Potential Disasters

[fasin8ing]

Please comment on hands and ways of my thinking. Thanks ahead of time. I am not a happy camper. Somebody fix me please, or just hit some sense into me.

HAND 1
Loose table, some table trash talk going around. Talking back and forth and making plays at each other because of the shit talking. The dude bet of 80 on the flop didnt tell me squat. Maybe he had a Jack.. or slow playing trip nines. Please advise.....

Game #1335166395 (Level I, Game #3) - 5/10 No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2006/03/07-22:28:29.1 (CST)
Table "Campeche" ($5 tournament) -- Seat 2 is the button
Seat 1: Naked_Bob (900.00 in chips)
Seat 2: drnkyguy13 (960.00 in chips)
Seat 3: kgammel (850.00 in chips)
Seat 4: bammom3 (1,190.00 in chips)
Seat 5: barber78 (1,000.00 in chips)
Seat 6: fasin8ning (1,000.00 in chips)
Seat 7: yeah_boi (970.00 in chips)
Seat 8: wolf15walk (1,150.00 in chips)
Seat 9: kingsalmon_1 (1,000.00 in chips)
Seat 10: Sprony (980.00 in chips)
kgammel : Post Small Blind (5)
bammom3 : Post Big Blind (10)
Dealing...
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Kd ]
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Ks ]
barber78: Fold
fasin8ning: Raise (55)
yeah_boi: Call (55)
wolf15walk: Call (55)
kingsalmon_1: Fold
Sprony : Fold
Naked_Bob: Call (55)
drnkyguy13: Fold
kgammel : Fold
bammom3 : Call (45)
*** FLOP *** : [ Jc 9s 9d ]
bammom3 : Check
fasin8ning: Check
yeah_boi: Bet (80)
wolf15walk: Fold
Naked_Bob: Fold
bammom3 : Call (80)
fasin8ning: Call (80)
*** TURN *** : [ Jc 9s 9d ] [ 4s ]
bammom3 : Check
fasin8ning: Check
yeah_boi: Bet (140)
bammom3 : Fold
fasin8ning: Call (140)



HAND 2
I dont know what to do with this.. Awful hand to get involved with.

Game #1335169716 (Level I, Game #4) - 5/10 No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2006/03/07-22:29:50.5 (CST)
Table "Campeche" ($5 tournament) -- Seat 3 is the button
Seat 1: Naked_Bob (845.00 in chips)
Seat 2: drnkyguy13 (960.00 in chips)
Seat 3: kgammel (845.00 in chips)
Seat 4: bammom3 (1,055.00 in chips)
Seat 5: barber78 (1,000.00 in chips)
Seat 6: fasin8ning (1,525.00 in chips)
Seat 7: yeah_boi (695.00 in chips)
Seat 8: wolf15walk (1,095.00 in chips)
Seat 9: kingsalmon_1 (1,000.00 in chips)
Seat 10: Sprony (980.00 in chips)
bammom3 : Post Small Blind (5)
barber78: Post Big Blind (10)
Dealing...
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Ah ]
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Js ]
fasin8ning: Call (10)
yeah_boi: Raise (55)
wolf15walk: Fold
kingsalmon_1: Fold
Sprony : Call (55)
Naked_Bob: Call (55)
drnkyguy13: Call (55)
kgammel : Fold
bammom3 : Call (50)
barber78: Fold
fasin8ning: Call (45)
*** FLOP *** : [ Jc Th 4c ]
bammom3 : Bet (80)
fasin8ning: Call (80)
yeah_boi: Raise (640)
Sprony : Fold
Naked_Bob: Raise All-in (790)
drnkyguy13: Fold
bammom3 : Raise All-in (920)
fasin8ning:FOLD

HAND 3
Umm, worth a shot.

