Slowplayed Kings

[Gen Sterling]

GeeBee, thanks for the input and I get where you're coming from. This tournament was a 10FPP $500 cash Freeroll, with 4000+ players. It seems that the 2+2ers are of the opinion that these freerolls aren't worth the time and effort. I don't know. Also, the majority opinion, at least what I have read so far, is that you should probably push with any 2 cards early, because playing rock tight usually leads to being blinded out with the blinds increasing every 5 minutes. So, I thought at this spot, it was a fairly good thing to make a standard raise and c-bet. This guy, for all I knew, was a donk who would call all the way to the river and then fold to a bet. Of course, his bet on the turn told me that he hit his Jack, so perhaps he also had AJ. I don't know what to think here. I do take your advise to heart, and am sure it has merit, but in these types of tournaments, I find it rather difficult to get away from AJ when I'm sitting with my starting amount and I see that others already have 10-20 times that amount, which, I guess, is another subject. How the hell is it that within 2-3 hands of one of these tournaments someone, on another table, has a chip stack of 15-20K? This would seem to me that the player is going all in several times, and getting called by the whole table, which loses to him. This happens everytime, it seems, and it makes me have paranoid thoughts of cheating.

[Gen Sterling]

I don't understand how one player can be so damn lucky as to beat 10 other players in the first couple of hands.

[johnnydrama]

[ QUOTE ]
but in these types of tournaments, I find it rather difficult to get away from AJ when I'm sitting with my starting amount and I see that others already have 10-20 times that amount, which, I guess, is another subject. How the hell is it that within 2-3 hands of one of these tournaments someone, on another table, has a chip stack of 15-20K? This would seem to me that the player is going all in several times, and getting called by the whole table, which loses to him. This happens everytime, it seems, and it makes me have paranoid thoughts of cheating.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am by no means an expert of MTT, but especially in freerolls, you do see people push with any 2 paint to build that massive stack you see. 9 times out of 10 they are not at the final table. Perhaps they look to win big early and then sit out their way into the money. Remember they have nothing invested so might as well push that KQo and see what happens.

What you are doing wrong I think is looking at those results. The only thing you can worry about is your table, nothing else. Don’t even look. Try to win your table and you get to the final. Average chip stack would be my only measure and you were right there. NO need to go broke with TPTK, especially OOP. People love 10, J remember and that is what I would put villain on here without reads. Which by the way you said you did not have reads but in one response you mention something about his “style”. If you have no reads, play assuming he knows what he is doing until proven otherwise as someone said already.

[Gen Sterling]

LOL ... this was done by playing rock tight until I picked up some decent cards, which I did early on. Thankfully, I started out on the button.

[ QUOTE ]

PokerStars Tournament #65465847, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: 10 FPP
4980 players
$500.00 added to the prize pool by PokerStars.com
Total Prize Pool: $500.00
Tournament started - 2007/11/10 - 12:40:00 (ET)

Dear HERO,

You finished the tournament in 659th place.
A $0.15 award [WOO HOO!!] has been credited to your Real Money account.

You earned 24.06 tournament leader points in this tournament.
For information about our tournament leader board, see our web site at
http://www.pokerstars.com/tlb_tournament_rankings.html


Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Gen Sterling]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
but in these types of tournaments, I find it rather difficult to get away from AJ when I'm sitting with my starting amount and I see that others already have 10-20 times that amount, which, I guess, is another subject. How the hell is it that within 2-3 hands of one of these tournaments someone, on another table, has a chip stack of 15-20K? This would seem to me that the player is going all in several times, and getting called by the whole table, which loses to him. This happens everytime, it seems, and it makes me have paranoid thoughts of cheating.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am by no means an expert of MTT, but especially in freerolls, you do see people push with any 2 paint to build that massive stack you see. 9 times out of 10 they are not at the final table. Perhaps they look to win big early and then sit out their way into the money. Remember they have nothing invested so might as well push that KQo and see what happens.

What you are doing wrong I think is looking at those results. The only thing you can worry about is your table, nothing else. Don’t even look. Try to win your table and you get to the final. Average chip stack would be my only measure and you were right there. NO need to go broke with TPTK, especially OOP. People love 10, J remember and that is what I would put villain on here without reads. Which by the way you said you did not have reads but in one response you mention something about his “style”. If you have no reads, play assuming he knows what he is doing until proven otherwise as someone said already.

[/ QUOTE ]

Johnny: Thanks for the critique. It helped tremendously to not worry about who has the damn chip lead. I just hit my STATS tab and worried about nothing but my current table. Thanks so much, a much needed ego check.

[Pitbullo]

Better keep those fpp and when you have 70fpp play those 1-table satellites to sunday hundred grand. If you win, you can unregister and you get 11 Tournament $, which you can either change or invest in small sngs where you should make more of it.

[Gen Sterling]

[ QUOTE ]
Better keep those fpp and when you have 70fpp play those 1-table satellites to sunday hundred grand. If you win, you can unregister and you get 11 Tournament $, which you can either change or invest in small sngs where you should make more of it.

[/ QUOTE ]

hmm.. interesting; thanks.

[GeeBeeQED]

Learn to get away from AJ. You need to hit two pair with this hand or hit a J high flop to dance very aggressively with it. And you can't feel all that great about it with a J high flop. It's a good hand to limp in with (honestly I do from any pos) unless lots of flops are being raised. To get very aggresive with it post flop when you hit the ace you need to be against a player that plays every ace he's delt, then you figure to have a better kicker most of the time. Otherwise your probably still waiting to improve before you can feel too good about it. In tourny's it's a great hand to move in with when your first in and short stacked obviously. With lots of chips in a tourny or cash game I'm pretty much just value betting this hand when I hit one of my cards. Learn to move this hand down the list. I'd rather see a flop with 9T,89,78,67 suited most of the time. It's easy to dump, you make a big hand or go away.

Dave

[Gonso]

[ QUOTE ]
But honestly, in your position (UTG+1), i like a fold pf,

[/ QUOTE ]

So do I, esp with no information on the other players.

[quirkasaurus]

[ QUOTE ]
I didn't read any replies, so this might have been said already...if so then just ignore.

But honestly, in your position (UTG+1), i like a fold pf, theres too much action to take place behind you still. AJo is not that strong of a hand at a full table with 8 people left to act behind you.

[/ QUOTE ]

really?!?! you must tend to catch better cards than me,
typically. because, honestly, most tourneys I'm in, this
would be one of the top %5 hands i'm ever dealt.

A9o -- fold definitely... but AJo? other thoughts?