Tourney I get by with a little help from my friends - strategy critique welcome (1 Viewer)

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Royal Flush
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Today I cashed an MTT with a little help from my buddy.
45 runners, when I made it to the final table, I was a little above average at 190k. My buddy had gotten knocked out off the other table about 15 minutes earlier, and texted me "Guy two to your right is loose but lucky."
Five minutes later, I was on the button. That guy (who had me covered by 20 or 30k) raised for the pot - blinds and antes were about 20k. I looked at KQo and made it 40k. It folded around to him, he called. Flop was 9 10 3 rainbow, he bet 40k. I made it 80k and he jammed. I sat there and tanked for minutes. Thoughts running through my head:
His initial bet smelled like blind and ante stealing
He didn't re-raise me pre, so he probably wasn't super strong
My only significant history with this guy was one hand an hour ago (when he'd been moved to my table for a short time) when I'd agressively bet him off an ace - maybe he's decided not to get pushed around by me again
This just feels like a guy betting to push me out of a pot, not a guy with a hand
If I fold, I'm still alive, but weak
If I call and lose I'm out but if I win, I'm 2nd biggest stack
This is a guy I see here ALL the time - though I don't have much history with him, he plays A LOT of tournaments, and maybe he doesn't care much if he gets knocked out
This whole hand feels much more like a pissing match than a poker hand
My buddy JUST tipped me off that this guy raises light, and that fits as the final piece of this puzzle

I called. He said "good call" and tabled 5 6 suited. I tabled my KQ and the table was generally shocked, like how do you call that, are you insane, are you hoping for the inside straight - no, I just didn't believe his story.
Turn and river were harmless - I won, and eventually chopped evenly three ways - $861 for a $50 buy in plus $50 add on

It was just such a good feeling because the entire table thought I was crazy for making that call, but after piecing it all together, it was just so close to making sense, and my buddy's timely advice tipped the scales.
Good day.
 
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You can't win tournaments playing ABC poker, need to get aggressive and make those tough calls.
I know that's true, but that one was out of character for me - grinding for 5 hours only to get a decent stack all in, without a hand, ten minutes into the final table. You really just need to take the situations as they come to you.
 
I’ve been thinking more about this hand. I guess it was destined to be stuck in my head for days whether I won or lost. But I think I should have folded this hand before I got involved.
This was a full final table of ten, of which 5 get paid. I was on the button with about 23% of the chips in play. And there was one stack slightly bigger than me, one a little less, and lots of shorter tacks.
When big stack raised in late position, even if I thoughy he was just making a move for the blinds and antes, I should let him have it. KQ off are nice cards, but I know he’s interested in the hand, I don’t know what the blinds are gonna do, and I’m only in it for the ante. I don’t NEED this spot, I can wait for a better one.
@DrStrange - you have any thoughts on this hand? I’m always interested in your strategy thoughts.
 
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What were the blinds? I'm probably ripping it in over his pf open. More so now that we know he's opening as light as 56s. Throw that ICM right back in his face.
 
Preflop action is unclear, did you min raise there? Either way, I am against this flop raise size. You're committing yourself in a tough spot where he should fold most of the hands you are beating and continue with many hands that you are behind. Even though it worked out here, I think you put yourself in a vulnerable spot.

If he's raising light, you should be certainly be 3 betting pre here with KQ on the button. Calling is an OK option, but folding would be way too tight.
 
What were the blinds? I'm probably ripping it in over his pf open. More so now that we know he's opening as light as 56s. Throw that ICM right back in his face.
Preflop action is unclear, did you min raise there? Either way, I am against this flop raise size. You're committing yourself in a tough spot where he should fold most of the hands you are beating and continue with many hands that you are behind. Even though it worked out here, I think you put yourself in a vulnerable spot.

If he's raising light, you should be certainly be 3 betting pre here with KQ on the button. Calling is an OK option, but folding would be way too tight.
Sorry, that first post was a rambling late nighter.

Blinds were 6K/12K with a 1K ante
Hero had 190K, Villain about 210 or 220k
One other stack bigger than ours, not sure of the count, about 1.2 million in play
10 at the final table, 5 get paid

I believe there was one limper, because I remember thinking he bet exactly the pot - 40K, 2 before the button.
I'm the button and 3-bet to 80k, with KQo
folded to him, he called.

Flop was 9 10 3 rainbow - he led out for 40K
I raised to 80K
he jammed
I called off my remaining 70k

@luckroy you're right, my post flop play was stupid, like I said, at that time it became a pissing match. I guess my question is, do people agree with my suggestion that I should have folded this one preflop?

