Out in 5'th place - Did I play too passive?

[Borax]

Everything looked well after I doubled up, but then it went straight down hill and out in 5'th place. Any obvious mistakes? Too passive? Any comments are welcome
(I have given my stack sizes only because expekt poker only provides that much at the moment.)
I am player lendbor .
***************
Single Table Tournament No Limit 10+1$,
10 players, paying 50-30-20, 1000 in chips,
*********
Folded PRF:
[ 8H, JS ] in BB
***********
Hand1:
------------------
OpeningBetRound
------------------
lendbor (980$) : Posts small blind 10.00
itnas : Posts big blind 20.00
hoof_hearted : Folds
twilight : Folds
glenny : Folds
AllyCat138 : Folds
VT1123 : Folds
poplin : Raises for 80.00
Cholmez : Folds
Sterlig : Folds
lendbor : Calls for 70.00
itnas : Calls for 60.00
------------------
Flop

------------------
lendbor : Bets 120.00
itnas : Calls for 120.00
poplin : Folds
------------------
Turn

------------------
lendbor : Checks
itnas : Went all-in 780.00
lendbor : Folds
itnas : Mucks cards
------------------
Result
------------------
lendbor Mucked Cards (Lost 200)
itnas Mucked Cards (Winning) 1260.00
------------------
Players Cards
------------------
********************************
Folded PRF
Button [ 8D, AS ]
CO [ 2C, 6S ]
************************************************** ******
Hand 2:
------------------
OpeningBetRound
------------------
twilight : Posts small blind 10.00
glenny : Posts big blind 20.00
AllyCat138 : Raises for 40.00
VT1123 : Calls for 40.00
Cholmez : Folds
Sterlig : Folds
lendbor (780$) : Calls for 40.00
itnas : Folds
hoof_hearted : Folds
twilight : Folds
glenny : Folds
------------------
Flop

------------------
AllyCat138 : Bets 60.00
VT1123 : Calls for 60.00
lendbor : Raises for 200.00
AllyCat138 : Folds
VT1123 : Folds
lendbor : Mucks cards
------------------
Result
------------------
lendbor Mucked Cards (Winning) 470.00
------------------
************************************************** ******
Folded PRF
[ 3D, 5D ]
[ AS, 5H ]
[ 6D, QH ]
************************************************** ******
Hand 3:
------------------
OpeningBetRound
------------------
Cholmez : Posts small blind 10.00
Sterlig : Posts big blind 20.00
lendbor (1010$) : Raises for 80.00
itnas : Calls for 80.00
hoof_hearted : Folds
twilight : Folds
glenny : Folds
AllyCat138 : Folds
VT1123 : Folds
Cholmez : Folds
Sterlig : Folds
------------------
Flop

------------------
lendbor : Bets 80.00
itnas : Calls for 80.00
------------------
Turn

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lendbor : Bets 100.00
itnas : Calls for 100.00
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River

