two hands, same tourn

[lockpull]

This is early in the tourn and I would say all players here are better players than I so hand strength is going to have to play a bigger part of this tourn than trying to outplay them IMO. Not sure if shoving this is the way to go. Maybe call and reevaluate flop? Just seems like a lot of my stack to just call but too good a hand to lay down vs a better player.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $10+$1 Tournament, 10/20 Blinds (5 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB (t1580)
UTG (t1490)
Hero (MP) (t1560)
Button (t1440)
SB (t1430)

Hero's M: 52.00

Preflop: Hero is MP with A, K
UTG bets t60, Hero raises to t160, 3 folds, UTG raises to t420, Hero raises to t1560 (All-In), UTG calls t1070 (All-In)

This next hand I am still kicking myself for. Not sure what the best move is here. I have dumped over a third of my chips so far and may be getting bluffed by air or a worse hand but it just seems like he has an A here a lot, maybe a FD to go with. Again, since I am out of my league skill wise maybe this is a call and I am overthinking it. I am also interested on which street did I make the biggest mistake (if I did)?


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $10+$1 Tournament, 15/30 Blinds (7 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (SB) (t1540)
BB (t1180)
UTG (t2758)
MP1 (t1375)
MP2 (t1350)
CO (t947)
Button (t1375)

Hero's M: 34.22

Preflop: Hero is SB with J, J
5 folds, Hero bets t100, BB calls t70

Flop: (t200) 10, 5, A (2 players)
Hero bets t150, BB calls t150

Turn: (t500) 7 (2 players)
Hero bets t300, BB raises to t930 (All-In), Hero ????

[taipan168]

Hand 1: Tough spot. If UTG is a winning regular I lay it down after he 4-bets less than all in because I'd say his range is QQ+ and maybe AK. Against a LAGGtard this is an easy shove over. Against an unknown I probably shove over and hope for the best. The problem with flatting and waiting for an A/K/monster draw flop is that you may fold the best hand a lot of the time, plus I hate flatting for 1/3 of my stack then folding the flop.

Hand 2: Preflop and flop are fine (I'd probably make it 120-130 on the flop but meh) but once he calls definitely check the turn and see what opp does. As played, this is a tough spot because you're getting 2.75:1 on the turn call and opp could be doing this with a draw or other hand you beat. You could have avoided this sticky situation by not betting the turn - every time you bet, you need to think about the pot odds that a) you're offering to opp but in this case b) you'll be getting on the call if opp shoves over. Personally I think this might be a crying call because of the pot odds you're getting. Bad spot though.

[baudib]

First I would not assume that $11 SnG players are better than you. The fact that you think about poker enough to post hands here probably makes you better than half the field by default. Second unless this is a super LAGfish few $11 players are capable of 4-bet bluffing UTG. I mean occasionally someone shows up with something really stupid here but I think it's an sick but easy fold on the first blind level.

Hand 2: Unless you have a read that he'd shove in with less than top pair you have to give up on the turn, even in BvB. At this level in BvB no one is folding any A; at worse I think he has a combo draw with an overcard to your JJ so 15 outs or so.

[lockpull]

I should have clarified my thinking on them being better. This was the FTR Gauntlet and against two different FTR regs.

Good point on what hands someone would 4bet oop. My best case scenario there was flipping for all my chips early in the tourn (and that is not so good of a spot in hindsight)

I see how the check on the turn would have allowed me more options in both this hand and later in the tourn. This fold (oops now you know) put me in a bad spot for the rest of it.

And Tai... on the 120-130 on the flop thing. Is that b/c the board is so dangerous for my hand that I still want to make the draws pay but keep myself from being too invested if he raises or a bad card (which there are many) comes on the turn?