BluffPokerTour MTT -Why raise if you know you're gonna push?

[MTPaid]

As mentioned in another part of the forum, I signed up for the BluffPokerTour sponsored by Bluff magazine. They run a bunch of $10+1 MTT's on different sites and give away WSOP seats. Competition is exceptional for the low buy-in. Played my 1st one on Absolute last night. Maybe the toughest competition I've ever faced in an online tourny since I've never paid more than $50 for a buy-in. Following are the key hands from the tourny.

1st (or actually last) hand.
STAGE #385173760 TOURNEY ID 1108934 HOLDEM MULTI NORMAL TOURNAMENT NO LIMIT $250 - 2006-04-23 19:15:18 (ET)
Table: 21 (Real Money) Seat #4 is the dealer
Seat 1 - YEAH_CMON ($2625 in chips)
Seat 2 - LYTTLEMONEY ($12270 in chips)
Seat 3 - JOHNNYFISH ($6630 in chips)
Seat 4 - TILTER ($5820 in chips)
Seat 5 - ZOO_MEDIC ($6785 in chips)
Seat 6 - GETN_OUTA_MI ($5214 in chips)
Seat 7 - KOKORYAN ($10666.68 in chips)
Seat 8 - PAYMEDAMONEY ($5920 in chips)
Seat 9 - PAREOT ($12497 in chips)
YEAH_CMON - Ante $50
LYTTLEMONEY - Ante $50
JOHNNYFISH - Ante $50
TILTER - Ante $50
ZOO_MEDIC - Ante $50
GETN_OUTA_MI - Ante $50
KOKORYAN - Ante $50
PAYMEDAMONEY - Ante $50
PAREOT - Ante $50
ZOO_MEDIC - Posts small blind $250
GETN_OUTA_MI - Posts big blind $500

*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to PAYMEDAMONEY [9c 9h]
KOKORYAN - Folds
PAYMEDAMONEY - Raises $2000 to $2000

Everyone at this table seems solid, I was moved to this table not too long ago, but have already played 2 AI hands. I've shown A6 (short stacked) and AK.

YEAH_CMON - Folds
LYTTLEMONEY - All-In(Raise) $12220 to $12220
JOHNNYFISH - Folds
TILTER - Folds
ZOO_MEDIC - Folds
GETN_OUTA_MI - Folds

I've played 1 hand vs. raiser. A6 hand that was mentioned, where I was shortstacked in Cutoff and he was SB. I pushed, he repushed w/ AQs. I sucked out.

Question here....I know if I fold, the blinds are coming up and I will be crippled in a few hands so I almost feel like I have to call. If I knew I would have to call an AI when I raised, especially from the Button or the Blinds, then should I have pushed right away even though I had more than 10xBB to start with? Or would you actually fold to the push?

Since I already told you I pushed, here is how it worked out, which is really irrelevant because after all it's the decision and not the results that matter, right?

PAYMEDAMONEY - All-In $3870
LYTTLEMONEY - returned ($6350) : not called
*** FLOP *** [Qs][4h]
*** TURN ***
*** RIVER ***[3h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
LYTTLEMONEY - Shows [Ac] (One pair, queens)
PAYMEDAMONEY - Shows [9h] (One pair, nines)
LYTTLEMONEY Collects $12940 from main pot
---------------------------------

Other key hands.

Opponent in these 1st 2 hands is the 1 obviously bad player at the table. He has called decent sized raises and turned over cards like QTo and KJo. He eventually went on to call 2 more all-ins and win with KJo again and Q5o believe it or not.

STAGE #385089623 TOURNEY ID 1108934 HOLDEM MULTI NORMAL TOURNAMENT NO LIMIT $20 - 2006-04-23 17:27:59 (ET)
Table: 15 (Real Money) Seat #3 is the dealer
Seat 1 - UM9XNC ($1500 in chips)
Seat 2 - ROCKY JR ($835 in chips)
Seat 3 - SPANKORAMA ($1600 in chips)
Seat 4 - TULSAWOLF2 ($1720 in chips)
Seat 5 - DODGRBLU21 ($1340 in chips)
Seat 6 - ALLINALLDA ($1715 in chips)
Seat 7 - PAYMEDAMONEY ($1490 in chips)
Seat 8 - JUDGESMAILS ($1500 in chips)
Seat 9 - SPURIOUS ($1800 in chips)
TULSAWOLF2 - Posts small blind $20
DODGRBLU21 - Posts big blind $40

