Hornet's Strategy Questions. Part 4

[happyhornet]

A real flaw in my tournament play used to be my timidity in the latter stages of tournaments even when one of the bigger stacks. As such, I'd drift into the money now and again but rarely make the FT. Having played/watched many of you fine ladies and gents, I have honed my game to be more aggressive. The problem is I think I am now being too aggressive. Several times recently, I've been in a great spot (chip leader with 20 left) and failed to make the final table, not because of a bad beat, just beaten by better hands. My request of you is to look at these examples and see if you think I have played them wrongly. They are all from the same tournament this week: €1,000 GUARANTEED (Real /Tournament ) Seat 1: Errante11 (14462.00) Seat 2: thehornet1 (34156.00) Seat 3: bibi 01 (44037.00) Seat 5: MyMoney98 (25688.00) Seat 6: zambas (12363.00) Seat 7: spanner.j (12524.00) Seat 8: gpwrc71 (16825.00) Seat 9: dzsoni1 (19481.00) Seat 10: pipo07 (10910.00) Errante11 post SB 500.00 thehornet1 post BB 1000.00 ** Deal ** Errante11 [N/A, N/A] thehornet1 [7c, 7s] bibi 01 [N/A, N/A] MyMoney98 [N/A, N/A] zambas [N/A, N/A] spanner.j [N/A, N/A] gpwrc71 [N/A, N/A] dzsoni1 [N/A, N/A] pipo07 [N/A, N/A] *** Bet Round 1 *** bibi 01 Fold MyMoney98 Fold zambas All-in 12363.00 spanner.j Fold gpwrc71 Fold dzsoni1 Fold pipo07 Fold Errante11 Fold thehornet1 Call 12363.00 He had AK and hit a King on the turn. 750.00/1500.00 Texas Hold'em (No Limit ) - 19 December 2007 22:09:26 €1,000 GUARANTEED (Real /Tournament ) Seat 1: savatalas (43505.00) Seat 2: batman4eve (10268.00) Seat 3: StormP (28936.00) Seat 5: gabiii (39640.00) Seat 6: dimon 1975 (14266.00) Seat 7: rumico`14 (53028.00) Seat 8: thehornet1 (50886.00) Seat 9: snoodie (28511.00) Seat 10: tokkerdk (20143.00) rumico`14 post SB 750.00 thehornet1 post BB 1500.00 ** Deal ** savatalas [N/A, N/A] batman4eve [N/A, N/A] StormP [N/A, N/A] gabiii [N/A, N/A] dimon 1975 [N/A, N/A] rumico`14 [N/A, N/A] thehornet1 [10s, Qh] snoodie [N/A, N/A] tokkerdk [N/A, N/A] *** Bet Round 1 *** snoodie Fold tokkerdk Fold savatalas Fold batman4eve All-in 10268.00 StormP Fold gabiii Fold dimon 1975 Fold rumico`14 Fold thehornet1 Call 10268.00 He only had K2s but was still ahead and hit a 2 on the flop 1000.00/2000.00 Texas Hold'em (No Limit ) - 19 December 2007 22:14:08 €1,000 GUARANTEED (Real /Tournament ) Seat 1: savatalas (44005.00) Seat 2: batman4eve (18336.00) Seat 3: StormP (33836.00) Seat 5: gabiii (36340.00) Seat 6: dimon 1975 (12966.00) Seat 8: thehornet1 (40668.00) Seat 9: snoodie (24211.00) Seat 10: tokkerdk (30493.00) gabiii post SB 1000.00 dimon 1975 post BB 2000.00 ** Deal ** savatalas [N/A, N/A] batman4eve [N/A, N/A] StormP [N/A, N/A] gabiii [N/A, N/A] dimon 1975 [N/A, N/A] thehornet1 [5c, 5d] snoodie [N/A, N/A] tokkerdk [N/A, N/A] *** Bet Round 1 *** thehornet1 Raise to 6000.00 snoodie Raise to 12000.00 tokkerdk Fold savatalas Fold batman4eve Fold StormP Fold gabiii Fold dimon 1975 Fold thehornet1 All-in 40668.00 snoodie All-in 24211.00 He had Aces, they held up. And lastly, my departure from the tournament Seat 1: savatalas (70541.00) Seat 3: StormP (30736.00) Seat 5: gabiii (34140.00) Seat 8: thehornet1 (28623.00) Seat 9: snoodie (48822.00) Seat 10: tokkerdk (28393.00) StormP post SB 1000.00 gabiii post BB 2000.00 ** Deal ** savatalas [N/A, N/A] StormP [N/A, N/A] gabiii [N/A, N/A] thehornet1 [Jd, Kh] snoodie [N/A, N/A] tokkerdk [N/A, N/A] *** Bet Round 1 *** thehornet1 Raise to 8000.00 snoodie Fold tokkerdk Fold savatalas Fold StormP Fold gabiii All-in 34140.00 thehornet1 All-in 28623.00 He had AQ and it held up (obviously, as I was eliminated!!) Any comments (please be nice, it's Xmas:tongue2) would be appreciated. Steve