------------------
lendbor : Bets 200.00
itnas : Went all-in 910.00
lendbor : Went all-in 550.00
itnas : Receives returned betting money 160.00
------------------
Showdown
------------------
lendbor
- Fullhouse - K's full of A's
itnas
- Fullhouse - K's full of 6's
------------------
Result
------------------
lendbor Showed Cards (Winning) 2050.00
itnas Showed Cards
************************************************** ******
Folded PRF:
[ 4D, 5D ] BB (2030 $)
[ 2H, 3S ] SB (2010$)
[ 9S, 2S ]
[ 2H, KH ]
[ 9S, 10S ] (raiser in EP)
[ KH, 6D ]
[ 9C, QC ]
[ 2H, 5S ]
[ 5H, 2S ] (BB) (1970$)
[ 6D, AC ] (SB) (1950$)
************************************************** ******
Hand 4:
7 players left:
Seat: 1 Sterlig
Seat: 2 lendbor (1950$) (Dealer)
Seat: 5 twilight
Seat: 6 glenny
Seat: 7 AllyCat138
Seat: 8 VT1123
Seat: 10 Cholmez
------------------
OpeningBetRound
------------------
twilight : Posts small blind 20.00
glenny : Posts big blind 40.00
AllyCat138 : Folds
VT1123 : Folds
Cholmez : Folds
Sterlig : Folds
lendbor : Raises for 160.00
twilight : Folds
glenny : Folds
lendbor : Mucks cards (Winning) 220.00
------------------
************************************************** ******
Hand 5:
------------------
OpeningBetRound
------------------
glenny : Posts small blind 40.00
AllyCat138 : Posts big blind 80.00
VT1123 : Folds
Cholmez : Folds
Sterlig : Folds
lendbor (2010$) : Raises for 200.00
twilight : Folds
glenny : Folds
AllyCat138 : Folds
lendbor : Mucks cards (Winning) 320.00
------------------
************************************************** ******
Folded PRF:
[ 3C, 6H ] (2130$)
************************************************** ******
Hand 6a:
20.00/40.00
------------------
OpeningBetRound
------------------
VT1123 : Posts small blind 40.00
Cholmez : Posts big blind 80.00
Sterlig : Folds
lendbor (2130$) : Raises for 320.00
twilight : Folds
glenny : Folds
AllyCat138 : Folds
VT1123 : Folds
Cholmez : Folds
lendbor : Mucks cards (Winning) 440.00
------------------
************************************************** ******
Folded PRF:
[ 3S, 7C ] (2250$)
[ 4C, 7H ] BB (40/80)
[ 2D, KH ]
[ 3H, 10D ]
[ 4C, 2H ] (6 players left)
[ 4C, QC ]
[ 10H, 9D ] (UTG)
[ 4H, KC ] BB
[ 2C, 5S ] (SB 80/160) (1970$)
[ 3C, JC ] (1890$)
[ KC, 8H ]
[ 9S, 6D ]
[ QS, 4S ]
[ 2D, 4S ] (BB 80/160)
************************************************** ******
Hand 6b:
Seat: 1 Sterlig (Dealer)
Seat: 2 lendbor (1730$)
Seat: 5 twilight
Seat: 7 AllyCat138
Seat: 8 VT1123
Seat: 10 Cholmez
------------------
OpeningBetRound
------------------
lendbor : Posts small blind 80.00
twilight : Posts big blind 160.00
AllyCat138 : Folds
VT1123 : Calls for 160.00
Cholmez : Folds
Sterlig : Raises for 320.00
lendbor : Calls for 240.00
twilight : Folds
VT1123 : Calls for 160.00
------------------
Flop

------------------
lendbor : Checks
VT1123 : Checks
Sterlig : Bets 640.00
lendbor : Folds
VT1123 : Folds
Sterlig : Mucks cards
------------------
Result
------------------
lendbor Mucked Cards (Lost) 320
Sterlig Mucked Cards (Winning) 1760.00
------------------
************************************************** ******
Hand 7:
Seat: 1 Sterlig
Seat: 2 lendbor (1410$) (Dealer)
Seat: 5 twilight
Seat: 7 AllyCat138
Seat: 8 VT1123
Seat: 10 Cholmez
------------------
OpeningBetRound
------------------
twilight : Posts small blind 80.00
AllyCat138 : Posts big blind 160.00
VT1123 : Folds
Cholmez : Raises for 480.00
Sterlig : Folds
lendbor : Calls for 480.00
twilight : Folds
AllyCat138 : Folds
------------------
Flop
:Ah:
------------------
Cholmez : Bets 320.00
lendbor : Folds
Cholmez : Mucks cards
------------------
Result
------------------
Cholmez Mucked Cards (Winning) 1520.00
lendbor Mucked Cards (Lost) 480
------------------
************************************************** ******
Folded PRF:
[ 3H, 10S ]
[ 5S, 4C ]
[ 2D, 7S ] (UTG)
************************************************** ******
Hand 8:
Seat: 1 Sterlig
Seat: 2 lendbor (930$)
Seat: 5 twilight
Seat: 8 VT1123
Seat: 10 Cholmez (Dealer)
------------------
OpeningBetRound
------------------
Sterlig : Posts small blind 160.00
lendbor : Posts big blind 320.00
twilight : Went all-in 680.00
VT1123 : Folds
Cholmez : Folds
Sterlig : Folds
lendbor : Calls for 360.00
------------------
Flop

