I put in one of my longest online poker sessions ever yesterday, starting at 2PM to play the $256 FTOPS 6-max knockout event (ran like ass but as you’ll see I’ve got no room to complain), then making a deep run in the Stars Sunday Million that kept me up until 12:30 AM. I finished a disappointing 30th after losing AKs < KQ, 66 < AQ, and KT < 44. But again, I’ve got no room to complain. Here’s a little taste of how I made it so far:
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $200+$15 Tournament, 4000/8000 Blinds 800 Ante (9 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
SB (t336390)
BB (t147060)
UTG (t377187)
UTG+1 (t251925)
MP1 (t104582)
Hero (MP2) (t97048)
MP3 (t131592)
CO (t389095)
Button (t35424)
Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 8
, 8
UTG raises to t21600, 2 folds, Hero raises to t96248 (All-In), 4 folds, BB raises to t146260 (All-In), UTG calls t124660
Flop: (t399968) Q, 2, 5 (3 players, 2 all-in)
Turn: (t399968) 5 (3 players, 2 all-in)
River: (t399968) 8
(3 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: t399968
Results in white below:
BB had 10, 10 (two pair, tens and fives).
UTG had J, J (two pair, Jacks and fives).
Hero had 8, 8 (full house, eights over fives).
Outcome: UTG won t100024, Hero won t299944
Poker Tracker missed one of the dirtier ones because I was moved immediately afterwards, but I made a small raise UTG+1 with Jh 9h and was called by a guy in late position. The flop came QJ7 with one heart. I checked, he min-bet, and I called. The turn was the Th, giving me an open-ender and a flush draw. I checked, he bet small again, and I shoved. I was thinking he wouldn’t have AK, QQ, JJ, or TT, or K9, but he snapped me off with QQ. No sweat though- the river was an 8 to give me the straight.
This tournament has a really shallow structure, so while there were interesting spots, they had more to do with blind stealing than anything that would translate to a good blog hand. But here’s a big laydown I made with like 75 remaining:
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $200+$15 Tournament, 30000/60000 Blinds 6000 Ante (7 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
MP2 (t1380264)
Hero (CO) (t1552219)
Button (t494600)
SB (t571314)
BB (t985490)
UTG (t923860)
MP1 (t2234517)
Preflop: Hero is CO with Q, Q
1 fold, MP1 raises to t133000, 1 fold, Hero calls t133000, 2 folds, BB calls t73000
Flop: (t471000) 8, J
, 6 (3 players)
BB checks, MP1 bets t271000, Hero folds, 1 fold
Total pot: t471000
Results in white below:
MP1 didn’t show
Outcome: MP1 won t471000
This player had been quite snug. Pre-flop, I felt I was only going to get it in with AK and JJ+, so I elected to call for less than 10% of the effective stacks. If a short stack shoved, I was going to call unless the raiser came in as well, in which case I’d probably have folded.
As it stands, I just couldn’t see this player betting into two people on this flop, especially given my very strong call, with less than AJ or maybe TT. But I’m crushed by AA, KK, and JJ. Guess I’ll never know if this was correct, but it felt right at the time.
After playing this tournament for 8 hours (and overall, putting in a 10.5 hour session) I finished 30th and won like 13 buyins. Meh.
Isn’t he like c betting this 100% of the time with AK-AJ? Is the flop call really that bad? He seems to have a big enough stack to do that and still comfortably fold to a shove on the turn. I guess this play is just a little too nitty for me, but obviously justifiable as presented.
Eugene,
I don’t expect him to bet AK or AQ into two callers on this board, especially given the strength that I showed pre-flop. This player had been pretty tight/passive and seemed content to sit on his big stack and wait for hands.
So you’re calling with Q’s pre just to hit a set? I understand that this seems to be a player specific read but do you fold this hand to this opponent 100% of the time when he leads the flop unless you flop a set? Obviously a shove is bad in that situtation or even a rr but is calling that bad on the turn? Sorry for being a pain in the @ss about this I just want to understand the though process of a better player.
Nothing to apologize for, Eugene, I like getting comments! Plus, your question is a good one.
I’m calling to evaluate the flop and flop action. Had the flop been something low like 862, I would have been stacking off with Queens. Had we been heads up on this flop, I would have at least called the flop.
There are two special considerations here. The first and most important is that Villain is betting into two players. This greatly reduces the likelihood that he is bluffing with something like AK.
The second is the Jack on the board. This puts JJ ahead of me and makes TT/99 less likely to pay me off (if he’s even betting those here in the first place).
Heads up on a low card flop would be a very different situation.
I see exactly what you’re saying, thx.