Starstealer's Tournament Report: $10+1 NL HE tournament on Pokerstars

My wife wanted to play some poker with me, and since there were only NL tournaments available, this is what we chose to play. One thing of background: My wife is a solid player and I love to play some poker with her (great way to spend time together). I realize that some people would shudder at the thought - but I actually enjoy it. She likes to play tournaments and SNGs a lot more than ring games - so when we play - that's usually what I aim for.

Okay - on to the tournament. 1355 players, pays out to 135 and first prize is a nice amount around 3k I think.

In hand #9, I'm in the cutoff with QTs. It is folded to me and I notice that both of the blinds are currently disconnected. I raise the minimum to see if I can take the pot, but the button calls. Sure enough, both blinds are folded because of their connection status.

The flop is 246 with 2 spades and I bet 100 into the 110 pot. My opponent folds. Pretty simple hand. Just so everyone knows, if I see that people are disconnected behind me and I'm the first player in - a raise is most likely coming. I'll steal those blinds whether they are 30 or 3000.

In hand #15, I'm in the BB and it is folded to the SB who minimum raises (to 60). I reraise another 90 and he folds.

In hand #18, I have 9To in the cutoff and it is folded to me. I raise to 4xBB (to 120) and the button calls; both blinds fold. The flop is 267 with 2 spades. We both check. The turn is a five and we both check again. On the river, I hit my gutshot and bet 150. He calls and mucks AJo.

In hand #25, I have QJs in the SB. There is a single limper in MP to the button, who raises to 4xBB (to 120). I make a loose call (the raiser has proven to be a bluffer at all costs...) and the limper calls. I miss the flop completely, but we check it down. In fact, I check it down to the river, even though I hit my queen, since there were 3 spades out. I took the pot. The MP had 33 and the button had AJo.

In hand #31, I have pocket nines UTG. I limp in (2125), as does UTG+1 (1295) and the button (310). The SB then min raises (to 100) (3450) and the BB calls (2550). The rest of us call.

The flop is 346 with 2 diamonds and it is checked to me. I bet 250 (enough to get the short stack in) and get called by UTG+1 and the short stack. The turn is a jack and I bet another 250 - UTG+1 calls. The river is the 5d and we both check. I take the side pot and the all-in player takes the main pot with his rivered flush. UTG+1 had K6o. I netted an overall loss on this hand of 20 chips. Oh well...

In hand #32, I had A8o in the BB. The button limps and the SB completes, so I check. The flop is 34J rainbow and it checks around. On the turn, I hit an ace and bet the pot (150). The SB calls. The river is a seven and he calls another 200 bet from me. He mucks J8o.

In hand #39, I have pocket nines again, but this time in the BB. The button and the SB join me for the flop, which is a miserable ATT. It checks around to my surprise and a deuce hits on the turn. It still checks around and the river is another deuce. The SB checks and I decide, I might actually be good here and bet the minimum (100). Both players call - but I take the pot anyway. They muck K6s (playing the board...) and Q7o (also playing the board). Go figure...

In hand #40, I've got 2930 in chips and am in the SB. UTG+1 limps (8190) and it folds to me. I've got KQo and complete. The SB (195 after posting his blind) checks. The flop is 78Q and I bet 300. The short stack calls and the big stack folds. The short stack has 84o and doesn't improve his 8s. I take the pot.

In hand #48, I have pocket sixes in the cutoff and it is folded to me. I limp and the SB (1930) comes alive for a raise to 4xBB (to 400). The BB (8235) calls. I call to see a flop - it comes as J3J and I fold to an all-in bet from the SB.

In hand #50, I have pocket nines in MP. It folds to me and I raise to 3xBB (to 300). The cutoff calls and the rest fold. The flop is 567 rainbow - giving me an overpair and a gutshot straight draw. I bet 400 into the pot of 750. He calls. The turn is an 8 and I bet 800 into the pot - he raises the minimum. I reraise all-in (I have him covered by 45 chips) - and he calls. He has A9o and hit the same gutshot - we split...