------------------
Turn

------------------
River

------------------
Showdown
------------------
lendbor
- One Pair
twilight
- Two Pair
------------------
Result
------------------
lendbor Showed Cards
twilight Showed Cards (Winning) 1520.00
VT1123 Mucked Cards
Cholmez Mucked Cards
------------------
Players Cards
------------------
lendbor
twilight
************************************************** ******
Hand 9:
Seat: 1 Sterlig (Dealer)
Seat: 2 lendbor (250$)
Seat: 5 twilight
Seat: 8 VT1123
Seat: 10 Cholmez
------------------
OpeningBetRound
------------------
lendbor : Posts small blind 160.00
twilight : Posts big blind 320.00
VT1123 : Calls for 320.00
Cholmez : Calls for 320.00
Sterlig : Folds
lendbor : Went all-in 90.00
twilight : Checks
------------------
Flop

------------------
twilight : Checks
VT1123 : Bets 320.00
Cholmez : Folds
twilight : Folds
VT1123 : Receives returned betting money 320.00
------------------
Turn

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River

------------------
Showdown
------------------
lendbor
- No Pair
VT1123
- One Pair
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Result
------------------
lendbor (0$) Showed Cards (Lost ) 250
and left the tournament in 5'th place
VT1123 Showed Cards (Winning) 1210.00
------------------
*******************

[a500lbgorilla]

OMG at VT1123

I was very tempted to use that name when I was creating my new multipoker account. Cuz I got to VT. I went with OneChipWhore instead.

-'rilla

[greyishhue]

A couple of obsevations that I have made. The pocket 3's hands, regardless of any blind investment is a clear fold to me to any raise. All you can possibly hope for with that hand is hitting one of two outs, another 3. BIN that rubbish it is dominated by any card that hits the flop higher than a 3.

Hand 7, if the player raises to 480 pre flop, what read have you got here? Tight solid player playing very few hands or someone who plays marginal? If you are short stacking on chips, two options, raise all in pre flop, give the opponent something to think about. Unlikely to call with A rag. If the player is tight fold JJ and conserve your 480 chips, it had cost you nothing by that point to fold, unless you want to take your chances on a coin flip. My bet would have been all in. On the flop, the guy bet only 320 into what was already a 1200 pot, which just signals to me that they are scared of the ace. I still would have pushed here unless he bet how many chips you had left, then it is whether you are pot committed or not, well you are??

Hand 8. A9 is a rubbish starting hand, but I think you were right to call in this position and seeing their starting cards you were right to call. You just got unlucky.

A couple of mistakes with big cards as well. Perhaps your betting was too much with early AA to attract any action. This is tough though because you want to isolate and not let rubbish into the hand, but at the same time you want to accumulate chips. If your table image is of someone ultra tight, everyone will fold to your raise. This works in your favour because you can raise in position with rubbish and people will fold. Don't wait for the monster hands, try giving off a table image of ultra tight and then blind steal in position.

[Borax]

Thanks for comments

The pocket 3's hands, regardless of any blind investment is a clear fold to me to any raise.

I aggree. not a good call.

Hand 7, if the player raises to 480 pre flop, what read have you got here? Tight solid player playing very few hands or someone who plays marginal? If you are short stacking on chips, two options, raise all in pre flop, give the opponent something to think about. Unlikely to call with A rag. If the player is tight fold JJ and conserve your 480 chips, it had cost you nothing by that point to fold, unless you want to take your chances on a coin flip. My bet would have been all in. On the flop, the guy bet only 320 into what was already a 1200 pot, which just signals to me that they are scared of the ace. I still would have pushed here unless he bet how many chips you had left, then it is whether you are pot committed or not, well you are??

My read on the oponent made me fold when the A hit on the flop. I think you are right about the preflop play. I considered a push raise, but desided I would rather see the flop for 1/3 of my stack with an escape route on a bad flop than to go against possible AA, KK, QQ, TT or AK at this point. So maybe with this read I should have folded. His bet on the flop could just as well (based on my read) have been to draw me in for my last 1000 and with 1000 left I was still in the game. The flop was bad and I got out. Still not sure if it was right or wrong though. Difficult hand I think.

The A9 hand was an easy call against an expected desperate steal attempt. I was very sure that he would make his move on that hand.

A couple of mistakes with big cards as well. Perhaps your betting was too much with early AA to attract any action. This is tough though because you want to isolate and not let rubbish into the hand, but at the same time you want to accumulate chips. If your table image is of someone ultra tight, everyone will fold to your raise. This works in your favour because you can raise in position with rubbish and people will fold. Don't wait for the monster hands, try giving off a table image of ultra tight and then blind steal in position.

