another sng down to the last 3 - did I play it wrong?

[rong]

Once again, all the hands once down to the last 3 in a 10 man torney, $2 level.

Once again the blinds were extremely high and I finished 3rd. What should I have done differently?

Hand 1

saw flop | saw showdown

Button DanAronG (3245)
BB Boston6 (3865)
Seat 4 somnus82 (7890)

Preflop: DanAronG is on the Button with J J
somnus82 raises to 7890, DanAronG moves all-in for 3245, 1 fold.

Flop (11435) 5 6 8

Turn (11435) Q

River (11435) 3

somnus82 shows K 9
DanAronG shows J J

DanAronG wins 6790 with One pair, Jacks

Hand 2

saw flop | saw showdown

SB Boston6 (3565)
BB somnus82 (4645)
Seat 7 DanAronG (6790)

Preflop: DanAronG is in Seat 7 with T Q
DanAronG raises to 6790, 2 folds

DanAronG shows T Q

DanAronG wins 7390 with High card: Queen

Hand 3

saw flop | saw showdown

Button Boston6 (3365)
SB somnus82 (4245)
BB DanAronG (7390)

Preflop: DanAronG is in the BB with 9 Q
Boston6 raises to 3365, 2 folds

Hand 4

saw flop | saw showdown

Button somnus82 (4045)
SB DanAronG (6990)
BB Boston6 (3965)

Preflop: DanAronG is in the SB with 3 9
2 folds

Hand 5

saw flop | saw showdown

Button DanAronG (6790)
SB Boston6 (4165)
BB somnus82 (4045)

Preflop: DanAronG is on the Button with 9 J
1 fold, Boston6 raises to 4165, 1 fold

Hand 6

saw flop | saw showdown

Button Boston6 (4565)
SB somnus82 (3645)
BB DanAronG (6790)

Preflop: DanAronG is in the BB with 6 7
2 folds

Hand 7

saw flop | saw showdown

Button somnus82 (3445)
SB DanAronG (6990)
BB Boston6 (4565)

Preflop: DanAronG is in the SB with K 7
1 fold, DanAronG raises to 6990, Boston6 moves all-in for 4165.

Flop (11555) Q 6 9

Turn (11555) 4

River (11555) 6

DanAronG shows K 7
Boston6 shows A K

Boston6 wins 11555 with One pair, Sixs

Hand 8
saw flop | saw showdown

Button DanAronG (2425)
SB Boston6 (9130)
BB somnus82 (3445)

Preflop: DanAronG is on the Button with 6 4
DanAronG raises to 2425, Boston6 calls 2225, 1 fold.

Flop (5250) 5 2 T

Turn (5250) 5

River (5250) 2

DanAronG shows 6 4
Boston6 shows A A

Boston6 wins 5250 with Two pair, Aces and Fives with a Ten for a kicker

[bjsaust]

Preflop: DanAronG is in Seat 7 with T Q
DanAronG raises to 6790, 2 folds

DanAronG shows T Q

DanAronG wins 7390 with High card: Queen

Why?

Last shove seems tilty.

[drmcboy]

locate the auto muck option

[tuuk2]

For what it's worth coming from me, I think that you pushed too much with less than premium hands. You acted like you were the short stack, not the chip leader. The K-7 is risky IMO. What were the blinds and antes anyway?

[taipan168]

You really need to find a converter that indicates how big the blinds are (or add them in manually if it won't). Just too hard to give you proper advice without this info.

[GatorJH]

Also let us know if you REALLY are showing your hands when you win a pot and, if so, why?

[rong]

sorry, it reports it weirdly. Never ever show hands.

Blinds were 400/800

[tuuk2]

sorry, it reports it weirdly. Never ever show hands.

Blinds were 400/800

I think my comments still stand then. You're the chip leader, so you're not the desparate one. The other two are. I'm not playing 6-4 from the button, it's not worth it. I know you're trying to remain aggressive, but if you're getting played back at, then you're just spewing chips.

Take it from someone like me who sometimes gets stupid when I'm in the same situation as you are. Don't try to force the issue with aggressiveness just because you think you should. As long as you are the chip leader, you're the one in charge. Let the other two fight it out unless you get a decent hand. Especially after you got caught trying to steal with the K-7.

[Nakamura]

You are giving away information and encouraging opponents to call you wide by showing hands like QTos. I would not even advocate showing AA, as you opponents will start thinking .... "Well, why isn't he showing a majority of his hands. He must be stealing most of the time." Which is a correct assessment, but why steer them along the thought process?

edit ... ok I mis-read your post re showing hands.

