how to play once you reach the final two tables?

[TexasKowboy]

Between reading Haringtons first book and re-reading my own article I have reach the top 20 in the last 3 MTT's that I have played.

I play most my MTT's at BoDog because of the big overlay if this helps anyone.

Here is what I have been running into.

The first one I pushed at the wrong time KK vs AA. So my bad.

The over two is what I have questions about.

#1 I am in MP dealt AJ suited. blinds 500/1000 I have arouhnd 10,000. EP limps flops to me I make it 3000 wanting to steal the blinds. All fold but the SB who has been playing chip bully who has around 20,000 and is raising and calling with any 2 cards calls. BB fold EP folds.

Flop is 468 two diamonds. Chip bully bets 2000 which has been his standard bet post flop. I push all in wanting to represent a large PP at least larger anything on the board.

He calls with 45 diamonds. The turn is my ace the river is his 3rd 4.

How is this guy in this hand? I was on a pure bluff but damn you would think he had to think I had a hand because I have been playing the rock up untill then.

OK #2

I am on the button with around 15,000 in chips blinds are 750/1500. All fold to me I have 10,10. I push all in SB folds BB calls he has 25,000 in chips he calls with A6s. catches an A and I am gone again.

Someone told him he was ballsy. He types I'm here to win it all besides I thought he had AK. If I had AK I would have had him even more dominated.

Set me straight and give me your advise.

[kennyg]

#1 don't get too creative with AJ. This is not a good tournment hand. I probably would have folded. When an EP guy limps late in a tourney..you need to worry about big hands behind you. AJ is so easily dominated.

After the flop:
When opponent bets this flop..you need to lay it down and hope for a better spot. Let these guys knock each other out. I'm not sure how many people were left...but get aggressive when the there is 12-13 people left and the tables are shorthanded. Not before.


#2 bad beat.

[WildBillHickok]

# 1...he called because he had a flush draw AND a pair...and he may have figured you for 2 high cards trying to steal...and you DID have the 2 hi cards, he was ahead and favored...maybe he knew you only played hi cards? anyway, not a bad play on his part. ( course, an all in here would have gotten rid of him and you'd won the blinds...you had 10BB's left, all in with AJ isn't too bad a play imo...many will disagree i know...but only about 5 hands dominate it...AQ,AK,QQ,KK,AA)

#2 he was a bit ballsy...you and i would have thrown the A6s away...maybe that's how he got to the final 2 tables, taking chances like that and he got pretty lucky to make it this far.

I've been stewing on a piece for 3 weeks now about what it takes to win a multi...most you may already know, but it's true and good stuff...think i'll go write it up...

Main thing, Kowboy, you just got unlucky at the end...your skill got you there, but luck ran out...you'll win one soon.

[TexasKowboy]

Thank Kenny and Wild BIll for you quick responses.

I agree with both of you on the AJ hand. It is weak but it is also strong when you have someone stealing and bullying with any 2 cards. If the caller had 72 he would have bet post flop. He was super agressive and in truth I wanted him in the hand and I wanted him to bet the flop I didn't expect him to call an all in. When I saw 45s I couldn't believe it.

I A6 caller had been with me since the start of the MTT and knew I was only playing big hands.

It just amazes me that hands I wouldn't limp with at this stage are calling raises.
How did they make it this far?

Thanks again looking forward to more responses.

[Horshak]

Hand number one I am either pushing or folding. Making it 3k to go puts 30% of you stack into the pot and a loose big stack will call with a hand like he did since he only has to put 2k in to call a pot of 5.5k which is very tempting. His call was automatic since with pair + flush draw and gutter straight he is ~54% - 46% even if you held AA with the A of hearts. Given that you are in MP with an EP limper I would lean toward folding your AJ offsuit here. If I did play, I would shove preflop as limper plus blinds (assuming all fold) adds 2500 to your stack(25% increase) which is a sizable amount.

Hand number two is just plain bad luck. He made a loose and probably bad call(guessing here since I haven't bothered to run a equity calc vs your range of pushing hands) for a big chunk of his stack and got lucky is all. Odds are if he wasn't soooted he wouldn't of called. I actually want to say I was at your table for this one as I remember chat along those lines. If it was don't worry, he went broke before the final table if I recall correctly.

One last thing regarding your perceived table image, is that I believe 99% of the time in a low buy-in event (and some higher ones) is that unless people have a ton of hands with you and recognize your name, you have no table image. Ever. Players in most low buy ins are to focused on their cards and not the action around them in my opinion, not to mention multitabling either a sng, ring game, other mtt's, or surfing the web/t.v. at the same time so they are not really paying attention enough to see how loose/tight you are. Keep in mind, some mtt specialists are playing on multiple sites in multiple tournies at the same time. Table image, unless attached to a known name, for all intents and purposes doesn't exist. At least in my opinion.

[kennyg]

Horshack has a good point about pushing all in..I don't know why I didn't think of that.

Something I also do...is raise half of my stack or more..just so I can come out bettingall-in on the flop (no matter what the flop is.). I will see all 5 cards..but I give myself the chance to win on the flop by betting the rest of my stack. Cloutier talks about it in his book.