240 LO8 MTT at Gold Strike

240 LO8 MTT at Gold Strike

Hero late registered at the first break (after 3 levels).
10000 starting
hero had 9400 after registering
Limits: 200/400

------------
4th hand after the break:
Hero dealt on the button: A843 (A3 suited)

2 limpers
hero: raises
SB: calls
BB: calls
2 limpers call

(5 players - 4000 in pot)
flop: 767 two tone (hero has no flush draw)
everyone checks
hero checks behind

(5 players - 4000 in pot)
turn: 767T two tone (hero has no flush draw)
everyone checks
hero checks behind

(5 players - 4000 in pot)
river: 767T8 completing flush (hero does not have flush)
everyone checks
hero bets 800
everyone folds

Hero mucks hand, but hits the dealer as he's scooping up all the cards. All cards turn immediately face up, and 2 players mention "Wow, look! He's trying to cover up his cards because it was a bluff." The other half of the table didn't see it.

Analysis:
Flop: Betting this seems really spewy multiway.
Turn: A turn bet might actually take it down sometimes since everyone's shown weakness.
River: This seems mandatory.

Hand turned faceup:
LOL - This was a great "image play" to further affirm - as hero was only person under 30. The only problem is hero didn't get a chance to enter in too many pots as VPIP for the next 3-4 orbits....Sadly, no chances to "value bet thinner", although one would do this anyway in a limit game.

------------
Player reads prior to next hand:
3 - Seemed rather nitty (similar to hero's playing style)
8 - Seemed competent. Talked a bit about PLO/PLO8 mix that happened in STL.
9 - Seemed to care more about playing other MTTs

------------
Hero dealt in LP: Ac 7c 3d 2d

3: limp
4: raise
2 other players call
hero: calls
sb: folds
bb: folds
3: calls

(pot = 2000 - 5 players)
flop: T97 rainbow
all players check

(pot = 2000 - 5 players)
turn: T978 two tone
2 players check
7: bets
1 player folds
hero: calls
2 players call

(pot = 5200 - 4 players)
river: T9785 (no flush completes)
7: bets
hero: calls
2 folds

7: shows AKQJ rainbow
hero: shows A932

7 and hero chop pot

Analysis:
Flop: Check with no hand/backdoor nut low draw.
Turn: There was a really good likelihood that both players behind would call. They seemed very loose and not really great. Since they were also loose, the likelihood of A2xx (and quartering hero) is much less.
River: Same as turn. This is a "pull hand" to get people to stay in the pot to get half of each player's money (hopefully).

------------
hero's stack at dinner break:
12150 @ 250/500 blinds; 500/1000 limits

The MTT structure called for a color up chip break 10 minutes after dinner ended.
Dinner was from 7:30-8:30.
Color up occurred after the 500/1000 level ended at 8:40.
It sucked as that means the tournament runs longer, but it turned out to help hero refocus.

------------
Hero gets moved to a new table. Hero stole 1 pot a couple hands after sitting at new table.
Hero did isolate one weaker limper and stole the pot. It was a 2 high board (like KT7 two tone) and cbet the flop/villain folded.

------------
This occurred 1 hand later after winning previous pot.
Hero dealt in CO: AK 62 (AK suited).

2 limpers
hero: raises
sb: calls
bb: calls
2 limpers: call

(5 players - 3000 in pot)
Flop: A75 rainbow
all players check

(5 players - 3000 in pot)
Turn: A755 rainbow
all players check

(5 players - 3000 in pot)
River: A755A rainbow
2 checks
1 player bets
hero calls
all other players fold

1 player shows 32xx (no high)
hero shows AKxx

Hero chops pot.

Analysis: Hero calling on end with top trips is fine. Most boats would probably have went for value on the turn...
Hero's stack: 14900

------------
blinds: 500/1000; limits 1000/2000

hero dealt in mp: AK92 (A2 suited)
CO: ~4000
BB: ~12000

folds to hero
hero: raises
2 folds
CO (short stack - 4 preflop bets): calls
button: 3 bets
hero: tanks, then reraises
CO: calls (AI)
button: calls

(3 players, 1 all in - 12000 in pot)
flop: KQJ rainbow
hero: bets
villain: calls

(3 players, 1 all in - 14000 in pot)
turn: KQJA two tone
hero: checks
villain: checks

(3 players, 1 all in - 14000 in pot)
KQJAQ two tone
hero: bets
villain: folds

hero shows AK92
AI villain: mucks
hero: scoops pot

Analysis:
Preflop: It's not ideal to have lots of bets behind (4 big bets/8000) and be out of position. 4 betting to get villain all in versus flat calling is a good discussion. Personally, it's better to 4bet and show aggression as it overrepresents hero's hand (which is good in limit).
Flop: Hero bets entire range, villain calls because large pot. Feels like villain has a pair here, maybe even bad 2 pair.
Turn: 4 straight on board should slow down hero (who could be betting sets on flop) (and villain if villain does not have straight).
River: Bet is mandatory to rep a boat and get better hands to hero (like straights and bad 2 pairs) to fold.

