3 Hands from FTP $350k

OK, keep in mind that I have been playing on FTP for like 3 or 4 months and have only been playing NL tourneys for @ a year and this was my first $350k tourney. I finished 173/2279. I realize who the players are that I was up against. How could I have played the hands for better value and/or should I have made the calls that I did?


Hand One:
Full Tilt Poker Game #1309613249: $350,000 Guarantee (8869591), Table 52 - 20/40 - No Limit Hold'em - 18:13:18 ET - 2006/11/26
Seat 1: lollylu (2,745)
Seat 2: PokeRecon (2,490)
Seat 3: ibetmywife (6,690)
Seat 4: TheProctologist (3,370)
Seat 5: KrazyKanuck (2,310)
Seat 6: eatschips (4,035)
Seat 7: Jerrbudd (2,955)
Seat 8: zacharyb (2,405)
Seat 9: FIREDANCER33 (15)
TheProctologist posts the small blind of 20
KrazyKanuck posts the big blind of 40
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PokeRecon [9c 9s]
eatschips folds
Jerrbudd calls 40
zacharyb calls 40
FIREDANCER33 folds
lollylu folds
PokeRecon calls 40
ibetmywife folds
TheProctologist has 15 seconds left to act
TheProctologist calls 20
KrazyKanuck checks
*** FLOP *** [6c 8h 9d]
TheProctologist checks
KrazyKanuck checks
Jerrbudd checks
zacharyb checks
PokeRecon bets 85
TheProctologist folds
KrazyKanuck folds
Jerrbudd folds
zacharyb folds
Uncalled bet of 85 returned to PokeRecon
PokeRecon mucks
PokeRecon wins the pot (200)

-------------
Hand Two:
Full Tilt Poker Game #1309799447: $350,000 Guarantee (8869591), Table 52 - 30/60 - No Limit Hold'em - 18:47:14 ET - 2006/11/26
Seat 1: lollylu (2,735)
Seat 2: PokeRecon (5,210)
Seat 3: ibetmywife (5,765)
Seat 4: TheProctologist (2,450)
Seat 5: KrazyKanuck (1,110)
Seat 6: eatschips (5,930)
Seat 7: Jerrbudd (4,460)
Seat 8: zacharyb (2,340)
Seat 9: nw25th (3,620)
zacharyb posts the small blind of 30
nw25th posts the big blind of 60
The button is in seat #7
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PokeRecon [4h 4d]
lollylu folds
PokeRecon calls 60
ibetmywife folds
TheProctologist folds
KrazyKanuck folds
eatschips folds
Jerrbudd raises to 200
zacharyb folds
nw25th folds
PokeRecon calls 140
*** FLOP *** [Ac 8s 4c]
PokeRecon checks
Jerrbudd bets 490
PokeRecon has 15 seconds left to act
PokeRecon calls 490
*** TURN *** [Ac 8s 4c] [Kh]
PokeRecon checks
Jerrbudd has 15 seconds left to act
Jerrbudd bets 800
PokeRecon raises to 1,600
Jerrbudd has 15 seconds left to act
Jerrbudd folds
Uncalled bet of 800 returned to PokeRecon
PokeRecon shows [4h 4d] (three of a kind, Fours)
PokeRecon wins the pot (3,070)
The blinds are now 40/80
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3,070 | Rake 0
Board: [Ac 8s 4c Kh]
Seat 1: lollylu didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: PokeRecon collected (3,070)
Seat 3: ibetmywife didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: TheProctologist didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: KrazyKanuck didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: eatschips didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: Jerrbudd (button) folded on the Turn
Seat 8: zacharyb (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 9: nw25th (big blind) folded before the Flop
--------------------

Hand Three:
Full Tilt Poker Game #1309814129: $350,000 Guarantee (8869591), Table 52 - 40/80 - No Limit Hold'em - 18:49:52 ET - 2006/11/26
Seat 1: lollylu (2,655)
Seat 2: PokeRecon (6,790)
Seat 3: ibetmywife (5,765)
Seat 4: TheProctologist (2,450)
Seat 5: KrazyKanuck (830)
Seat 6: eatschips (5,930)
Seat 7: Jerrbudd (2,970)
Seat 8: zacharyb (2,310)
Seat 9: nw25th (3,920)
lollylu posts the small blind of 40
PokeRecon posts the big blind of 80
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PokeRecon [2s As]
ibetmywife folds
TheProctologist folds
KrazyKanuck raises to 830, and is all in
eatschips folds
Jerrbudd folds
zacharyb folds
nw25th folds
lollylu folds
PokeRecon calls 750
KrazyKanuck shows [Ac Kd]
PokeRecon shows [2s As]
*** FLOP *** [Qc Qs 8d]
*** TURN *** [Qc Qs 8d] [Qh]
*** RIVER *** [Qc Qs 8d Qh] [2c]
KrazyKanuck shows three of a kind, Queens
PokeRecon shows a full house, Queens full of Twos
PokeRecon wins the pot (1,700) with a full house, Queens full of Twos
KrazyKanuck stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1,700 | Rake 0
Board: [Qc Qs 8d Qh 2c]
Seat 1: lollylu (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 2: PokeRecon (big blind) showed [2s As] and won (1,700) with a full house, Queens full of Twos
Seat 3: ibetmywife didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: TheProctologist didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: KrazyKanuck showed [Ac Kd] and lost with three of a kind, Queens
Seat 6: eatschips didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: Jerrbudd didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: zacharyb didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: nw25th (button) didn't bet (folded)

OK, hand one, how do I get better value without getting sucked out on? Should I have raised preflop?

Hand Two: Should I have played it differently to improve value, or is the check raise on the turn the best bet? I originally had him on AK or a middle pair, horrible read on my part?

Hand Three: Was this simply a horrible call? Given the stack sizes, should I have folded?

hand 1 and 2 are fine, hand 3 is a easy fold.....i might even fold ATo

Hand 2, I lead the turn. Check-minraise looks like such a strong line, and leading can get an aggro villain to raise you.

Hand 1 is okay.

Hand 3 seems like an easy fold.

hand 1 there isnt much you can do about. If the table was really weak/passive (which i doubt), then i could argue to raise 99, but its fine as played

hand 2 i also like to lead the turn. this will get you more value if villain has a strong, but not overly strong hand.

hand 3 is an easy fold.

On hand 2, how would you have lead the turn? Min bet, value bet, over bet?

The only reason I called on hand 3 was due to how suprisingly passive he had been playing and I misread the AI as steaming due to 3 or 4 previous hands that he had been shoved out of the pot .

The table wasn't as hyper aggressive post flop as I expected it would be, but I did have some people shove me off of some good hands deeper in the tourney; I still have a LOT to learn

There's approx 1200 in the pot, I would lead for around 800-900. If he has been over-aggro, I would bet something like 500-600. The half-pot bet looks very weak, something a club draw would do to block and see river cheap. If he raises, you can shove overtop.