$0.25 trimmed donkament

I just finished up tonight's $0.25 multi-table tournament in 242nd place (out of 3443 starting players), good for a whopping $0.87. I guess I can't really complain about a 250% ROI, especially when it doubled my current bankroll .

Anyways, here's the entire trimmed tournament. I think I played pretty solidly overall, but I had a few hands that I wish I could have back.

-----Hand 9-----
Heros M = 32.70
PokerStars Game #22750786567: Tournament #125322062, $0.25+$0.00 Holdem No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2008/12/08 22:42:03 ET
Condensed history provided by the Tournament Trimmer (v1.1.4w) from http://www.FlopTurnRiver.com
Table 125322062 228 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: GenralJC (3395 in chips)
Seat 2: sheldontrace (4785 in chips)
Seat 3: Faaknright (1150 in chips)
Seat 4: rodster64 (1725 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 5: lexfromtexas (2595 in chips)
Seat 6: Hero (4905 in chips)
Seat 7: Heights town (3160 in chips)
Seat 8: StickyFrog (1955 in chips)
Seat 9: Doc Dans Dad (6210 in chips)
sheldontrace: posts small blind 50
Faaknright: posts big blind 100
Preflop: Hero dealt A 7
rodster64: folds
lexfromtexas: calls 100
Hero: calls 100
Heights town: folds
StickyFrog: folds
Doc Dans Dad: folds
GenralJC: folds
sheldontrace: calls 50
Faaknright: checks
Flop: 4 Q 2
sheldontrace: checks
Faaknright: checks
lexfromtexas: checks
Hero: checks
Turn: A
sheldontrace: checks
Faaknright: checks
lexfromtexas: checks
Hero: checks
River: 3
sheldontrace: bets 300
Faaknright: folds
lexfromtexas: folds
Hero: calls 300
Showdown:
sheldontrace: shows T 5 (a straight, Ace to Five)
Hero: mucks hand
sheldontrace collected 1000 from pot

I like to play Axs, but this is a clear example of when that can be a bad idea. I should probably have bet like 250 on the turn and folded to a raise. That would usually allow me to check behind most rivers with good showdown value. As played, I have to fold the river. I looked at that board and said, "He obviously has a 5," and yet I still called. Stupid. It sucks to lose 400 on a hand I could have just folded preflop.

-----Hand 11-----
Heros M = 35.70
PokerStars Game #22750875187: Tournament #125322062, $0.25+$0.00 Holdem No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2008/12/08 22:45:45 ET
Condensed history provided by the Tournament Trimmer (v1.1.4w) from http://www.FlopTurnRiver.com
Table 125322062 228 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: GenralJC (4395 in chips)
Seat 2: sheldontrace (5385 in chips)
Seat 3: Faaknright (950 in chips)
Seat 4: rodster64 (1575 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 5: lexfromtexas (2095 in chips)
Seat 6: Hero (5355 in chips)
Seat 7: Heights town (2760 in chips)
Seat 8: StickyFrog (1955 in chips)
Seat 9: Doc Dans Dad (5410 in chips)
lexfromtexas: posts small blind 50
Hero: posts big blind 100
Preflop: Hero dealt Q 9
Heights town: folds
StickyFrog: folds
Doc Dans Dad: calls 100
GenralJC: folds
sheldontrace: folds
Faaknright: folds
rodster64: folds
lexfromtexas: calls 50
Hero: checks
Flop: Q 5 4
lexfromtexas: checks
Hero: bets 200
Doc Dans Dad: calls 200
lexfromtexas: calls 200
Turn: 3
lexfromtexas: checks
Hero: bets 550
Doc Dans Dad: calls 550
lexfromtexas: folds
River: A
Hero: checks
Doc Dans Dad: checks
Showdown:
Hero: shows Q 9 (a pair of Queens)
Doc Dans Dad: shows T Q (a pair of Queens - Ace+Ten kicker)
Doc Dans Dad collected 2000 from pot

I didn't have the option of folding this hand preflop, and I allowed myself to get sucked way too deeply into it. Q9 is a solid holding in this hand, and I was a little unlucky to run into one of the few hands that are beating me on the river here, but I still could have kept the pot smaller by checking either the flop (probably best) or the turn.

