Weekend With Daniel Lesson -> Appt Macau Hand

[inheritance 0]

Hello,A little bit about myself before I get to the hand. I normally play 5 table turbo sngs on stars, and recently turned to cash games. About a month ago, I won a freeroll tournament on PokerStars to spend a weekend with Daniel - to learn about strategy and have a good time.In any case, I had won some W$ from the WSOP satellites last year, and decided to play this years APPT Macau + holidays on top of it.So after the lessons from DN, this was my first time playing a live tournament since taking them. And this hand I played specifically this way because of what I learned. The tournament - full of very bad players. On my table is Lee Nelson - 2006 Aussie Million winner and a WPT champion Shawn Buchanan. The rest of the table is generally weak and I have position on 4 of them in most hands.I write my reasoning - right or wrong in the spoiler at the end.The players involves in this hand:- Crazy asian guy from China - He made a four barrel bluff (pre, flop, turn, and river) with 10-3 off with nothing against WPT winner Shawn Buchanan. The guy basically can have any two cards and plays them like aces.- A older guy in 40s??? He knew Lee Nelson - sitting right next to him, but I really don't know who he is. I think he's like an avg guy who likes to drink tons of beer and smoke - this is my impression...could be way off base. Up to this point, I'm thinking he's an ABC player. (I now know he's an Aussie, and won a huge tournament in Australia, http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=65377)- Me, I don't think I have shown down a hand yet up this point. I'm the only one making 2.5x preflop raises. And have been active...trying to see flops and hit something.Then our hand - Blinds 50-100, 9 handed (effective stacks of about 9.5k - they both have me covered - but not by much)This hand was in the pokernews blog (I'll edit it, so you'll follow the action from my perspective):Preflop:I have 9h9s utg and raise it to 250. Crazy asian raises to 700 in mid position, and Jozef calls from late...blinds folds. I call.Flop:9d8cQdI check. Crazy asian bets 2,000. Berec called from the button really quickly, and I think about what to do and decide to just call. Comments?Turn:AsI check. Comments? Crazy Asian bets it 3,500. Again, Berec quick called and I think about it....and decide to call. (I have about 3500-4000 left after making this call. Comments?)River3sI check - comments??Crazy asian goes all in for 6,400. Berec picks his cards up and mucks. With about 3500-4000 left. I call. Comments??I know a lot of players are going to hate the way I played this hand. Even the guys at the table said I got max value on the hand in a round about way.

On the flop, it's likely I have the best hand on a very dangerous board, but the Asian can have any two cards, and Jozef could be trapping the Asian with QQ - maybe 10Js even though it's not likely -> I don't know how he plays. I think it's most likely someone has a flush draw...and from this hand...I think it's likely Jozef on a flush draw.I value my tournament life here, because the players are so bad, I can wait and make sure the flush doesn't hit.The turn...missed the draws. Now the plan is to check raise all in...I expect the Asian to fire again...he does...but stronger than what I expected. With the call from Jozef, I'm convinced he's got a flush draw. The way I played the hand...everyone should know I have a real strong hand...I don't have much to check raise all in with...so I have to re-evaluate.Instead of raising here, I decide, that because the pot is so large now...even if I go all in...he's going to call anyways. Why not do the "Gus Hansen - wait till the river" + "Let Mike the Mouth Blow Up" all in one hand.So the river is a perfect blank. I think the crazy asian will fire again with any two cards...I just hope it's not AA/QQ/10J....if it is....then so be it. Joezef folds in disgust - obv missing his draw...and I call. The Asian had J6 off and Jozef had AdJd.If I had just moved in on the turn....the crazy asian has to fold, Jozef probably calls because the pot is too big...and he still has a huge draw. He has 11 outs to bust me. Why risk the ~22% of going broke and I just waited for the river and made sure the flush never gets there...and still got the same value...just from the Mike the Mouth blow up type player. The way I played the hand prevented me from ever busting out...but yet I still got max value from the hand.

[outsider13 0]

I like the play.....when it works, however I think I crai on the turn. The A is usually an action card, even if it doesn't complete draws. If we lose one guy here, so be it. In all reality, playing this hand 3 way all the way to the river, you are facing more outs on the river. I'm happy taking the pot right there, but like you said, you have very little fold equity by then. I'd just get it in.

[Mercury69 3]

The only hands you really have to worry about are AA and QQ and JT. Would AA or QQ be played the way your opponents bet preflop? Unlikely. Whhile it was pretty passive, i don't mind that you waited to see if the flush hit, given the overall stakes. Here's the thing: Can you lay this down to a bet that has you covered? Is your read on the otherplayers holding strong enough to make the decision to call or fold?For my own part, I'd have to say that MY opponent shows up with JT 80% of the time, but my luck sucks ass.A set is very strong, so i'd go with it. Highly unlikely villain flopped the nut str8.