Game #1335199417 (Level II, Game #4) - 10/20 No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2006/03/07-22:42:03.7 (CST)
Table "Campeche" ($5 tournament) -- Seat 5 is the button
Seat 2: drnkyguy13 (760.00 in chips)
Seat 3: kgammel (1,575.00 in chips)
Seat 4: bammom3 (2,715.00 in chips)
Seat 5: barber78 (475.00 in chips)
Seat 6: fasin8ning (1,355.00 in chips)
Seat 8: wolf15walk (435.00 in chips)
Seat 9: kingsalmon_1 (990.00 in chips)
Seat 10: Sprony (1,695.00 in chips)
fasin8ning: Post Small Blind (10)
wolf15walk: Post Big Blind (20)
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Th ]
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Ad ]
kingsalmon_1: Fold
Sprony : Call (20)
drnkyguy13: Fold
kgammel : Call (20)
bammom3 : Fold
barber78: Call (20)
fasin8ning: Call (10)
wolf15walk: Check
*** FLOP *** : [ 2c 4h Ts ]
fasin8ning: Bet (100)
wolf15walk: Fold
Sprony : Fold
kgammel : Fold
barber78: Raise (200)
fasin8ning: Raise (1,235)
barber78: Call All-in (255)

HAND 4
I will admit I lose about 20% limping with shit like this. Fortunately this won.. But, the way I played it sucked. I really fucked this one up. I could have netted more than 520 ... I should have bet my flush when I made it.. However; paired boards scary me.

Game #1335201377 (Level II, Game #5) - 10/20 No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2006/03/07-22:42:50.3 (CST)
Table "Campeche" ($5 tournament) -- Seat 6 is the button
Seat 2: drnkyguy13 (760.00 in chips)
Seat 3: kgammel (1,555.00 in chips)
Seat 4: bammom3 (2,715.00 in chips)
Seat 6: fasin8ning (1,890.00 in chips)
Seat 8: wolf15walk (415.00 in chips)
Seat 9: kingsalmon_1 (990.00 in chips)
Seat 10: Sprony (1,675.00 in chips)
wolf15walk: Post Small Blind (10)
kingsalmon_1: Post Big Blind (20)
Dealing...
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Kh ]
Dealt to fasin8ning [ 2h ]
Sprony : Call (20)
drnkyguy13: Fold
kgammel : Call (20)
bammom3 : Fold
fasin8ning: Call (20)
wolf15walk: Call (10)
kingsalmon_1: Check
*** FLOP *** : [ Qh 4s 6h ]
wolf15walk: Check
kingsalmon_1: Check
Sprony : Check
kgammel : Bet (45)
fasin8ning: Call (45)
wolf15walk: Call (45)
kingsalmon_1: Fold
Sprony : Fold
*** TURN *** : [ Qh 4s 6h ] [ Ah ]
wolf15walk: Bet (350)
kgammel : Fold
fasin8ning: Call (350)
*** RIVER *** : [ Qh 4s 6h Ah ] [ 4h ]



HAND 5
Fucked this one all up . Sort of.. I dont know anything differently I could have done. I wanted to throw a bet on the river and let him come over the top or reraise. I figured he hit a Jack or a 10 on the flop. I was hoping he hit two pair and would do something dumb. Didnt happen.

Game #1335203994 (Level II, Game #6) - 10/20 No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2006/03/07-22:43:53.6 (CST)
Table "Campeche" ($5 tournament) -- Seat 6 is the button
Seat 2: drnkyguy13 (760.00 in chips)
Seat 3: kgammel (1,490.00 in chips)
Seat 4: bammom3 (2,715.00 in chips)
Seat 6: fasin8ning (2,410.00 in chips)
Seat 9: kingsalmon_1 (970.00 in chips)
Seat 10: Sprony (1,655.00 in chips)
kingsalmon_1: Post Small Blind (10)
Sprony : Post Big Blind (20)
Dealing...
Dealt to fasin8ning [ 2h ]
Dealt to fasin8ning [ 2c ]
drnkyguy13: Fold
kgammel : Fold
bammom3 : Call (20)
fasin8ning: Call (20)
kingsalmon_1: Call (10)
Sprony : Check
*** FLOP *** : [ Th Jd 5h ]
kingsalmon_1: Check
Sprony : Check
bammom3 : Check
fasin8ning: Check
*** TURN *** : [ Th Jd 5h ] [ 2s ]
kingsalmon_1: Check
Sprony : Check
bammom3 : Bet (55)
fasin8ning: Call (55)
kingsalmon_1: Fold
Sprony : Fold
*** RIVER *** : [ Th Jd 5h 2s ] [ 4s ]
bammom3 : Check
fasin8ning: Bet (100)
bammom3 : Fold

