15K GUARANTEED WIN, ANALYSIS PART1

Buy-in was $30+3, 666 entrants; the whole thing took 7.5 hours and 1st place was $3,746.
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Standard tournament on PokerStars, in the sense that we started with 3000 chips and blinds kicked off at 10/20. As always, I was playing a myriad of different tourneys – approximately 4 at a time – and had already busted out of a few when this one started. Off we go.


Hand #1 – Stack 3000, blinds 10/20
First hand of the tournament and I’m in the BB with Qh7h. Folds around to the SB who completes and I check.

(Pot 40) Flop: 6h Jh Kc
SB checks and because it’s the very first hand I decide to check my flush-draw as well.

(Pot 40) Turn: Td
SB now leads for 40, I make it 140 and he folds. Nothing too special here. Open-end straight and flush draw, possible hitting a queen might be good, plus he could be betting air.


Hand #2 – Stack 3060, blinds 10/20
Very next hand and I pick up 8c8s in the SB. It folds to the HJ who 10x raises (!) to 200. I consider briefly, but see no reason to get involved with a medium pair against an unknown opponent who probably has a big hand. So I fold and feel good about it.


Hand #4 – Stack 3050, blinds 10/20
Stacks are still roughly 3K and I hold Qs9s in the CO. UTG limps, it folds to me and I decide to limp as well. This is a horrible play and my state-of-mind might have had an effect on me here. Button folds, SB completes and BB checks. 4 to the flop:

(Pot 80) FLOP: 6d Ac Jh
Three checks and I decide I might as well try to take it down. I bet 50 and they all fold.


Hand #10 – Stack 3110, blinds 10/20
I hold Tc8h in the BB. UTG limps, MP1 limps, HJ limps and SB completes. 5 players:

(Pot 100) FLOP: 3c 8c 2c
SB checks and I lead 60 at the pot, expecting at least one player to peel with a big club. All fold. Nice.


Hand #11 – Stack 3190, blinds 10/20
I pick up 6h9h in the SB. Preflop like this: UTG folds, UTG+1 limps, MP1 raises to 70, MP2 folds, HJ calls, CO calls, button calls, I call (?), BB calls and UTG+1 calls. 7 players proceed to see a flop that I completely whiff. MP1 leads 2/3 of the pot, but gives it up when the button raises him. I’m not crazy about my call even though pot odds dictate it, especially because the BB or UTG+1 can now squeeze and I’ll have just given away chips unnecessarily. Anyway… *shrug*.

Hand #13 – Stack 3100, blinds 10/20
I have JcTd on the CO and I’m probably a little steamed from some of my other tables at this point. There, that’s my excuse. Now, observe the horror. Folds to MP1 who limps, MP2 raises to 100, HJ folds, I call (??) and everyone else folds.

(Pot 250) FLOP: 5c 4d Qc
MP2 checks and I fire 160 without even thinking. He considers briefly and raises to 460. I fold and feel like an idiot.


Hand #15 – Stack 2840, blinds 15/30
In MP2 I pick up 9c9d. It folds to MP1 who limps, I raise and make it 120, folds back to MP1 who calls.

(Pot 285) FLOP: 3s Ah Ts
MP1 checks and I bet 170, representing the ace. He calls.

(Pot 625) TURN: 7c
MP1 checks and I decide to check as well, to re-evaluate on the river.

(Pot 625) RIVER: 5h
MP1 leads for 330. I guess the draws missed and I could consider a crying call with my nines, but in the long run, I don’t think there’s much value in it. I fold.


Hand #20 – Stack 2520, blinds 15/30
In the SB I hold AdJh and choose the…uhmm – passive route. Folds to the HJ who limps, folds to me – I limp (?) and the BB checks. I guess I just wasn’t feeling it at this point. Sometimes you talk yourself into reasons why ‘not getting involved’ is the best thing to do.

(Pot 90) FLOP: 6s 5d Qc
I check, so does the BB and the HJ bets the pot. I happily fold, but the BB calls. They then proceed to both check the turn (Ts) and when the 9h hits on the river, the BB bluffs at the pot with his 73 – only to be looked up by the HJ with 89. LOL. Guess I should’ve raised the flop for value.


Hand #25 – Stack 2490, blinds 15/30
In MP1 I pick up 9hTh and make it 90. MP2 calls quickly and it folds to the blinds, who both call.

(Pot 360) FLOP: 8s 5d 4d
Two checks and it’s on me. This is really a horrible board (IMO) to c-bet on, especially when both blinds are in the pot and generally it’s ill-advised to bluff into 3 opponents. I do exactly that though and bet 210. MP2 folds, SB calls and BB folds.