[jmbreslin 0]

I think I make a move on the turn. That board is pretty scary with lots of draws you don't want to see hit on the river and 2 villains in the hand. The turn is actually a great card for you to make a move on because you'd be representing a good Ace (especially after your PF raise from utg) and might get more action. Letting two villains see the river seems a bit risky there, IMO.

[Aces Rule 0]

With a str8 and a flush draw on the flop I would have played it faster starting with a ck-r on the flop. Slowplaying is a fine way to go on tilt - just ask Phil Helmuth!Congrads on your weekend with Daniel.

[Koana 0]

I like the way you played that hand too. Sure there are risks, but you obviously had a good read on the crazy guy.Hey, I remember the tournament you won. I am reasonably new to Edmonton area (and think I remember you were from Edmonton...no?) Where do you play poker here? I played one tourney at River Cree and liked it. Where are the juiciest tournaments in town?

[mk 11]

don't mind flatting flop but not getting all your chips in on the turn is wat

[copernicus 0]

With a str8 and a flush draw on the flop I would have played it faster starting with a ck-r on the flop. Slowplaying is a fine way to go on tilt - just ask Phil Helmuth!Congrads on your weekend with Daniel.

^^^^^^ wrt the logic behind the plays, I dont mind not cr the flop, I just think cr is a slightly better play. I think worrying about busting out with 2/3 of your chips in the pot on the turn is a clear mistake though. If a flush card comes are you really folding? It can easily be a bluff to a scare card. And if a flush card comes and they arent drawing to a flush you get no more action on the river. Getting it all in on the turn is far better imo.

[inheritance 0]

- I am from Edmonton, but rarely play live there.- I did not take the lead preflop. I raised to 250, got reraised to 700 and cold caller behind before I called oop.- On the flop, I am out of position. Against just one opponent - the crazy Asian, I would have probably just flat the bet....and let him bet the hand for me. If it was the Aussie betting instead, I would probably try to make it look like I had a flush draw by taking a long time to just call -> if the turn is non-diamond, I can check raise all in.As played, on the flop I was confused as to why there is so much money in the pot. I think I have the best hand, but I don't know. The Aussies call looked really strong to me. If I raise now, every hand beating me will put me all in. Also guys with a flush draw could get there. If I just flat the flop, then I show significant strength - those guys should be worried about my hand.- The turn, my initial plan is to check raise all in. So I check, the Asian bets a significant amount of my chips. The Aussie cold calls.-> At this point, I still don't know what the Asian has. To me, it's either complete air like normal, some sort of draw, AA, QQ, or 10J.....but literally, any two cards are in his range. I've seen him show down 4 barrel bluffs with nothing....so I believe I'm ahead of his range. When the Aussie calls, I think I can be sure I'm ahead of his hands. AA/QQ/10J just should not be slow playing anymore in this spot. There's a ton in pot....he should be raising here with those hands...but he flats a big bet on the turn...he had like 4800 left after making the call. I was sure he had a flush draw.After all this information, I had to re-evaluate my initial plan. If I had just check raised all in here, I'm sure I'm getting called by all hands beating me. I'm also getting called by the flush draw, because the pot is so huge. This is just the second level of the tourney, and there's already 15.5k in the pot before I act on the turn....if I go all in, I think the flush draw is priced into the hand.By just cold calling on the turn, I am getting away from a flush - if I don't fill up, 100% of the time. I need to fade a lot of cards....but I would also have to fade them if I'm all in. It would totally suck if I'm left with 4k left, but the blinds are 50-100. I have a ton of play left. I have a lot of patience, and do not give up. The guys in this tournament are so poor, I am sure I could come back given the right opportunity.So when the rivers a blank. I check the river for value. I know it sounds a bit odd, but I was confident the Aussie had a flush draw...so I can easily call him if it gets checked to him. Now the asian, he plays so wreckless, he could easily 4 barrel again with air. If I bet, all draws will fold and all hands beating me will end up all in anyways. With a wreckless Mike Matusow player in here, I let him hang himself. So I check, the asian goes all in, and the Aussie looks disgusted and folds. I knew he missed his flush draw. Then back on me. I created this situation, and have to follow through with my read and plan. I set up the situation and now had to go through with it. The crazy asian showed J6 off for a four barrel missed gut shot. The Aussie, according to pokernews had AdJd, for a flush draw + miss gut shot + top pair on the turn.If you see how the hand gets played, I don't go broke. If the river is a diamond or a 10, those two are probably all in, and I'm going to fold if I don't have a full house. With all the poor play in the tourney, I just need to stay focus and hope to get into good spots even on the short stack.The most interesting card is if the case J comes out on the river, the board would be four to the straight, and if the asian follows through all in, I don't know what the Aussie does. If the Aussie calls, I think I fold, and if the Aussie folds, I would have to look for some physical read or something. That is the only spot where I don't know what I would do.