how to avoid suckouts

[TheDoc]

it seems like 90% of the tournies i get knocked out of is because someone made a bad call when i had them dominated and sucked out on me, what are ways to prevent this seeing as its driving me nuts!

[TheDoc]

for example preflop i push with ak get called by aqo and kqo, which makes me a 70 % favor vs 19 % and 9 % respectively, of course a q comes on the flop so im now drawing dead.

then another hand: was QQ vs a7o vs kqo, granted im only a 45 % fav or so, a k hits on the flop and i get no help.

The thing that irks me is im getting my money in before everyone else knowing i have the best hand and people are calling when they are dominated and catching. It's extremely frustrating even if it is the 5+1 on pr or the 2+0 on stars which my broll more then covers. It just bothers me knowing im playing good poker and not seeing results in tournaments, as My best finish has been 11th out of 100 just out of the final table in a 5+1 on pr, which i was chip leader at one point.

Is this one of those things that I just have to ride out and eventually things will work out?

[DaNutsInYoEye]

Ok, I have a guaranteed way to avoid suckouts... It's called not playing poker.

[scottyses]

Expert players can minimize suckouts by going all in less preflop and making their big moves on the flop and beyond. If you know when to holdem and when to foldem after the flop, you have a much better chance at avoiding suckouts. Once you are all in the only thing to do is watch the cards fall and hope your odds hold up. If you have chips left though, you may be able to push weaker hands out of the pot or save yourself when flop comes down ugly and you meet a lot of aggression.

[Darby]

As i am learning more about poker, I have learned this... In a tournament, you only need to be sucked out on once, and it can be over. There is a reason great tournament players like Phil Hellmuth dont like being all in. Even a 3-1 favorite can easily be on the wrong end of it. In a cash game, keep pushing QQ if you are getting calls from A-7o etc. In a tournament, when you are not short stacked, you are generally better off seeing the flop, and then going from there. If you have QQ and the flop is A-K-3 and someone goes all in, you would obviously fold. I have to believe that anyone who would call your all in would have either an A, or a K, which makes them at worst a 2-1 dog. So, 1 out of 3 times, you are out of the tournament. Tournaments are about survival and outlasting everone else. You dont want to risk your chips in tournaments without a big edge. Granted, if you shortstacked you have to make moves, but when you are comfortable, the best way to avoid suckouts is to avoid risking your tournament on marginal situations such as being like a 60-40 favorite, or even worse a coinflip.

Other than that, get your money in with the best of it and in the long run you will be ok. Short term just let the cards fall how they may, but remember in tournaments anytime you are all in, you risk getting knocked out. Even as a 4-1 favorite preflop, you can get knocked out. Not that you shouldnt get all your chips in with AA, but try to avoid situations where you are all in with like AK, AQ or so when you arent short stacked. Then play your position, stack, and your opponents stack on the flop.

[|~|ypermegachi]

the better a player you are, the more suckouts you'll endure. it doesn't work the other way around, because being a good player you won't put yourself in such bad situations to begin with.

[AllinLife]

I bet you do

[ectomorph]

As i am learning more about poker, I have learned this... In a tournament, you only need to be sucked out on once, and it can be over. There is a reason great tournament players like Phil Hellmuth dont like being all in. Even a 3-1 favorite can easily be on the wrong end of it. In a cash game, keep pushing QQ if you are getting calls from A-7o etc. In a tournament, when you are not short stacked, you are generally better off seeing the flop, and then going from there. If you have QQ and the flop is A-K-3 and someone goes all in, you would obviously fold. I have to believe that anyone who would call your all in would have either an A, or a K, which makes them at worst a 2-1 dog. So, 1 out of 3 times, you are out of the tournament. Tournaments are about survival and outlasting everone else. You dont want to risk your chips in tournaments without a big edge. Granted, if you shortstacked you have to make moves, but when you are comfortable, the best way to avoid suckouts is to avoid risking your tournament on marginal situations such as being like a 60-40 favorite, or even worse a coinflip.

Other than that, get your money in with the best of it and in the long run you will be ok. Short term just let the cards fall how they may, but remember in tournaments anytime you are all in, you risk getting knocked out. Even as a 4-1 favorite preflop, you can get knocked out. Not that you shouldnt get all your chips in with AA, but try to avoid situations where you are all in with like AK, AQ or so when you arent short stacked. Then play your position, stack, and your opponents stack on the flop.

Nice post. I agree.