Tag Archives: set

Not Sure About My Call

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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.

At an Online Tournament

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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.

Not Folding a Set to a Possible Flush

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Last Sunday, I was in a tournament with blinds 50/100. I remember I had about 4k in chips. Player at middle position also had approximately 4k. At some point, he joined and then raised four times the BB. With 77, I called. Small and big blind then folded.

Flop came and brought 2d 3d 7c. Then I placed a very small bet and he on the other side called. Turn came and was Kc. I then placed a bet which was about the size of the pot he called. River card came and brought 10c. For about 3/4 the pot, I then bet and he went all in with approximately the size of my stack.

Later, after so many pondering stuff, I folded however putting him on something like Ac 3c first. However, some of my friends who were there said I should have called as my hand wasn’t obvious at all. But still I’ve learned from Dan Harrington’s book that you should not fold your set to a possible flush on the board. What’s on your thoughts?

Thanks!

Tyler Edwards
Tyler,

If you opponent did have a flush, then he played very poorly. My guess he most likely had a big pair, such as Aces. He may have had kings and turned a set of kings.

I don’t think I am folding my set there since the person would have had to catch runner-runner flush to beat me.

On Different Views and Scenarios

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Hi,

I have several questions to ask. Hope you have time. Thanks in advance!

  1. In NL100, I oftentimes witness players buying in with $10, $15, $20 or may be $40. Well, I believe playing the short stack has its own advantages. However, I’m wondering if how should I deal and play with it when I have a full buy-in, at least. Any idea?

    Consider that I was in early position and with 88 I limped in. At middle position, with $20, I folded to a short stack. Such player raised to $4 and everyone else folded including both the small and big blinds. It was then my turn, but I don’t know what to do. I was considering if I’d call his raise or just re-raise him. If I’d call his raise, it would be a goodbye for my set on the flop and if I’d re-raise him, he might opt to go all in. At some point, I thought of folding. What do you think? I’m really sick and tired playing at a table full of short stacks, any advice?

  2. I really wonder if there’s any difference playing at NL tournaments than at cash games. I believe in NL tournaments, I have to lose first a lot of chips before I could have my set. And in a cash game, you can always reload, and there is always a chance to win back any losses.

    Because of the difference, I just always try to play big pairs and AK, AQ and may be KQ and AJ. I’ve always stayed away from suited connectors. And typically, I’m on all-in or fold mode. And in the event my hands are hold up, I go back to average or even above average at the later stage of the game. But sadly, I always end up with the least chips. Any advice for me? Is there any specific hand I should play?

  3. Professionals at High Stakes Poker on GSN tend to always play very loose cash games. In fact, there was one player who raises with A4o. He was then called by someone with K9s. Flop came and brought 9. The player with K9s earlier thought he had the best hand. I don’t know what’s going on. I believe they were just playing loosely then.

Thanks for your time.

Regards,
Raymond Feld
Raymond,

  1. Players with short stacks are going to try and push with big hands and try and double up. My suggestion is to try and play small ball poker and keep the pot small. The other option is to be aggressive and raise more often than normal and get out the way when they push with big hands.
  2. Tournaments are very different than cash games. You have to change your starting hand requirements based on what position that you are in on the table. I would recommend picking up a book or DVD on Texas Holdem. Phil Hellmuth and Howard Lederer have good DVD’s but Dan Harrington’s Harrington on Holdem is the best set of tournament books you can buy.
  3. Players on High Stakes Poker are very loose and very aggressive with their hands. You will also notice big fluctuations with their stacks overall. Watch some of the better players like Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, David Benyamine, and Jennifer Harman and you will see a good mix between loose and solid. Overall, those 4 are usually among the biggest winners around. This year Phil Ivey and David Benyamine are #1 and #2 in amount won online on Full Tilt Poker.

About My Mistake

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Hey there!

In a tourney with a thousand of players, I had 12K in chips and blinds were up at 200/400. Being the first one to act, I called. By the way I had AQ then. Quite disturbing, nobody raised. There were four players keenly observing who saw the flop actually.

Flop then came and was Jd Kd Kc. Other two players checked while the other one placed 800 bet. Except from me, everyone else’s folded. Because I felt like gambling more, I called and then hit the 10 of spades thus giving me a straight. One of the other players then placed 1600 bet and then I raised to 4K. Later, he called.

River then came and was 9. He then opted to check. Afterwards, I decided to bet 1600 and so he went all in. Then I called, but I discovered he had a full house, Kings over nines and so I was busted out.

Now, I’m curious if after the turn I should have decided to go all in, considering he might not actually call pre flop with K J, and he may have with K 10. What do you think? Also, I think it was so foolish of me, though I knew he had a K, I still gave him another card that may complete his full house. However, I also thought that maybe it was not foolishness, I was just unlucky perhaps. The result would have been the same if he called all in on the turn with K9 back then.

But still I was thinking, where did I went wrong? At what point? At not raising pre flop? Or else calling his 800 bet after the flop and drawing to a hand against a tall stack?

Hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you very much!

Lockett Zubak
Lockett,

You were in early position with A-Q. That is not necessarily a raising hand. Some do, I tend not to unless I haven’t played in a bit. On the flop, you had a gutshot straight. You really did not have proper odds to draw to the straight, but you did and hit.

After the flop, I don’t think you opponent is going to fold. He flopped a set. Since you didn’t raise, he has no reason to put you on a king, and even if he did, I still doubt he would fold.

I think that after the flop, you just got unlucky. You sucked out on the turn, and he resucked out on the river.

