Tick-Tick-Tick-Boom! Part 3
Thursday, April 12, 2007
We are back for more of my long run in Monday's MATH tournament, and a look at every single hand that I played. The goal, for me, is to really analyze my play. Hopefully, you are getting something out of it too. We've got a lot of work to do, so let me give a quick recap and we'll get started with Hand 100. Basically, I started off aggressive and kept that way. In the 15 or so hands I played so far, I won 13, lost 2 and only showed down my cards twice. The table has finally started to play back at me, so I've had to slow down the aggression.
Hand 100- be careful with your table chatter...
We are in HAND 100, and Blinders had joined our table some time in the last 10 or 15 hands. At one point, he asked if we reached the Battle of the Blogger Tournament leaderboard points. In fact, we hadn't. We were down to 36 players (out of 52 to start) and had 10 players to lose before we got points. Because of Blinders' comment, I knew that he wanted to last to the points, so I filed that information away and decided to exploit it when the opportunity came. (I add here that I am a big fan of Blinders and for that matter, most if not all of the players I mention in this and the other Tick-Tick-Tick-BOOM! posts. My comments about my play with or against them is not reflective on their skill or my opinion of their skill, because for the most part, bloggers are some of the toughest competition I've ever had to contend with.)
I'm sitting on 4689 chips, CO+1, when I'm dealt JTo. The blinds are 80/160. It folds to me, and I notice that Blinders (4330) is in the BB. WWonka is in the SB. I raise to 480, 3x the BB and both players fold. It was my unassuming position, late but not in typical steal position, combined with the thought that Blinders was not looking to call a raise that made me bet my JTo.
HAND 106- nobody's perfect...
Okay, I dropped the ball. I must've copied and pasted the wrong hand, so this one is missing. Alas, move onto hand 111.
HAND 111- the many aspects of position...
I now have 5169, third biggest stack at the table, when I am dealt TT in UTG+1. The Bayne of My Existence, with 2750 in chipsUTG, raises to 700 (100/200 blinds). I decide to simply call because I have terrible position and I don't know who is going to overcall me. I don't want to see a KJx flop and have several people after me AFTER I raise the pot. I'm trying to flop a set, really. Everyone folds to Schaubs, in the BB with over 7k, and Schaub makes the call. Suddenly, I have position and TT is looking a lot better. Sweet! The flop is K82, with two hearts. Both players check and I utilize my position. I bet 1800. They all fold. It was another instance where I was really betting that they didn't have a King in their hands (or JJ-AA, but really it was the K I worried about). Because of position, I had a lot more information when it was my turn to act. This hand worked out nicely.
HAND 112- same play, next hand...
This time, I am dealt 22 UTG. It's hardly a premium hand, but I've become a set farmer thanks to reading too much Fuel55. So, I limp, because I'm in terrible position with terrible cards, but I have 6669 (666, nice) and I can afford to limp for 200 and fold if I face resistance. So it folds to Schaubs (6642) in the SB, who calls. Bayne (2050), in the BB, checks. We see a flop, KQ7, rainbow. They both check, so what's the move? Same thing. I'm in position, I have info that suggest that they have jack squat, and by limping, it's entirely possible that I have a King, Queen or even 77. So I bet pot and they both fold. Sure, its just 400, but its gathering these blinds that make it possible for me to play crazy hands like 22 UTG.
HAND 113- surprising caution...
With over 7k, I'm in the BB when I am dealt 99, my third pocket pair in a row. It folds to Schaubs, on the button with 6442, who raises to 600. His bet and position sounds like bullshit to me, and I don't want to play this hand out of position since the flop very well could be TQK or whatnot, so I raise to 1800. This should push him off of his hand if he is stealing. So, what does he do? Re-raises all-in for 4642 more. It sucks, because 99 is a strong hand, but I'm not ready to risk my tournament life when I am one of the table chipleaders. So, I fold. Looking back, I wonder if it was the right play, but it would only be a bad fold if he had an underpair. He surely didn't have one over and one undercard, so its either an underpair, an overpair, or two overs. In those situations, the underpair is a lot less likely because he is willing to push all-in preflop. Two overs still puts me at only a 55% favorite or 60% favorite or something. I don't need to push that thin edge, especially since his re-raise screams AA-QQ. So, fold. At least I've gathered enough chips that I wasn't pot committed and could fold with plenty of play left in me.
HAND 116- baby jesus cries accidentally...
I still have 5169, good for third at the table. I'm dealt AJo in MP, and when it gets to me, I accidentally min raise, thereby causing Jesus to cry. Jesus hates min raises. WWonka, in the BB, is the only caller. The flop is AK2, and after WWonka checks, I bet 600. It's enough for him to fold. I don't slowplay here, because I've been betting so much. I was hoping he'd call with an inferior Ace. Oh well.
HAND 124- the bigger the antes the sweeter the steal...
The blinds just went up to 120/240, with 25 antes. I have 5234 and am dealt K6o in CO+1. When it folds to me, I bet pot, 720. Lester000 has been tight. He's in the SB and folds. Blinders is in the BB, still holding in with 3465. We know he wants to make it to the point bubble, so he folds too. Easy money. The fact that the pot was bigger due to the antes and the players in the blinds were likely to fold with most hands made this a +EV play. Once again, I can fold if I face resistance and still have enough money to play.
HAND 127- more stealing...
With 5694, I raise pot, 720, UTG with A3h. Everyone folds, and Blinders even says, "points bubble, better tighten up." My thoughts exactly, erm, for you! Some more easy money!
HAND 129- taking advantage of Kat's better nature...
So, I'm sitting on 5989 and I'm dealt 64s in the SB. It folds to me. By the way, come on table?! But whatever, I love folding tables. Wait, um, not the portable type of furniture, but the type of table where everyone folds. Their cards, not origami. Shiyit, you know what I mean. So, its just me and Kat in the BB with 1225. 64s is not a premium hand, but the pot is 720 or so and Kat has so few chips. I'm willing to gamble it, since I'll still have 4500+ left if I lose. This is an instance where I can handle the slanted odds of being called by overcards. Sure, if she has a pocket pair over that is 44 or higher I'm screwed, but that is a very small percentage of the time. Hell, I don't even mind AK. So, I push all-in to look extra menancing, and she folds. Good kitty.
And now, we break! I'll be back in a day or two with more hands. We are at Hand 130 and, good Lord, I make it to 227 before the blow up (how hammerific!). Stay tuned...
posted by Jordan @ 5:44 PM,
2 Comments:
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At 12:34 PM,
Gydyon said...
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baby jesus weeps when bad aces are raised UTG ;)
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At 1:53 PM,
smokkee said...
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so i guess i'm not the only one who reads Blinders like a book.
i can barely contain myself when he's sitting to my left.
free chips