*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to PAYMEDAMONEY [Ad]
ALLINALLDA - Raises $120 to $120
PAYMEDAMONEY - Calls $120
JUDGESMAILS - Folds
SPURIOUS - Folds
UM9XNC - Folds
ROCKY JR - Folds
SPANKORAMA - Folds
TULSAWOLF2 - Folds
DODGRBLU21 - Folds

*** FLOP *** [3c][Th]
ALLINALLDA - Checks
PAYMEDAMONEY - Bets $280
ALLINALLDA - Calls $280
*** TURN ***
ALLINALLDA - Checks
PAYMEDAMONEY - Bets $400
ALLINALLDA - Calls $400
*** RIVER ***
ALLINALLDA - All-In $915
PAYMEDAMONEY - Folds
ALLINALLDA - returned ($915) : not called
*** SHOW DOWN ***
ALLINALLDA - Does not show
ALLINALLDA Collects $1660 from main pot

He's got me beat with KT here or any heart. He may have had the A hearts, chasing was not beyond him. I can't call this, but now that I know some more about him.........

STAGE #385112992 TOURNEY ID 1108934 HOLDEM MULTI NORMAL TOURNAMENT NO LIMIT $50 - 2006-04-23 17:57:45 (ET)
Table: 15 (Real Money) Seat #5 is the dealer
Seat 1 - UM9XNC ($3110 in chips)
Seat 2 - ROCKY JR ($300 in chips)
Seat 3 - SPANKORAMA ($1260 in chips)
Seat 4 - TULSAWOLF2 ($2100 in chips)
Seat 5 - NAVAJO51 ($995 in chips)
Seat 6 - ALLINALLDA ($3365 in chips)
Seat 7 - PAYMEDAMONEY ($1060 in chips)
Seat 8 - JUDGESMAILS ($1470 in chips)
Seat 9 - SPURIOUS ($1425 in chips)
ALLINALLDA - Posts small blind $50
PAYMEDAMONEY - Posts big blind $100

*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to PAYMEDAMONEY [8s]
JUDGESMAILS - Folds
SPURIOUS - Folds
UM9XNC - Calls $100
ROCKY JR - Folds
SPANKORAMA - Folds
TULSAWOLF2 - Folds
NAVAJO51 - Folds
ALLINALLDA - Calls $50
PAYMEDAMONEY - Checks

*** FLOP *** [Kh][4d]
ALLINALLDA - Checks
PAYMEDAMONEY - Checks
UM9XNC - Checks
*** TURN ***
ALLINALLDA - Checks
PAYMEDAMONEY - Bets $200
UM9XNC - Folds
ALLINALLDA - Calls $200
*** RIVER ***
ALLINALLDA - Bets $400

Tough decision and I took most of the alotted time. I think against anyone else at the table I probably fold.

PAYMEDAMONEY - Calls $400
*** SHOW DOWN ***
ALLINALLDA - Shows [7h] (ace high)
PAYMEDAMONEY - Shows [8s] (One pair, kings)
PAYMEDAMONEY Collects $1500 from main pot

-----------------------------------------------
Here are my 2 suckouts. I took a good natured razzing for the A6 hand, but do I really have any other choice in that situation? AK hand is similar to the 99 hand before. Can I really fold here and if I knew I had to call a push, why not push myself in the 1st place?