HAND 6
Remember Hand 4? I hate myself for getting involved.. But it seems like easy money. Very hidden hand.. Paired board once again and I am risking my luck.

Game #1335217947 (Level III, Game #3) - 15/30 No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2006/03/07-22:49:43.9 (CST)
Table "Campeche" ($5 tournament) -- Seat 9 is the button
Seat 2: drnkyguy13 (810.00 in chips)
Seat 3: kgammel (1,660.00 in chips)
Seat 4: bammom3 (2,630.00 in chips)
Seat 6: fasin8ning (2,195.00 in chips)
Seat 9: kingsalmon_1 (1,230.00 in chips)
Seat 10: Sprony (1,475.00 in chips)
Sprony : Post Small Blind (15)
drnkyguy13: Post Big Blind (30)
Dealing...
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Td ]
Dealt to fasin8ning [ 2d ]
kgammel : Raise (60)
bammom3 : Fold
fasin8ning: Call (60)
kingsalmon_1: Fold
Sprony : Fold
drnkyguy13: Call (30)
*** FLOP *** : [ 5c Kd 5d ]
drnkyguy13: Check
kgammel : Bet (65)
fasin8ning: Raise (190)
drnkyguy13: Fold
kgammel : Call (125)
*** TURN *** : [ 5c Kd 5d ] [ 9d ]
kgammel : Check
fasin8ning: Check
*** RIVER *** : [ 5c Kd 5d 9d ] [ 6h ]
kgammel : Check
fasin8ning: Check


HAND 7
Just to show you I dont do this with every suited bullshit.

Game #1335242576 (Level IV, Game #7) - 30/60 No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2006/03/07-23:00:11.2 (CST)
Table "Campeche" ($5 tournament) -- Seat 2 is the button
Seat 2: drnkyguy13 (1,015.00 in chips)
Seat 3: kgammel (1,300.00 in chips)
Seat 4: bammom3 (3,315.00 in chips)
Seat 6: fasin8ning (2,185.00 in chips)
Seat 9: kingsalmon_1 (980.00 in chips)
Seat 10: Sprony (1,205.00 in chips)
kgammel : Post Small Blind (30)
bammom3 : Post Big Blind (60)
Dealing...
Dealt to fasin8ning [ 2s ]
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Ts ]
fasin8ning: Fold


HAND 8
Stealing.

Game #1335250652 (Level V, Game #4) - 50/100 No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2006/03/07-23:04:00.4 (CST)
Table "Campeche" ($5 tournament) -- Seat 3 is the button
Seat 2: drnkyguy13 (595.00 in chips)
Seat 3: kgammel (1,740.00 in chips)
Seat 4: bammom3 (3,125.00 in chips)
Seat 6: fasin8ning (2,065.00 in chips)
Seat 9: kingsalmon_1 (860.00 in chips)
Seat 10: Sprony (1,615.00 in chips)
bammom3 : Post Small Blind (50)
fasin8ning: Post Big Blind (100)
Dealing...
Dealt to fasin8ning [ 7d ]
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Ac ]
kingsalmon_1: Fold
Sprony : Fold
drnkyguy13: Fold
kgammel : Call (100)
bammom3 : Fold
fasin8ning: Raise (350)
kgammel : Fold
fasin8ning: Winner -- doesn't show cards


HAND 9
I was stealing in Hand 8 and getting stole from in Hand 9 . Stupid Stupid Stupid. If I was a girl you should call me Moronica.