[slick mick]

Re: Hornet's Strategy Questions. Part 4 I think you've just gone past aggressive and hit reckless head on. I wouldn't have been in hands 2 and 4 at all, 3 I would be folding to the reraise. With hand 1 it's a maybe depending on my read of the opponent.

[McG]

Re: Hornet's Strategy Questions. Part 4

I think you've just gone past aggressive and hit reckless head on. I wouldn't have been in hands 2 and 4 at all' date=' 3 I would be folding to the reraise. With hand 1 it's a maybe depending on my read of the opponent.[/quote'] Was this the Monday cheapskates, was your "fold" button broken, or had you been drinking? It's sometimes hard, if shoves with 77 and Q 10 have got you in a good position, to remember that they are not good calling hands. Also, you were probably way too defensive of your BB in the first 2 examples. Let it go - it's a tax we all have to pay. Hand 1 - he's shoved from early position. You've only invested 1,000 chips and, although you might have been pleased to see him turn over AK and be a marginal favourite, you'll rarely be in a strong position calling with 77 - and for about a third of your stack. You're either a very slight favourite or way behind. Personally, I don't mind a big raise late on with 77 but not such a big call. Hand 2 - similarly, the guy calls with 5 others to follow, and Q 10 is a bummer to call with - let the BB go and wait for a better time, or nick the blinds from someone else. What are you likely to be ahead of? And it costs you 20% of your chips. Hand 3 - don't mind the raise, but the other guy is virtually pot-committed by raising to half his stack and was unlikely to fold to your all in, whatever his cards were. Again, you are either marginally ahead of AK / AQ, or way behind a bigger pair. Hand 4 - UTG and raising to 4 x BB with KJo won't be in many textbooks as recommended, and you know it was risky. Overall, if you like to gamble, then these plays show that to the nth degree, but for every 1 occasion when it pays off, there'll be far more when they don't. When they catch up with you in close succession, it's tough, but you had also built up a healthy chip stack and, if it was with similar cards, then the table might have seen you as a risk-taker, and more likely to raise with questionable hands. Before you think that it's all bad comment, it's not. Very rarely will players last to the Final Table of larger tourneys (and win them) without playing similar hands from time to time. Anyone who says differently is a big fibber. The trick (which I am a long, long way from mastering) is doing it from the right position, and learning when to fold to a re-raise. Good luck. McG :gimme

[SteveO]

Re: Hornet's Strategy Questions. Part 4 Agree 100% with Mick here. Hand 2 is a very easy fold, hand 3 is an easy fold to the reraise and hand 4 I wouldn't have played at all. The first hand is debatable whether to call or not but as it's over 12 times the big blind and over 33% of your stack I'm probably folding a large % of the time.