My AA got one caller and doubled me up, so I don't think it was too bad.
Maybe you mean me AKs hand a bit later (Hand6)? I got respect on my raises early on so should I maybe have rasied some of the folded hands after hand 6 you think? Yes, I probably could have stolen more there.
Any other mistakes with big cards you noticed?

[GatorJH]

In addition to the above comments I noticed that this seemed like a pretty tight table. In most cases all of your 3X or 4X preflop raises were folded. If they were folding out of respect from earlier hands it would have been time to switch gears. At that point the only callers you would get would be monster hand vs monster hand, which invariably results in coin flips.

When I play on a very tight table I reduce my pre-flop raises to induce a caller or two and hope they make a lesser hand that you can trap them with; because of the lesser raise they will most likely not put you on a good hand. Additionally, once you get respect for your raises try to steal the blinds from late position every now and then. If you get a caller you can always fold the hand if the flop doesn't hit your rags. However, if it does you could be in for a big hand.

[Borax]

True. I have to get better at stealing with medium hands now and then I think. Maybe more play like my raise with KTs in Hand4? Not a very good hand, but position to steal.

[GatorJH]

Actually, KTs in late position is a pretty good hand. Two potential "steal hands" that jump out at me are the following:

[ 2H, KH ] - Good position and at least they are suited. Of course, if a K flops you have a tough choice.

[ 9C, QC ] - not great position, but keep in mind that most people try to steal blinds from late position. If you can put in a moderate raise and get through this hand without damaging your chip count, even if you showdown a looser it could help you in the long run with a trap.

Again, there are two CRITICAL components to this strategy. First, you can only use them sparingly or people will pickup on it. I recently played in a live tournament where one guy raised just before the button EVERY TIME (I was in the BB when he did this). I let him do it a couple of times, then re-raised him with a garbage hand once and he folded. I let him do it one more time and got a monster hand (KK). I then used his aggressiveness to take most of his chips.

Secondly, you MUST be willing to let these hands go if the flop doesn't hit you or if someone comes over the top in pre-flop betting. You are trying a steal and if you get caught just run like you stole something.

[greyishhue]

Blind stealing is an art and I agree with Gator it should be used sparingly or people cotton on to it very quickly if they are good players. Poker is after all about playing the player as much as playing the cards you are dealt.

Personally, I would never try and blind steal in a sit and go until the blinds are at least 150/75. If you are going to steal make it worth your while. What is the point in stealing 30 chips early on and revealing that you make blind steals. Plus if you do this later on and have given your table image of ultra tight and won a few pots on showdown with big cards, people will be folding their crap A rag when you raise 3 or 4xBB with your rubbish 72 off suit. Plus never show a bluff.

Also keep extensive notes on players. This helps when you encounter them again on the tables. If you are dealt big PP and your note says a player is loose then you know that you can make a decent raise, isolate and pillage their chips, hopefully.

[greyishhue]

I think your JJ hand you were talking about was a difficult hand.

As I said if he was tight or ultra tight and played this hand aggressively pre flop then fold. I do not like the calling 1/3 of the chip stack without thinking ahead. If you know before you call that you will be folding to an Ace King or Queen, then just fold it pre flop and save your 480 chips. I still think that his bet of 320 into a 1200 pot was incredibly weak. Be interested in having other peoples opinion on whether they would have pushed here. I think you can only go with your own read here and deem your fold a good move. As you say you still had 1000 chips and were still in with a shout.

I do however, stand by my comment above about calling 1/3 of the stack. This says to me that you were hoping to hit a set again like your 33. Sets do not come along very often. If you don't like or have a strategy for playing JJ early on in a sit and go, just fold it. There is nothing that says you have to play pocket pair.

[Borax]

I think your JJ hand you were talking about was a difficult hand.

I do however, stand by my comment above about calling 1/3 of the stack. This says to me that you were hoping to hit a set again like your 33. Sets do not come along very often. If you don't like or have a strategy for playing JJ early on in a sit and go, just fold it. There is nothing that says you have to play pocket pair.

I aggree on the fact that calling for that much of my stack against a tight player probably was too risky. There is some difference between 33 and JJ though. JJ can give an overpair for instance. I think the problem with JJ and an A flopping is that there are so many hands to beat my hand. AA, KK, QQ, AK, AQ, AJ, AT. Flopping a K or a Q is much less risky to push against. Also, if he held KK or QQ hat would also explain his weak flop bet and I'm not sure a push would have folded him, given the pot size.