Game #1335251389 (Level V, Game #5) - 50/100 No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2006/03/07-23:04:25.3 (CST)
Table "Campeche" ($5 tournament) -- Seat 4 is the button
Seat 2: drnkyguy13 (595.00 in chips)
Seat 3: kgammel (1,640.00 in chips)
Seat 4: bammom3 (3,075.00 in chips)
Seat 6: fasin8ning (2,215.00 in chips)
Seat 9: kingsalmon_1 (860.00 in chips)
Seat 10: Sprony (1,615.00 in chips)
fasin8ning: Post Small Blind (50)
kingsalmon_1: Post Big Blind (100)
Dealt to fasin8ning [ 9c ]
Dealt to fasin8ning [ 5d ]
Sprony : Fold
drnkyguy13: Fold
kgammel : Call (100)
bammom3 : Fold
fasin8ning: Call (50)
kingsalmon_1: Check
*** FLOP *** : [ Kd 6s 9d ]
fasin8ning: Bet (100)
kingsalmon_1: Fold
kgammel : Call (100)
*** TURN *** : [ Kd 6s 9d ] [ 3h ]
fasin8ning: Bet (100)
kgammel : Call (100)
*** RIVER *** : [ Kd 6s 9d 3h ] [ 7h ]
fasin8ning: Bet (250)
kgammel : Call (250)
*** SUMMARY ***
Pot: 1,200 | Board: [ Kd 6s 9d 3h 7h ]
drnkyguy13 didn't bet (folded)
kgammel bet 550, collected 1,200, net +650 (showed hand) [ Ac Ad ] (a pair of aces)
bammom3 didn't bet (folded)
fasin8ning lost 550 (showed hand) [ 9c 5d ] (a pair of nines)


HAND 10
Standard.

Game #1335255000 (Level V, Game #8) - 50/100 No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2006/03/07-23:06:03.8 (CST)
Table "Campeche" ($5 tournament) -- Seat 10 is the button
Seat 2: drnkyguy13 (695.00 in chips)
Seat 3: kgammel (2,290.00 in chips)
Seat 4: bammom3 (3,075.00 in chips)
Seat 6: fasin8ning (1,865.00 in chips)
Seat 9: kingsalmon_1 (660.00 in chips)
Seat 10: Sprony (1,415.00 in chips)
drnkyguy13: Post Small Blind (50)
kgammel : Post Big Blind (100)
Dealing...
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Kc ]
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Ad ]
bammom3 : Fold
fasin8ning: Raise (400)
kingsalmon_1: Fold
Sprony : Fold
drnkyguy13: Fold
kgammel : Fold
fasin8ning: Winner -- doesn't show cards

HAND 11
This is where I get pissed at the world.. I should have played this fricken hand. Now I feel like I missed a huge oppotunity and I am starting to tilt a little. Iam fricken pissed and I am stupid for playing so tight.

Game #1335262271 (Level VI, Game #4) - 100/200 No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2006/03/07-23:09:15.8 (CST)
Table "Campeche" ($5 tournament) -- Seat 10 is the button
Seat 2: drnkyguy13 (1,390.00 in chips)
Seat 3: kgammel (1,545.00 in chips)
Seat 4: bammom3 (2,925.00 in chips)
Seat 6: fasin8ning (1,715.00 in chips)
Seat 9: kingsalmon_1 (810.00 in chips)
Seat 10: Sprony (1,615.00 in chips)
drnkyguy13: Post Small Blind (100)
kgammel : Post Big Blind (200)
Dealing...
Dealt to fasin8ning [ 7s ]
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Ad ]
bammom3 : Fold
fasin8ning: Fold
kingsalmon_1: Fold
Sprony : Fold
drnkyguy13: Call (100)
kgammel : Check
*** FLOP *** : [ 9d 7c Ah ]
drnkyguy13: Bet (200)
kgammel : Fold
drnkyguy13: Winner -- doesn't show cards


