Brantford Bounty - August 11 - trip report
I decided to play the bounty tournament at Brantford on Sunday - hoping for a back-to-back cash. Bounty tournaments are not my forte. I don't really play to take people out as much as make value bets with my big hands. But with Blondefish's endorsement of the rake structure, and a chance to see the legend himself for the first time in several years, I thought I would try the bounty tournament.
Nothing much happened in the first four blind levels. I went into the first break slightly above starting stack. I didn't have many playable hand. At one point, the two loosest players at the table ended up all in on a queen high flop. The the caller had flopped and open-ended draw, and the pusher (who was the big stack) had flopped trip queens. The caller made the straight on the river. The next hand, the former big stack raised in MP. It was so clear he was tilting. I had pocket 9's in the BB, and four of us ended up seeing the flop. I was hoping for a good board, because I knew the LAG player was likely to bet away his stack. The flop came down A-10-x rainbow. LAG player bet out, but a player behind called. I had to fold to the caller. LAG bet the turn, and was called. LAG checked the river, and the caller bet a relatively small amount and LAG folded. He had bet away most of his formerly big stack.
I still didn't manage to catch any cards, but I managed to steal a few pots. The best hand I saw was pocket 6's on the button, which got me a medium pot. With the blinds 300-600, I had A-10 in the cutoff. I was thinking about making a play with it, but there was one limper before it was my turn to act. I decided to flat call. The button raised to 1800, and there were two callers before it was my turn. Getting better than 5:1 on my money, with position, I called.The flop came down A-2-3 rainbow. Check, check to me, I checked, and the original raiser checked. I was pretty sure my ace was good at this point. The turn was a jack. Check, check to me, and I bet out 4000. The button folded, and LAG who was now the big stack at the table raised to 10000. The other player folded. I instantly shoved. The LAG Hollywooded for a bit, and eventually asked for a count to know what I had behind - which was a bit more than 4000. He Hollywooded for a bit more, said he thought he was drawing dead, and eventually folded. I lied and said I had hit top two on the turn.
This gave me chips, which makes the game much easier to play. A few hands later, I picked up pocket 6's in the SB. There were five players to the flop without a raise. The flop came down A-6-5 rainbow. I checked and it was checked around. The turn turn was a 10 of spades, which gave two spades. I bet out 1500 and got two callers. The river was the ace of spades, which made the flush, but also made my boat. I bet out 2500, got two callers. They had both made a flush on the river.
This gave me about 30000 in chips, when the average was around 13000. However, despite having the chip lead at the table, I still had no bounties. My best chance for a bounty was with the blinds 500-1000. I raised to 3000 with K-Q offsuit in late position. The BB pushed for about 7000 total. I called. He turned over pocket nines. The flop was K-10-x. The turn was a queen. And despite my pleas for the no jack on the river, the gutshot hit.
Two hands later, I finally got my best starting hand - pocket queens in BB. The LAG in MP limped in and there was one other caller. I raised 4000 more, and LAG called, the other player folded. Flop was K-8-7 with two spades. I bet out 5000, the LAG instantly shoved. I tanked. I couldn't figure out why he shoved. I thought either he had a crappy king, or a big draw. There was a chance I was ahead, but still had 15000 behind. I could afford the fold. I eventually folded reluctantly. I saw the LAG later and he said he had A-8. I guess my read was bad.
To be continued ...
Nothing much happened in the first four blind levels. I went into the first break slightly above starting stack. I didn't have many playable hand. At one point, the two loosest players at the table ended up all in on a queen high flop. The the caller had flopped and open-ended draw, and the pusher (who was the big stack) had flopped trip queens. The caller made the straight on the river. The next hand, the former big stack raised in MP. It was so clear he was tilting. I had pocket 9's in the BB, and four of us ended up seeing the flop. I was hoping for a good board, because I knew the LAG player was likely to bet away his stack. The flop came down A-10-x rainbow. LAG player bet out, but a player behind called. I had to fold to the caller. LAG bet the turn, and was called. LAG checked the river, and the caller bet a relatively small amount and LAG folded. He had bet away most of his formerly big stack.
I still didn't manage to catch any cards, but I managed to steal a few pots. The best hand I saw was pocket 6's on the button, which got me a medium pot. With the blinds 300-600, I had A-10 in the cutoff. I was thinking about making a play with it, but there was one limper before it was my turn to act. I decided to flat call. The button raised to 1800, and there were two callers before it was my turn. Getting better than 5:1 on my money, with position, I called.The flop came down A-2-3 rainbow. Check, check to me, I checked, and the original raiser checked. I was pretty sure my ace was good at this point. The turn was a jack. Check, check to me, and I bet out 4000. The button folded, and LAG who was now the big stack at the table raised to 10000. The other player folded. I instantly shoved. The LAG Hollywooded for a bit, and eventually asked for a count to know what I had behind - which was a bit more than 4000. He Hollywooded for a bit more, said he thought he was drawing dead, and eventually folded. I lied and said I had hit top two on the turn.