[Chopper]

how is Boston playing? tight/loose? if the btn folds to you, and you have the big stack, i am putting in a raise with atc most times if boston is playing at all tight. others are saying to play more premiums, and i think you need to keep the pressure on. make them play for their tourney life if they want to play something marginal.

i am likely raising J9 from the btn, too.

nothing you can do with K7 v AK imo. i dont have a problem raising KX....again, if boston is at all tight.

i am not a big fan of 46o w/o a read, but when AA calls, you aint gonna get much.

i dont think this is that big of a deal. you win some, you lose some. the key is aggression and knowing when, and with what, they will call. but, the main thing is to keep the pressure on THEM. if you clam up when the blinds are big in relation to your big stack, you will start to come back to the field. they wont draw premiums any more often than you. keep charging them for guessing at your trash.

[drmcboy]

these look fine quick eye ball

sngwiz will help

[tuuk2]

I don't disagree with what Chopper has to say. Obviously you should keep the pressure on them if you can. But I think selective agression is the key. If you push all the time, they are going to open their range up and call you with lesser cards that will still be miles ahead of your 4-6.

It all depends on the players. You've got to adjust. If they are willing to call you with J-10 or even less, stealing with your crap hands are less likely to be successful. If they are super tight, then you can get away with a few more steals. Of course, if you run into A-K they're pretty much going to call 100% of the time.

[Chopper]

i think tuuk and i will basically agree, but disagree over semantics.

but, i think the "changing gears" is self-explanatory. that part should be obvious to a poker player. you cant do one thing constantly and not have even the dumbest player pick up on a "pattern."

easy rule of thumb: when chip stacks are spread apart, take more risks....apply pressure. when, they get closer together, tighten up the belt a good bit.

if i am short, i HAVE to take some risks. if i am deep, i SHOULD take some risks...to knock villain(s) out. if we are all about equal, i should play cards that dont get dominated easily and pray the others get involved with each other.

pretty simple....from a macro/vacuum level. now, mix in your player reads and tweak your ranges/willingness to gamboool accordingly.

[rong]

I had no real reads on either player as I was four tabling and had two tables down to 3 players with high blinds. Only real info I had was that from 5 players onwards everyone went super tight and I was steeling loads while everyone else pretty much folded. Also, I had the sharkscope Hud and all of the players left on both this table and the other that I posted were overall losers. That sounds like I'm insulting them, I'm not, they just all had negative ROI and negative total profit.

On this table, my thoughts are that I played all of the hands correctly aside from the 46 which I went out on, that was tilt I think, for that one I should of waited for the next hand. But I'm pretty happy with the rest, even the Kx pushes, I think 3 handed at high blinds that is the correct play.

Thanks to all for your advice, much appreciated to get a few other opinions.

[Chopper]

Only real info I had was that from 5 players onwards everyone went super tight and I was steeling loads while everyone else pretty much folded

this part i have a problem with....you understand what happens on the bubble and after it pops, right?

[rong]

Only real info I had was that from 5 players onwards everyone went super tight and I was steeling loads while everyone else pretty much folded

this part i have a problem with....you understand what happens on the bubble and after it pops, right?

Yes, I was just giving you the only info I had. And I appreciate you may say everyone does that, but I sure don't. If the whole table tightens up, I loosen up and start steeling. Nobody else had the balls/insight to do that, that's all I was pointing out.

[Chopper]

right, and all i am pointing out is that after the bubble stops, they arent as afraid to gambool anymore. so, you need to tighten up.....not continue stealing with trashy/speculative hands.

if you were the aggressor on the bubble, they were just waiting for you to try it when they held an A or pp....or worse. just make sure YOU adjust when the bubble pops, too.

[rong]

Very true, the dynamics of the game change considerably at this point. Perhaps the K7 should have been a 2.5bb raise rather than a push.

[Chopper]

Very true, the dynamics of the game change considerably at this point. Perhaps the K7 should have been a 2.5bb raise rather than a push.

now there's another question. we hear that under 10 BBs is push or fold time. well, i am starting to disagree. i think we need to mix it up a little. we have to be willing to soft bet monsters as well as our trash, though, so we dont tip our hands.

i get paranoid about only raising 3X with trash and shoving big hands. i think thats too easy to read.

oh, and when short, i dabble with the stupid minraise into nits because THEY are playing a push/fold and i dont want to A- risk more than necessary to get the job done, and B- make them think "he'd only do that with a monster. he is begging for a call."

any other thoughts?

[taipan168]

now there's another question. we hear that under 10 BBs is push or fold time. well, i am starting to disagree. i think we need to mix it up a little. we have to be willing to soft bet monsters as well as our trash, though, so we dont tip our hands.

i get paranoid about only raising 3X with trash and shoving big hands. i think thats too easy to read.

oh, and when short, i dabble with the stupid minraise into nits because THEY are playing a push/fold and i dont want to A- risk more than necessary to get the job done, and B- make them think "he'd only do that with a monster. he is begging for a call."

any other thoughts?

Don't bother with this strategy at low buyins, just stick to learning and applying good push/fold (and even after many thousands of SNGs I still get it wrong from time to time). The minraise trick might work at high buyins ($50+) but it will be a total waste of time and chips at low buyins.