Champions of Poker

Hello,

I joined a certain NL tourney with 19 players at two tables the other day. Earlier part, it was just actually first round of blinds, I was dealt TT in middle position. Everyone else then folded. Three times the BB, I then raised and got two callers. Flop came and brought J98 all spades. I checked on what I have then and saw I have Ts.

Later, BB checked and I followed. A certain guy placed a very big bet, I believe it was about four times the pot. BB then folded and so am I.

Eventually, a guy I don’t know personally won the pot. He mucked his hand and luckily I was able to take a peek. He had Ad then. I wasn’t able to see the other card he had and he even refused to show me. Well, if he had A K or Q of spades, then sorry for me but if it was something else, maybe I could have won.

What do you think of how I’ve played the game? I think I should have called or have pushed all in, but I’m not sure. Any advice or comment perhaps?

Thanks!

Spike
Spike,

You did not have pot odds to make the call. You had probably 14 outs or 56% to win if you were behind to a pair. Your opponent bet four times the pot. You did not have the odds to call.

It was a good fold.

Hello,

Two intriguing hands appeared the other night. The first one came up earlier. Blinds were 5/10 then and with 9s7s I was on the button. On the flop then, there were four players. Flop came and brought K42 all spades. Small blind then placed a 10 bet while big blind raised to 40. Other player called. Later, I folded as I thought one of the players had a flush which was far better.

Second hand followed. At such point, blinds were 25/50 and on heads up. I had 350 left back then and was actually the big blind. My opponent on the other side had approximately 1000. I remember he was an aggressive type, calling everything and going all in pre flop.

For another time he went all in again. I then saw A3 suited. I was looking forward then that my opponent would have KQ or KJ. And though he had a better A, I can still take chances and eventually have a flush, straight, or even a 3.

Will it be a good move to call at such point, if you were me?

Any thoughts about the two hands?

Thanks!

Clint
Clint,

I think you should have folded and waited for a better spot. Since you were big blind, you would have 300 left. Even if you fold the next hand in the small blind, you still have 275, which is still enough to either force people to fold or double up to a reasonable stack for the blind level. I would have waited for a better hand or a better situation. If you are going to go all-in, its better if you are the aggressor.

Hello,

I have actually two questions. But before that I want to share one of my most unforgettable experiences at the table first.

At the table, three of us were left for the pot. Well, I was the short stack however not by a lot. At some point, I saw As Kd and so I raised a not so big yet a not so small amount. Certain player called and then followed by the dealer. Flop came and brought 10c Ah Kh. Then I checked it to him while he opted to go all in. I then called and he showed he had Jh, 10s.

Later, the final two cards were 5h 8h.

The incident actually bothered me for some time though I knew then it was just a plain bad beat. It happened not only once but many times.

I thought it was just actually tough to play against maniacs and I’m still far from being a professional. However, I believe I am a smart player.

I’m thinking now if everything is all because of the way I play hands. I’m usually afraid to slow play and milk a pot. Similarly, I’m afraid to call all ins with great preflop cards. I don’t like playing too tight and skittish however I always get blindsided.

Now, I wanted to ask the following:

1. Do you know any good way how to lessen the maniac effect on me? And do you think I’ll be much better at higher stakes tables?
2. Was everything because of bad luck and for that I just have to continue playing without any trouble?

Thanks in advance!

Rolls
Rolls,

1. Bad beats happen at low and high stakes alike. Remember, when you are a good player, bad beats will happen. It is a part of poker. The key is to not let it affect your play. Continue to make good decisions and the results will even out in the end.
   
2. Exactly. This was just bad luck. Your play was fine. I would be happy if every time I called an all in my opponent had to catch runner runner to beat me. The majority of the time I am going to win. Remember, you will still lose a percentage of the time. That’s just a normal part of the game.

About 6 months ago, I started playing holdem. I was usually into small home games with 6-8 people. Well, I’m glad as I almost had all the games down. Fair enough as in the event I didn’t win, I’m on the top 3 players.

But later on, I decided to try larger tourneys with 25 people. I had problems then and found things to be harder.

In one of the tourneys, starting blinds were 25/50 and was actually increasing every 17 minutes. By the way, there was 1600-2000 worth of chips each player.

I must admit now that I was confused then. I don’t know what to do.

Now, I’m curious if you have any advice on how to best play with a set-up like the one I mentioned. Back then, I don’t know how to deal with the blinds. Well, I’ve made the final table 3 out of the 5 times. Actually, the first two times I had no chips left so I was forced to go all in.

