Here in Melbourne, this is poker season and crown is hosting the Melbourne poker championships this month. I played a satellite tournament which is a buy-in for a seat in the main event. I finished 17th of a total 62 people. I was so pissed off with myself that I could have finished in the money. I blame my own bad play which knocked me out of the tournament.
Usually, during the initial stages of a tournament, I feel very nervous to get my chips in the middle. This tournament was very different and I was feeling very confident. I was observing the table and able to logically analyse the style of play in my table. I got a read on a lady who was in the pot most of the time with weak hands. I made a move on her with my A-10 suited. It worked and won more than half of her chips. After a few hands, when she raised I moved all-in with my pocket Kings. She called showing A-4 suited. My Kings stood up and knocked her out of the tourney.
I was playing very conservative after that until I was dealt with pocket rockets. I made a massive raise from an early position which got called by the small blind. The flop gave two diamonds - two high cards and a rag. Small blind checked and I went all-in. He thought for a while and called. He had A-K diamonds, a reasonable call. But luck was on my side and my Aces held up knocking him out of the tournament.
The tournament went on with increase in blinds. I was keeping myself afloat along with moving tables. Another interesting hand came when I was in the big blind and dealt with pocket kings. The blinds were 150 - 300. A chinese guy in an early position raised 4 times the big blind to 1200. Fold - Fold and a re-raise by another guy to 2500 just before the button.. Everybody folded and the action was upto me. I looked at my cards and I announced ALL-IN. The chinese guy took a long time trying to get a read on me. He folded given that he has seen a bet from him, raise from behind and a re-raise all-in from an early position. The guy after him had to put in another 3000. Didn't even think of calling and instantly folded. I mucked my hand just to keep everyone guessing.
And then luck changed.. may be not.. i am just starting to play badly or lapse in concentration. One thing i noticed about myself is I lose when I play mechanically without considering the actions in the table. A new lady joined our table and sat next to me. I was dealt with pocket nines. a man under the gun flat called. I knew this guy well and he usually limps in lot of times to see the flop. A short-stacked guy after him called as well. I want to know where I stand and raised to 1200 - three times the blind. The lady next time immediately re-raised to 4500. Under the gun flat called and the short-stacked called as well leaving the action up to me. I have to put in another 3200 to stay in the pot which is now worth above 15000 and if I lose, i will be left with 3ooo chips which is hardly enough to survive until the end of the tournament. Thinking which I folded. The flop was 889. I got a book on the flop but i wasn't in the pot. Everybody checked down until the river and the guy under the gun had KK who took the pot in the end. The lady next to me showed AK suited.
The above scenario is interesting. I could have played it differently and won large pot, if only, I limped in and called a min raise after me, I would have won a lot.. Aaah.. well, one lesson learnt. I will be playing mid pairs and low pairs cautiously from now on. Aggressive or passive depending on action.
Next time around when there were 24 people left , I made a move to steal the blinds and got bumped into pocket 10s and had to fold. Lesson learnt here is not to split your mid sized stack with the short-stacked ones when you have a marginal hand like A-9 suited. Go for it when you have a hand that most-likely wins show-downs like AA, KK , QQ or AK. Anything less than it, you have to fold at this stage of the tournament when short stacked are still in. Let the large stacks do the maneveuring while you sit back and watch.
My final hand is the most interesting hand. Second hand after the break. 17 people left. I have around 8000 in chips and blinds were 500/1000. So I would last another 3 or four rounds if i dont play a single hand which might be just enough to get me before the bubble or even into the money. I was on the big blind and dealt AJ offsuit. Fold-Fold and the big stack raised to 5500. Everybody folded and the action was upto me. Without thinking, I announced ALL-IN. The bigstack was thinking for a while. The whole table including myself (stupid me) tried to convince him to put in another 2500 which is like one tenth of his stack. He thought for a while and called. Turned up 3-3. My read was correct that he raised with a weak hand. But his 3-3 held up to knock me out of the tournment as 17th. Lesson learnt here is dont mess up with the big stack when he is aggressive unless you have the nuts at the end of the tournament and most importantly keep your mouth shut when you are ALL-IN.
