Later on in the evening, I played the 24k and 25k, and the 50/50. I cashed in the first two, and got bounce early in the last. Again I had real healthy stacks in the 24k and 25k, but I just can't seem to get past lady luck late in the tournament. I'm going to reread Harrington's chapter on the endgame, to see if there is something I can improve on. Having said that, I don't know what I could do differently, as I am getting my chips in good, just not holding.
An exclamation to this was accentuated last night in the MATH. I thought I played a pretty good tournament, and by the time we got to the last two tables, I was 2nd in chips to LJ, who also didn't have a good finish.
Then this hand happened:
AK vs AJ
And a couple of hands later:
A8 vs A6
Given the hands I had shown down, and my table image, on that last hand, I was surprised he had called my 3 bet preflop with such a weak hand. Anyway, on the flop, I hit the ace and lead, and he moves in. I hit the timebank thinking he was either on a flush draw, or a middle pair. I certainly didn't put him on an ace (due to his flat call of my 3 bet), and was pretty surprise to see his hand once I called. He reasoned the call by typing something in the chat about it being 3 handed or something like that, and I remember just being dumb founded. I was fairly disgusted going from top to bottom so quick, but such is how the MO is currently running. Gotta change that soon I hope. At least congrats to TJ, as he put my chips to good use.
2BA
4 comments:
I'm at work and don't have access to the pokerhand.org links, but at some point tonight I'll take a look at the hands, try and remember my thinking throughout each, and then re-comment.
I don't do enough re-evaluating hands after the fact, so it will be nice to check out the hand histories and see what unfolds.
It was good gamin' with you last night. It was just my night I suppose as I could have easily missed that J and been out, but I took that momentum into the final table accordingly.
Though we've played some tournaments together, I don't recall that much about your game. Nothing struck me as fonkey, nor tight box. I just figure you as a good poker playing blogger, which is what I think of many other players in these blonkaments.
I played 45 hands at your table when the AK vs AJ hand came up. I recall you playing pretty solid, but not many details (as I mentioned in my post today, I tend to have a decent amount of stuff going on the background). I did remember, however, that I didn't recall seeing you you show down many hands.
In looking back on the HH, after 44 hands at your table, you had shown down 1 hand. Hand 45, AK vs AJ was only the 2nd hand I had seen of yours up to that point.
That hand pretty much played itself. We are playing an aggressive 6'max format with 10 minute blinds. We are down to 3 players and I'm way the low stack at the table with right at a 10m. You make a standard 3X raise on the button and I push with a big hand in the BB with AJ and only 3 players. It was an easy play increasing my stack back 25% if you fold and 100% if you call and I win. If I lose, all good.
While that hand is a kick in the teeth, suck out on the river, I think you would agree with my play and would make the same move being in my position. If not, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.
That's not the hand at issue though. 5 hands later, we have now played 50 hands and you've shown 2 down. We are still in the aggressive format and we only have 3 players at the table. I feel like I might have you a tad upset from the suckout and then this hand comes up. This time I'm on the button and make a pretty simple raise on the button to almost 3 times the big blind (875 with BB at 300). You put in a raise of only 775 more putting the pot at 3050 and only 775 more to call. You didn't 3 bet at that point as you noted in your post. I raised, you raised and I called. I feel like you have a medium pair or maybe even a little better like TT or JJ. I didn't really put you on an A there, but I don't really recall why. We're 3 handed and I have an A. I just felt like you could be making that move without an Ace.
Your flop bet felt like you were obviously trying to take the pot right there. If you have a big hand I figure you are going to half pot bet or maybe even check. A strong bet is good there to, in order to throw me off, but I just didn't feel it and I'm a big believer in going with what I feel. It rocks sometimes and sucks sometimes, but I sleep at night.
I also felt like you bet still gave you an easy out if you were raised. Even though it was pretty much a pot bet, it still was just the right amount to give you a chance to get away from the pot if need be. You still have 9k if you fold there.
I really felt I was good there, but if you flip over a monster or a better Ace, well then good game me, good night. However, I felt good about my raise, except for I made it much quicker than I probably should have. I had thought it through quickly in my head, but I still didn't think long enough before stuffing my chips in my middle. Still, I did it with confidence.
When you took forever, I felt good, but I started to worry that maybe you had AT or AJ and would finally make a tough, but good call.
You flipped over A6 and made a tough, but incorrect call, given the hands. Not something you could know though, so like I said, tough decision to make. I'm not sure what I do in your position there, but I'm glad I was the last to put pressure on the pot, making the tough decision yours.
I don't think it is fair to question either of our plays in that hand given the circumstances. We were very shorthanded to the hand range has to open up. You've played well up to that point, but only showdown 2 hands. You didn't 3 bet, but put in a 2nd raise that was very small considering. You gave me odds to make an easy call pre-flop and then hit my hand on the flop.
It was an interesting hand and I'm glad I took some time to evaluate as I rarely do that. Sorry I turned your comments into a friggin' book, but I hope you take it as just another poker blogger offering up a point of view.
As always, good gamin' with you...I'm not going back to review this comment for errors or screw-ups, so I hope it reads okay.
Trip, I respect your comments on that A6/A8 hand. BTW, a 3 bet is a reraise. The BB already has the 'bet' in the hand, the first raise is the second bet, and the reraise is the 3rd bet. I think most player's, even 3 handed under these conditions would not CALL a 3 bet. Either shove or fold. In fact, even heads up, it's a -EV play to call a 3 bet. IMHO FWIW.
2BA
Gotcha on the 3 bet. I just wasn't factoring in the BB as that is forced action. I think of 2 and 3 betting and capping in limit poker so I just wasn't transitioning it well in NLH text.
I think we are just 2 very different players evaluating a particular hand. You mention under those conditions most push or fold, but I totally disagree. A8 doesn't warrant a push in that spot, but I can easily call your TINY raise and see what happens. If you pop it to 3000 or 4000 I fold, but you gave me an easy decision. You could have been slowplaying a monster, but like I said, I didn't feel it.
I think the obvious issue at hand is that - given the right scenario - I open up my game and try and take advantage of shorthanded play. I'm just not going to let every 3 bet from a good player mean he's packing heat. It is not often you get down to 3 handed in a tournament when there are still numerous tables still in play. The key for me was having an already aggressive format become even more aggressive. I feel I can exploit that situation and I'm just not going to let anyone control the atmosphere as if there were 7 players sitting at the table.
Again, I think it is just a difference in thought process and style of play, which is great 'cause poker would suck if we all played the same.
This might make for a good post to see what others think about the hand...
Thanks for being up for a good HH evaluation. Good stuff...
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