Poker Forum by Poker is Rigged

So this tournament started about 6 months ago, every Tuesday at 6:30 pm.
Its a $65 USD buy-in, starting stack of 3000 BU and 25-50 blinds at 15 minutes intervals. There are usually something like 90+ players and the 1st place payout is somewhere in the range of $1200-1300, then $900 for 2nd, $740 for 3rd, etc. etc.

In late 2007 I was strictly a cash-game player, however since the turn of the year, I decided I would give tournaments a run - there usually is more money at stake PLUS the bankroll of the player has less of an effect on playing strategy.

So this MTT I have played in a couple of times, most of the time doing very well. The last time being about 3 weeks ago where I got to #14 (the bubble is #10).
This is typical of my playing ability in these big MTTs; I start off very strong, making good plays/raises/folds/calls but as the blinds increase, and other players start to get desperate, I find my confidence slipping. I cant tell you how many times I bust out of a tournament after outlasting 80 or 90% of the field....

I have a weird feeling about this one tonight, but I cant explain it.

I just need to learn how to play with huge blinds; so big that the chip leader only has 50x the BB and the average stack is 15 or 20x the BB (what would be considered short-stack in a normal tournament).

Any words of wisdom on how to play these late levels would be appreciated.

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First let me start off by saying that I really don't like that tournament structure and I'm amazed you've been so consistent! I would've thought variance would play a big role. But good work!

Late stages are always a problem. If you're big stack then it's easy to fear losing it or try too hard to keep it. This is how I play and is a general rule of thumb for all of my MTT play.

15-30 BBs. Play TAG. Tight aggressive. Don't open pots with suited connectors or suited aces. Play only premiums and limp VERY rarely especially at late stages. Keep it so tight and I really mean it. Your hand will come and it will double you up. If you start opening your range then you'll get committed and get your chips in behind and have to hope to luck out.

If you've got over 30bbs then really put the pressure on the table (depending on the sizes of the other stacks). Dominate them completely by opening pots and keeping the pressure up, just watch out for people clocking this and slow playing. IF you drop below 30bbs then play TAG again.

Of course <15bbs is push/fold imo, except on maybe 15 where you can make a raise (but no c-bet on a coordinated board).

I will get a hand like A10 in the BB, have about 11k in front of me, blinds at 500-1000 and the cutoff will push with 6k or so.

now i KNOW that in a real situation, A10 would be an insta-fold. but in those situations, i figure i could either be way ahead (because of his postion when he pushed), or way behind (like he didnt play a hand for 20 minutes previous)

its these types of situations i get lost in....

like getting 9s under the gun when you have 13x the BB ?
what do you do? limp and risk a reraise then push allin so you are risking your tournament life on a coinflip at best?
go all in UTG?
or just fold.....


i need more experience

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Tbh AT with 11bbs is a shove in most situations. As long as the player isn't big stack and playing tight then you have to get your money in there. 6bb stack is shoving a big range even if he is weak.

With the 99 hand.

That's a raise preflop UTG with 13x bb and a call if anyone shoves you. I'd say raise 2.5-3.5bbs UTG. If you get some sort of raise, reraise, shove then maybe you can fold. But 99 on that stack is a godsend.

but a raise with a midpair like 99 UTG is basically a commitment to put the rest of your stack in....regardless if another player has a hand

also, by acting first you leaving yourself open to the rest of the table.

three players could go all in behind you preflop, and then there you are, sitting with a pair of 9s facing three all-ins, one of which almost certainly has you beat....

its a tough situation

my gut instinct there, especially late in a tourney where everyone is pushing, is to call UTG. that way i can get out if there is too much action behind me, or face two strong overcards, or just face the blinds.

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Ok, so say you flat call UTG and it folds round to the BB who checks. You'll have no idea how to play the hand. It's best to raise here and hope that you have the opportunity to get your money in. Having 99 is something like 80% to be the best hand on a 9 handed table. I like those odds - so I'm happy to get my chips in with just 13bbs.

at around 12 BB i move into push fold mode. Your stack is starting to get smaller. Still big enough for you to be able to resteal if somone raises upto 3bb's behind you, you should be focusing on this at 12 BB as this will add the most value to your stack. And yes any raise preflop pretty much commits you post so i would opt for a push preflop however others would not.

How did it go Rockart? Did you get 99 UTG with 13bbs? lol

well. i guess it went ok. could have gone better....


i played for over 4 hours and got knocked out 13th out of 70 players total. the money starts at 9th.


it was a pretty run-of-the-mill tournament for me though, no serious hands or problems.
ill talk about a few, but other than these it was normal.
i was in my "comfort zone".


first off, within the first 10 hands of the tournament, there was a guy two spots to my left that was self-destructing.
before he got into a hand with me, he called off 350 of his chipstack preflop, then called 1100 on the flop, then folded on the turn. so he basically lost half of what he started with...

then i get Kc10c on the button and hes in the BB.

blinds are 50-100 at this point and its folded around to me.

i raise to 350, SB folds and he calls.

