Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Seriously??

Wow. So I just went out in 17th in the Poker.com $5.50 MTT.

I was sitting in 9th place, and there were 18 left. But I knew my current stack wouldn't do for the cash. We were in hand for hand, and everything was ridiculously tight. In addition, the clock was still running while we were playing hand for hand, and my 5k, although around average, was already only 12xBB. The big problem for everything in this hand was that I had the giant stack to my left. I picked up A6d in the small blind, and raise the $400 BB to $1200 total. I knew this would be percieved as a steal, but I figured I had a pretty good chance of being the best, and was willing to put it all in if I was re-raised. But he smooth called. The flop comes 4JK, and I figured the only way I'm gonna win the pot is by coming at it strongly. Otherwise I eventually fold and have 9.5xBB for the time being. If I got the worst of the flop and he's got J or K, I was OK with it, otherwise I get him out, get a piece of him, and am probably good to go to the final table, which was the idea.

I pushed it all in, and after thinking for a long time, the guy calls and shows A4o. I couldn't find a 6, and that was it for me.

For him, the preflop call was probably OK. But maybe my SB raise and instant flop push screamed steal, and if not he was willing to double me up? The problem is, I wasn't stealing preflop, I was betting for value, and there's no way for him to know that. Sitting on the big stack, all he sees is people wanting a cheap piece of him.

I'm pretty sure I played it wrong somehow. Probably horribly wrong, reading over it. The preflop raise might have been wrong. With him next to me moreso than any of the other pretty average to below average stacks. Most other people would probably fold or push with his hand, at which point I lose to the 4 no matter what, but at least I got in with the best of it, and have that peace of mind. My flop push was probably the biggest mistake, but I think the only way he calls me there is again because of his stack. If he does have a J or K he's gonna call me no matter what, simply because he can. I should have put the brakes on when I missed the flop. I think in trying to represent the king or jack, I made things look like a desperate steal. Would he have maybe folded to a *smaller* bet, or a slower push, or was he even anywhere near smart enough to be trying to get a read like that on me?

I considered everything before I did it, and just chose the wrong time to do it to the person with the wrong stack. I did get unlucky, but I could've gotten away from it and gotten myself in in much better position a little later down the line. I did what I needed to try and do to cash, but I got anxious and rushed it. Its a great lesson learned.

Now I just lost with a flush to quads in a SNG. Things are just not going so hot.

Final Update: I managed to recover from that beatdown to make it to the bubble and have it burst in my face. I looked to be in pretty good position, but then we started trading blinds, people started getting lucky and I got the short end of the stick when all was said and done. To come back from the quads over flush for 2/3 of my stack beat and finish fourth is a decent takeaway, though.
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4 comments:

Hammer Player a.k.a Hoyazo said...

Interesting hand, Chad. Was the action folded around to you in the SB when you 3x raised preflop with your A6o? Assuming the action was folded around to you in the SB, I definitely think you put in the right play here. Folded to me preflop in the SB and I have an Ace, I am definitely raising and I am definitely going out of my way to act like I am just stealing with any two cards. I want this guy to smooth call me with an inferior hand (which he did, btw) or hopefully even to reraise me with a hand like QT or KQ on the assumption that I am stealing and his hand must be ahead, which I will happily push in my stack preflop with in response to. So I like the 3x raise there.

As far as the flop push, I have a few thoughts. #1 you got highly unlucky here, as you were actually dominating your opponent preflop with your A6o against his A4o. If anything a tie was more a risk for you than a loss, but then him hitting his 4 on the flop and you not making your 6 is a real unlucky break.

#2, I think the push is generally a defensible play, in particular given that it sounds like your stack was down to below average once that flop hit the board. Since you're the one who raised it up preflop, you have represented strength from early in the hand, so a push here sticks with your story of maybe a middle pair, maybe an AK that is likely best, etc.

#3 the only thing I would say that goes against the push here is the texture of the flop. KJ4 is not the strongest possible flop, but given that your opponent just called your stealy raise preflop, that tells me more than anything else he probably has at least one medium-high card. One thing I always keep in mind in this exact situation is that I try never to bluff too hard into a pot that contains 2 cards Ten or higher in it. These are the cards that people pay to see flops with, and these are also the cards that people tend to make straight draws with. One card above a Nine and I don't think about it that same way, but with the K and the J I definitely would have considered just trying to check it down, and probably folding if it was bet at me. But again, a lot of that would depend on how many chips I had left if I decided to fold there.

In all, I think a well-played hand, and nice job in the tournament.

10/18/2006 12:36 PM
WindBreak247 said...

Thanks for stopping by, Hoy. It makes me feel a lot better about how things went down.

The action was indeed folded around to me, which made the suited ace raise the natural play. I just don't know if I play this hand the way I did with the stack I had on my left, but you make a great argument that the play, in general, was the right way to go.

Your third thought is a great insight. I'll be sure to keep that in mind going forward. Thanks a ton for breaking this down for me.

10/18/2006 1:59 PM
AnguilA said...

I think that if you just want the blinds when you are close to 10BBs the open-push is not a bad option. The thing with a hand like A6s out of position is that if the big stack decides to call you don't have a clue of what he may be holding, so unless you hit the flop big you are going to be facing a very tough decision on wether to move all in or check-fold and wait for a better hand.

IMO I have found your mind will be resting better when you go out with a premium hand, and I hate SB-BB situations, even more if the BB is a big stack.

So in all, I think shoving is the best option because your hand is a very weak holding postflop out of position. (If I had raised and he had called, I think I would have check-folded and waited for another chance to double up)

10/19/2006 2:44 AM
WindBreak247 said...

I'm not sure whether I just wanted the blinds or not. I kinda feel like I wanted to see a flop. Problem is, I was so convinced I had the best hand and I'd end up with whatever chips were in when it was over, that I didn't consider the possibility of losing on the flop, and I wasn't sure what I was going to do if the flop missed me this badly. Incidentally, I *did* have the best hand, but I went into the hand without an exit strategy, and I think that's why I self destructed post-flop.

Thanks for the great analysis.

10/19/2006 9:55 AM

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