Starstealer's Tournament Report - $3 NL HE multitable Pokerstars

There were 1958 players in this tournament with a nice first prize of $1200 or so. 4000% ROI is my kind of tournament!

It didn't take long for me to get into this tournament. In hand #5, UTG, I limped with pocket sevens. There was a single minimum raise after me and two callers (the big blind and the cutoff). I called as well. The flop was seven high with 2 diamonds and the BB checks to me. I bet out 60 (in case my raiser doesn't bet - I don't want there to be a free card - however, I expect to be raised on this bet.). Sure enough, he minimum raises again and it folds back to me. I raise it up to 380 (pot was 350 before my reraise). He calls. The turn is the deuce of diamonds (putting the flush out), and I bet out 500 (if he had the flush draw, I was paying him off - who raises on the flop with just a flush draw and then calls a pot sized reraise? I didn't believe he had it.) He flat calls. On the river is a jack and he calls my all-in. He had pocket kings and I knock him out and double up.

In hand #25, I'm on the button with KQo. UTG limps and a MP raises to 3xBB (to 90). I call - both blinds fold and the limper calls. The flop is 38J with 2 clubs and I fold to the raiser's bet.

In hand #35, I'm on the cutoff with KQo. UTG limps, I raise to 4xBB (to 200). Only the limper calls. The flop is 23J with 2 clubs. The limper checks and I bet out 200. He calls. The turn is the 7c and he bets out 150. I call. The river is an offsuit ten and I fold to another 150 bet. (Calling station tendencies MUST be removed before Sunday...)

In hand #37, I'm in MP with AKo. UTG+1 limps and I raise to 5xBB (to 250). There's one caller and then a player moves allin (has my outchipped by about 400). It folds back to me. The player after me has 500 chips less than me. I decide that the all-in player most likely has a high pair - so it is probably a coinflip. At this stage, I should avoid them, but doubling up here will give me some amount of strength later, plus this shows that I'm willing to take a slight gamble, which may prevent people from bluffing into me later. I call - and the player between us folds. My opponent flips over pocket jacks and I hit my ace on the turn. I'm up to 4805.

In hand #42, I'm in the SB with A9s (spades). There are two limpers (656 and 3615) and I complete (4555). The BB checks (1007). The flop is 356 with two spades. I bet out 150 into the 200 pot. The short stacked limper moves all in and everyone else folds. Its an additional 456 for me to call and I'm not sure what he's got. I'm getting about 2.5:1 on my call. I make the call - he shows aces - but I hit the flush on the turn.

I don't really play another hand until the break (except for a T2s in the big blind that I got to see a free river with - I lost with a pair of eights, ten kicker...). At the start of hour 2, my stack was at 5000 and we were down to around 800 players.

In hand #61, I had pocket eights in MP and limped in with one other plus both blinds. However the flop came 39K with 2 spades and I folded to a bet.

In hand #67, I'm in the SB with pocket aces. It folds around to the button who makes a steal raise to 3xBB (to 450). I come over him to make it 1200 to go and the BB folds. he thinks about it for a while, laughs in the chat and folds. (He had me outchipped by about 1500 - I wanted that stack!)

In hand #71, I'm in MP with pocket jacks and raise as the first player in to 5xBB (to 750). I get one caller (4310 vs. my 5311). The flop is 23J with 2 spades. I check my set, hoping he'll bet. He doesn't. The turn is a queen and I bet out 450. He comes over the top for his stack and I call. He has AQs (diamonds) and is knocked out. I'm up to 9846.

In hand #78, I'm the button with AQo. There's one limper in MP to me (1365). I raise it to 5xBB but the SB comes over the top for his stack (4k). The limper folds and I think about it. Before, when I called with my AK - I thought I had little chance to be dominated. Here however, I thought there was a reasonable chance I was - so I folded. If his stack was just 3k, I think I'm probably calling here - more likely as his stack gets smaller.

In hand #84, I'm the BB with AKo. There are two limpers to a short stack who raises all-in. The cutoff calls the all-in - as do I. Both limpers fold. The flop is A97 and the cutoff fires 750 into the dry sidepot. I come over him to 2000 - he folds. The turn is an ace and I take the whole pot down with my two pair. The all-in player had AQo.

In hand #86, I'm the button with ATo. There's one limper (6871). I raise (11401) to 4xBB (to 800). Only the limper calls. The flop is A29 and the limper checks. I bet 1000 - he folds.

Around hand #99, antes start in.

In hand #101, I'm UTG with pocket sevens and limp in. UTG+1 limps (3k) and then a MP raises allin to 2710. Everyone folds.

In hand #102, I'm in the BB with T8o and see a free flop with 3 others (including the SB). The flop is JQK - all diamonds. The SB checks, I check and the first limper bets the minimum. He is called by the other limper and the SB folds. I look at the size of the pot and decide I can see a cheap river with my straight draw (I don't believe for a second that either one has a flush). I call. The turn is an offsuit 9 and I check, intending to check raise. However, both players check. The river is a five and I bet out 1000 into the 1625 pot. The one player calls and I take the pot with my straight. He had J9o and had two pair.

