I'd Really Like To Hear What You Think Of This Hand.

[McGrain]

I think I played this hand correctly, but the reaction I got at the table is bothering me. I would love to hear your opinions guys, either way.

Table of 9, an online tournament, first player calls, third player calls and everyone else folds around to the cut off. The cut-off goes all in, the button and SB fold, and the action is on me. This was the third time he'd gone all in, basically for very little, but no-one had ever taken him on and his stack was actually slightly smaller than mine (i've seen no flops yet). Thing is, it was the third time he'd gone all in on my big blind. I had ace ten [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and i decided to call. I felt he was going all in because he'd nabbed my blind twice without resistance and he thought he could do it again. He'd made several wild plays aside from his all ins and seemed a bit crazy. I honestly thought i would have him pegged, or at least be there abouts. The guys behind me were aggressive players and had called so i figured they had "nothing much" (in depth analysis right!?)The other two fold and he turns over two kings. But the flop is 4 5 9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and i've made my flush.

Now, at the table two or three people had a go, calling me a donkey for calling, saying i didn't have an all in hand (i didn't actually go all in but nearly!) asking me what i had been thinking etc.

What about you guys? I'd really like to hear what you think of the call, i've had cracking advice in here in the past.

[SheridanCat]

What were the blind levels and stack sizes?

[PJo336]

Id have to hear the numbers to make it real in depth, but it sounds like you had your logic behind the play, you made a read and went with it. No one reads perfect and hell he prob did steal your blind with 72 once and was just fortunate enough to wake up with KK that time.

Also, iv learned to never NEVER pay attention to what people at an online poker table say, especially in tournaments. Bottom line, big % of em dont know theory, dont make reads, just play cards and cant imagine how you got all in with your cards. Ignore em...just dont swear at em, ive lost my chat a few times that way

[McGrain]

[ QUOTE ]
What were the blind levels and stack sizes?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think the blinds were 15/30. I was just under 1400 and he was just below that and had been enduring wild swings. The two guys playing behind me had just less than 1000 and 1900 respectivly. Thanks for asking.

EDIT: We'd all started with 1500

[McGrain]

[ QUOTE ]
Id have to hear the numbers to make it real in depth, but it sounds like you had your logic behind the play, you made a read and went with it. No one reads perfect and hell he prob did steal your blind with 72 once and was just fortunate enough to wake up with KK that time.

Also, iv learned to never NEVER pay attention to what people at an online poker table say, especially in tournaments. Bottom line, big % of em dont know theory, dont make reads, just play cards and cant imagine how you got all in with your cards. Ignore em...just dont swear at em, ive lost my chat a few times that way

[/ QUOTE ]

That is funny. Though probably not for you. Thanks for the advice, that's pretty much how i WANT to feel about it.

[Perk76]

Glad it worked out for you...but not being results orientated, do you need to risk your stack (you stated almost all of it) to look up a maniac with a marginal hand?

Consider how many times and how many different hands have you crushed AA/KK/AK/AQ/AJ..then hands that have you damn near crushed QQ/JJ/1010, then hands you are a flipping to slight favorite over.....A10 should be folded in most cases.

[McGrain]

[ QUOTE ]
Glad it worked out for you...but not being results orientated, do you need to risk your stack (you stated almost all of it) to look up a maniac with a marginal hand?

Consider how many times and how many different hands have you crushed AA/KK/AK/AQ/AJ..then hands that have you damn near crushed QQ/JJ/1010, then hands you are a flipping to slight favorite over.....A10 should be folded in most cases.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, this is how I feel i OUGHT to feel about it. However, I placed in the tournament (66 out of two thousand and something) and this was my springboard hand. Also with these guys, I KNOW that someone else is going to get him if i don't, and soon. But I do see.

[Grunch]

Early in a tourney with 50x the big blinds, I would never have made this call with any unpaired hand less than AK. I think this call is pretty darn bad.

Please consider my advice in your other thread.

[McGrain]

[ QUOTE ]
Early in a tourney with 50x the big blinds, I would never have made this call with any unpaired hand less than AK. I think this call is pretty darn bad.

Please consider my advice in your other thread.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I do fold plenty I promise. I see around 10-12% of flops. As for this situation, what is your strategy for dealing with this guy? Or do you just let him run and wait for someone to catch him with a big hand? If you found yourself in the same position a fourth time and were holding something better, say a pair of fours, would you let him go?

[synlube]

Not that I'm qualified to give anyone advice...but here goes.

"How to deal with this guy"

That there's a maniac at your table pushing everyone around shouldn't mean that it's your problem. It sounds like you want to "play sheriff." I wouldn't purposely seek out hands to play against this guy to teach him a lesson.

Sure, his tendency to steal the blinds has to be factored into the hands you play. But I see no reason to "deal with him" as it sounds like you wanted to do.

Doesn't Sklanksy have a theory that anyone leading a tourney after a day probably got there by playing too many hands and his luck will eventually run out? Adjust the timeline for online tourneys.

(Then again, there's the other theory that there's lots of easy money to be made early in tournaments, so you want to get into more hands early and get some of the fishes' money while you can.)