Live Tourney

[PokerForFree]

Yesterday I played a R&A tournament with 20 players. First prize was 2000 Euro, second prize was 1000 Euro and third 600 Euro.

I ended 5th after bleeding death when blinds grew bigger.

I played quite an amazing tourney. At a certain point I called an Ace high flop with AJo and bumped into AQo. No help, so I was crippled with a stack of a bit over 2200 with 150/300 blinds. I managed to stay in the hand by folding almost every hand until I called a push when I got pocket Queens. They stayed alive and I doubled up + grabbed the blinds to make me semi-healthy.

Two hours later I was chip leader but gave a lot of stack away by trying to steal with mini-bets where I should have at least made a 3-bet or 4-bet.

Lady luck has been on my site for a while, but not on the hands trying to survive unfortunately. Also, no help from the others on the table as small stacks seemed to be getting the nuts instead of going out.

Remarkable hands:

Blinds: 700/1400
My Stack: approx. 30000
My hand: AQo

I raise to 7000 in middle position, there was one player limping UTG. Everybody folded and he moved all in for about 22K chips. I somewhat thought about the hand, but never put him on a pair. I didn't know this player, nor his style, so I made a call for 15000 more. He opened up and showed pocket Queens... but I was lucky to eliminate him hitting an Ace on the turn. OK, this might have been a bad move and usually it is, considering his UTG limp and pre-flop re-raise, as this usually represents a top pair or AK. Though, I had something else in my mind (AT or AJ, maybe suited) which justified my call. That's poker!

Blinds: 2000/4000
My stack: approx. 60000
My hand: T2o

I sit on small blind and tried to steal the blinds with a mini-bet of 8000. Got a flat call from the BB. Flop came AKx, and opponent checked, so did I (while I should have made a c-bet obviously). Turn was a T and I was pretty sure that my opponent didn't have either an Ace or a King, QJ came in my mind, but never related that to his possible Straight and pushed him all-in pretending to have the Ace or the King myself. He made an instant call and I lost about 20K of my stack. Pretty dumb action from me, because I had played very tight all night long (with out having to steal), as well that I was chip leader at that moment. My bet was definitely too low and I let him draw his straight.

Blinds: 3000/6000
My stack: approx. 15000
My hand: T3o

I am on BB, small blind pushes all in. 3000 extra to call for a pot of 15000, so a reasonable coinflip, even knowing you are behind in the hand. No help for me, but my opponent hit his pair on the flop and two pair on the river, pushing with Q7. No way I could have gone away for just 3K, so good play IMO, just no luck.

Blinds: 4000/8000
My stack: 4200
My hand: Ad9h

As the blinds were catching up on me, this was the hand I was waiting for. It was do or die with this hand. I pushed all in, got a caller from SB and BB checked. Fortunately for me, they started playing against each other, making SB fold, instead of checking the game out to eliminate me. I tripled up in this hand, giving me a little air to breath.

Blinds: 4000/8000
My stack: 12600
My hand: A2o

Another push hand came, just after I tripled in the hand mentioned above. I pushed all in, got a call from the button, everybody else folded. Button had pocket Kings. Flop came 54x, so only a 3 or an Ace would keep me in. No help and I was out! I could have waited for a possible better push hand, or pocket pairs, but with blinds of 4000/8000 that was almost out of the question.

Well, I learned a lot of lessons yesterday, specially about protecting your big stack, instead of attacking the medium to average stack without showing real strength. I am a very tight player, I manage to build up decent stacks, even getting back from being crippled, but I definitely still have some flaws. With prizes all the way up to 4K in Euros sometimes, I will have to get in the money sometime

[DesDope]

Sounds like a pretty decent night to me despite you certainly wishing that you could have taken it all. As for your tight playing style and the fact that sometimes it costs you dearly... I hear you. I have always had that problem, simply because I am too scared to lose my good position and my stack in a tournament or in a cash game the more obvious thing, my money.

Congrats on my behalf for a successful poker night - I hope you will be able to change your playing style when necessary (and I am sure in the same circumstances you would do so now). You live, you lose, you learn. Of course we always hope to avoid the losing part