Hero's stack: 22300

------------
Overall, this new table seemed even softer and there was hope that table would not break too soon.
There was even one spot where it folded to villain in BB and they got a walk!
There was a small mental miscue when hero limp/folded KKJ9 on "orphaned" pot where flop was 2 high/1 low (like QJ5 two tone) that hero could have stolen as pot was 3 handed and neither villain showed strength.

hero's stack: 19000 at 1000/1500 blinds; 1500/3000 limits

------------
Hero dealt on button: AA73 (A7 suited)

2 limpers
Hero: raises
SB: folds
BB: folds
2 limpers: call

(3 players - 6000 in pot)
Flop: K8649 (two tone)
2 players check
hero: bets
2 players call

(3 players - 10500 in pot)
Turn: K8649 (two tone)
2 players check
hero: bets
v1: raises
v2: folds
hero: calls

River: K8649 (two tone)
v1: bets
hero: calls

Villain shows: 75xx (no low)
Hero shows: AA73

Chop Pot

Analysis:
Preflop/Flop are standard to raise and bet for value.
The turn check raise on 3 low board indicates the (likely) nuts. As it turns out, that was exactly right.
Sadly, this wasn't PLO8 and hero could get all in on the flop.

Hero's stack: 21100

------------
Villain (v1) was a tighter player.
Villain (v2) in this hand was very aggressive pre/post flop. Also, villain was loose and aggressive both preflop and postflop. This player also seemed to be observant.

hero in CO: dealt AA97 (Ah9h, Ad7d double suited)

folds to v1
v1: raises
v2: calls
hero: thinks for a bit, motions to raise, but then only calls.

(3 players - 7000 in pot)
flop: 9h 7h 3d (hero has nut flush blocker and back door nut flush draw)
v1: bets
v2: calls
hero: raises
v1: folds
v2: calls

(2 players - 14500 in pot)
turn: 9h 7h 3d 9d (hero has nut flush blocker)
v2: checks
hero: bets
v2: raises
hero: raises
v2: raises
hero: caps
v2: calls

(2 players - 44500 in pot)
river: 9h 7h 3d 9d 4s (hero has nut flush blocker)
hero only has 1500 left
v2: bets
hero: calls (AI)

Analysis:
Preflop: Maybe this is an automatic raise with double suited aces, even without a good low (wheel) card.
Flop: Top 2 plus nut flush blocking opportunities and to price out low draw is ideal.
Turn: This was a really good turn card. From villain's perspective, hero may go crazy with AAxx here too. But, with 5 bets going in, it just screams at least a 9, if not full boat.
River: Hero bets AI always.

Other notes:
1. Hero made a mistake by hesitating! It actually turned out well though as villain 2 may not have bet so aggressively.
2. After the hand, v2 (Andy, a middle-aged Asian player) said: "I saw you hesitate and put you on AAxx. But I didn't know your side cards."

hero doubles up to 47500

------------
Hero in HJ: dealt QQ87 (Q8, Q7 double suited)
v2: same villain from previous hand

2 limpers
hero limps
button: limps
sb: folds
bb: checks

(5 players - 7500 in pot)
Flop: AKQ (rainbow; hero has back door flush draw)
v1: bets
v2: calls
v3: folds
hero: calls
button: calls

(4 players - 13500 in pot)
Turn: AKQ3 (two tone; hero has Q high flush draw)
v1: bets
v2: calls
hero: calls
button: folds

(3 players - 22500 in pot)
River: AKQ34 (3 flush; hero has Q high flush)
v1: checks
v2: checks
hero: bets
v1: gets mad and folds
v2: calls

v2: shows KT98 (king high flush, no low)
hero: folds

Analysis:
Preflop: An argument can be made for folding as well. Only 1 nuttish component (QQxx for set value) exist with this hand although double suited are good blockers.
Flop: Betting villain seemed passive, so likely villain has the nuts (made straight). Raising is out of the question since villain's range in MW pot betting OOP is very often the nuts (JTxx). Hero is drawing in huge pot where if hero gets boat is likely best.
Turn: Backdoor flush draw adds to hero's equity, although flush draw may not be good and there could be some small reverse implied odds. If flush draw is likely good for high if it hits, this gives enough implied/expressed odds to call.
River: Value bet seemed about right as no one showed aggression on flushing river. A lot of worse hands can make crying calls, while hero can likely fold if c/r by (what is likely) the nut flush.
Villain 2 was scared of hero having nut flush and did not bet it...Villain 2 was aggressive, but smart player. However, value bet seems better from his perspective to get worse hands with crying call getting decent pot odds and flush coming backdoor.
Overall: It seemed like a cooler to see 2nd nut flush check/call.

