2 Tournament Hands

[benhoug 0]

When I first started playing online poker I mostly played tournaments, and I had a good deal of success. After some time I started focusing on the cash games, and really didn't play tournaments for quite a while. Well, 6 mos. or so ago I started plaing them again, and I just haven't been able to achieve the same level of success as I had early on.I am a winning cash game player, but lately I've been something of a DONKEY when I try my hand at tourneys. Here's a couple of hands frome the $50 Long Kiss Goodnight on Poker Room last night for critiquing.3rd level of tourney. Blinds at 25/50I have 3500ish UTG. Villian has 1100 in MP.I raise to 225 (my standard opeing raise at these blinds) w/ T T , folds to villian who min-re-raises me to 400 (leaving himself w/ only 700). It folds around and I just call. (1025 in pot) I just called b/c my feeling was I'd be running a race. My plan was to move in for his last 700 on a safe flop (that is, one that doesn't have overcards) and re-evaluate a non-safe flop.Flop: 2 4 8 Well, they were all undercards... I moved in for his last 700. he calls.Critique:2nd hand. Later in the tournament (after not seeing too many playable hands for 2 or 3 levels). the blinds are now 75/150. I'm floundering around w/ 2550 (so my M is around 11.5). villian is in EP. He was extremely short-stacked, but has moved in and either doubled up or won the blinds 3 out of the last 5 hands or so, so he's been very active. He's now at 1700 (his M is around 7.5)He open-pushes (like he has the past 3 hands he's played) and I'm holding A J .The range of hands I put him on are Any pair, Any Ace, KQ, maybe KJ, or possibly a bluff. Out of these hands the only ones that have me in rough shape are AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK and AQ.I call.Critique:

[Bizzle 0]

When I first started playing online poker I mostly played tournaments, and I had a good deal of success. After some time I started focusing on the cash games, and really didn't play tournaments for quite a while. Well, 6 mos. or so ago I started plaing them again, and I just haven't been able to achieve the same level of success as I had early on.I am a winning cash game player, but lately I've been something of a DONKEY when I try my hand at tourneys. Here's a couple of hands frome the $50 Long Kiss Goodnight on Poker Room last night for critiquing.3rd level of tourney. Blinds at 25/50I have 3500ish UTG. Villian has 1100 in MP.I raise to 225 (my standard opeing raise at these blinds) w/ T T , folds to villian who min-re-raises me to 400 (leaving himself w/ only 700). It folds around and I just call. (1025 in pot) I just called b/c my feeling was I'd be running a race. My plan was to move in for his last 700 on a safe flop (that is, one that doesn't have overcards) and re-evaluate a non-safe flop.Flop: 2 4 8 Well, they were all undercards... I moved in for his last 700. he calls.Critique:

You ran into an overpair here. Whatever, pray he doesn't have a spade. That's about the best flop possible for you. Note that most flops will have overcards, but he doesn't really have enough chips to bet you out if only one flops.

2nd hand. Later in the tournament (after not seeing too many playable hands for 2 or 3 levels). the blinds are now 75/150. I'm floundering around w/ 2550 (so my M is around 11.5). villian is in EP. He was extremely short-stacked, but has moved in and either doubled up or won the blinds 3 out of the last 5 hands or so, so he's been very active. He's now at 1700 (his M is around 7.5)He open-pushes (like he has the past 3 hands he's played) and I'm holding A J .The range of hands I put him on are Any pair, Any Ace, KQ, maybe KJ, or possibly a bluff. Out of these hands the only ones that have me in rough shape are AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK and AQ.I call.Critique:

Crazy pushers rarely will continue pushing with raggedy hands at this level. Range here is AA-77, AK-A10, possibly KQ. I fold.

[blakheart 3]

When I first started playing online poker I mostly played tournaments, and I had a good deal of success. After some time I started focusing on the cash games, and really didn't play tournaments for quite a while. Well, 6 mos. or so ago I started plaing them again, and I just haven't been able to achieve the same level of success as I had early on.I am a winning cash game player, but lately I've been something of a DONKEY when I try my hand at tourneys. Here's a couple of hands frome the $50 Long Kiss Goodnight on Poker Room last night for critiquing.3rd level of tourney. Blinds at 25/50I have 3500ish UTG. Villian has 1100 in MP.I raise to 225 (my standard opeing raise at these blinds) w/ T T , folds to villian who min-re-raises me to 400 (leaving himself w/ only 700). It folds around and I just call. (1025 in pot) I just called b/c my feeling was I'd be running a race. My plan was to move in for his last 700 on a safe flop (that is, one that doesn't have overcards) and re-evaluate a non-safe flop.Flop: 2 4 8 Well, they were all undercards... I moved in for his last 700. he calls.Critique:2nd hand. Later in the tournament (after not seeing too many playable hands for 2 or 3 levels). the blinds are now 75/150. I'm floundering around w/ 2550 (so my M is around 11.5). villian is in EP. He was extremely short-stacked, but has moved in and either doubled up or won the blinds 3 out of the last 5 hands or so, so he's been very active. He's now at 1700 (his M is around 7.5)He open-pushes (like he has the past 3 hands he's played) and I'm holding A J .The range of hands I put him on are Any pair, Any Ace, KQ, maybe KJ, or possibly a bluff. Out of these hands the only ones that have me in rough shape are AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK and AQ.I call.Critique:

First hand- if your beat so be it. That is a good a flop as you can hope for here. His min raise is scary- but it could just be a big ace as well. You are still on fine shape chip wise if you lose, you probably still have some outs if you are behind. AJ is pretty marginal hand to call with there. With a low M, first in vigorish is the key. I only want to call with a really strong hand, and AJ isn't it. If it is folded to you in position, then open pushing with AJ is fine. But calling an all in for a large portion of your stack is probably not the way to go.

[benhoug 0]

But calling an all in for a large portion of your stack is probably not the way to go.

It doesn't matter that villian has open-pushed 3 of the last 5 hands? Doesn't that change the range of hands we give him? I suppose anything can happen, but hs he really had AQ or better 4 of the last 6 hands? I don't think so. Against most other players at the table I think it's an easy fold, but against a push-happy short stack I think there is some merit to calling here.

[Drwnded 0]

1st hand: I put him all-in preflop. If you don't, most likely you're facing overcards post-flop and groping in the dark out of position against someone who's probably moving all in if you check to him no matter what he has - so why leave yourself a tough decision?2nd hand: I agree with you, and would tend to call here. If he happened to wake up with a real hand this time, so be it. I think there's an excellent chance you have him dominated.

[gregdon8 0]

1st hand.....Call the raise, push preflop. If against overpair u might have redraw with ten of spades. If AK he might lay down, unless of course one is spade.2nd hand.....Fold. He was pushing in all those hands to get back to a playable stack, I dont know that he pushed there with a weaker ace than a jack. You are hoping for a small to midsized pp, coinflip for 2/3 of your stack. I do not like calling any situations when you are hoping for a coinflip. Fold and find a better spot

[Rocketwadster 0]

Ace Jack is the devil!You push with Ace Jack, not call IMO.First hand is fine. Second hand is a fold.

[benhoug 0]

First hand: villian had A (ouch) Q . He caught a on the river to beat me. His call on the flop was automatic, but his min-re-raise w/ AQ is atrocious in my opinion.Second hand: villian had one of the 5 hands I was worried about - AK. It held up and I was cripled. Don't worry, I got my money in 3 hands later w/ TT (once again) but this time ran smack dab into AA.Oh well, another $50 down the drain...