Might Have Folded the Turn

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Hello,

I played a $69+6 Double Stack online tournament with 3k starting chips just the other night. At some point, I just found myself in the BB with KK. By the way, blinds were 50-100.

There were three players left, player A, player B, and me. Back then, I had 4.9k, player A who was the small blind had 13k and player B who was in the second position had 5.6k.

At near mid-part, player B was leading with a 350 raise, player A called, while I raised to 700. Eventually, two players called. Flop came and was 8-3-t rainbow. I then placed a bet 1800. Two Players again called. Later, I just found myself bothered thinking of the set of 10s. In the end, I just decided to call due to some factors/reasons like the poor possibility that a certain player has a straight, the chance that I might lose to a set, etc.

Afterwards, player B pushed through while player A called. I remember player B had JJ and player A had 88. Quite surprisingly, I ended being the chip leader therefore I knew then that I’ve made justice to the hand. However, I’m wondering if you were on my shoes, could you have folded the turn? How about in a cash game?

Thanks!

Regards,
Berner
Berner,

If I really thought I was behind to a set of 10’s on the flop or if there was an all-in and a call before me on the turn, I would think my A’s were no good. I would have folded too. Probably would have done the same in a cash game too. Although, I would have probably reraised on the flop.

Want to Experience How It’s Like to be a Winner

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Hello,

For a year now or so, I’ve been playing at NL Holdem tournaments. As a player, I’ve also had my fair share of some ups and downs.

Now, I’m just curious if there’s anything I need to finish 1st on a tournament of 500 or more players. Any idea? I have already experienced being on the 9th, 7th, & 5th places but not on the first two or three. Any help?

Another thing, I’m having trouble when I get extremely excited in case I got a hand like AK, AQ, AJ or 99, TT, JJ. I tend to be loose, most especially when I’m on my way to the final table. Please, any advice?

Thanks,
John Hart
John,

It sounds like you are making your share of final tables. That is good. On thing I would recommend is playing more single table sit n go’s to give yourself more final table experience. You may also want to play some 4 and 6 handed sit n go’s.

A-K, A-Q, and A-J are really just glorified drawing hands. If they hit, they can be strong, but don’t get too crazy with pushing them preflop. 9’s are hands that I would only play aggressively late. Otherwise, I hope to hit a set or flop a low board. Tens I would play a little more aggressive from middle and aggressively late. Jacks are good middle and late position hands.

If you are being loose and its working for you as you are headed to the final table, you may want to try and tighten up a bit at the final table. Your loose nature heading to the table will help your hands get paid off at the find. I would also try and see some flops cheaply at the final table and hope to flop lucky.

At a Small Tournament

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Hello,

I joined a small tournament the other night. I admit it, I was actually out first hand. I believe we started with $4,000 in chips.

At some point, there was moderate betting pre-flop that trimmed us down to three. Just an information, I sat on snowmen -pocket 8s. Flop came and was K-8-A. Then I started making trips as well as placing bets. I remember there was a guy who has been raising significantly big amount of money while the next to him re-raised all in.

Later part, I called and so as the other guy. He then showed pocket king. I followed then with my 8s. Guy had pocket rockets. All of us flopped trips back then. By the way, the turn and river were J-3.

Any thoughts with regards to the tournament?

Thanks,
Powell
Powell,

You ran into a rare situation. Sometimes you have a situation where two players flop a set, but three is pretty rare. It does happen. You saw a flop with a pair and hoped to hit a set. In most cases, this hand would have won you a lot of money. Unfortunately you were against two better hands.

The only thing that I can comment on beyond this is whether you should have been in the hand. When you say that there was moderate betting, what do you mean? Do you mean there was a raise and two callers, or were there multiple raises. If there were multiple raises, you should have gotten out the hand as you were probably behind. You were hoping to get lucky. You did, but your opponents got lucky too.

Not Sure On How They’ve Played the Game

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Monday night, I played in a multi-tourney. I believe I played a really bad hand back then. At the start, well, I was playing just right. Maybe I got a little carried away that’s why the ending was not so great for me. Just an information, the tourney started with 791 total players and I was on 149th place when it ended.

To start off, player A had 54004, player B had 35460, and player C 18562. Player E had 29195, player F 16515, and player G had 9210. Player H had 35430 and player I had 40893. The numbers are all in chips by the way.

At some point, player B was dealt Td Jh and player C folded. Players E, F, G followed and also folded. Player H then raised 1000 to 2000. Player I called 2000. Later, player A folded and player B called for 1000. Flop came and was 7h Th 3c. Player B then placed 1000 as his bet. Player H raised 5999 to 6999 while player I folded. Player B then called. Turn came and was 7h Th 3c Tc.

Eventually, player B placed 12000 as his bet. Player H then called. River came and was 7h Th 3c Tc 4d. With 4000, player B opted to bet. Player H then raised 10331 to 14331 and was actually all-in. Player B then called.

When showdown came, player H had Ts 7s, a full house, Tens full of Sevens while player B had Td Jh, three of a kind, Tens. Later, player H started collecting the winnings.

Any thoughts about how players have played the game?

Hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks!

Regards,
Nick
Nick,

Player H did a great job of extracting maximum value for his fortunate flop and turn. Player B flopped top pair and was being aggressive. Player H had flopped two pair. He raised, but when player B hit a set on the turn, all the money was going to go in. I think that if the board would not have paired the 10 on the turn, player B would have probably been bet out of the pot on the turn or river by player H. As it turned out, B bet out on the turn and H smooth called. On the river, H’s trap was sprung, and B couldn’t get away.