Tournament Log

[Queso]

So I've now played over 150 live tournaments in the last year and a half. The first 50 I was clueless; the next were probably mostly following "Kill Phil", and the last 50 have been a mix of everything I feel I've learned.

I've kinda latched on to another system of playing lately, it's mostly based on Arnold Snyder's "Poker Tournament Formula" (the 'rock-paper-scissors' metaphor), which calculates and accounts for the 'speed' of tournaments and their subsequent relative difficulty factors.

In any case, I'm ready to hit it hard again with a fairly strong regimen of play, and I've decided to track my growth and progress by starting this journal (or diary or blog or whatever you want to call it). I'm going to chronicle my next 150 tournaments (which I expect to complete within a year's time), and see if the ongoing accumulation of data can actually add up to any useful insight.

I also plan on attending a WPT Boot Camp at some point during that span of time, and I want to see what impact that will have as well.

My goal is to work up to higher entry tournaments and learn to navigate the deeper waters until, who knows, maybe one day a very decent score.

I look forward to sharing my journey, and also to anything you all might have to share.

So feel free to jump in, comment, ask questions, berate, or completely ignore as you wish.

It'll be fun to see what happens.

[Queso]

1. 5/4/12

$125 Friday Night Knockout Tournament @ Hollywood Casino, Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

I've played this tournament a few times-- bubbled it the first time I played, came in third once, and once fell down to one big blind before recovering to make the cash. I enjoy the game because it's live chips and cards; as some of you know, most of the time I play at Indiana Live Casino, which uses the Poker Pro electronic tables, so it's definitely different. It's also a 2 1/2 hour drive from my home, so it's a little bit of a commitment, and I usually don't get off work early enough to make it.

I've learned that I do best when I'm tethered to some philosophy of play (whatever it might happen to be at the moment), as opposed to just winging it (at best) or (at worst) playing in a reactionary/emotional style that just kills me before I realize what is happening.

As it turned out, I over-extended myself early, demanded that Poker show how much she loves me by rescuing me on my ill-advised draws, and ended up busting with this:

I'd lost 1/3 my starting $6000 stack just calling and hoping on draws. It's my own personal poison and I usually have it somewhat under control, but for some reason I couldn't help myself and got quickly behind. I raised to $800 on blinds of $150/300 when it was passed to me in the cutoff with AJ unsuited, got shoved on by the button, and inexplicably decided to call because I was so frustrated. I ran into TT and that was that.

On the drive home, I called my wife to discuss things (she's really good at helping me pinpoint my problems), and renewed my determination (at the very least) to stop calling and hoping all the time on draws. Just play from position, bet and raise intelligently, and make straights and flushes 'accidentally'.

Indiana Live Casino is right on the way home from Lawrenceburg. I decided to stop in and play some cash, if for no other reason than just to get my head on straight.

[Queso]

2. 5/4/12

$50 Sit And Go, Indiana Live Casino, Shelbyville, Indiana.

Perfect timing. When I got there, they needed one more person to complete a 10 player $50 single table tournament (sit and go, essentially), so I signed up and sat right down. I refused the siren call of the draw and tripled up in a great hand where I raised with AJ, got called, flopped KJJ, and trapped a guy with AK. He actually turned a diamond draw so I had to sweat the river, but I held and was in good shape. We got to three handed (two got paid) and played for nearly an hour just passing chips around, until we finally agreed to a three way chop (with a little more for first).

My hands were basically tied during this time, as my two opponents were just bashing me with raises from both sides, forcing me to wait for premiums so it took away a little of my own attempts to be aggressive. I was happy to post a $150 win anyway. I felt validated in my determination to straighten up and fly right; so I counted it all a good day, even though in total, I invested $175 and got $150 back in return. Small victories. I'll take 'em.

[Queso]

3.

$50 61 Player Multi-Table Tournament, Indiana Live Casino.

The Saturday afternoon tournament generally gets from 50-75 runners; sometimes more but this was still a decent turnout.

I continued right where I left off, playing well, reigning in the temptations to spew my stack on draws. I lost about a third of my starting $10,000 stack before the first break, but I didn't panic and just kept my head. My stack just seemed to continually grow until I made the final table third in chips. It was a tough lineup of regulars, I made it out in fourth place for a $269 dollar win and I was very happy with that; mostly because of the continuing feeling of validation for screwing my head back on straight.