In hand #117, I'm UTG+1 and raise with poket nines to 4xBB (to 1600). I get one caller (14k - I have 13k). The flop is 48T. I bet out 1600 and the player calls. The turn is a queen, giving me a gut shot. I'm not drawing to it, unless I get some good odds, so I check. Here, my curious opponent bets out 800. My draw is pretty well hidden, plus, I'm not sure, but my hand may be good now (I doubt it - I suspect he's got a queen or a ten at least). I decide to call. The river hits my gutshot and I check. He bets 1200 and I raise to 4800. He flat calls and I take the 16k pot. It turns out he had pocket queens and hit his set on the turn (milking me...). Rough for him - but its his own fault for flat calling preflop...

In hand #119, I'm in the BB with QJo and the button is the first player in - with a raise to 4xBB (to 1600), he's only got 605 left after the raise - so I flat call and see if I can hit a flop and get some easy money. The flop is king high and I tip him - he calls. He has KJo - and takes the pot despite the fact that I hit my queen on the turn.

In hand #128, I have 19k in chips and am in the BB with J3o. The blinds are at 300/600 with a 50 ante. It folds around to the SB who completes (7712). I check and see a garbage flop. He checks, I bet 1200 - he folds.

In hand #129, I have KJo in the SB. The button (same player as in previous hand) raises as the first player in to 2xBB (to 1200). I call and the BB folds. The flop has an ace and I miss both of my cards. I check, he bets 1200 and I fold.

In hand #140, I have KQo in the cutoff. The player on my right (same player as in previous two hands) minimum raises again as the first player in. I call, so does the SB. The flop is 23T and the same player bets 1200 again. I come over him to 3000 - and both players fold.

In hand #141, I steal the blinds with ATo in MP with a raise to 5xBB.

In hand #144, I steal the blinds with AQo from UTG+1 with a raise to 4xBB (to 3200) - blinds are now at 400/800 with a 50 ante

In hand #146, I'm the BB with pocket jacks and a stack of 23746 before antes and posting. A MP minimum raises (9943 in his stack) and the player on my right reraises all-in to 6k. Given his bluffs from previous hands, I'm not giving him credit for a big pocket pair here - more likely something like AK, AQ or some middle pair - probably 10s or less. I reraise to tip the other player - but he folds. The SB flips his cards and shows AQ and hits a queen on the turn. I'm down to 17k

By now, we've just hit the money with 180 players left. In hand #154, I have pocket queens UTG and raise it to 5xBB. I get one caller who is all in for 445. He shows A3o and I take the pot when he misses his ace.

In hand #155, I have A9o in the BB. The button (12555) raises as the first player in to 3xBB (to 2400) - I'm the only caller. The flop is 244 and he bets 2400 into me when I check. I fold.

In hand #157 (600/1200, 75 ante), I have A6s (clubs) on the button. There are two limpers (7093 and 75552 - chip leader). I limp (15979) as well and the BB (17265) checks. The flop is QQ6 and it is checked to me. I bet out 3600 and the shorter stack of the limpers raises allin. I quickly call and immediately regret it as he shows QTo. I'm down to 7549.

In hand #158, I have A5o on the button. It folds to me, and I raise it to 4xBB. Both blinds fold.

In hand #170, I have AQo in UTG+1. UTG (loose player from previous hands) raises allin to 4774. I reraise allin to 8586 and everyone else folds. He shows pocket sevens. I flop top pair and the nut flush draw - turn two pair and river the flush. I'm up to 12023.

In hand #174, I have AKo on the cutoff. The chip leader (70477) raises to 3xBB (to 6k) as the first player in and I reraise all in to 12435. He calls. He shows AQo. We both hit an ace on the flop, but he turns a queen and I get nothing on the river.

I'm out in 114th.

AA - 1
KK - 0
QQ - 1
JJ - 2
TT - 0

AKs - 0
AKo - 3
AQs - 0
AQo - 3
AJs - 0
AJo - 1
KQs - 0
KQo - 3

99 - 1
88 - 1
77 - 2
66, 33, 22 - 1 each

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Most frequent hands this tournament:

ATo - 6
64o - 5
J6o - 4
J7o - 4

Fun reading again! I may have to start playing these. Although it would not be good for my relaxed state of mind, to say the least.

What kind of $$ do you get for taking #114 out of 1,958 in a $3 buy-in tourney anyway?

disappointingly - $5.87 ($2.87 net profit)

flksdajfl;k

What happens on Sunday?

Nice report.

Mad - In my other tournament report, I earned a satellite seat into Pokerstars' Sunday $350,000 guaranteed tournament.

/d

Very nice.

Good luck in it. I've played the 215 about a half-dozen times but never cracked top 500. Hopefully you'll have better luck.

Well, this is going to be my first attempt at it. For NL HE, the most expensive I've tried was a $5+.50 - so this is a big difference. On the other hand, I have played a few of the Limit Omaha Hi/Lo tournaments with $50+5 buyins - and those were a lot of fun... though the player pool's a lot smaller there (topped out at 100 or so most nights).

Thanks for the support - and feel free to come by and say hi if you are on pokerstars.

/d