January 28, 2008
So I played a tournament tonight at the place that got me started. Was card dead for most of the night and got wittled away by blinds after sitting tight and picking up a few small to mid-sized pots… So blinds are at 50/100 and I’m sitting on 10-15bb and need to make a move pretty soon. I pick up Q-8s on the big blind, garbage but I checked my option and flopped top pair, flop was J-8-4. I move all-in which was close to 2x the pot and get called by under the gun who was holding 5-4o. Not only did he call under the gun with 5-4o but he calls an all-in with bottom pair. Turn comes another 4 giving him trips and I am eliminated from the tournament… I was like are you serious man, 5-4o under the gun, I could understand if it was suited and you were in the blinds or on the button maybe but under the gun then calling an all-in with bottom pair when also being priced out is terrible….
This is the second worse under the gun idiotic play I’ve got donked out of tournaments from, the worst was I had J10 in BB and UTG called with J-4o and we both flopped top pair and he spiked a 4 on the river and crippled me early…
Note to players that play garbage in early position: Read the starting hand requirements section please.
January 19, 2008
So I’ve been playing around with early tournament strategy as of late since its usually a time to play very tight, I tried altering my starting hands around a little bit to see what gave me higher levels of success. I was playing around with this strategy on Full Tilt and found a pretty high level of success with it.
First off, I played this strategy for the first hour to hour and a half of the tournament, when blinds started at 10-20 and got up to about 200-400 before I switched up. I only played pocket pairs, A-K, A-Q and A-Js during this early stage period. What I did with all pocket pairs besides AA, KK, QQ, JJ was I would limp in and basically “set or die” meaning if I didn’t flop a set I’d most likely check/fold. If I did set I would usually trap the other players in the pot unless the flop was ugly for my set, such as a straight draw, flush draw or a combination of the two. This strategy requires some luck because you’re not always going to flop a set, I believe flopping a set is one every seven to eight times so you’re going to need to catch a few cards for this to work.
If there is a raise and I hold a lower pair like 7s and below I’ll usually call them if they’re 3x the bb or lower because in most cases if you can check the original bettor will continuation bet and you will be able to either call and further your trap or check-raise… In most cases, especially online this could end up in you winning all of your opponents chips. Be smart with this strategy and analyze the flops so you can alter your play… I’ll provide two quick examples of a great flop for your hand and a bad one and how the player in the example played.
Example 1: You hold 5-5 in middle position and the player who is acting right before you raises 2.5x the big blind. You elect to call and everyone folds except the big blind who also calls. The flop comes 5d-As-9c. This is a beautiful flop, no obvious straight draws.. An ace came out which is a likely holding for a raiser meaning that the chances of your bet, check-raise or inducing a bet from that player is very high. So the original bettor makes a continuation bet of half the pot and since the flop was sexy for your hand you just call and the big blind also calls. The turn comes Jc and there are now two straight draw possibilities but they are a long shot. The bettor bets half the pot again and you call, the big blind also calls. The river comes 10s giving K-Q a straight and 7-8 a straight. These hands are possible holdings, K-Q more likely than 7-8 but you believe both players are holding some sort of ace. The original bettor bets the pot, you reraise to 3x the pot and both players call. You show down trip 5s, the original raiser shows A-K and the big blind shows A-5, you collect a massive pot with your set.
Example 2: You hold 10-10 on the button… The player under the gun, who is an aggressive player, raises 3x the big blind and it folds around to you, you call and the small blind calls. The flop comes Qd-Jd-10s. Bad flop for your hand even though you made bottom set and are probably ahead right now. The problem is there are two diamonds out there and an open-ended straight draw is on on the board. 9-8 has a straight, K-9 has a straight and A-K has a straight, A-K the most possible holding here. The original raiser bets 2/3 of the pot and you have to decide if he’s on a draw, has it already or hit a pair. The problem here is that if your opponent has a draw your fast play, reraising will probably get called anyway, especially by this aggressive player. You decide to move all in and get called by Q-Js… The turn and river come As-2d and your set barely holds up dodging a myriad of outs….
You’re not going to win every time with this strategy, but when you do its usually for huge pots, this is long ball poker and it works very well early… Once it gets near the money however switch it up and loosen up your game a little bit.
-The M
January 18, 2008
So the past two tournaments I’ve played in have landed me eliminated when I tried to chase off flush drawers offering them less than 1.5-1 odds to call, obviously players with no concept of pot odds. The first was at an annual tournament where I limped in late position with A-10 and the small blind called with 8-6 of diamonds. The flop comes Ad-Kd-8s… The girl with 8-6 bets minimum and the big blind folds. I figure she’s on a flush draw or has a lower ace so I reraise her minimum bet of 800 to 3000; pricing her out of the pot. She goes over the top all in for my last 2500 I believe and I call being pot committed and she spikes her diamond on the turn… Yes its poker and I induced a beautiful theoretical mistake and got punished for it but thats not the point, its a rant for you to enjoy…
The next one a few days later I have pocket kings and the flop comes 4h-2h-2d I believe the flop was. I had the king of hearts, I raised 3x big blind… I move all-in because I was relatively short-stacked and had two callers of my raise so the pot was big enough for me, I get called by the small blind who called my raise with 8-10 of hearts, figures… one of those players that calls any raise if they have any money invested in the pot… The idiot gets his heart on the turn and I’m gone, kings cracked by 8-10 suited, a hand I wouldn’t be that surprised to see in a limped pot, but in a raised pot at a table that doesn’t include Gus Hansen; I was unpleasantly surprised… I hate people who have no concept of starting hand requirements or cant fold their freaking crappy draws.
That is all, I promise I won’t rant too much… I must provide insight also….
Donkies and people who don’t know what the hell you’re doing, like the two people described above… visit http://www.mega-poker.net/startinghands.php to learn a thing or two…
-The M
January 18, 2008
Alright everyone I’m just getting this started, on this blog I’m going to supplement the content and strategies from Mega-Poker.Net and bring more informal, personal information here. Occasional rants and varies strategies will be elaborated on so I Hope you enjoy them, find them useful and/or find them entertaining.
-The M
