replies so far.

Ray

The fact you are never pushing here PREFLOP suggests you never push with nothing less than premium hands. If you want to make final tables and win tournaments you gotta be able to judge whenever a player would put down a hand with a raise( even if you have cr@p)
Your style of play will ensure you go deep , but once you wont get paid off on your monsters as people will sniff out the monsters.
Also something that you gotta think about : It is very rare to win tournaments without winning the odd race.
If you are putting your chips in first you have the chance to take it down without a race.....

RoundTower

play looser and more aggressive.

cardshark202

First one is an easy shove preflop, second one I raise on button preflop too.