20k starting chips. Blinds start at 25/50.
Tournament was started 15 minutes late.
Hero showed up as the 3rd registrant, and we eventually started with 6 people.
It eventually filled up to 22 entries by the time late registration was over.
30 min blind structure.
The structure sheet was not differentiated from the 30 min NLHE structure.
Instead of having 2 100/200 levels, they removed 100/200/25 level and readded 500/1000 instead.
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1st table:
No useful observations in first 5-10 hands.
Hero limped and check/folded in some small pots.
Also, hero lost some chips after giving up as PFR in MW pot after not connecting with the board.
As soon as there were > 10 entries, a 2nd table was formed for late registration. Hero was moved to this table.
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2nd table:
1 reentry (larger guy)
2 hero
3 African American person who appeared to be a little cross eyed
4 older Caucasian male (50s), eventually read as tight
5 "Bryce"
8 older person with glasses, made some comments about various people's ranges, & who ended up winning the MTT
9 "loose" Dave - seemed to call river bets when curiosu a ton (seat 1 of 2nd table)
Hero had suited ace and bet 2 streets for value. Hero check/folded to river bet when villain bet on top pairing river (example: Js 7s 5s 3d Jh).
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Hero's stack at first break: 18025
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blinds: 50/100
players are about 20k effective stacks
Hero dealt in HJ: QJT9 DS
2 players limp
Hero raised to 400 with QJT9 DS
blinds fold
limpers call
(3 players - 1400 in pot)
A72 two tone (hero has no FD)
2 players check
hero bets ~1000
both players call
(3 players - 4400 in pot)
A72T (two tone * 2, hero has no FD)
2 players check
hero bets ~4000
first player raises
2nd player goes all in
hero folds
Analysis:
Preflop and flop seem ok as hero's image is tight + it doesn't hit too many of open limpers' ranges and can double barrel brickish turns
Turn: This is 50/50 bet/fold or check/fold. It is more questionable as more flush draws are out there and hero has marginal equity at best (generously speaking).
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Effective stacks: ~10000 @ 200/400
Hero dealt in BB: QT93 (Q9)(T3) DS
folds to SB
SB: raises to 1000
Hero: calls
(2 players - 2000 in pot)
Flop: J87 two tone (hero has Q high flush draw)
Villain bets 1500
Hero raises 6000
Villain raises all in
Hero calls
Villain shows JJxx
Hero: doubles up to 21150 @ 200/400
Analysis:
Preflop: This could be a loose call, but hero's heads up in position in SB/BB battle with 3 broadway cards and 2 suits.
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In MW pot, hero was in BB with naked 98xx on JT7 two tone board.
Hero checked it down multiway (6 people) because hand was very vulnerable to higher wraps, flush draws, etc...
JT73 with flush came on turn and checked around.
River was a blank and hero c/f to a bet.
Analysis: As a reminder, hero has a very weak hand/little equity and will likely never be ahead by the river. If turn was a brick, value bets could occur.
Villain could be betting a weak flush on river.
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300/600 blinds
Effective stacks: 20000
Hero dealt in HJ: KKxx (no flush draw)
2 limps
hero limps behind
2 players limp behind
BB checks
(6 players - 3600 in pot)
Flop: KQ3 two tone (hero has no FD)
3 checks
Hero bets 3000
4 (CO): calls
9 (BB): calls
(3 players - 9600 in pot)
Turn: KQ3T two tone
9 (BB): checks
Hero: bets 9000
4: calls
9: folds
(2 players - 27600 in pot)
River: KQ3T3 two tone
Hero: bets 7000 (AI)
4: calls
Villain: Shows AJ with nut flush draw
Hero doubles up to ~40k
Analysis:
Preflop: limping KKxx is fine for set value
Flop: With many players in the hand, hero decides to bet. An argument could be made for checking and seeing a safe turn though. In a limped pot, people could just check behind here...
Turn: This wasn't a very great turn card as it completes broadway wrap draws. Hero decides to bet for "protection" and hero does have redraw outs...
River: Although not much of a justification, hero was willing to gamble since reentry was still open and hero's stack was not very huge at the time.
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Blinds: 400/800
Hero dealt in MP: AAxx (Ax suited) SS
folds to hero
Hero (MP): raises to 2000
BB: calls (seemingly a NLHE player as villain was a bit loose)
(2 players - 4400 in pot)
Flop: T85 (two tone, hero has FD)
BB: checks
Hero: bets 3000
BB: calls
(2 players - 10400 in pot)
Turn: T853 (flush completes, hero has nut flush draw)
BB: checks
Hero: thinks, then checks behind
(2 players - 10400 in pot)
River: T8537 (3 flush)
BB: checks
Hero: thinks tries to give off fake tells, then bets ~6000
BB: tanks for a while, possibly sees hero make some random movements to "avoid giving tells", then folds.
Analysis:
Preflop/Flop: Standard HU
Turn/River: This is a little more of a "live setting feel" which I may not have perfected.
BB really did think a while on river before folding...
Hero's unsure if it's b/c hero's perceived image is tight...
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Hero's stack at break: 50400 @ 500/1000
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Eventually, enough people busted to form 10 handed final table shortly after the break.
1 older person with beard and wearing Pittsburgh Steelers hoodie
2 younger person
3 younger guy
4 "Bryce"
5 hero
6 younger guy
7 middle aged person
8 lady with headphones; didn't seem to have played much PLO
9 NLHE MTT player (had a stogie)
10 older person with glasses and slightly crosseyed
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Various hands at final table:
Hero tried to make some bluffs in small pots, but was forced to give up on various runouts.
33100 @ 500/1000
Hero then limped into pot with AJ63 (suited ace), but it got pot raised from behind.
Hero had to fold.