If I remember it right, the last time I was at the final table, I probably was in the middle in terms of chip stacks. Earlier part, short stack players kept going all-in while I was not having any hands. I can’t call bets then. At some point, I was dealt pocket queens and then called. Later on the flop, he caught an A. I thought of doubling up in case I go on then.

Any thoughts or advice? I know your the best person to help me to have some of the stuff get going.

Thanks!

Berner
Berner,

Early on in a larger tournament you need to play a little tighter, but as the blinds start to move up, you need to loosen up your requirements some and also start to steal blinds more. This should help you some. When at the final table and a lot of short stacks are constantly going all-in, you need to find spots either to steal blind, or if the short stacks are not a significant portion of your stack, try and gamble some to knock them out.

I was in a game of $10 buy-in last week. Earlier part of the game, I was the chip leader with pocket 6s and a flopped set. However, later on, my cards dried up, therefore I had to tighten up. Also, my stack decreased after I paid blinds.

Following rounds and I folded, also limped into hands with suited connectors. I was in the small blind when I was dealt AQ suited. A certain player called the blind while others folded without doubts.

Later, I had to raise 2,000 hoping to steal or else have some excitement and then win the pot. Unfortunately, I was re-raised by the big blind, the second-biggest stack. Others folded immediately while I called afterwards.

Few seconds passed and he flipped over Jacks.

Now I was thinking if I made the right call. What’s your thoughts on this?

Thanks!

Irwin
Irwin,

Both of you woke up with big hands in the blinds. A-Q against just the big blind is usually a favorite. He just happened to wake up with a pair. You still had over cards however.

I would like more information on your stack. If you were short stacked, then this call was fine. If you had a medium or larger stack, then this may have been a poor call as this was one of the stacks that could bust you.

Overall I think that it was a case of two reasonable hands going to war and you happened to be on the short end of the stick.

Hello,

Just the other night, I joined an online tournament with $10 buy in. Earlier, I was moved to a new table with approximately $7500, this was in chips. By the way, I started with $5000 and the blinds back then were at $100/200 and were moving almost twice just within 30 minutes.

I believe the room was filled with loose players as well as tight players. At some point, I was able to have pocket fives in the BB. Few minutes and middle position player, player in cutoff, and on the button limped in. SB folded and I just checked. Flop came and brought 765 rainbow, thus giving me a set of 5s. I then placed $800 bet while middle position player folded. For approximately $2200 player in cutoff moved all-in. Player on button followed for approximately $7000, that eventually had me covered. I then called though there was much risk as I was hoping the board would be a pair.

Later, player in cutoff turned over J7 unsuited while player on button had 43 unsuited. Turn and river came but were blanks and so I was busted out.

Now as I look back, I know I’ve committed couple of mistakes. I believe I should have raised pre-flop. It was an honest mistake as I believe there are too many loose and strange calls in small buy-in tournaments that actually make effective reading and bluffing not possible. I also believe that I should have considered the idea that the button had the straight or at least had a hand that had me beat. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,
Gifford
Gifford,

I think you played correctly preflop. Pocket fives are really not a raising hand. Raising may have thinned the field, but you said the field was a mixed bag. A raise may or may not have worked. Pocket fives are limping hand, in the hopes to flop a set.

Beyond that, I think you played the hand find. You flopped a set, bet and then the cutoff moved all in. The button flopped a near miracle hand and moved all in. You were correct to call the bets. Also remember that you had 8 outs to still win after the flop.

I would have played it the same way and probably went broke too.

Hello,

I participated in a home tourney with initially nine players. Eventually, it was trimmed down to three, me, the SB, and the player on the button.

Back then, I had near $30,000 in the BB, SB had $90,000, while the player on the button had$40,000, all in chips. By the way, blinds were $1500/$3000, Ante $400.

At certain point, player on the button folded while SB called. I then raised to $12,000 with A-9 unsuited. Once again, SB called. Flop came and brought 10-7-K rainbow. At such instance, SB checked to me. Because I believe SB didn’t have the King, for around $20k, I raised all in. SB then called and then had Q-10 unsuited.

Both turn and river came but of no sense at all. I was then confused as I don’t know what to do next. I could make a tough and right call but I was not so sure as I’ve already showed strength preflop and post flop. I could also go all in or check, but I had $20,000 left and the pot was $24,400, in the event he opt to bet, it would be somewhere $8,000-$14,000. Well, I could re-raise all in, however only $6,000- $12,000 considering the pot was somewhere $32,400-$38,400. What do you think?

I hope to hear from you.

Thank you very much in advance.