-----Hand 12-----
Heros M = 19.80
PokerStars Game #22750952588: Tournament #125322062, $0.25+$0.00 Holdem No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2008/12/08 22:48:54 ET
Condensed history provided by the Tournament Trimmer (v1.1.4w) from http://www.FlopTurnRiver.com
Table 125322062 228 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: GenralJC (3695 in chips)
Seat 2: sheldontrace (5385 in chips)
Seat 3: Faaknright (850 in chips)
Seat 4: rodster64 (1575 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 5: lexfromtexas (2645 in chips)
Seat 6: Hero (4455 in chips)
Seat 7: Heights town (2610 in chips)
Seat 8: StickyFrog (1855 in chips)
Seat 9: Doc Dans Dad (6810 in chips)
StickyFrog: posts small blind 75
Doc Dans Dad: posts big blind 150
Preflop: Hero dealt 8 J
GenralJC: folds
sheldontrace: folds
Faaknright: folds
rodster64: folds
lexfromtexas: calls 150
Hero: calls 150
Heights town: calls 150
StickyFrog: folds
Doc Dans Dad: checks
Flop: K 2 4
Doc Dans Dad: checks
lexfromtexas: checks
Hero: bets 400
Heights town: calls 400
Doc Dans Dad: folds
lexfromtexas: folds
Turn: 2
Hero: checks
Heights town: checks
River: 8
Hero: checks
Heights town: bets 300
Hero: calls 300
Showdown:
Heights town: shows 5 K (two pair, Kings and Deuces)
Hero: mucks hand
Heights town collected 2075 from pot

With my chip count and the big stack in the big blind, I don't mind a limp behind here with this hand. I get a great flop, and I like my bet. It had the intended effect of getting me two free cards to improve my flush. The horrible part was check/calling that river... the bet was so small that it was just begging me to be called, but there aren't many hands calling me on the flop that I'm beating on the river. Maybe this wasn't terrible, but since I lost a total of 850 on a hand that I could have easily folded preflop, it definitely wasn't my favorite hand.

A few notes on my leaks:

It looks like my worst leaks are getting sucked into TPGK-type hands, or calling smallish river bets when I'm pretty sure I'm beat. Hand 11 in particular sticks out to me: I think playing it this way in a cash game might be +EV at low stakes, but there aren't enough chips in a tournament to play it so aggressively. I should have definitely checked either the flop or the turn to keep the pot small.

A lot of people disagree with limping hands like suited broadways and Axs in early position, which I did in two instances in this tournament. I'm beginning to migrate towards that group. Someone had mentioned the importance in a past thread of being in position with a flush draw, and it only recently clicked with me that, yes, it is nice to be able to bet a flush draw on the flop and then check it on a blank turn to keep the pot small. Out of position, all you can do is hope your opponent doesn't play back at you on the turn. Add in my propensity to get sucked into hands like the aforementioned Hand 11, and it's a recipe for spewage.

Other than those problems I think I played reasonably well. I didn't get too many cards, and I got sucked out on in a pretty critical all-in. Of course, I then sucked out huge as well, but I think I had to shove 44 there with the blinds coming up. The same goes for the hand I went out on, A6.

The only other somewhat questionable play was when I finally got AA. I put in an open minraise. On just the previous hand, the big stack a couple spots to my left had been aggressive over a minraise, so that's what I was hoping for. I also just really was hoping to get at least a caller or two, and especially for someone to shove over on me. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

So anyways, I feel like I played reasonably well, picking my spots carefully and generally not making too many huge mistakes. Unfortunately I was pretty card dead at critical junctures in the tournament (I only played 24 hands, counting BB checks!), so I think I did pretty well to finish as high as I did.

Of course, I would love to hear your feedback and criticisms. Where would you have sized your bets differently? Where would you have bet that I didn't, or checked where I bet? I'm really focused on improving my play, and I think I'm on the right track thanks to the help of everyone here.

Hand 6, You like your suited cards, don't you? Don't limp with KTs UTG. You wasted chips and then probably kicked yourself after seeing that flop.

Hand 8, On the turn I'd bet smaller, you want a call. Remember how you get sucked in by smaller bets?

Hand, 10, I'm glad you took down the pot on the flop, I wouldn't have liked any callers here.

Hand 14, I'd raise a bit less preflop, and cbet the flop.

Hand 18,19 Good Shoves. (You wisely decided to fold some hands after that might have been good to push with, but not to call with.)

Hand 23, A minraise from a shortstack who's been shoving every hand he plays looks terribly out of place. You might have as well been saying you have AA in the chat. Nobody is going to call this.

You're good with Push/Fold situations. But be more selective with where and how you play suited cards. But I really would have liked to see you get more value out of Hands 8 & 23.