HAND 12
Pushy .
Game #1335265278 (Level VI, Game #8) - 100/200 No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2006/03/07-23:10:38.3 (CST)
Table "Campeche" ($5 tournament) -- Seat 6 is the button
Seat 2: drnkyguy13 (1,890.00 in chips)
Seat 3: kgammel (1,245.00 in chips)
Seat 4: bammom3 (2,625.00 in chips)
Seat 6: fasin8ning (1,415.00 in chips)
Seat 9: kingsalmon_1 (610.00 in chips)
Seat 10: Sprony (2,215.00 in chips)
kingsalmon_1: Post Small Blind (100)
Sprony : Post Big Blind (200)
Dealing...
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Td ]
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Kd ]
drnkyguy13: Fold
kgammel : Fold
bammom3 : Fold
fasin8ning: Raise (1,415)
kingsalmon_1: Fold
Sprony : Fold
fasin8ning: Winner -- doesn't show cards

HAND 13
Shouldnt have done this. Shouldnt have done this .. Shouldnt have done this. Shouldnt have done this.

Game #1335266971 (Level VI, Game #10) - 100/200 No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2006/03/07-23:11:24.5 (CST)
Table "Campeche" ($5 tournament) -- Seat 10 is the button
Seat 2: drnkyguy13 (2,090.00 in chips)
Seat 3: kgammel (1,245.00 in chips)
Seat 4: bammom3 (2,625.00 in chips)
Seat 6: fasin8ning (1,715.00 in chips)
Seat 9: kingsalmon_1 (510.00 in chips)
Seat 10: Sprony (1,815.00 in chips)
drnkyguy13: Post Small Blind (100)
kgammel : Post Big Blind (200)
Dealing...
Dealt to fasin8ning [ 5c ]
Dealt to fasin8ning [ 4c ]
bammom3 : Fold
fasin8ning: Call (200)
kingsalmon_1: Raise (510)
Sprony : Fold
drnkyguy13: Fold
kgammel : Fold
fasin8ning: Call (310)

HAND 14
And this is it. Q J best I could do . I went on tilt and lost 4 more tournys.

Game #1335269913 (Level VII, Game #3) - 150/300 No Limit Texas Hold'em - 2006/03/07-23:12:41.7 (CST)
Table "Campeche" ($5 tournament) -- Seat 4 is the button
Seat 2: drnkyguy13 (1,990.00 in chips)
Seat 3: kgammel (895.00 in chips)
Seat 4: bammom3 (3,075.00 in chips)
Seat 6: fasin8ning (905.00 in chips)
Seat 9: kingsalmon_1 (1,320.00 in chips)
Seat 10: Sprony (1,815.00 in chips)
fasin8ning: Post Small Blind (150)
kingsalmon_1: Post Big Blind (300)
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Jc ]
Dealt to fasin8ning [ Qs ]
Sprony : Fold
drnkyguy13: Fold
kgammel : Raise (895)
bammom3 : Fold
fasin8ning: Raise All-in (755)
kingsalmon_1: Fold
*** FLOP *** : [ Ah 8c Js ]
*** TURN *** : [ Ah 8c Js ] [ Th ]
*** RIVER *** : [ Ah 8c Js Th ] [ 7c ]
*** SUMMARY ***
Pot: 2,090 | Board: [ Ah 8c Js Th 7c ]
drnkyguy13 didn't bet (folded)
kgammel bet 895, collected 2,090, net +1,195 (showed hand) [ Ad Qh ] (a pair of aces)
bammom3 didn't bet (folded)
fasin8ning bet 905, collected 10, net -895 (showed hand) [ Jc Qs ] (a pair of jacks)

And thats it .. Pretty much Iam fricken upset with myself and my BR is diminished. Iam down about 70%.

