Allen Cunningham's FT Performance - Page 5

wickedman · #41 08-13-2006, 05:16 PM

I think most people with an understanding of hand ranges and pot odds would have called with the QJ. Allen got pretty unlucky throughout the evening, and a bigger problem was his stack size. It prevented him from isolating Jamie preflop.

CardSharpCook · #42 08-13-2006, 06:13 PM

wow. I thought AC played an absolutely fabulous FT. I was truly impressed. Was sorry that skill could not win out over luck (and solid agro play from Gold). Of course, poker noobs will see that he called an AI when dominated and busted out 4th (5th?) and think that he's not as good as the minimal hype.

sweetjazz · #43 08-13-2006, 09:10 PM

Watching the entire final table, it seemed clear to me that Allen really had a nice approach at the table. He put a lot of pressure on other players without risking his stack. He was consistently chipping up in small pots, and was pretty unlucky to keep losing the coin flips.

As far as the QJs hand, it was definitely a thin call. I was a bit surprised that he made the call because given how thin it was, he might have been happy to avoid the variance. My thought at the time as to why he made the call was for image purposes. He conveyed the idea that he was going to make close calls if a short stack went all-in. Because Binger's stack was so small, AC could make this play and still have enough chips to play with. In fact, IIRC, he chipped back up a million or two in chips pretty quickly after that hand. Since the short stacks were clearly trying to avoid busting, it was intended to discourage them from continually going all-in when he raised the pot. I suspect he would NOT have made the same call in the same situation a second time, because he would have figured there is some chance that the all-in's range has now tightened and he has already sent his message.

He was picking up several hundred K in blinds and antes with each steal, so if he picks those up just once with a hand like 97s because Michael Binger is afraid to go all-in with A9o (not wanting to be in a 50/50 spot against a hand like QJs or worse be heavily dominated), then that is a nice score for Allen. Anyway, that is just my speculation; I could be way off on this.

La Brujita · #44 08-13-2006, 09:13 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I think most people with an understanding of hand ranges and pot odds would have called with the QJ.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Or at a minimum it was really close-don't have the exact numbers in front of me].

I was very impressed with his play and he really deserves some serious credit for being such a sick tourney player.

CardSharpCook · #45 08-13-2006, 11:33 PM

In that QJs hand, I detected unease from Binger. Personally, I thought he was pushing a little thin there (before he turned over his cards). Maybe AC saw that too. Maybe Binger DID feel uneasy about such a "weak" hand like AQo. I loved AC's call there.

Dids · #46 08-14-2006, 02:47 AM

It's very hard for Cunningham to do much when he gets screwed by a donkey play on a hand where he wasn't even involved (Lee handing chips to Gold).

I thought he played well, the QJ call was close, but imo correct. Beyond that he was just screwed given that Gold was playing well, with a big stack, and was getting given chips by everybody else.

Keyser. · #47 08-14-2006, 03:34 AM

I was railbirding on Full Tilt last night and Allen said he made two mistakes at the FT. Someone asked if the QJ call was one, and he said it wasn't. Not value-betting his low straight was one (he wasn't going for a c/r, I don't think, like someone else suggested). He didn't mention the second but I assume it was the TT hand where he got bluffed.

I just thought I'd say this before I go on and on about how [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] this thread makes me and how anyone who says AC is overrated after watching him play less than 200 hands is retarded. A good player's edge will not always be enough to beat a guy with a ton of chips during a small sample size in a NL donkament FT.

bottomset · #48 08-14-2006, 07:20 AM

[ QUOTE ]
It's very hard for Cunningham to do much when he gets screwed by a donkey play on a hand where he wasn't even involved (Lee handing chips to Gold)

[/ QUOTE ]

sad thing is, if Lee had AA, KK like he should have, Gold would have got there anyway [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Sparta45 · #49 08-14-2006, 01:16 PM

If AC is over-rated, I wish I could be over-rated too...

JCCARL · #50 08-14-2006, 02:03 PM

Anyone who makes the final table as a pro must overrated. The pros have to bust early and vent and say it was bad luck. Shame on AC for making the FT. Shame on Phil Helmuth for winning an earlier event, he was much better going around saying he was the best than winning his tenth bracelet.
Regards,
Carl