Until, of course, I decided to play cash.

After the tournament, I had dinner with two of my poker pals down there, we talked shop for an hour but mostly focused on what I should have done in a hand where I turned a wheel but lost to a higher rivered straight. I'm trying to get it through my thick skull to end the hand when I have the best hand on the turn-- not to let the river come out unless my opponent is paying a dear price to see the card. So after basically spelling out my intentions (and what an all-in from me on the turn would probably mean, lol), I sat at the same table with these two fellows and lost all my tournament winnings to one of them in the following hand.

In my defense, I got him to put all his chips in the middle with AQ on a Q-5-2-4 board when I had flopped a set of fives (96.3% for me to win), but he rivered a straight and took the $600 pot. I asked him, based on our previous conversation, what he thought my turn shove must have meant-- and he laughed and said he thought I was just trying to shove him off the hand with nothing. This is the guy from my previous Payoff The Serial Bluffer? post, so of course, he always thinks everyone is bluffing him.

Keep trying to learn to stay away from the freaking cash games. The variance is just too stupid high and I'm tired of it.

Besides, why play great in tournaments, only to lose it all in a cash game and walk away feeling like the weekend was a failure? Does that make any sense? Not to this adopted Hoosier. (consult Wikipedia for explanation). :)

[Queso]

4.

$50 76 man Multi Table Indiana Live

Man, I just played this one terribly. Spewed off chips until I actually flopped a pair of 8's with Q8 out of the big blind against one player, believed him when he told me he didn't have anything and I shoved into a pair of kings.

Wow. I was almost too embarrassed to put this one up.

To be fair, I had about 4 BB's. Still. Dumb.

No real explanation for this one except I was very frustrated early and just couldn't bring myself back around. Wow.

[Queso]

5. $50 33 man MTT, Indiana Live

I played well tonight; trying to remind myself that I have to want to play well more than I want to do well. I busted twelfth on a shove with tens in the hole and 17bb's, ran into pocket kings, not sure if that was the greatest move but an earlier hand has me troubled.

With 13 players left, I have JJ in the SB, UTG makes it $2400 to go (from a $8000+ stack with blinds of $400/800), UTG+1 shoves for $9500, it folds to me, there is still the chip leader BB to act after me, and he's very tough, capable of anything. I have $30,000.

So do I flat with JJ into a 3-way, possibly 4-way pot? It'll cost me a third of my stack. I start thinking, if the BB has any kind of hand that he wants to play, surely he must squeeze me out and shove with it, taking my dead money. Why do I want to entice him, leave myself exposed like that? I'm thinking my only move is all-in. But what if the BB wakes up with a monster? It seems foolish. The more I think, the more I feel it's a fold. So I do.

BB folds, AK takes the hand over TT on a 4-A-7-J-9 board.

I'd have grabbed 17,000+ chips, sorely needed at that point.

Right move?

[RyckyRych]

So I've now played over 150 live tournaments in the last year and a half. The first 50 I was clueless; the next were probably mostly following "Kill Phil", and the last 50 have been a mix of everything I feel I've learned.

I've kinda latched on to another system of playing lately, it's mostly based on Arnold Snyder's "Poker Tournament Formula" (the 'rock-paper-scissors' metaphor), which calculates and accounts for the 'speed' of tournaments and their subsequent relative difficulty factors.

In any case, I'm ready to hit it hard again with a fairly strong regimen of play, and I've decided to track my growth and progress by starting this journal (or diary or blog or whatever you want to call it). I'm going to chronicle my next 150 tournaments (which I expect to complete within a year's time), and see if the ongoing accumulation of data can actually add up to any useful insight.

I also plan on attending a WPT Boot Camp at some point during that span of time, and I want to see what impact that will have as well.

My goal is to work up to higher entry tournaments and learn to navigate the deeper waters until, who knows, maybe one day a very decent score.

I look forward to sharing my journey, and also to anything you all might have to share.

So feel free to jump in, comment, ask questions, berate, or completely ignore as you wish.

It'll be fun to see what happens.

I have the Snyder book, while KP has you do stuff dependent more on your cards and situations, PTF is more about position and stacks. I have used a little of it in how I do things but not very much.

