Tourney Report: My first 4-digit cash (Long)

Nez477 · #1 02-21-2006, 02:13 AM

This was a good weekend of poker, probably the best in my short playing time of 2 yesrs, and I thought I'd document it for both my own sake and also for others to give insight on my play. In addition to winning 3 seats to the Stars Sunday tourney, (which I played poorly in), I did win a 180-man $20 SNG for my first 4-digit score. It also was the biggest tourney I'd won, as my only other win was a 117 player $5 tourney on Absolute.

So, to the tournament. I often times feel as if I play better with a bigger stack early, and I happened to gain the chip lead after two hands. I took 200 in chips with trip Kings on the first hand of the tourney, and then this hand came up...

Hand 1: I've got 15 outs and fold equity... oh wait, I have much more than that. The villian in the hand minraised PF so I assumed he probably had an ace, but you really have no clue in level one of these things... I should be happy to get my money in on this flop right (villian's holding notwithstanding...)

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

CO (t1480)
Button (t1480)
SB (t1500)
BB (t1500)
UTG (t1480)
UTG+1 (t1500)
MP1 (t1480)
Hero (t1590)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
1 fold, UTG+1 raises to t40, 1 fold, Hero calls t40, CO calls t40, 3 folds.

Flop: (t150) 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players)
UTG+1 bets t60, Hero raises to t250, CO folds, UTG+1 raises to t440, Hero raises to t1550, UTG+1 calls t1020 (All-In).

Turn: (t3160) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t3160) 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t3160
Main Pot: t3070 (t3070), between UTG+1 and Hero. > Pot won by Hero (t3070).
Pot 2: t90 (t90), returned to Hero.

Results in white below: 
UTG+1 has 6c 6d (one pair, sixes).
Hero has 9s Ts (one pair, nines).
Outcome: Hero wins t3160. 

So that bumps me up early. In the past, I've had a real big problem of playing LOTS of hands once I generate an above average stack, so I told myself to be sure to slow down and play good hands and give me a better chance to accumulate.

The rest of level I goes by without additional action due to this.

Level II

Hand 2: I unecessarily try and get cute in the SB. Was kind of embarrased to see this hand in my HH, but to show some donk-like qualities...

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

BB (t1395)
UTG (t2585)
UTG+1 (t2710)
MP1 (t1465)
MP2 (t1140)
CO (t1435)
Button (t1330)
Hero (t2930)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
3 folds, MP2 calls t30, 2 folds, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t90) A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, MP2 checks.

Turn: (t90) 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, MP2 bets t150, Hero calls t150, BB folds.

River: (t390) 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets t300, MP2 calls t300.

Final Pot: t990
Main Pot: t990 (t990), between MP2 and Hero. > Pot won by MP2 (t990).

Results in white below: 
MP2 has 8s 7d (two pair, eights and sevens).
Hero has 3c 5s (one pair, fives).
Outcome: MP2 wins t990. 

I take a shorty out with A-10 to get back to around 3500, and then I go up against someone who was consistently making small bets into flops and folding to aggression, so I took my first shot at being aggressive with him...

Hand 3:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

UTG+1 (t2670)
MP1 (t1495)
MP2 (t2255)
MP3 (t1895)
Hero (t3465)
Button (t1915)
SB (t1410)
BB (t2690)
UTG (t3655)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
5 folds, Hero raises to t95, Button calls t95, 2 folds.

Flop: (t235) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets t115, Hero raises to t400, Button calls t285.

Turn: (t1035) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets t800, Button folds.

Final Pot: t1835
Main Pot: t1035 (t1035), won by Hero.
Pot 2: t800 (t800), returned to Hero.

Results in white below: 
No showdown. Hero wins t1835. 

So level 2 ends with me around 4000.

Level III

First hand of level three I get my first real interesting hand. No real reads on villian here, is folding PF a decent option? He pretty much minraised me, and I don't see myself folding preflop, and the flop didn't help issues.. a better line out there?

Hand 4:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

BB (t2670)
UTG (t1600)
UTG+1 (t2225)
MP1 (t1865)
Hero (t4005)
MP3 (t1420)
CO (t1395)
Button (t2645)
SB (t3625)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
3 folds, Hero raises to t175, MP3 raises to t375, 4 folds, Hero calls t200.

Flop: (t825) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets t1045, MP3 calls t1045 (All-In).

Turn: (t2915) T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t2915) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t2915
Main Pot: t2915 (t2915), between Hero and MP3. > Pot won by MP3 (t2915).

