Over the past few weeks, I've read Tournament Poker and the Art of War which basically preaches focus, discipline, observation, and controlled aggression, along with re-reading HOH1 for the 3rd time, and I am currently about half-way through HOH2. Today I played my 1st online MTT in a while and I want to throw out the decision hands and see if I've actually been able to apply what I've been reading or would some of you have played them differently. Note: This is a low buy-in tournament and many of the concepts Harrington discusses may not apply to much looser opponents.

Problem 1:
5 hands in so no real reads yet at all.
Absolute Poker
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t10/t20
9 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: t3010
PayMeDaMoney: t1500
MP1: t3030
MP2: t2630
MP3: t1020
CO: t1300
Button: t1160
SB: t1380
BB: t1500

Pre-flop: (9 players) PayMeDaMoney is UTG+1 with
UTG calls t20 (pot was t30), PayMeDaMoney raises to t80, 2 folds, MP3 raises all-in t1020, 5 folds, Hero???


Problem 2:
New table. No real read, Haven't seen raiser or caller make any questionable moves yet.
Absolute Poker
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t20/t40
9 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: t2815
UTG+1: t1590
MP1: t5865
MP2: t1175
PayMeDaMoney: t1640
CO: t1365
Button: t2450
SB: t1240
BB: t2365

Pre-flop: (9 players) PayMeDaMoney is MP3 with [Ac]
UTG raises to t160, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls t160 (pot was t220), MP2 folds, Hero???

Problem 3:
Once again new table (3rd of the tourny already). Only 3rd hand here so I have no idea what kind of player raiser is.
Absolute Poker
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t30/t60
9 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: t3905
UTG+1: t1450
PayMeDaMoney: t1600
MP2: t1030
MP3: t1475
CO: t1220
Button: t1735
SB: t4280
BB: t3235

Pre-flop: (9 players) PayMeDaMoney is MP1 with [Qs]
UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to t240, Hero???

Problem 4:
Our first real inflection point decision (previous push not posted because it was a no-brainer).
Absolute Poker
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t30/t60
9 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: t3475
UTG+1: t3755
MP1: t2900
PayMeDaMoney: t420
MP3: t1250
CO: t1385
Button: t1990
SB: t2185
BB: t2570

Pre-flop: (9 players) PayMeDaMoney is MP2 with [Qc]
3 folds, Hero???

Results:
Final pot: t150


If anybody cares, finished 91st out of 184. Went out with KQs vs AJo. No tough decision there w/ an M of barely 1. Lost the previous hand in the SB to an even smaller stacked BB with K3s when K fell on flop. BB had KTs. Again nothing I could do about that either.

First hand fold
Second hand call
Third hand push or make a big raise.
Fourth hand push, flop two fives if necessary

Cactus, I realized this after I posted the hands. However, these were also my only decisions. Everything else was a black & white raise or fold. Maybe the next one will give me some better problems.

Problem 1:
Absolute Poker
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t10/t20
9 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: t3010
PayMeDaMoney: t1500
MP1: t3030
MP2: t2630
MP3: t1020
CO: t1300
Button: t1160
SB: t1380
BB: t1500

Pre-flop: (9 players) PayMeDaMoney is UTG+1 with
UTG calls t20 (pot was t30), PayMeDaMoney raises to t80, 2 folds, MP3 raises all-in t1020, 5 folds, PayMeDaMoney folds.
Uncalled bets: t940 returned to MP3.

Results:
Final pot: t210

Problem 2:
Absolute Poker
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t20/t40
9 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: t2815
UTG+1: t1590
MP1: t5865
MP2: t1175
PayMeDaMoney: t1640
CO: t1365
Button: t2450
SB: t1240
BB: t2365

Pre-flop: (9 players) PayMeDaMoney is MP3 with [Ac]
UTG raises to t160, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls t160 (pot was t220), MP2 folds, PayMeDaMoney calls t160 (pot was t380), CO folds, Button calls t160 (pot was t540), SB calls t140 (pot was t700), BB folds.

Flop: [8d][5c] (t840, 5 players)
SB checks, UTG is all-in t2655, MP1 folds, PayMeDaMoney folds, Button calls all-in t2290, SB folds.
Uncalled bets: t365 returned to UTG.

Turn: (t5420, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t5420)


River: (t5420, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t5420)


Results:
Final pot: t5420

UTG took the pot with pocket J's. Don't know why that didn't show on the converter.

Problem 3:
Absolute Poker
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t30/t60
9 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: t3905
UTG+1: t1450
PayMeDaMoney: t1600
MP2: t1030
MP3: t1475
CO: t1220
Button: t1735
SB: t4280
BB: t3235

Pre-flop: (9 players) PayMeDaMoney is MP1 with [Qs]
UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to t240, PayMeDaMoney raises all-in t1600, 6 folds, UTG+1 calls all-in t1210.
Uncalled bets: t150 returned to PayMeDaMoney.

Flop: [9s][Ah] (t2990, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t2990)


Turn: (t2990, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t2990)


River: (t2990, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t2990)


Results:
Final pot: t2990

UTG+1 had KK and won.


Problem 4:
I actually would have strongly considered folding this hand and waiting for something better in the past with more than 2 people behind me.
Absolute Poker
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t30/t60
9 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: t3475
UTG+1: t3755
MP1: t2900
PayMeDaMoney: t420
MP3: t1250
CO: t1385
Button: t1990
SB: t2185
BB: t2570

Pre-flop: (9 players) PayMeDaMoney is MP2 with [Qc]
3 folds, PayMeDaMoney raises all-in t420, 5 folds.
Uncalled bets: t360 returned to PayMeDaMoney.