[gabe]

tell me what you were thinking on the first hand's flop

[fasin8ing]

tell me what you were thinking on the first hand's flop

I thought someone may have flopped trips. The I thought the chance of anyone calling a raise 5 1/2 times the blinds.. Jack makes more sense. Maybe A J .. Or maybe they are paying to draw. I would like to keep as many people in the hand as possible sense my bettor.... Is throwing out some chips. Yeah Boi is very loose, loves to bet into every flop. Everyone took it as such. 140 on the turn.. I will call that too... Paired board scared me. I made 525 net of this hand.. I was happy with that.

[Renton]

Hand 1: Weak play on all streets IMO. Although the preflop raise was 5.5 times the big blind, thats still too small because its only %5 of the effective stacks. I would raise this to about 10xbb at this point in the tourney. Early in a sng the idea is to get superaggressive with your big hands. Since it was a loose table, that gives you even more reason to raise bigger, 'cuz you're getting action no matter what. The rest of the hand you should have bet more aggressively, the check/calling isn't cutting it. I doubt you were beat here but its definitely possible. It would have been correct to call your preflop raise with 89s, 99, QTs, 8Ts, or a variety of other drawing hands just because of the implied odds you gave.

Hand 2: Fold or raise preflop. AJo cannot be played passively successfully. Similar to the previous hand, you just weren't aggressive enough, (although, like I said, I fold here preflop anyway).

Hand 3: Fold preflop. Again. ATo sucks, even for a half a bet, your oop, and its early in the sng. This early there's no point in ever playing a marginal hand like ATo. As played, it looks like you are ahead, unless he hit a set of 22 or 44. He could just be a donk with JT.

Hand 4: Fold preflop. As played fold the flop. As played past the flop, fold the turn. As played past the turn, push the river.

Hand 5: Standard play on all streets. Unfortunately Villain's bet was a steal and you had a legit hand.

Hand 6: Fold.

Hand 7:

Hand 8: Standard resteal. Good play.

Hand 9: Fold preflop. As played, check/fold flop. As played past the flop, check/fold turn... you know where I'm going with this. Also don't show your hand at show down. It's kinda embarassing

Hand 10: Raise between 250 and 300 preflop.

Hand 11: Fold. You did fine. You can't anticipate that. Its only top and bottom pair. You aren't even that big of a favorite against a stronger Ax. Flopping two pair happens about 2% of the time, and you can't bank on it.

Hand 12: No problem with this play. I like to make plays like this occasionally just to throw off the tight/solid image. However you are only getting called by a dominating hand so be careful with it.

Hand 13: The bet in the first place was weak. The call was fine. You are getting 3:1 on your money and are probably a 2:1 underdog. You stand to make money in the long run with this play.

hand 14: Pick a better spot. You have to have what Harrington calls "first in vigorish" to profit off of pushing with QJ. You didn't have it. Someone pushed first and due to Gap concept you made a tragic call.

PS: Bankroll diminished 70% from a 6-7 tourny losing streak. This sounds like poor BR management. You should play small stakes ring and bonus whore until you have enough. I wouldn't play SNG's exclusively unless I had at least like 1000 bucks.

[swiggidy]

I like what Renton said. Look at this:

1. Slowplayed - won a little
2. Slowplayed - lost a little
3. Flastplayed - Questionable, but you got paid off
4. Slowplayed - lost chips to a scare card
5. Slowplayed - won a little
6. You bet a draw hard, then slowplayed when your card hit - won a little
7. Fastplayed - Won hand

So, in the early blind levels you slowplay good hands and agressivley play questionable hands? Play everything agressivley here, it's +eV.

11. What's the proper play here with < 10BB? Push pre-flop. Are you comfortable pushing A7 with your tourney life on the line? Ooooh you sucked out against AK, are you happy now?
13. What's the proper play here with < 10BB? Push pre-flop. Are you comfortable pusing 45s with you tourney life on the line? No. Fold.