Results in white below: 
Hero has 8h 8s (two pair, tens and eights).
MP3 has Ah As (two pair, aces and tens).
Outcome: MP3 wins t2915. 

Very next hand, not sure if I was upset about the previous hand or what. I tried making a play on the flop, got outs on the turn.... bleh.

Hand 5:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

SB (t2620)
BB (t1600)
UTG (t2225)
Hero (t2585)
MP1 (t2915)
MP2 (t1395)
CO (t2645)
Button (t3600)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
1 fold, Hero raises to t150, MP1 calls t150, 5 folds.

Flop: (t375) 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets t200, MP1 calls t200.

Turn: (t775) 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets t300, Hero calls t300.

River: (t1375) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets t875, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t2250
Main Pot: t1375 (t1375), won by MP1.
Pot 2: t875 (t875), returned to MP1.

Results in white below: 
MP1 doesn't show.
Outcome: MP1 wins t2250. 

So, congrats Brad, you've just given half of your stack away in two hands. I still had tons of chips to work with still obviously. Lots of poker left, and I imagined I had just doubled up from 1000 to make me feel better about it. Sometimes when I lose a chunk of my stack I feel I have to get it back and start to play too many hands.

That and.. quad-floppage helps. Probably played this too quick but I felt as if I had a minor bit of an aggressive image, so I thought I'd try getting paid off that way...

Hand 6:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

UTG+1 (t2295)
MP1 (t1600)
MP2 (t2875)
CO (t1388)
Hero (t1860)
SB (t5085)
BB (t2645)
UTG (t3300)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
2 folds, MP1 raises to t150, 2 folds, Hero raises to t450, 2 folds, MP1 calls t300.

Flop: (t975) 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
MP1 checks, Hero checks.

Turn: (t975) A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
MP1 bets t150, Hero raises to t450, MP1 folds.

Final Pot: t1575
Main Pot: t1275 (t1275), won by Hero.
Pot 2: t300 (t300), returned to Hero.

Results in white below: 
No showdown. Hero wins t1575. 

Hand 7: I [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] those who limp UTG with Aces. LOVE them. I believe the river kept me from playing a bigger pot, but if I knew he had Aces I would've pushed on the river... folks hate to give them aces away.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

CO (t2545)
Button (t2375)
SB (t4826)
Hero (t2535)
UTG (t6445)
UTG+1 (t2870)
MP1 (t2570)
MP2 (t1387)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
UTG calls t50, 3 folds, CO calls t50, 1 fold, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (t200) 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (4 players)
SB checks, Hero bets t180, UTG raises to t400, CO folds, SB folds, Hero calls t220.

Turn: (t1000) 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks.

River: (t1000) 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets t400, UTG calls t400.

Final Pot: t1800
Main Pot: t1800 (t1800), between Hero and UTG. > Pot won by Hero (t1800).

Results in white below: 
Hero has 8d 5c (full house, eights full of sixes).
UTG has As Ac (two pair, aces and eights).
Outcome: Hero wins t1800. 

Level IV: 3460 stack.

The cards start to take over...

Hand 8:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

UTG+1 (t2345)
MP1 (t2330)
MP2 (t2225)
MP3 (t4726)
Hero (t3110)
Button (t4445)
SB (t6707)
BB (t2395)
UTG (t1510)

Preflop: Hero is CO with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
2 folds, MP1 raises to t200, 2 folds, Hero raises to t600, 3 folds, MP1 raises to t2330, Hero calls t1730.

Flop: (t4810) Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)

Turn: (t4810) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)

River: (t4810) J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)

Final Pot: t4810
Main Pot: t4810 (t4810), between MP1 and Hero. > Pot won by Hero (t4810).

Results in white below: 
MP1 has Kd Ks (one pair, kings).
Hero has Ad Ac (one pair, aces).
Outcome: Hero wins t4810. 

Hand 9:

Second time in a row for which the villian in this hand had raised my blind... hit a good flop.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

MP2 (t2195)
MP3 (t8310)
CO (t2075)
Button (t4176)
Hero (t5490)
BB (t3745)
UTG (t7357)
UTG+1 (t3595)
MP1 (t1160)

Preflop: Hero is SB with T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
6 folds, Button raises to t300, Hero calls t250, 1 fold.

Flop: (t700) T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets t600, Hero raises to t2000, Button folds.

Final Pot: t3300
Main Pot: t1900 (t1900), won by Hero.
Pot 2: t1400 (t1400), returned to Hero.

Results in white below: 
No showdown. Hero wins t3300. 