Butler
Butler,

The raise from the big blind was not a bad raise. The call from the small blind was a bad call. The fact that he hit the flop and then called your bet was unfortunate. If you are going to bet on the flop in that spot, you will probably want to bet what you did to pressure your opponent. He risked a big portion of his stack with middle pair.

Personally, I would have waited and saw the flop for free. I don’t know if I would have raised preflop there. I may have, but when I am three handed, I am going to see cheap flops and hope to get lucky. If you did that, you may have been able to get away from the hand on the flop. You could have bet about 4,000, which would have been a good portion of the pot if not raised preflop. If your opponent raised, you fold.

Hello there!

Just last week, I joined a 6 man event. I believe we started with 10K, this was in chips. Well, the initial blinds were 100/200.

At certain point, I was dealt Akd, this was from the button. Later on, two players limped in. I then decided to raise to $1000, it was five times the BB. Then, BB called my bet while the other players folded. Flop came and brought Qd, Jd, 6c. I then flopped a straight, flush, and royal draws.

Eventually, my opponent placed a $4000 bet and for that he then had half his chips in the pot. I realized I’ve made a mistake on reading what he held then.

Later part and I started counting my outs, 9 for the flush, 3 other 10s for the straight, and 3 more for the Ace I guess. I was bothered then as I should have only given myself 12 total outs and not 15.

If you were on my shoes then, facing a $4000 bet, what will you do next? Well, I decided to call. However, in the end, I realized it was a big mistake. My last thought was to fold but I was not so sure about it.

Would you have folded to the flop bet or gone all in, if you were me?

By the way, of course my opponent showed his hand and was actually pocket jacks, had trip jacks. Thinking of it, I was not the underdog. I feel really bad now. Any advice?

Thanks in advance!

Bode
Bode,

You needed to call 4,000 into a 6300 pot. You had 60% to hit your hand assuming you had 15 outs and you had no reason to assume otherwise. While it was true that you had 12, you had no reason of knowing this. You call would have been 63% of the pot. Technically you did not have pot odds. However, you did have implied odds, which means that if you hit, chances are you will get all his chips.

I think your call on the flop was a decent call. I would not have necessarily pushed here, but calling is not bad. As you said, you had a straight flush draw. And aces may have won. Of course we know now they would not have.

I would have called.

Hello,

I just want to ask and share something.

Recently, I joined a live tournament in a northern Minnesota casino. Well, if I could remember it right, the buy-in was $150. We actually started with 170 players and then later on was trimmed down to sixteen players divided at two 8p tables.

I heard that the tourney was paying 15 players back then so we were pressured. Eventually, 10-15 got $150, 9th $200, 8th $400 and on up to $9,500 for first. With 400 antes, blinds were $4,000 and $8,000 while chips in total was $850,000 therefore the stack was about $53,000 in average. At the table were some of the big stacks but players just around were only near the average and no player has $100K or so. Me, after posting the $400 ante and the small blind had $36,000. Pot was $15,200.

At some point, everyone folded while I had A8 off-suit. Afterwards, a player maybe at his mid-20’s sat at the table. He has about $55,000. I was wondering then as he haven’t seen any thing.

Later part, I raised all-in while with AT he called me. Few minutes later and a ten came and so I was busted out.

In your opinion, did I played just right? I believe I made pretty well with regards to mathematical call, however, I’m not sure about my strategic call. Any thoughts?

I hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks in advance!

Billy Stout
Billy,

A-8 offsuit is a poor choice for a starting hand in general. If you are raising from late position to steal blinds, that may be fine, but if you get called, you are in trouble.

Without knowing more information, I can’t say whether you should or shouldn’t have pushed all in, but based on the fact that you had a solid stack and push with A-8, I must lean towards that being a poor play. A-8 is easily dominated, and in your case, it was.

Hi,

I believe I’m doing good in home tournaments that me and my friends have every week. In fact, I usually belong to the final 3 players. However, I feel that I’m into trouble when with regards to dealing with heads up.

Well, most of the time my opponent raises and I don’t have the top pair, I just can’t call. I hate when this happens as I’m not working on the right track.

On the good side, I’m doing relatively good when it comes to trapping. I can earn a lot of chips because of successfully trapping down a player.

My question now is, how do you play heads up? Is there any strategy I need to know and eventually master?

Thank you so much!

Sigmund Karlsen
Sigmund,

You need to play a little looser heads up. Try and see a lot of cheap flops with various hands and punish them when you connect. Don’t just call down with top pair. Sometimes middle and even bottom pair are just as good. Don’t be afraid to draw a little more.