[jungy121]

it seems to me you're too passive, calling with tptk on a raised pot, check calling on a paired board with overpair. need to be more aggressive.

in the first hand, when you had kings, you raised preflop, yet you checkcalled a flop bet. you should lead out here and if you get called, beware of trip 9's. so you can either check call the turn or lead out on the turn and do the same for the river. if the betting gets too big, be ready to muckyour hand. in a 5 dollar sng, most people are too aggressive then they should be, so don't be so passive. being aggressive is key.

[Renton]

also I don't want you to think I am an expert by how elaborate my post was. I have played probably about a hundred or so sngs in my career (mostly Party 11s). I ran really well for the few I played, with an ROI of about 40%. I didn't quit because I didn't do well at them. I just don't find them enjoyable or profitable enough. I have however, read A LOT about sng theory, and I based my critique off that.

I am just saying don't take what I say as pure gospel. There are better people for that (Scuba Chuck, ilikeaces, trikflow, vqc, dwarfman, etc.).

[GatorJH]

As played past the flop, fold the turn

Renton, I think you missed that he hit the nut flush on the turn.

Fasin8ing,
I am not going to comment on every hand as there are already some good comments by Renton and Swiggidy. However, I will comment on what appears to be your style of play. Do you remember this quote from me in one of your prior posts?

In general I would say that it appears as if you back off of hands too quickly whenever you get any resistance. Don't be concerned that you are behind every time someone calls your bets.

It is quite evident that you are playing way too many hands and then playing them passively. I would suggest that you dramatically cut down on the hands that you enter a pot with and focus on playing the hands that you do get involved with much more aggressively.

As Swiggidy pointed out your passive play is allowing you to win numerous small pots, however winning at tournament poker isn't about winning the most pots, it's about winning the most CHIPS.


Edit: I would like to point out that your style of play is quite consistent with how I used to play as well. Once I changed my style of play (after taking the same beatings then that you do now both on the board and at the table) I discovered that I have dramatically cut down on my 4th - 6th place finishes, and increased my ROI because now I finish 1st or 2nd more often than 3rd due to an increase in chips when the field gets thinned. Keep plugging away, you'll get there.

[swiggidy]

In general I would say that it appears as if you back off of hands too quickly whenever you get any resistance. Don't be concerned that you are behind every time someone calls your bets.

I like this comment a lot. Although in this case the only hand you bet and got called was hand 6, and when you had middle pair (so maybe you should be concerned).

Without a read, I view calls as weak. If you have TPTK or better, bet 2/3-full pot on flop, 1/2-full on turn, if you get called both times there is reason to be concerned by the river.

A main reason I am moderately successful is because people call pot sized bets with worse than TPTK, repeatedly.

[Renton]

As played past the flop, fold the turn

Renton, I think you missed that he hit the nut flush on the turn.

OOPS I thought he backdoored the flush.

[andy-akb]

Hand 1: You say that you are scared of trips, why dont you raise his flop bet to see where you stand? By just check calling all the way down you have no idea where you are at in the hand. It is that scary of a flop

Hand 2: Id say fold preflop, but with so many people in the hand you are getting incredible odds to call. Flop play I think is fine, I guess I dont see this as a bad hand

Hand 4: Early in the tourney I really dont like this limp, disregarding the preflop play, you played fine.

Hand 5: Why not raise the turn?

Hand 6: You have no business being in this hand, especially after an UTG raise. I dont understand your postflop play at all either. Raise the flop on a flush draw, the flush comes and then you check it down? Why did you play this hand if when it hit you dont bet?

Hand 9: After call on the flop, why didnt you slow down? And if he is calling a 100 bet on the flop, why would he fold to a 100 bet on the turn when there is more in the pot? On the river, what hands that you beat would call that bet?

Hand 10: Im not sure a raise of 4xBB is "standard." Id go with around 300, not a bad play though as sometimes you have to vary your raises, I dont know if Id want to be discouraging action that much though, so Id go with a smaller raise

Hand 11: You should have played it because you would have hit 2 pair on the flop. DONT BE SO RESULTS ORIENTED. You are in EP, you have a marginal hand and a very small stack in relation to the blinds. I dont think its a bad play to fold this, simply calling or making a small raise I think would be worse with such a small stack.