[Hodgey]

Re: Hornet's Strategy Questions. Part 4 Agree largely with what's been said already. Hand 1 - I may call that depending on how I feel at the time. As said though at best you're gonna be 50/50ish and at worse a long way behind. To call that you have to be hoping he has 22-66. Hand 2 - Let it go and pick a better spot. Hand 3 - Once re-raised I'd probably call the re-raise and hope to hit the set on the flop. If you miss the flop you have to check it and let it go when he bets. Hand 4 - Not a hand to be playing from UTG especially when you still have 14BB left. Good luck and Happy Christmas! :cheers

[happyhornet]

Re: Hornet's Strategy Questions. Part 4 Cheers guys:ok. I had kind of guessed that my play here had gone beyond what is reasonably aggressive and gone into wild and reckless, just wanted it confirming. I'll have to keep working to find that balance between aggressive and dumb!

[Jonne]

Re: Hornet's Strategy Questions. Part 4 Also remember calling aggressively is generally not a good idea, getting your money in before others allows you to play weaker hands than you'd call with.

[SteveO]

Re: Hornet's Strategy Questions. Part 4 I tell you something though Hornet, if you watch the way in which Orbesrad and Tabababai play poker, you'll think fook me what's going on here and confuse you even more.

[robsterling]

Re: Hornet's Strategy Questions. Part 4

calling aggressively

Oxymoron?

[Jonne]

Re: Hornet's Strategy Questions. Part 4

Oxymoron?

Aye, exactly my point ;)

[robilaruk]

Re: Hornet's Strategy Questions. Part 4 Seat 2: thehornet1 (34156.00) Seat 6: zambas (12363.00) Errante11 post SB 500.00 thehornet1 post BB 1000.00 ** Deal ** thehornet1 [7c, 7s] zambas All-in 12363.00 easy fold for me - you are beating 22-66 only. 750.00/1500.00 Texas Hold'em (No Limit ) - 19 December 2007 22:09:26 €1,000 GUARANTEED (Real /Tournament ) Seat 2: batman4eve (10268.00) Seat 8: thehornet1 (50886.00) rumico`14 post SB 750.00 thehornet1 post BB 1500.00 thehornet1 [10s, Qh] *** Bet Round 1 *** batman4eve All-in 10268.00 thehornet1 Call 10268.00 slightly more close this one - 8.5K to win 13K or so and about 20% of your stack - tricky one, as his range is probably fairly big given his chip stack and his position (has he been shoving a lot?, if so it makes the call easier, however if he is folding lots and letting thre blinds go through him then fold) but one that you are still probably behind to - I can't fault the call, but would probably still fold Seat 8: thehornet1 (40668.00) Seat 9: snoodie (24211.00) gabiii post SB 1000.00 dimon 1975 post BB 2000.00 ** Deal ** thehornet1 [5c, 5d] *** Bet Round 1 *** thehornet1 Raise to 6000.00 snoodie Raise to 12000.00 thehornet1 All-in 40668.00 snoodie All-in 24211.00 I would just call and hope to see a favourable flop - he is only min raising for half his stack with AA/KK (generally). Call and be prepared to fold if you don't hit a set/a draw - You can't get him to fold here PF after he min raises you, so he is calling your shove. Seat 5: gabiii (34140.00) Seat 8: thehornet1 (28623.00) StormP post SB 1000.00 gabiii post BB 2000.00 ** Deal ** thehornet1 [Jd, Kh] *** Bet Round 1 *** thehornet1 Raise to 8000.00 gabiii All-in 34140.00 thehornet1 All-in 28623.00 Fold to the shove and save your 10BB - you don't need to be calling here Steve: I wouldn't worry too much about your play, you are getting decent chips and must be playing well to make it so deep in the tourneys. You just need to be more 'selectively aggresive' to keep you chip stack rolling along:ok And don't let the results bother you, poker is about making correct decisions, not being concerned about single results (you know this already I am sure). Damo