STAGE #385154249 TOURNEY ID 1108934 HOLDEM MULTI NORMAL TOURNAMENT NO LIMIT $150 - 2006-04-23 18:49:57 (ET)
Table: 21 (Real Money) Seat #1 is the dealer
Seat 1 - YEAH_CMON ($3315 in chips)
Seat 2 - LYTTLEMONEY ($10170 in chips)
Seat 3 - MUNKEYBUTT ($1220 in chips)
Seat 4 - TILTER ($7720 in chips)
Seat 5 - BARTEIK ($1835 in chips)
Seat 6 - GETN_OUTA_MI ($2965 in chips)
Seat 7 - DAVSIMON ($8355 in chips)
Seat 8 - PAYMEDAMONEY ($1380 in chips)
YEAH_CMON - Ante $25
LYTTLEMONEY - Ante $25
MUNKEYBUTT - Ante $25
TILTER - Ante $25
BARTEIK - Ante $25
GETN_OUTA_MI - Ante $25
DAVSIMON - Ante $25
PAYMEDAMONEY - Ante $25
LYTTLEMONEY - Posts small blind $150
MUNKEYBUTT - Posts big blind $300

*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to PAYMEDAMONEY [Ah]
TILTER - Folds
BARTEIK - Folds
GETN_OUTA_MI - Folds
DAVSIMON - Folds
PAYMEDAMONEY - All-In(Raise) $1355 to $1355
YEAH_CMON - Folds
LYTTLEMONEY - All-In(Raise) $9995 to $10145
MUNKEYBUTT - Folds
LYTTLEMONEY - returned ($8790) : not called
*** FLOP *** [8h][Kh]
*** TURN ***
*** RIVER ***[5h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
LYTTLEMONEY - Shows [Ac] (One pair, eights)
PAYMEDAMONEY - Shows [Ah] (Flush, ace high)
PAYMEDAMONEY Collects $3210 from main pot

I was actually trying to figure if there were any possible outs to a split pot when the board paired and didn't even realize I had backdoored the flush.

On this next hand, once I raise I am left with 6xBB and I am the BB next hand so I am almost forced to call any push with this hand? Should I have pushed immediately instead of raising? Another major suckout.

STAGE #385161296 TOURNEY ID 1108934 HOLDEM MULTI NORMAL TOURNAMENT NO LIMIT $200 - 2006-04-23 18:59:01 (ET)
Table: 21 (Real Money) Seat #4 is the dealer
Seat 1 - YEAH_CMON ($5525 in chips)
Seat 2 - LYTTLEMONEY ($7865 in chips)
Seat 4 - TILTER ($4885 in chips)
Seat 5 - BARTEIK ($1285 in chips)
Seat 6 - GETN_OUTA_MI ($7524 in chips)
Seat 8 - PAYMEDAMONEY ($3710 in chips)
Seat 9 - PAREOT ($13832 in chips)
YEAH_CMON - Ante $50
LYTTLEMONEY - Ante $50
TILTER - Ante $50
BARTEIK - Ante $50
GETN_OUTA_MI - Ante $50
PAYMEDAMONEY - Ante $50
PAREOT - Ante $50
BARTEIK - Posts small blind $200
GETN_OUTA_MI - Posts big blind $400

*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to PAYMEDAMONEY [Kd]
PAYMEDAMONEY - Raises $1200 to $1200
PAREOT - Folds
YEAH_CMON - Folds
LYTTLEMONEY - Folds
TILTER - Folds
BARTEIK - Folds
GETN_OUTA_MI - Raises $5200 to $5600
PAYMEDAMONEY - All-In $2460
GETN_OUTA_MI - returned ($1940) : not called

*** FLOP *** [Q][Ks][7c]
*** TURN ***
*** RIVER ***
*** SHOW DOWN ***
GETN_OUTA_MI - Shows [Qd] (Three of a kind, queens)
PAYMEDAMONEY - Shows [Kd] (Straight, ten to ace)
PAYMEDAMONEY Collects $7870 from main pot


Finished 34th out of 192 - 18 got paid. I was pretty happy with my overall play though.

[Xaston]

[MTPaid]

Hand 3 (K8) was a tough one. I really was leaning toward betting the flop, but decided not to.

1 - If I bet and he calls, I think I'm behind, but not sure. If he raises, I have to fold.
2 - If I check and he bets, I'm still not sure. This is a gamble and the biggest problem I run into by not betting.
3 - If I check and he checks I'm almost positive I have the best hand AND it saves me chips.

On the river I would have folded to anybody else, but as mentioned, I had no respect for SB in that hand. I'd seen him push without having to show on scary boards twice, including my AQ hand. True, though, he could have had a 10 and I would have looked like an idiot.