~16000 @ 800/1600
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Hero pot raised with AAxx DS
2 players end up calling (1 IP to hero)
(3 players - 21000 in pot)
Flop: 332 with hero flush draw
1 player checks
Hero bets 12000
2 players fold
Hero's stack: 24k
Hero won a couple smaller pots as well...
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7 handed; 3 places pay out
Blinds: 1000/2000
Hero in CO: dealt KKQ7 (KQ)(K7) DS
Reads:
10 (100k) older person; likely PLO player
9 (50k/bb) older man; seemed to be a NLHE MTT player
1 (40k) tighter player, seemed to understand PLO/likely cash gamer
4 (100k) Looser player and realized hero was tighter; competent at PLO
5 (31.5k/button) Hero had been fairly tight
7 (60k/sb) younger player, seemed to have normal VPIP, no hands to showdown
8 (60k/bb) woman
10: folds
1: raises to 4500
3: folds
4: calls
5 (hero): tanks/calls
7: folds
8 (SB): calls
10 (BB): calls
(5 players - 18000 in pot)
Hero: folds to bet on T74 two tone flop (hero has no flush draw)
Analysis:
Preflop: Seat 1 had opened a couple other pots earlier, so hero should have strongly considered a squeeze here. Seat 1 may even fold sometimes too...
Maybe this was too nitty and hero should have gambled as many of the players likely would have respected the squeeze.
Hero's edge against the rest of the field was about neutral at this point too...
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Hero's stack at break: 24000 @ 1.5k/3k
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2nd hand after break:
Hero dealt in UTG+1 7 handed: QQ82 (Q82) ss
Hero raises to 9k
(folds)
7: calls
10 (BB): reraises all in
Hero: reluctantly calls
7: calls
7: shows T987
10: AAxx ss (not hero's suit)
Board: Q427T
Hero triples up, seat 7 eliminated
Analysis:
Preflop: QQxx is a good hand to raise/reluctantly call. The reraise was not a good sign from a competent PLO player :(
Hero's stack: 72k @ 1.5k/3k (24BB)
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Eventually, seat 3 is eliminated.
5 handed:
Hero steals one pot when raised in unopened pot and cbet a dry board (like T77 rainbow)
Hero steals a 2nd small pot against seat 8 as hero is PFR in CO and bets on 773 flop against seat 8 in BB.
Hero dealt UTG: AKT5 (A5)ss
folds to hero
Hero raises to 10k
8 (100k/button): calls
(2 players - 20k in pot)
Flop: AK5 (two tone) - hero has no FD
Hero checks
8: bets ~15k
Hero: calls
(2 players - 50k in pot)
Turn: AK5Q (two tone) - hero has no FD
Hero donks 40k (20k behind)
8: tanks for a while - says "I let you get there", then folds
Analysis:
Preflop: This seems fine 5 handed.
Flop: check/call can work, but maybe hero should have c/r and tried to get villain to bet/call with worser hand.
Turn: Apparently, hero abandons plan and "turns hand into bluff". TBH, this play doesn't seem that great either. Hero doesn't think villain bets draws too often, so this could be a spew as no worse hand is calling...
Villain may have bet worser hands AI...
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Talks resumed about paying bubble person.
Eventaully, deal was given for $300 for bubble person ($100 from each person)
Analysis: Honestly, this was a mistake for hero to have even started talking about discussions for a deal earlier when 5 handed. Hero thought a 4th name would be added to the list of "registered cashers", but it was not the case. It may have loosened up the NLHE player to spew kinda badly though...
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Pivotal 4 handed situation:
Hand between Bryce (seat 4) and NLHE MTT player (seat 8)
Blinds: 2000/4000
approximate stack sizes:
4: 180k
8: 200k
Bryce (seat 4): raised in CO to 12000
hero: folds
8: 3bets to 40000
10: folds
4: calls
(2 players - 82000 in pot)
Flop: 966 two tone
8: villain leads near pot (80k)
4: jams all in (60k more)
8: villain tanks for a long time, starts talking to Bryce, then folds
Analysis:
This is great move for Bryce (seat 4). Bryce later mentions he just had a naked flush draw and overs.
Seat 8 mentioned that he had naked AAxx and folded...
TBH, if hero was in seat 8 and played that way preflop, hero's bet/call on this flop (although not super happily).
Eventually, seat 8 busts and hero's ITM!
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Stack sizes 3 handed (ITM) @ 3000/6000
4: 120k
hero: 100k
10: 240k
Once in the money, the other 2 players were active. seat 4 (Bryce) was the most active, while hero was playing TAG for 3 handed (maybe playing ~30% of hands).
Bryce eventually got crippled in a couple pots in somewhat cooler situations and eventually got to the point where he had 1 PSB left on the button.
He blind raised on button, BB calls, and Bryce was out.
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Hero's HU!
75000 - 12.5BB stack @ 3000/6000 blinds
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Hero folded on button in 1st hand in HU
10 limped in 2nd hand in HU and won pot with bet.
3rd hand:
Hero dealt: KKxx double suited
Hero's stack: 66000
Hero raises to 20k
Villain: reraises all in
Hero: calls
Villain: shows AAxx ss (but dominates 1 of hero's flush draws)
Hero bricks on the runout (no flush draw sweats either).
Board was similar to: J7452 (two tone on flop, but no flush draw for either player)
Analysis: On a side note, hero should have raised to ~15k to give stack depth...
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Hero: 2/22 for $1597.
Cash paid at the cage for the first time (versus just getting casino chips)
Winner said that hero's "tight play" even though hero's physical image is gambly can help, especially in limit games.
Overall analysis: Hero actually didn't play well in most spots throughout the tournament. LOL tournament poker.
Hopefully, a live MTT win will come sometime soon :)