Hand 12: Standard.

Hand 13: I have no idea what you are doing here or why you would think this is a good idea.

Hand 14: This is a hand I would rather push with than call a push with. BUT your M is 2, you have to call this.

11. What's the proper play here with < 10BB? Push pre-flop. Are you comfortable pushing A7 with your tourney life on the line? Ooooh you sucked out against AK, are you happy now?

I dont know how much I like that. Heads up <10BB, yes defitely push. But you also have to look at your opponents stacks here, every single player left to act has a smaller stack than him so they are getting ready to make a move too. His stack is borderline, if it were less than 1500, Id push. Otherwise I dont think folding here is horrible, maybe this is a leak in my game, but given the circumstances I can see the fold and I think the only reason he is complaining is because he saw the flop

13. What's the proper play here with < 10BB? Push pre-flop. Are you comfortable pusing 45s with you tourney life on the line? No. Fold.

Same as the last statement. His M is over 5, he is 2nd to act and he has a very marginal hand. With the last hand I could atleast see a push, but with this hand I really cant imagine this is +EV. I don't have SNGPT, and if this hand is +EV then tell me, I think pushing would be a very marginal play, much much better than limping/calling though.

[swiggidy]

^^^
I'm not saying he should push. I meant that since he's < 10 BB his options are to push or fold, which one is it going to be?

[andy-akb]

^^^
I'm not saying he should push. I meant that since he's < 10 BB his options are to push or fold, which one is it going to be?

When looking over your post again I realized I had misread what you said, sorry about that.

[Scuba Chuck]

I haven't read any of the replys, and I am only going to comment on your early hands ( I think hands 1-10).

If you go back and review your hands, I think you'll find a general theme. Your strategy is too weak-tight, and you have somehow become (or always were) a calling station. Then, as is the normal case with weak-tighties, they overplay their more marginal hands (see AT/AJ for example).

Your edge in these games come from:
1) preflop hand selection
2) loose less when behind
3) make more when ahead
4) Play better postflop (skill most here still need to master, self included).

I would recommend you think about these edges that you are trying to master, and how to apply them at the table.

[fasin8ing]

I will take all of your advice to the tables next tourny and try to tweak my game. Thanks a ton for figuring out what Iam doing wrong. Alot of your comments made sense to me. I appreciate them all. Gator, I know I must frustrate you sometimes... But thanks for pointing out stuff and knocking me in my hard head. I guess lately I have tried mixing my game up to get that comfy feel. Apparently , this is not what I should be doing. I can go tight all day long levels 1,2,3. I wanted to mix some of that up with a mixture of cards. Profitable??? Im not sure... However; looking back at everything I have ever posted on FTR seems like I oughta stick with tight agressive play. Whats difficult about this lately... People are coming over the top of me ... With second best and catching cards on the turn and river and beating me. I tilted for a couple days.. I am ready to get back to the grind. My BR sustained my ignorance ... Thank god. Thanks for all of your advice.

[GatorJH]

Gator, I know I must frustrate you sometimes... But thanks for pointing out stuff and knocking me in my hard head.

No Problem. That's what this board is all about.

Whats difficult about this lately... People are coming over the top of me ... With second best and catching cards on the turn and river and beating me.

Try this (it worked for me) - keep track of all the times second best DOESN'T catch up to you and you win a bunch of chips. It is very easy to remember the bad beats, but you should try to notice that they happen less often than the other way around.

[swiggidy]

I guess lately I have tried mixing my game up to get that comfy feel. Apparently , this is not what I should be doing. I can go tight all day long levels 1,2,3. I wanted to mix some of that up with a mixture of cards.

I do the exact same thing. I'll run off 3-4 ITM in a row (partially due to good cards) so I'll try to step my game up a notch by not being so tight. Then I finish OTM for the next 4.

It seems like I need to stay tight (as long as I'm +10BB) until there are 5 people left, which may be level 6+.