Poker Ramblings of cmitch

Contact Info:

cmitchpoker@gmail.com

I decided to play some MTTs this weekend for a change of pace. I can't imagine how frustrating some days must be for the guys that play MTTs full time. The bad beats and coolers that happen deep into the tourneys are enough to make you want to through your laptop out the window. (I'll spare the bad beat hand histories, as much as I might want to post them.) It would have been a brutal weekend if it hadn't been for a bunch of Satellite wins (mostly in SNG sats) to the FTOPS Main Event and FTOPS Event #23.

I wanted to get some opinions on a few MTT hands that I played this weekend. I think most of these were borderline decisions and you could probably make a good case for each side of the fence. I'm interested to see what everyone else would have done though.

Hand 1 ($75 on FTP - $35k guarantee)

Full Tilt Poker, NL Hold'em Tournament, 120/240 Blinds, 25 Ante, 8 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

BB: 10,960
UTG: 5,005
UTG+1: 18,796
MP1: 3,999
MP2: 20,605
CO: 9,338
BTN: 4,529
Hero (SB): 7,335

Pre-Flop: (560) 7 7 dealt to Hero (SB)

5 folds, BTN raises to 4,504 and is All-In

cmitch (SB) ????

Call or fold? Why? (No read on the guy. I was moved to this table about 8 hands earlier.)

Hand 2 ($27.50 on Pokerstars)

Poker Stars, $25 + $2.50 NL Hold'em Tournament, 50/100 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

MP2: 3,160
CO: 4,074
Hero (BTN): 3,558
SB: 7,581
BB: 9,350
UTG: 2,730
UTG+1: 2,960
UTG+2: 6,555
MP1: 5,120

Pre-Flop: (150) J J dealt to Hero (BTN)

6 folds, Hero raises to 300, SB raises to 800, BB folds

cmitch ????

Call, fold, raise? The guy has been active but not too crazy.


Hand 3 (SNG Satellite to FTOPS Main Event - turbo - pays 3 seats)

Full Tilt Poker, NL Hold'em Tournament, 60/120 Blinds, 8 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

MP2: 1,870
CO: 1,800
BTN: 1,265
SB: 1,560
Hero (BB): 1,345
UTG: 1,790
UTG+1: 1,315
MP1: 2,555

Pre-Flop:
(180) Q Q dealt to Hero (BB)

4 folds, CO raises to 420 (probably a steal, but I had a note that he was a solid player)

BTN folds
SB raises to 840 (guy had been playing very straight forward -note said usually has it when bets)

cmitch ???

Shove or fold?

----------------
I'm going to try to play as many of the BBT3 events as I can between now and the end of the BBT3 series (I think June 1st) to stay in the running for my sidebet.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

7 responses to "MTT Frustration and a Few Hands"

  1. #1: Fold. Like I said, I don't like putting in 60% of my stack for a potential coinflip.

    #2: I think a case can be made for both jamming as well as calling and acting on the flop since you have position. I lean towards the jam, but I think either play is fine.

    #3: I'm most likely coming over the top there. CO will probably fold there, SB will probably call, but I think QQ is a good hand to take to the felt.

    Mike Maloney

  2. #1 - I fold. You have plenty of chips to wait for a better spot where you can have the dominating hand rather than at best a coin flip in this case.

    #2 - If you're calling, you're set mining or playing your overpair very carefully if the flop brings unders. Folding with if any face card comes. Folding pre may be just as good as an option. 5BB with a marginal hand sometime within the first hour (I'm assuming), those 500 chips may allow you a better spot.

    #3- key factor here is turbo. you just don't get that much time to make some strong moves. I'm not worried about the CO. His range is 88+. SB is my bigger concern. AK, AQ, AA, KK, QQ, JJ I would put in his range. You are ahead of half that. If SB has an Ace too then your chances just got better.

    However, two issues: 1) this is a TURBO. 2) You're playing for top 3, not to win.

    You push and win, you got a seat. You fold, you have to really hope you get some cards soon otherwise you're going to bubble. Tough tough decision.

    I push and cross my fingers that my opponents hold Ax and Ax.

    DubsPoke

  3. I haven't looked at all the stack sizes to see your M, but I think hand 1 is an easy fold, as mike said, no need to race here.

    With hand 2, you don't have the odds to set mine once he 3-bets, but sooo many people over use the re-steal, I'm getting my coin all in there without a doubt pre flop

    hand 3 again, if they have qq beat, good for them, its all going in.

    The last 2 are classic re-steals with shit like KQ / AJ, the 5% of the time someone actually is ahead of JJ or QQ and its late in an MTT, so be it.

    Eric a.k.a. Bone Daddy

  4. I'm like you, C-Mitch, a cash game player, so I tend to play a little tight in tournaments. Keep that in mind.

    #1 - I fold without even thinking about it.
    #2 - You have position. It's possible the guy is re-stealing with A-K. I don't think you should fold here. But since you won't be too damaged if you just call and fold to an A or a K, I think you need to call and see what he does on the flop. I might even call a c-bet if it doesn't commit me to see if he slows down on the turn on an undercard flop.
    #3 - Ouch. Tough spot.
    OK, this answer affects #2 as well. Did you believe you were one of the best players at the table? I'm assuming you were. If so, then I might fold here. If you believe you're evenly matched with these players, or that some are even better than you, I would shove, and I'd also play #2 more aggressively, i.e. push on all undercards. You need to take more chances if you worry about getting outplayed.
    Your Ms are fine, so that, in my mind, would be the only reason for a push on either hand given the action before you.

    Unknown

  5. i shove two and three. if sb wakes up w/ real hand in #2 i think it's just unlucky. i think he could raise there w/ a wide range trying to keep you from stealing on the button, so i go w/ the hand. i don't love your stack size if you flat call his raise.

    third hand min raise seems scary, but in a turbo satellite i'm just not folding QQ.

    first hand the more i think about the more i think has to be a fold. you can def get your money in in a better spot, and if this guy keeps overshoving you can catch him w/ a better hand than 77.

    lj

  6. Hand 1: very interesting spot. i think smaller pairs are a pretty significant part of his range here. previous people who are saying this is at best a coin flip are way off. I think this is very close tbh. calling or folding are both reasonable.

    Hand 2: shove, its not even close. JJ button vs blind 35 BBs deep is the nuts.

    Hand 3: shove, its a little closer, but no way do i fold QQ here. not close enough to the bubble for it to be a factor.

    Loretta8

  7. I agree with Loretta, and basically everyone else...

    1 = FOLD
    2 = SHOVE
    3 = SHOVE

    Way too many worse hands out there on hands 2 and 3 to be folding.

    PJS JR.