$3.3 Stars Rebuy - 3 hands

Guys,

Here are some hands from the $3.3 Rebuy at stars:


-----Hand 1-----
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t12000 (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

Hero (t158632)
UTG (t159612)
UTG+1 (t218271)
MP1 (t144592)
MP2 (t139284)
MP3 (t233758)
CO (t128106)
Button (t202620)
SB (t85342)

ante 600

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q, A.
3 folds, MP2 raises to t36000, MP3 calls t36000, 3 folds, Hero calls t24000.

Flop: (t114000) K, 6, Q (3 players)

Hero: checks
MP2: bets t24000
MP3: calls t24000
Hero: ????


We are ITM.
We are most likely behind on the flop, but have have lots of outs to win the hand by the river. Do you raise or go all-in? The problem with raising is that
by raised to 60000 (for example) it would leave us only with about 60k ...



-----Hand 2-----
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t12000 (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

Hero (t230136)
CO (t139812)
Button (t175071)
SB (t163592)
BB (t287325)
UTG (t309434)
UTG+1 (t138306)
MP1 (t165420)
MP2 (t230542)

ante 600

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A, T.
4 folds, Hero raises to t30000, 3 folds, BB calls t18000.

Flop: (t66000) Q, 6, J (2 players)

BB: checks
Hero: ????


No reads on villain as he moved to this table recently.
Would you c-bet here? It's a dangerous flop for c-bet I think. What's your oppinion?


-----Hand 3-----
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t40000 (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

UTG+1 (t1479639)
MP1 (t506784)
MP2 (t709440)
CO (t1107522)
Button (t252030)
SB (t640848)
Hero (t449656)
UTG (t378532)

ante 2000

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q, A.

3 folds, MP2: raises to t120000, 3 folds, Hero: ????


Only 23 players are left.
Villain recently moved to the table. However, this was the third hand in a row villain had raised, the first he folded to a push and the
second he got the blinds.
Considering this AQs is a very good hand, therefore, a fold is out of the question. A call would put us on the red zone, so I think a push is the best, no?

1: push preflop.
2. cbet, fold to c/r, check turn.
3. push.

1) Push pre

As played, I would lead out on flop and hope to get raised or take it down.

I'm probably still moving in as played, people make some silly folds, and this is a tough call for first opp unless he has AK or KQ. Clearly you push, 60k is never getting folds which is certainly what you want now.

This is a great flop for you given your misplay pre flop but you don't seem to know that.

2& 3 see fish reply

Overall it looks to me like you're looking at your stack size (ZOMG over 150k! 400k!) rather than size in relation to the blinds. You are short here and you need to get the whip out. I (EDIT spelling) know it's hard after you wade through 2000 people with a zillion chips but you can't freeze up now.

Agree with both posters above.

Hand 1, push pre-flop. Your M isn't great here at just below 7. AQ suited is too strong a hand to fold here, calling the raise leaves you in a precarious situation postflop, just shove here. As played, just shove the flop, your hand is still strong, AK will call you, but there is too much in the pot to fold now.

Hand 2 -- cbet it, he could have called you with a variety of hands, a low pocket pair, two suited cards, ace rag, why give him credit for a Q or J c-bet and fold if he raises you. Give up on the hand if you get called.

Hand 3 -- push it pre-flop, your reasoning in your post is correct.

DrMcboy makes great points about these tournaments -- you have to play them absolutely fearlessly. It IS very difficult to get through a large field and at some point or another you are likely to be short. You just have to play a short stack like you would any other tournament... If you have a big hand -- shove them all in, if you M is low enough shove them all in even without a big hand.

Thanks for the advice!

[u]Hand 1: [/]
Indeed, I missed going all-in pre-flop. On the heat of the action I missed that!

Originally Posted by AAPoker

As played, just shove the flop, your hand is still strong, AK will call you, but there is too much in the pot to fold now.

However, after the flop, isn't the line I took better? I'm not going to fold, so a check-raise is more profitable, no?

Originally Posted by drmcboy

This is a great flop for you given your misplay pre flop but you don't seem to know that.

Yup, I know this was a great flop but I think when I've explained my reasoning I didn't left this impression ...

As for the hand I went all-in after opps' small bet.


Hand 2:
I did exactly what you advised. Villain re-raised and I folded.


Hand 3:
I indeed, went all-in and villain showed AKo and you know the rest

This hand is still troubling me today ... not for the fact that I should have went all-in, but for the fact that I was sooooo close from a BIG cash. That's poker anyway!

Originally Posted by drmcboy

Overall it looks to me like you're looking at your stack size (ZOMG over 150k! 400k!) rather than size in relation to the blinds. You are short here and you need to get the whip out. I (EDIT spelling) know it's hard after you wade through 2000 people with a zillion chips but you can't freeze up now.

It was actually, the first time I got more then $30,000 chips on a stars tourney! I had already had more then that on other sites, but never on stars (psychological effect ))

Seriously, you are completely right! At the end of the tourney, it was difficult for me to adapt my M constantly with that enourmous amount of chips, mainly due to the fact that I'm most used to play SNGs of 9, 18 or 180 persons. I guess I have to play more MTTs to get used to it!

[quote="jimmy44"]Thanks for the advice!

[u]Hand 1: [/]
Indeed, I missed going all-in pre-flop. On the heat of the action I missed that!

Originally Posted by AAPoker

As played, just shove the flop, your hand is still strong, AK will call you, but there is too much in the pot to fold now.

However, after the flop, isn't the line I took better? I'm not going to fold, so a check-raise is more profitable, no?

Sorry, I meant shove after you check, yes a check raise is fine.