Hand 10:

This one I'd like some comments on, more of a general question. With the villian leaving 1800 behind, do others make this call pre-flop? Again, a pretty decent flop, but I would probably lose a decent amount if villian had another queen...

POKERSTARS GAME #4010181545: TOURNAMENT #19925117, HOLD'EM NO LIMIT - LEVEL IV (50/100) - 2006/02/18 - 01:01:13 (ET)
Table '19925117 13' Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: Artoch (2195 in chips)
Seat 2: Jeff3663 (8310 in chips)
Seat 3: philldirt420 (2075 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 4: 7DeuceOff (3276 in chips)
Seat 5: Nez477 (6490 in chips)
Seat 6: nuwanda7 (3645 in chips)
Seat 7: mark1077 (7357 in chips)
Seat 8: aka Mcmanus (3595 in chips)
Seat 9: zgah (1160 in chips)
nuwanda7: posts small blind 50
mark1077: posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Nez477 [Ts Qs]
aka Mcmanus: folds
zgah: folds
Artoch: raises 200 to 300
Jeff3663: folds
philldirt420: folds
7DeuceOff: folds
Nez477: calls 300
nuwanda7: folds
mark1077: calls 200
*** FLOP *** [Qh 8s 6d]
mark1077: checks
Artoch: checks
Nez477: bets 800
mark1077: folds
Artoch: folds
Nez477 collected 950 from pot
Nez477: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 950 | Rake 0
Board [Qh 8s 6d]
Seat 1: Artoch folded on the Flop
Seat 2: Jeff3663 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: philldirt420 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: 7DeuceOff folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Nez477 (button) collected (950)
Seat 6: nuwanda7 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: mark1077 (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 8: aka Mcmanus folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: zgah folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Level V begins with over 7100 in chips. And the biggest hand of the tourney as I see it right here. I lately have stopped calling OOP with AK and putting pressure on opponents. Too many times I'd flops to post-flop aggression on ragged flops, so it might be a leak in my game to just hope for the best PF, but it definitely worked out this time around....

Hand 11:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t150 (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

CO (t8795)
Button (t2000)
SB (t2976)
Hero (t7140)
UTG (t2720)
UTG+1 (t6607)
MP1 (t3420)
MP2 (t4445)

Preflop: Hero is BB with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
3 folds, MP2 raises to t450, 3 folds, Hero raises to t1500, MP2 raises to t4445, Hero calls t2945.

Flop: (t8965) 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)

Turn: (t8965) 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)

River: (t8965) 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)

Final Pot: t8965
Main Pot: t8965 (t8965), between Hero and MP2. > Pot won by Hero (t8965).

Results in white below: 
Hero has Kh As (one pair, kings).
MP2 has Ac Qs (high card, ace).
Outcome: Hero wins t8965. 

Then I tightened up. For the rest of 5,6 and 7, I stole a little here, splashed around a tiny bit, but I started level 8 with 9650 in chips. Level VIII is 200/400/25, so every steal is worth 775. I picked some spots, first with 10-8o on the button, and then I raised to 1200 with A-7 on the button and a 2600 stack couldn't beat me with his A-J.
I have 11,500 after than, and I plug that into my calculator and that will be the average stack with 24 players left.

Reraised a steal in the SB with A-8 and took it down to go to 12,500. And then, to start off level 9....

Hand 12: A very interesting hand. Notes on villian say "Tricky player, knows my aggressive nature." So the minute that he calls my steal, I'm ready to throw the hand away as soon as the ace hits... but he kindly kept giving me outs. Slowplaying, I've found, is really overrated.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t600 (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

UTG+1 (t1925)
MP1 (t16162)
MP2 (t8558)
MP3 (t6040)
Hero (t11769)
Button (t7867)
SB (t6587)
BB (t14125)
UTG (t9940)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
5 folds, Hero raises to t1750, 1 fold, SB calls t1450, 1 fold.

Flop: (t3600) 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks.

Turn: (t3600) Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks.

River: (t3600) 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
SB bets t2400, Hero raises to t7200, SB calls t2387 (All-In).

Final Pot: t15587
Main Pot: t13174 (t13174), between Hero and SB. > Pot won by Hero (t13174).
Pot 2: t2413 (t2413), returned to Hero.

Results in white below: 
SB has Ac Qs (two pair, aces and queens).
Hero has 9h Kh (three of a kind, nines).
Outcome: Hero wins t15587. 

My 20,000 stack was good for second place at the time.

Rest to come shortly.

Thanks for reading, and I'd appreciate any input in these hands.

Brad