We hit the break after hand #54. I have 2750 in chips and the blinds will be 75/150 after the break.

In hand #59, I have AKo in MP and open-raise it to 3xBB (to 450). The cutoff calls and the rest fold. The flop is 379 and I bet 450 into the pot. The cutoff raises allin (he has me covered by about 500). The pot is around 4k with another 2k for me to call. I fold. Given this player's play up to this point, I am reasonably certain I have him beat right now, but I'm not taking the risk with just ace high. I will find a better place for my money...

In hand #60, I have pocket tens in MP and UTG raises to 1095 (all-in). I decide to reraise all-in to shut out the rest (to 1775), but another short stack, the SB (1280), calls as well. The SB shows pocket nines and UTG has KQo. The board ends up reading as follows: 89T, K, Q. So we all improve - but I take the whole pot. I'm now up to 4300.

In hand #72, I steal the blinds with A6s with a 3xBB raise (to 450).

In hand #73, I have pocket eights in the cutoff. UTG limps, UTG+1 raises to 3xBB (to 450). A MP calls, I call as well, and then the BB and the original limper calls. The flop is 9JQ and I fold to a 300 bet. (Funny result: Flopped straight looses to runner jacks four of a kind...)

In hand #87, I limped from UTG with A5s and then called a minimum raise from UTG+1 preflop with the BB. The flop was JJ3 and I folded to a 400 bet.

In hand #89, I have pocket eights in the SB. I've got 2525 in my stack and the field folds to the cutoff, who raises to 650 (3.25xBB). With the blinds increasing soon and antes with them, I decide I need to take a stand with this hand, even though the player has 3x my stack. Given his position, I'm betting that 50% of the time, he's on a pure bluff anyway. So I push - he folds.

In hand #92, I have A4s in MP and open raise to 4xBB (800). Everyone folds.

In hand #94, the antes start - my stack is 3675 at this point.

In hand #98, it is folded to me in the SB. Just as it gets to me, I see that the BB has disconnected. I make a min raise with K3o and he is folded off before he reconnects. (My wife at this point tells me that I have no shame...)

In hand #100, I have T9o and it is folded to me on the cutoff (the button is sitting out). I limp and the BB checks. The flop is J98 and I bet 600 when he checks. He folds.

In hand #105, I am UTG with pocket tens. I raise to 5xBB (to 1000) and everyone folds. I'm up to 4650 now.

In hand #106, I'm in the BB with A4o and there are 2 limpers and the SB with me. The flop is A37 with 2 diamonds. SB checks, I bet 400 into the 975 pot. Only one limper calls. The turn is an 8 and I check. He bets 1800 (pot is 1825) and I fold - fearing kicker problems...

In hand #116, I have K7o in the SB. There are two limpers to me, and I make the loose completion. The BB checks. The flop is K42 with 2 hearts and I lead out with an 800 bet (1775 pot), only one of the limpers calls. The turn is a nine and I push - he calls. He shows A4o and doesn't improve. I take the pot.

-- Looking at this hand now, I'm amazed I made this play, except for the player. He had a sizable stack (13839 before the hand) - I only had 3300. I had seen him make some terrible calls previous to this (like a 23s calling a 3xBB raise from UTG). Still, from my point of view, it is a little scary to be betting this way with just top pair and a bad kicker...

In hand #121, I have AKo in MP. UTG raises all in (to 2495) and UTG+1 folds. I fold.

I don't play another hand until #133. My stack has dwindled to 6400 and the blinds are 300/600. I have AQo in the BB and a MP open-raises to 1800. I have him covered by about 2400, but I know if I'm going to play this hand, I have to be all-in. I push - he calls and flips pocket kings. He hits a king on the flop and I miss my hand.

-- This was a tough hand for me - and it is mostly to do with the fact that the player is a well-known TLB player (TheBeat). If it was any other player, I'd probably have respected the raise and let it go - instead, I commit my chips on the basis that he MIGHT be bluffing or doing it with a lesser ace. Its not unfounded - but I think this is a risky place to put my chips... In any case, I'm now in dire straights with 2376 in chips.