EDIT - Let me revise that. My postflop play was premised on my belief that he was bluffing. I didn't hit that flop, and although I did have an inside straight draw, that was the furthest thing from my mind. When he led out for 40k into a pot of 160K,, I wasn't about to let him steal the pot with that. I figured another raise would put a stop to his shenanigans, but I didn't want to jam in all my chips, in case I was wrong about him bluffing. If he called, I very may well have folded to his next bet. But when he jammed all in, I decided I was right, he had nothing, and I committed the rest of my chips.
That might be the same as what I said before - more of a pissing match than poker. My point is, it wasn't about ranges or what might beat what at that point.
 
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Thanks for adding the details.

With 80k in the pot and 190k (16 BB) behind against a loose raiser, you should shove KQ. You block a lot of the hands that would be snap calling and have good equity against most of the others that would call.
 
Thanks for adding the details.

With 80k in the pot and 190k (16 BB) behind against a loose raiser, you should shove KQ. You block a lot of the hands that would be snap calling and have good equity against most of the others that would call.


I agree with this, even if your read is dead on that he doesn't have to be strong, he could still have random Ax, and you obviously need to try and make him fold that. And even if you get called you are never drawing dead, you have as many as 10 outs twice but at least 4 against anything.

It would suck if you made the right decision as played and he still shows you AJ or something.

Also, I like reraising KQ pre (and obviously correct if villian is opening 6 hi), I might go for a little bigger size just to see of you can pick it up pre. The small raise has the upside of keeping substandard holdings in, but the downside is you are at a disadvantage in the rest of the hand acting first, so I tend to use bigger sizing from earlier positions.

But good call, can't say I have ever called down for the tournament with k hi that I can remember, but this seems like a good spot.
 
edit
Trying to find a link for that scene from top gun where Charlie tells Maverick and the class that although the encounter was a victory, this was an example of what not to do.

You guys are 100% correct - I should have either decided to play this hand and gone all in, or just folded.
 
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Actually I just realized I misread the situation thought you were a blind and not the button. In that case I really don't mind the smaller pf raise you made. I think I slightly prefer raise all in on the flop to the min raise there, but if you only have 70k behind it's should be essentially the same to villian.

You're signalling you're ready to commit by putting half your chips in, he should've given up on the bluff there. The fact he didn't means the line you took worked out in your favor.

But even putting that on your favor, going for more to see if you can get him to fold a missed Ax that he might otherwise call probably still puts moving all in on the flop as the better play.

But I think your line was pretty close. There's a case for shoving pf too, I surely would have from either blind, but from the button I think flatting or raising planning to call a shove are both defendable lines.
 
Actually I just realized I misread the situation thought you were a blind and not the button. In that case I really don't mind the smaller pf raise you made. I think I slightly prefer raise all in on the flop to the min raise there, but if you only have 70k behind it's should be essentially the same to villian.

You're signalling you're ready to commit by putting half your chips in, he should've given up on the bluff there. The fact he didn't means the line you took worked out in your favor.

But even putting that on your favor, going for more to see if you can get him to fold a missed Ax that he might otherwise call probably still puts moving all in on the flop as the better play.

But I think your line was pretty close. There's a case for shoving pf too, I surely would have from either blind, but from the button I think flatting or raising planning to call a shove are both defendable lines.
I don't believe a small three-bet on the button for over 20% of my chips is a good move there. I'm giving him the chance to 4-bet me, leaving me with a tough decision, or letting him see a flop for great odds - 40k to win 200k.
 
Personally I would shove pre. I have 15 BB and I'm almost in Push / Fold mode. KQ will be far ahead of his raising range. With your minraise he calls almost any two cards. esp. connect cards any Ace crap. The flop could have hit very well his hand range. JT, T9, T8s, 97s, and still any A is ahead of you. (KT, K9 and QT could be in his range too). I dont like your call on the flop.

BUT the winner is always right, so congrats on your win.
 
Personally I would shove pre. I have 15 BB and I'm almost in Push / Fold mode. KQ will be far ahead of his raising range. With your minraise he calls almost any two cards. esp. connect cards any Ace crap. The flop could have hit very well his hand range. JT, T9, T8s, 97s, and still any A is ahead of you. (KT, K9 and QT could be in his range too). I dont like your call on the flop.

BUT the winner is always right, so congrats on your win.
No no, you’re right. Now that I’ve thought it through correctly, it’s scary how bad I played that hand.
 
I don't believe a small three-bet on the button for over 20% of my chips is a good move there. I'm giving him the chance to 4-bet me, leaving me with a tough decision, or letting him see a flop for great odds - 40k to win 200k.

Right which is why I did say if you go for the small 3 bet here it should be with the intention to induce the shove and call.

But don't be too hard of yourself, in fairness you probably didn't have the data point that 6 hi was in villian's raising range at the time. Kq is a tougher decision against a more normal opponent. I would probably tend to limp along and hit a flop if I assumed the raise was tight. (And tight enough to make me consider folding to a 4 bet shove if I were considering a reraise.)
 

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