It was a good experience. Lets see if i can win any tournaments at crown soon. Its about time, anyway!
Usually, during the initial stages of a tournament, I feel very nervous to get my chips in the middle. This tournament was very different and I was feeling very confident. I was observing the table and able to logically analyse the style of play in my table. I got a read on a lady who was in the pot most of the time with weak hands. I made a move on her with my A-10 suited. It worked and won more than half of her chips. After a few hands, when she raised I moved all-in with my pocket Kings. She called showing A-4 suited. My Kings stood up and knocked her out of the tourney.
I was playing very conservative after that until I was dealt with pocket rockets. I made a massive raise from an early position which got called by the small blind. The flop gave two diamonds - two high cards and a rag. Small blind checked and I went all-in. He thought for a while and called. He had A-K diamonds, a reasonable call. But luck was on my side and my Aces held up knocking him out of the tournament.
The tournament went on with increase in blinds. I was keeping myself afloat along with moving tables. Another interesting hand came when I was in the big blind and dealt with pocket kings. The blinds were 150 - 300. A chinese guy in an early position raised 4 times the big blind to 1200. Fold - Fold and a re-raise by another guy to 2500 just before the button.. Everybody folded and the action was upto me. I looked at my cards and I announced ALL-IN. The chinese guy took a long time trying to get a read on me. He folded given that he has seen a bet from him, raise from behind and a re-raise all-in from an early position. The guy after him had to put in another 3000. Didn't even think of calling and instantly folded. I mucked my hand just to keep everyone guessing.
And then luck changed.. may be not.. i am just starting to play badly or lapse in concentration. One thing i noticed about myself is I lose when I play mechanically without considering the actions in the table. A new lady joined our table and sat next to me. I was dealt with pocket nines. a man under the gun flat called. I knew this guy well and he usually limps in lot of times to see the flop. A short-stacked guy after him called as well. I want to know where I stand and raised to 1200 - three times the blind. The lady next time immediately re-raised to 4500. Under the gun flat called and the short-stacked called as well leaving the action up to me. I have to put in another 3200 to stay in the pot which is now worth above 15000 and if I lose, i will be left with 3ooo chips which is hardly enough to survive until the end of the tournament. Thinking which I folded. The flop was 889. I got a book on the flop but i wasn't in the pot. Everybody checked down until the river and the guy under the gun had KK who took the pot in the end. The lady next to me showed AK suited.
The above scenario is interesting. I could have played it differently and won large pot, if only, I limped in and called a min raise after me, I would have won a lot.. Aaah.. well, one lesson learnt. I will be playing mid pairs and low pairs cautiously from now on. Aggressive or passive depending on action.
Next time around when there were 24 people left , I made a move to steal the blinds and got bumped into pocket 10s and had to fold. Lesson learnt here is not to split your mid sized stack with the short-stacked ones when you have a marginal hand like A-9 suited. Go for it when you have a hand that most-likely wins show-downs like AA, KK , QQ or AK. Anything less than it, you have to fold at this stage of the tournament when short stacked are still in. Let the large stacks do the maneveuring while you sit back and watch.
My final hand is the most interesting hand. Second hand after the break. 17 people left. I have around 8000 in chips and blinds were 500/1000. So I would last another 3 or four rounds if i dont play a single hand which might be just enough to get me before the bubble or even into the money. I was on the big blind and dealt AJ offsuit. Fold-Fold and the big stack raised to 5500. Everybody folded and the action was upto me. Without thinking, I announced ALL-IN. The bigstack was thinking for a while. The whole table including myself (stupid me) tried to convince him to put in another 2500 which is like one tenth of his stack. He thought for a while and called. Turned up 3-3. My read was correct that he raised with a weak hand. But his 3-3 held up to knock me out of the tournment as 17th. Lesson learnt here is dont mess up with the big stack when he is aggressive unless you have the nuts at the end of the tournament and most importantly keep your mouth shut when you are ALL-IN.
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