In hand #134, I complete the SB with Q4s with one MP limper. The BB checks. The flop is AK8 and I fold to a bet of 1200.

-- This was actually an easy call for me. Shortstacked - I needed to see a cheap flop here and improve or get out. I was calling 300 to make 1950 back - so felt reasonably assured that I could get away if things didn't turn out well. Now - if a queen had flopped - would I have called a bet or bet out myself? (The answer is HELL YAH, I'm short stacked, so I need to make things happen...)

In hand #135, I have A7s and it is folded to my RHO, who limps (he had 7448 to start with). I raise all-in to 1676 and everyone folds. I'm up to 3626.

In hand #142, I'm in the BB with 65o. UTG raises to 2400 (3xBB) and it is folded to me. I fold. (I included this hand, in case anyone wants to make this call - personally I think its a bad one - even with my stack so low...)

In hand #145, I have AQo in the cutoff. If folds to me and I raise all-in to 1926. The BB (TheBeat) calls me. He has A6o and catches a six on the flop. I however, river a queen and take the pot. I'm up to 4702.

In hand #151, I have A3o in the BB. It folds to the SB (5698 - outchips me by 1200), who raises the minimum. I fold.

-- This is a 50/50 - half the time I would call - half I would fold. I suspect at best he's got an ace - in which case, he's likely got me dominated. Given the situation, again, as a shortstack, I think folding is more correct here.

In hand #158, we're just about in the money. Blinds are 600/1200 with a 75 ante and I'm UTG with JTs. I've only got 2552 total before the ante, so I raise all-in. No one calls, and I'm up to 4877.

In hand #159, I have 74o in the BB - I fold to a minimum raise from MP.

In hand #160, I'm the SB with A9s. A MP raises to 2400, and is called by a very short stack. I reraise allin (another 1127) and the original raiser calls. The best part is this: I'm up against Q9o and K9s - and no one improves. I'm back up to 9419.

In hand #164, I have AJo in MP. I raise all-in (to 9119) and get called only by the BB (who had 11k). He shows pocket 10s. The flop is . I do have the . The turn is an offsuit jack and the river is an offsuit 7. I'm out in 103rd.

First, great report as always.

Second, I want to ask you about hand 87. You limped utg with A5s which I think is a bad play because if you get more players, they likely have you outkicked and you can't take a raise from someone behind you. My opinion would be to fold it in ep and only play it in lp for a raise as a steal or limp after a couple limpers and hope for 2 pair or the flush. I saw you limp in ep with a similar hand in one of your other reports and just feel you are throwing away some chips doing it. Thoughts?

Third, hand 121, you have AKo after a short stack raises all in and you fold. Any particular reason for this? You have over 7k (i guess) and it was 2500 or so to you. The blinds probably make him push any ace or any broadway cards so you were likely beating him. I think I might have raised all in to get heads up and go for it since your stack wasn't particularly huge either. What was your reasoning for folding? Were you close to the money and didn't want to risk it?

Yes #87 was a classic example of throwing away chips - I seem to be quite good at it - so why stop now? Seriously, its just a bad place for me, and to make it worse, I call the raise... Unfortunately for me, in these reports, people get to see both the good AND the bad...

As far as 121 goes - I think it is an interesting hand, and that's why I included it - even though I folded. I'm very curious on whether people would play it or not - especially given my read that I'm likely ahead (I suspect he had a smaller ace). At this point, we were about 100 away from the money (if I recall corretly), and getting to the money is always important to me. However, in this particular instance, I don't think it weighed in on my decision.

What would others do here? Would I make the same play if I was presented with the same situation? I don't know...

(Oh and thanks for the compliment too...)
/d

I almost never play MTTs. But if a small stack pushes and I have AK, I can't imagine folding. Small stacks will push with things like JT, as you did yourself in this tourney, and as I did when I got bounced out of my first tourney.