O-Poker

Overall, I had a decent FTOPS V. I played FTOPS #1, 3, 7 and the Main Event - cashing in Event #1 and the Main Event, coming close to the money in Event #7, and finishing in the middle of the pack in Event #3.

I satellited into all of them except FTOPS #3, as well as winning a couple of sats to Event #1. I probably netted around $3,100 - $3,200 in the four events. I won't dwell on what could have been after getting deep in FTOPS #1 and the Main Event, both of which had over 4k entrants.

I got fairly low in the 2nd and 3rd hours and managed to claw my way back.

On to some key hands from the Main Event. I welcome any comments on how poorly I played some of these hands. I played a few hands pretty weakly, especially early. I am particularly interested in everyone's thought on Hand 14.

Hand 1
Early in the tourney, sitting out (dinner,kids, some reason) probably saved me a few chips.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394547

Hand 2
This guy had been playing a ton of hands, so I decided to flat call in position with a speculative hand. I hit two pair and the turn and he couldn't fold his top pair King Kicker.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394553

Hand 3
I could have easily lost a lot more on this hand - dealt KQ in the BB. Several limpers. I check. Flop comes Q high. SB bets. I figured SB could have any two pair. I flat called the flop to see how the remaining players would react. Everyone folded. At that point I felt like I had the best hand. I wasn't sure if I had the best hand on the turn when the SB fired out a fairly good size bet, so I just flat called. He checked the river and I checked behind because I couldn't see him calling any bet that I made with a worse hand than mine.

It may look like I played this hand pretty weak, but I decided not to commit a ton of my chips on this hand when I might be behind and he might be on a flush draw. It was early enough with deep stacks and small blinds that I felt it was worth the risk of letting him catch a draw vs. playing a huge pot with top pair, King kicker. I'm certain a lot of players would have played this differently.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394573

Hand 4
I made it back just in time, from putting the kids to bed, to lose a ton of chips on this hand. I may have folded the best hand, but most likely got rivered. On the flop, I put the other player on KQ or J10 - most likely KQ. I was trapping by flat calling the turn and planned to get all the money in on the river. If I was up against J10 - oh well. The worst possible river came and he shoved. I figured that I only could beat a bluff. He most likely had KQ with a slight possibility of him having the same hand as me.

The argument could be made for shoving on the turn, but I felt like trapping was more likely to get paid off.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394594

Hand 5
This hand is not too interesting, but it is a good example of how uncomfortable some people are when playing with deep stacks. I couldn't help but to commit, "Overbet much?"
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394612

Hand 6
How not to play Jacks. This guy played this hand horribly. BB special for me. His flat calling really made me think that he had the flush draw. I thought that he hit it on the river and checked behind - probably missed a bet there. I definitely didn't put him on Jacks.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394622

Hand 7
Not a bad flop, but great turn. Too bad he didn't have a hand.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394633

Hand 8
Stand race that I won. I was relatively short and it was time to gamble for chips.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394652

Hand 9
I flat call preflop hoping to catch a set in a multi-way pot. I flop a straight flush draw with only 1 side open though. It checks around on the flop. Turn is another 4. It checks to guy in last position. He bets 1,360 into a 3,745 pot. I'm getting 3.75 to 1 (5,105 to 1,360) on my money plus the implied odds if I hit. This was still probably a marginal call, but since he had flat called preflop, I put him on a medium Ace and figured that he may or may not have a diamond. I might have folded if the orignial early position preflop raiser had bet. I got lucky on the river and got paid off.

I'm curious - standard to call this turn bet?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394657

Hand 10
This guy was getting way too active and seemed to be overbetting with speculative hands/when he missed the flop. He was betting smaller when he made a hand to dry to get others to come along. His bets on this hand screamed steal attempt or AK. I shoved and he folded. I think he go caught up too much in the bet big and get people to fold type of play (especially on the button), so much so that it cost him a lot of chips. In my mind, it was pretty much a given that he was raising or re-raising every time he was on the button.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394786

Hand 11
Perfect timing for AA. I had been pretty active preflop and my raise from late position along with a flat call from the button was too hard for a great player (JOEYTHEB) to pass on. No slowplaying for me. I didn't mind that it was obvious that I had AA. I would rather take down a huge pot preflop than try to slow play myself into losing all my chips.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394799

Hand 12
This guy had been way too active. Easy call against what was either a small to medium pair or a big Ace. I had the chips and was 50/50 at a minimum.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394865

Hand 13
Huge Hand. My opponent was a big time calling station preflop and tried to bully a lot of pots away on the flop and turn. He had a tendancy to shove all-in on flops. I really thought that he might have flopped two pair because his range was ATC. His lead out bet was strange though, since he had to figure that I was going to bet. I called the turn bet not sure if I was ahead or not. I hit my set on the river and it was obvious that he didn't have a 10. I got lucky, but the hand was pretty tough to play IMO against a guy that was in probably more than 50% of the pots preflop and had been shoving a lot with made hands.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394879

Hand 14
Absolutely horrible play by me - but I had reasons.

I think we were near the money bubble. We may have been ITM the money already.

Opponent is the same one from hand above. His range is ATC. I complete from the SB with 45, knowing that the BB isn't raising very often here.

ATC player bets pot after it is checked to him. I call with a open ended straight draw and the intention of C/Ring him all in on any turn that isn't a paint card or an ace.

The turn card is another eight. He has to figure that an eight is definitely in my range out of the SB. I continue with my plan of c/ring all in and he insta-calls with 99. I figured that the c/r on the turn would make my hand look so strong that he would have to fold a ton of hands and if he did wind up having a monster I still had 8 outs.

The flaw in my logic was the flop containing two spades along with my flat call preflop. It looked more like I had a flush draw than anything. I think this play would have worked if it had been a rainbow flop.

So was this a horrible play or a failed aggressive shot at taking down a large pot.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394897

Hand 15
Good timing for AA when really short.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394919

Hand 16
A case of being priced in. The blinds are 1,200/2,400 with 300 ante. What is the difference of having 25k chips or 19k chips at this point to me. If I am against a hand like a big Ace then I am 40/60 to win and I am getting the right price - 2.35 to 1(15,114 to 6,414). It really boiled down to a close decision and I felt like I was so low in chips that I would gamble. Really was is 25k vs 19k at this level of blinds?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394925

I won another 13k in chips the last hand before I was moved tables and the HH didn't save.

Hand 17
Pretty standard. SB vs. BB. I raise preflop with a pocket pair and he insta-shoves. I have to call in this spot. This one is for Fuel55.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394953

Hand 18
I discussed this one with Lucko. I played it way too passively on all streets. I felt like I was ahead and never put the pressure on the other guy. He hit his card on the river and checked.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1394971

Hand 19
Looking back on this hand. I probably would have gotten more value by checking on the turn.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1395108

Hand 20
I thought there was a pretty good chance I was still ahead on the flop, but couldn't really justify a shove or a call here. I figured he most likely had a pretty big draw that he was willing to get all his money in with.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1395110

Hand 21
I don't like AQ
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1395113

Hand 22
I'm a luckbox.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1395117


Hand 23
I figure that I am most likely racing. If I call and win then I am sitting on a top 5 stack with about 125 players left.

Case could be made for folding, but I think I have to take the chance calling here to take the risk to get a big stack and keep people from trying to re-steal from me.

Opinions?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1395119

Hand 24 - Bustout Hand
Standard shove with an M of less than 4? BB was tighten than your average player.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1395126

I am interested in opinions on how I should have played some of these hand differently. Or just call me a luckbox if you like. :)