hero's stack: 28k

------------
Hero in BB: Dealt A997 (9d 7d suited)

3 calls (including button)
hero: checks

(4 players - 6000 in pot)
Flop: Kd Td 4d (hero has 9 high flush)
hero checks
bad loose player bets
2 folds
1 call

(2 players - 12000 in pot)
Turn: Kd Td 4d 5c
2 checks

(2 players - 12000 in pot)
River: Kd Td 4d 5c Jh
2 checks

Villain (who bet) has 8d 6d x x (8 high flush)
Other villain mucks.

Analysis:
Folding an 9 high flush seems ok in a MW (4 player) pot, but maybe it's too nitty OOP against random aggressive fish who could be betting very wide on flop (possibly sets?).
It suffers from reverse implied odds.
All villains seemed to play straightforward (although bad), so there's a lot of better flushes.
Conserving chips by playing a pot OOP with reverse implied odds seems really bad...thus, the reason for folding on the flop.

------------
Hero in BB: dealt AKK3 (A3 suited)
MP: older player who seemed somewhat tight and had not been to showdown since hero was at table

MP: raises
folds to hero
hero: reraises
MP: calls

(2 players - 9000 in pot)
Flop: J64 rainbow
Hero: bets
MP: calls

(2 players - 13000 in pot)
Turn: J64 rainbow
Hero: bets
MP: calls

(2 players - 21000 in pot)
River: J6453 rainbow
Hero: checks
MP: checks

MP: Shows KKT5
Hero gets 3/4 pot

Analysis:
Preflop/Flop: This seems ok.
Turn: This may be a spew, since there's not too many hands that hero beats that call. But it might be a limit/pot limit distinction where hero bets turn in limit, but rarely bets turn in PL.
River: It feels like a check/fold as villain's range has a lot of A2xx that backed into a wheel and would bet. It seems less like 6/7/8 high straights w/o lows as many would have bet/raised the turn, IMO.

Hero's stack: 30k

------------
Villain (v1) in this hand was a bad maniac who seemed to just chase with any sort of draw in HU/3 way situations. V2 is an unknown.

hero on button: dealt AKK7 (A7 suited)

v1: raises
v2: calls
hero: calls
sb: folds
bb: folds

(3 players - 12000 in pot)
flop: KT6 two tone
v1: bets
hero: raises
v2: folds
v1: calls

(2 players - 20000 in pot)
turn: KT68 (two tone)
v1: bets
hero: raises
v1: calls

(2 players - 36000 in pot)
river: KT682 (no flush completes)
v1: checks
hero: bets
v1: calls

Villain: Had ATT5 ss!

Analysis:
Preflop: KKxx set mining value
Flop: Mandatory raise for value with nuts.
Turn: Same as flop.
This villain had very little idea of what he was doing. The villain flop/turn bets make little sense. Hero was raising for value on flop/turn
River: River bet seems good as villain's range is extremely wide with many worse high hands (sets/2 pairs) that could call. Although villain could have a low (in which case bet has no value) or QJxx...

Hero's stack = 29k.

------------
Hero's stack: 28k at 2k/4k blinds; 4k/8k limits
Hero dealt in BB: Ad Tx 6y 5d

folds to button
Button: limps
SB: completes
BB: hero checks

(3 players - pot = 12k)
Flop: Qc 4d 2s
SB: checks
BB (hero): checks
Button: bets
SB: folds
hero: raises
Button: calls

(2 players - pot = 28k)
Turn: Qc 4d 2s 9h
hero: bets
Button: calls

(2 players - pot = 40k)
River: Qc 4d 2s 9h 9d
hero: bets
Button: Says "I have to call, the pot is too big".
Button shows: 44xx (naked middle set, no low)
Hero's out in 19th.

Analysis:
Flop: This seemed about right. It would have been better to have a pair, but gutshot + nfd + 2nd nut low draw seemed really great.
Strength of the line might get villain to fold...
But, the problem is that villain seemed to play straightforward and was weak-tight.
Villain betting flop reps strength/made hand - although range could be [2 pairs+sets].
River: Firing River barrel is important because sets (that became boats) would do same thing + it may fold out some better hands (such as naked pair+ draws that missed (like top pair with oesd or low draw)).

------------
Hero out in 19th of 87 runners. The tournament stopped and 2 table redraw occurred.

Post Analysis: After talking with a tournament player the next day, the players agreed to pay 2x buyin after they got down to 18 players :(