I hate rebuys, but kk is the same all around...
Final 2 tables in $25 re-buy...pocket kings...in the small blind...go all-in against 3 limpers and called by AK...yes...A turns!
Now you assholes want to tell me how good premium cards are again...3 freaking years of KK's...not one fricking time...a winner...all losers!
From 1st to rail...hero to zero in 3 easy steps...all premium cards!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
How Would You Play This Hand
This is a 6-max no-limit texas holdem tournament hosted on Pokerstars. You receive 3000 starting chips with blind levels increasing every 10 minutes. I prefer to play double stack tourneys because the increased starting chip stack gives you a lot more room to play.
The 6-max format takes some adjustment from a standard 9-handed format. The blinds hit you more often which require you to turn up the aggression factor a notch.
When I play low buy-in tournaments, I generally look for spots to double or triple my starting stack within the first hour or go broke. I’m not interested in spending 3-4 hours screwing around with a below average starting stack just to limp into the first few payouts. I’m usually more willing to gamble early so I can build a stack I can take deep into the tournament.
Low buy-in tournaments usually have quite a bit of dead money players. These are players who are unable to fold a pair or a weak draw even if it costs them their entire chip stack. You’ll usually run across opportunities in the first hour while dead money players are distributing chips around the table.
71 Players sat down for this tournament with the top eight finishers getting paid. 1st place paid $563, 2nd place received $358 and 3rd place paid out $246.
I picked up a couple small pots early and about 17 minutes in, I got involved in a big pot.
Here are the starting stacks going into this hand.
Pokerstars, NL Hold'em Tournament,
20/40 Blinds, 6 Players
CO: 2,695
BTN: 3,075
Hero (SB): 3,195
BB: 2,375
UTG: 3,410
MP: 3,250
How would you play this hand?
The action is folded around to me in the small blind. I look down at 6♣ – 7♠ and make a 3x preflop raise. This is a pretty standard play. The player in the big blind cold calls my raise and we go to the flop heads up.
The flop comes, Q♥ – 3♦ – 4♥
I have no pair. But, I pick up an inside straight draw. I bet out 140 which is slightly more than half the pot. This size bet usually gives me enough information about my opponent’s holdings. If he’s whiffed completely, he should just give up on his hand. If he calls, he’s picked up at least a pair or draw. If he raises then, I have to decide whether I should to continue. Obviously, I’d prefer he just fold and take the pot down right there.
He min-reraises me another 140, making it a 660 pot.
This is probably the worst bet a player can make. I rarely min-reraise. This kind of bet usually means the player is weak and is trying to find out cheap if you have a real hand. It doesn’t push out any drawing hands.
With a well disguised hand if I hit, I call his puny re-raise.
The turn brings a beautiful 5♠. My draw comes through and I’m holding the nuts. I bet out 400 hoping for another re-raise but, he just calls. At this point, I’m almost absolutely certain he has at least top pair and is not willing to give up on his hand.
The river brings a 5♦ which pairs the board. With 1600 in the pot, I decide to just put him all-in. If he flopped a set and rivered a boat, so be it. If I check, he’ll probably jam anyway. I’m not afraid of the boogeyman. I bet out 1600 putting him all-in.
He calls off the rest of his chips.
Results: 4,750 Pot
Hero showed 6♣-7♠ (a straight, Seven high) and WON 4,750 (+2,375 NET)
BB mucked Q♣-10♣ (two pair, Queens and Fives) and LOST (-2,375 NET)
Sure enough he has top pair with just an off K kicker. This is the thing I love about low buy-in tournaments. There are generally a lot of players who cannot fold a pair or draw.
If you’re in a situation where a player calls your re-raise on the flop, and bets into you after the turn, you better be sure you have a strong hand or your hand improves, otherwise you’re probably going broke.
The 6-max format takes some adjustment from a standard 9-handed format. The blinds hit you more often which require you to turn up the aggression factor a notch.
When I play low buy-in tournaments, I generally look for spots to double or triple my starting stack within the first hour or go broke. I’m not interested in spending 3-4 hours screwing around with a below average starting stack just to limp into the first few payouts. I’m usually more willing to gamble early so I can build a stack I can take deep into the tournament.
Low buy-in tournaments usually have quite a bit of dead money players. These are players who are unable to fold a pair or a weak draw even if it costs them their entire chip stack. You’ll usually run across opportunities in the first hour while dead money players are distributing chips around the table.
71 Players sat down for this tournament with the top eight finishers getting paid. 1st place paid $563, 2nd place received $358 and 3rd place paid out $246.
I picked up a couple small pots early and about 17 minutes in, I got involved in a big pot.
Here are the starting stacks going into this hand.
Pokerstars, NL Hold'em Tournament,
20/40 Blinds, 6 Players
CO: 2,695
BTN: 3,075
Hero (SB): 3,195
BB: 2,375
UTG: 3,410
MP: 3,250
How would you play this hand?
The action is folded around to me in the small blind. I look down at 6♣ – 7♠ and make a 3x preflop raise. This is a pretty standard play. The player in the big blind cold calls my raise and we go to the flop heads up.
The flop comes, Q♥ – 3♦ – 4♥
I have no pair. But, I pick up an inside straight draw. I bet out 140 which is slightly more than half the pot. This size bet usually gives me enough information about my opponent’s holdings. If he’s whiffed completely, he should just give up on his hand. If he calls, he’s picked up at least a pair or draw. If he raises then, I have to decide whether I should to continue. Obviously, I’d prefer he just fold and take the pot down right there.
He min-reraises me another 140, making it a 660 pot.
This is probably the worst bet a player can make. I rarely min-reraise. This kind of bet usually means the player is weak and is trying to find out cheap if you have a real hand. It doesn’t push out any drawing hands.
With a well disguised hand if I hit, I call his puny re-raise.
The turn brings a beautiful 5♠. My draw comes through and I’m holding the nuts. I bet out 400 hoping for another re-raise but, he just calls. At this point, I’m almost absolutely certain he has at least top pair and is not willing to give up on his hand.
The river brings a 5♦ which pairs the board. With 1600 in the pot, I decide to just put him all-in. If he flopped a set and rivered a boat, so be it. If I check, he’ll probably jam anyway. I’m not afraid of the boogeyman. I bet out 1600 putting him all-in.
He calls off the rest of his chips.
Results: 4,750 Pot
Hero showed 6♣-7♠ (a straight, Seven high) and WON 4,750 (+2,375 NET)
BB mucked Q♣-10♣ (two pair, Queens and Fives) and LOST (-2,375 NET)
Sure enough he has top pair with just an off K kicker. This is the thing I love about low buy-in tournaments. There are generally a lot of players who cannot fold a pair or draw.
If you’re in a situation where a player calls your re-raise on the flop, and bets into you after the turn, you better be sure you have a strong hand or your hand improves, otherwise you’re probably going broke.
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