Results:
Final pot: t150

Let's try and make these more difficult.

Problem 1:
This hand takes place a little over 30 minutes into the tournament. I have yet to play one single hand out of the blinds yet and have not raised once. Everyone folds to me in CO.

STAGE #448216044 TOURNEY ID 1154751 HOLDEM MULTI NORMAL TOURNAMENT NO LIMIT $60 - 2006-07-16 19:21:10 (ET)
Table: 25 (Real Money) Seat #3 is the dealer
Seat 1 - JOSHM7777 ($1830 in chips)
Seat 2 - PAYMEDAMONEY ($1245 in chips)
Seat 3 - BETHYRN ($2937.50 in chips)
Seat 4 - JONCIE ($769 in chips)
Seat 5 - CEEJAYLEIGH ($2023.50 in chips)
Seat 6 - SATANTANN ($3850 in chips)
Seat 7 - LUDOVICUS ($2220 in chips)
Seat 8 - BACK COVE ($1790 in chips)
Seat 9 - SILKEY001 ($1360 in chips)
JONCIE - Posts small blind $30
CEEJAYLEIGH - Posts big blind $60
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to PAYMEDAMONEY [Ac]
SATANTANN - Folds
LUDOVICUS - Folds
BACK COVE - Folds
SILKEY001 - Folds
JOSHM7777 - Folds
PAYMEDAMONEY - Raises $240 to $240
BETHYRN - Folds
JONCIE - Calls $210
CEEJAYLEIGH - Folds
*** FLOP *** [9s][4d]
JONCIE - Bets $420
PAYMEDAMONEY - ???

Is this a draw? Does he think that the low flop missed me? Even if it is a bluff, could he have something like A8 where I'm behind anyway? Opponent is very short stacked and if I'm going to call I may as well put him all-in. That would put $1069 in the pot and I'd have to add 529. So I'm getting 2 to 1 odds. Your move.

Problem 2:
Very next hand. BB is perhaps the best player I've seen at the table. Has not shown a bad hand and plays very aggressively with a good hand. UTG is pretty much what he looks like.
STAGE #448217104 TOURNEY ID 1154751 HOLDEM MULTI NORMAL TOURNAMENT NO LIMIT $60 - 2006-07-16 19:22:16 (ET)
Table: 25 (Real Money) Seat #4 is the dealer
Seat 1 - JOSHM7777 ($1830 in chips)
Seat 2 - PAYMEDAMONEY ($1005 in chips)
Seat 3 - BETHYRN ($2937.50 in chips)
Seat 4 - JONCIE ($1069 in chips)
Seat 5 - CEEJAYLEIGH ($1963.50 in chips)
Seat 6 - SATANTANN ($3850 in chips)
Seat 7 - LUDOVICUS ($2220 in chips)
Seat 8 - BACK COVE ($1790 in chips)
Seat 9 - SILKEY001 ($1360 in chips)
CEEJAYLEIGH - Posts small blind $30
SATANTANN - Posts big blind $60
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to PAYMEDAMONEY [As]
LUDOVICUS - Calls $60
BACK COVE - Calls $60
SILKEY001 - Folds
JOSHM7777 - Folds
PAYMEDAMONEY - Raises $180 to $180
BETHYRN - Folds
JONCIE - Folds
CEEJAYLEIGH - Folds
SATANTANN - Raises $300 to $360
LUDOVICUS - Calls $300
BACK COVE - Folds
PAYMEDAMONEY - ???

With almost 1000 in the pot I'm as concerned with what I do here, but what happens if I flop a Q. The min-reraise here just doesn't smell right.


Problem 3:
STAGE #448263870 TOURNEY ID 1154751 HOLDEM MULTI NORMAL TOURNAMENT NO LIMIT $150 - 2006-07-16 20:10:49 (ET)
Table: 17 (Real Money) Seat #8 is the dealer
Seat 1 - MADSTANK ($1605 in chips)
Seat 2 - DODGELUVR ($4740 in chips)
Seat 3 - CALLMEBABEE ($4200 in chips)
Seat 4 - KRABBY ($7040 in chips)
Seat 6 - BIGBING ($7800 in chips)
Seat 7 - PAYMEDAMONEY ($4201 in chips)
Seat 8 - KATYWYNN ($240 in chips)
Seat 9 - RAILROAD63 ($4435 in chips)
RAILROAD63 - Posts small blind $75
MADSTANK - Posts big blind $150
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to PAYMEDAMONEY [Qh]
DODGELUVR - Folds
CALLMEBABEE - Calls $150
KRABBY - Folds
BIGBING - Folds
PAYMEDAMONEY - Raises $600 to $600
KATYWYNN - Folds
RAILROAD63 - Calls $525
MADSTANK - Calls $450
CALLMEBABEE - Calls $450
*** FLOP *** [2s][7s]
RAILROAD63 - Checks
MADSTANK - Checks
CALLMEBABEE - Checks
PAYMEDAMONEY - Bets $1500
RAILROAD63 - Calls $1500
MADSTANK - All-In $1005
CALLMEBABEE - Folds
*** TURN ***
RAILROAD63 - Checks

I raise 4xBB preflop because I don't want to push everyone out, but I don't want everyone to call. Unfortunately everyone loved their hand here. The flop looks harmless, but 2 of the 3 have called me. Did I make a mistake here? Would $1000 or even less have been enough to find out where I was? With 6,400 left and only 2,100 left do I have to play this through to the end now? SB is new to the table so I have no read. If he's the type of player that would play this with a flush draw, can I give him a free card?