(Pot 780) TURN: 8h
SB checks and I give up and check back.

(Pot 780) RIVER: 4c
SB bets 210 and even though I don’t remember, I’m sure my state-of-mind at the time had me at least CONSIDERING a bluff-raise. It would have made no sense and thankfully I just folded.

Hand #28 – Stack 2190, blinds 25/50
In the BB I’ve got two black aces. 2 folds and MP1 (stack 2378) raises to 150. MP2 calls and it folds to me. I think I may not have noticed the caller, cause I only make it 500 to go. Could however also be that I was still a little ‘unstable’ and wanted to give them both a good price. The initial raiser folds, but MP2 calls (very unusual in my experience).

(Pot 1175) FLOP: 5c 8h Jc
I bet 550 (can’t tell you why – maybe trying to look weak? Who knows. Most of these plays are ‘new’ to me, in the sense that they’re not part of how I play normally) and he folds. Guess I just turned my hand face-up.


Hand #30 – Stack 2840, blinds 25/50
Kh6h. BIG hand – or at least I must have thought so. UTG folds, UTG+1 limps, MP1 folds, MP2 limps, CO and HJ both fold and on the button I decide to raise. I make it 250. Everyone folds except MP2 (stack 3700).

(Pot 625) FLOP: 3s 8d 6s
MP2 checks and I bet 400. He folds. Fairly standard I guess, except for my actual holding. Then again, I might also make this move when I’m perfectly calm and collected, if I noticed certain people limping ‘too’ much. Not too unhappy with this play.


Hand #32 – Stack 3215, blinds 25/50
On the HJ, I’ve got 4s4c. UTG min-raises, it folds to me – I call and it folds to the BB who also calls.

(Pot 325) FLOP: Jh 2d Jd
I’ve basically called for set-value, as obviously a small pair doesn’t play well on most flops. When I see this however, I contemplate peeling one as I have position and I might be best here. UTG surprises me however, by checking after the BB checked. I’ve gotta bet it then. I make it 200 and both fold. Easy-peazy.


Hand #34 – Stack 3440, blinds 25/50
MP1 and I’ve got KhQh. Some might disagree, but I think it’s good enough to open that hand at a 9-handed table and I do by 3x raising. Once again, the guy to my immediate left (MP2, stack 1735) calls. He seems a bit spewy (NO comments about me being the spewtard, tyvm!). Everyone else folds.

(Pot 375) FLOP: Kd 8s 6c
I standard c-bet 225 and he folds. This game is so easy.


Hand #36 – Stack 3665, blinds 25/50
I’m UTG and pick up AcKd. I make it my standard 3x. It folds to the button (3000) who calls, as does the SB (2465). The BB folds.

(Pot 500) FLOP: Ts 7c Qh
The BB checks and so do I. Button bets 200 and we both give it up. I feel this has to be the correct play. I don’t see a c-bet taking this pot down, when I’m up against two opponents and the board looks like that. It’s very likely to have hit someone and I’m effectively only happy if I see a jack. Plus, I’ll be out of position. Easy decision, but one I’m making more lightly these days than I did only a few months ago.


Hand #40
No need to mention stack sizes. I limp 87off from the CO and whiff the flop. Fold. Absolutely a ghastly play – should’ve been an easy fold.


Hand #46 – Stack 3390, blinds 50/100
I’m in the BB with QsJs. It folds to MP2 who raises to 300. HJ, SB and I all call. 4 players:

(Pot 1200) FLOP: Qc Kc 5c
We check to the original raiser and he overbets by making it 1400. That could mean anything from naked ace of clubs to a set of kings. No way of knowing. All fold.


Hand #49 – Stack 3040, blinds 50/100
On the CO, I pick up KhJc and when it folds to me I make it my standard raise of 250. The button folds and the SB (stack 4805) now re-raises to 600 total. BB folds back to me. Something didn’t smell right here. I considered first that I had just lowered my raise-size from 3x to 2.5x which he might perceive as weak. Second his re-raise size was noteworthy – I thought it was a little odd. Finally, the pic he had as his PokerStars avatar, which was of a young kid with a backwards baseball cap (hey, sometimes it’s the tiny things that sway your decision). Anyway, when adding all that up I decided he was re-stealing and couldn’t call a shove, so I shipped it in. He insta-folded. Well played me.


Will try to do approximately 50 hands at a time in this series. Next 50 or so coming up in 24 hours.


Last note: I’ve never said so, but if you’ve got comments to any of the hands I bring up, please feel more than free to post them here. I think most would do that without the added encouragement, but anyway – there it is. Later.