Flop comes: Kh Qc 5d rainbow

he leads out with 150, which is an incredibly small underbet. i raise to 600 strongly (i didnt want any problems with this chaser)
he calls quickly.

Turn comes 8d

before the dealer is even done putting the card down, this guy pushes all-in.

so im thinking, big blind? no straight draws or flush draws? i dont get it. i figured i had the best hand....

so i call, i flip my cards, he flips K 8

river is a 10...

JUSTICE!




i thought it was pretty funny that i was talking about 9s UTG yesterday, becuase that happened to me TWICE last night. one time at that same table, i got 9s 9h UTG, blinds were 75-150 so i limped.

all folds around to the cutoff - 1, who raises to 650.
the SB calls and I call.

flop comes 2 6 8 rainbow.

SB checks and I bet 1500.
now i was watching the guy who initially raised preflop as i put my chips in - and i knew at that moment i was beat. his eyes LIT UP when he saw me betting; i figured he had QQ or KK or maybe even aces.

anyway he pretended to be thinking for a LONG TIME (way too long is suspicious) before going all in for around 5000. i folded, and showed my 9s.

he said "oh all i had was an ace".......yea right.....






so i get moved to another table, where there seems to be a bunch of older rich, drunk guys. all seemingly friends and playing loose.

one hand i get Ad 7d in the BB - i have about 9k. blinds are 200-400 its all folded around to the SB, who looks at me while he calls to make sure im not going to raise. i dont....the SB had about 17k at this point in the tourney (big chip lead)

flop comes J J 9 rainbow with one diamond


he leads out with 1000 ????

im like wtf? rainbow flop and he overbets the pot with only one other player in the hand? thats REEKS of a bluff.

im seriously about to muck just becuase i dont want to take the chance, but i decide to call. perhaps it was stupid, but i called anyway.

turn was a Kd

he leads out again, 2000 this time..staring at me intently the whole time.

without hesitation i grab my 8k and push it in the middle with both hands.
he mucks immediately, saying "nice play".






then later in the tournament, when there was about 30-40 players left, i get black 9s under the gun AGAIN.
this time, becuase the blinds are getting steep, like 300-600 and i have around 9000 chips, i decide to raise UTG. i make it 1500 to go.

everyone folds around to a guy to is a couple spots to my right - a short stack. he says "well this is the best hand ive seen all night" as he pushes his 2300 in...

I call. he flips Jh 8h....

flops a jack....



then at that same table, not more than 5 minutes later, people are getting really desperate. im in the BB this hand, blinds are still 300-600. ive taken out a player and won a nice pot with great acting, so im hovering around 11k now.

UTG raises to 2k of his 8k total. folds all around to the cutoff, who pushes all in for his remaining 5500.

i look down and see: Jc Js

WTF?!! i hate this position. im either goign to commit my whole stack here or fold. i cant call and risk UTG going over the top, especially because he has like 4/5s of my chipstack.

so i folded....UTG calls and both these morons flip AK, but the cutoff has Ad Kd and UTG has offsuit.

flop comes Qd 3d 10s, so, gutshot, two overs and the nut flush for him.

turn and river come nothing tho, and they end up chopping.
so i would have won and taken out two players if i had pushed preflop.

but i had a nice stack and wasnt prepared to run jacks up against two sets of overcards.





so there i am, there are 14 people left in the tournament.

i have around 10k and the blinds are 500-1000 with 100 ante. im just WAITING for a hand to push with....

im UTG + 1 and get 8 8. i push and get called by AK short-stack. river is an ace. fair enough.


then i won a pot with KJ and took out a player, and won about 4k.
so im back to 13-14k.


then i get A 9 in late position a couple of hands later. everyone folds around to me and i make it 3300 to go.

the BB, who is a CRAZY player, loose/agressive, reraises allin for his 9500.
after a good while thinking i fold....probably smart, but maybe not.


anyway the hand i got knocked out on was this:

i was REALLY short stack now from being card-dead when the blinds are so high. plus the table was only 7 handed...

i get 3 7 offsuit in the BB and have about 4500 all together (rememebr blinds are 500-1000).

UTG limps, UTG + 1 limps and SB calls. I check.

flop comes J 7 5

SB checks, I check, UTG checks, UTG + looks like he wants to bet, but doesnt, and checks.

turn is a J

so now i have the next best pair on the board and i decide its time to take a stand.
i push for my 3500 or so.

UTG folds, UTG + 1 (who i was worried about calling) folds and the SB calls, saying "sorry dude i got a boat"

he flips J 5....



anyway it was fun. i did well and got pretty far into the field.

maybe next time.

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Unlucky rockart, seems like you played pretty well though. The AK v AK situation would've been perfect for you but i totally see why you folded. JJ just isnt good enough to risk your whole stack with if there has been a ton of action before your turn to act.

Is this a local card club of yours? Sounds like fun, i wish i had a card room local to me but id have to go into london if i wanted to play. Or go to some crappy ?5 game at a local pub ...