[RyckyRych]

1. 5/4/12

$125 Friday Night Knockout Tournament @ Hollywood Casino, Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

I've played this tournament a few times-- bubbled it the first time I played, came in third once, and once fell down to one big blind before recovering to make the cash. I enjoy the game because it's live chips and cards; as some of you know, most of the time I play at Indiana Live Casino, which uses the Poker Pro electronic tables, so it's definitely different. It's also a 2 1/2 hour drive from my home, so it's a little bit of a commitment, and I usually don't get off work early enough to make it.

I've learned that I do best when I'm tethered to some philosophy of play (whatever it might happen to be at the moment), as opposed to just winging it (at best) or (at worst) playing in a reactionary/emotional style that just kills me before I realize what is happening.

As it turned out, I over-extended myself early, demanded that Poker show how much she loves me by rescuing me on my ill-advised draws, and ended up busting with this:

I'd lost 1/3 my starting $6000 stack just calling and hoping on draws. It's my own personal poison and I usually have it somewhat under control, but for some reason I couldn't help myself and got quickly behind. I raised to $800 on blinds of $150/300 when it was passed to me in the cutoff with AJ unsuited, got shoved on by the button, and inexplicably decided to call because I was so frustrated. I ran into TT and that was that.

On the drive home, I called my wife to discuss things (she's really good at helping me pinpoint my problems), and renewed my determination (at the very least) to stop calling and hoping all the time on draws. Just play from position, bet and raise intelligently, and make straights and flushes 'accidentally'.

Indiana Live Casino is right on the way home from Lawrenceburg. I decided to stop in and play some cash, if for no other reason than just to get my head on straight.

With 4000 at 150/300 (I assume no antes) I just push or fold. As played, I'd prefer a 750 raise. Being so short (13BBs) I don't see how you can fold after raising from the CO to a B shove unless this guy is a rock.

[RyckyRych]

4.

$50 76 man Multi Table Indiana Live

Man, I just played this one terribly. Spewed off chips until I actually flopped a pair of 8's with Q8 out of the big blind against one player, believed him when he told me he didn't have anything and I shoved into a pair of kings.

Wow. I was almost too embarrassed to put this one up.

To be fair, I had about 4 BB's. Still. Dumb.

No real explanation for this one except I was very frustrated early and just couldn't bring myself back around. Wow.

With 4BBs? I go with any pair also unless its right on the bubble or something. Hell, I might have shoved over his limp to begin with.

[RyckyRych]

5. $50 33 man MTT, Indiana Live

I played well tonight; trying to remind myself that I have to want to play well more than I want to do well. I busted twelfth on a shove with tens in the hole and 17bb's, ran into pocket kings, not sure if that was the greatest move but an earlier hand has me troubled.

With 13 players left, I have JJ in the SB, UTG makes it $2400 to go (from a $8000+ stack with blinds of $400/800), UTG+1 shoves for $9500, it folds to me, there is still the chip leader BB to act after me, and he's very tough, capable of anything. I have $30,000.

So do I flat with JJ into a 3-way, possibly 4-way pot? It'll cost me a third of my stack. I start thinking, if the BB has any kind of hand that he wants to play, surely he must squeeze me out and shove with it, taking my dead money. Why do I want to entice him, leave myself exposed like that? I'm thinking my only move is all-in. But what if the BB wakes up with a monster? It seems foolish. The more I think, the more I feel it's a fold. So I do.

BB folds, AK takes the hand over TT on a 4-A-7-J-9 board.

I'd have grabbed 17,000+ chips, sorely needed at that point.

Right move?

The part I put in bold just doesn't matter. You are NEVER flatting. Depends on your reads but I'd never fold JJ here online. Live? Depends on how you see UTG. Can he fold? What is "8000+" exactly? I'm assuming it means had between 8k and 9k. Do his 3x raises equal a real hand or have you seen him fold in this spot before? Usually it means he'd prefer to see a flop but will call if he must. What's with the shover? What's his range? If its TT+/AK then I think JJ is good if it were HU, but the key is the range of the UTG player. If you think he's decently wide enough (like 77+/AJ+ or even 88+/AQ+), jam. If he folds, that's fine.

If these guys are straightforward thinking players that only have big hands and are not folding I don't see how we can fault folding JJ. The one idea to bring to your attention is the fact that you MUST isolate if you play here, stack sizes easily dictate this. I don't care what the BB is capable of doing and all that. He MUST have a hand to play if you shove. If he does, so be it.