This gave me chips, which makes the game much easier to play. A few hands later, I picked up pocket 6's in the SB. There were five players to the flop without a raise. The flop came down A-6-5 rainbow. I checked and it was checked around. The turn turn was a 10 of spades, which gave two spades. I bet out 1500 and got two callers. The river was the ace of spades, which made the flush, but also made my boat. I bet out 2500, got two callers. They had both made a flush on the river.
This gave me about 30000 in chips, when the average was around 13000. However, despite having the chip lead at the table, I still had no bounties. My best chance for a bounty was with the blinds 500-1000. I raised to 3000 with K-Q offsuit in late position. The BB pushed for about 7000 total. I called. He turned over pocket nines. The flop was K-10-x. The turn was a queen. And despite my pleas for the no jack on the river, the gutshot hit.
Two hands later, I finally got my best starting hand - pocket queens in BB. The LAG in MP limped in and there was one other caller. I raised 4000 more, and LAG called, the other player folded. Flop was K-8-7 with two spades. I bet out 5000, the LAG instantly shoved. I tanked. I couldn't figure out why he shoved. I thought either he had a crappy king, or a big draw. There was a chance I was ahead, but still had 15000 behind. I could afford the fold. I eventually folded reluctantly. I saw the LAG later and he said he had A-8. I guess my read was bad.
To be continued ...
Comments
All of the rest of the interesting action happened at the 800-1600 level. I had about 30000 in chips when I picked up A-Q in MP. I raised to 4000 and the button reraised all-in to 5000 total. The SB thought for a bit, and then reraised all-in to about 15000 total. I thought for a bit, but I didn't have much of a read since I was new to the table. I finally folded my A-Q face up and the button turned over A-Q, with the BB turning over A-K. I was very happy with my fold. The board flopped queen high, and then I was sad. However, the turn and river were both kings, so my good play had paid off.
A few hands later, there were three limpers to me on the button. Once again, I had A-Q. I raised to 10000, and the first two blinds and first limper folded. The second limper pushed all in for not much more, and the third limper who was my LAG villain from the earlier table eventually folded. I called and saw pocket 8's against me. The flop was 9-10-J which was good for me. The turn was an 8, which gave my opponent a set, but gave me the straight. The river was a brick and I got my third bounty. I clearly had the short stack covered, but the dealer kept asking me to match the stacks she was pulling from the short stack. When she asked me for the last 1000 in black, I realized she thought the pocket 8's had won. She had turned over both hands, and I said to her that I had won the pot. The dealer and the pocket 8's player both didn't realize it. They turned all of the cards face up, including the board, and saw my straight. Thank goodness there was not argument from the short stack, because I didn't see the dealer turn down my hand first after the river.
My ultimate demise came with 19 players left in the tournament. The next hand I played was A-K in MP. I raised to 4000. The BB reraised me all-in to about 18000. At this point I had about 55000 in chips. I thought for a bit, but just couldn't fold the A-K and eventually called. The BB turned over A-K of hearts. I begged for no hearts on the flop, but there were two of them. The river was the eight of hearts - ouch.
A few hands later, UG pushed all-in for about 14000. UG+1, flat called with 6000 behind. The next player folded, and I looked down at A-K and called (which left me about 20000 behind). The player behind me, who had about 50000 tanked. I immediately realized I had made a big mistake. Eventually the player to my left called. Everyone else folded, and there were 4 to the flop of Q-Q-2. The first player pushed in his last 6000. I called and the player behind called. The turn was a 9. I checked, and the player behind me pushed all-in. I was disgusted with myself for not reraising all-in preflop and threw away my A-K. The first player turned over A-9, the second player turned over pocket kings, and the player to my left turned over pocket 9's. The river was an ace. It was my own fault. The pocket 9's never would have called an all-in bet from me preflop, and I would have rivered the pocket kings and counterfeited the A-9. This was a really stupid play on my part.
Two hands later, I pushed all-in with K-J and about 13000 in chips. I got called by one of the big stacks at the table with Q-9 suited. The flop gave me a jack, but a queen hit on the river and I was out in 16th place.
Why no lead out in unraised pot with A high flop with set? Lots of weak aces call there that never bet.
Why iso shove with AA against a small stack that hesitated in the first place?
What is value in showing you can fold AQ preflop? They are allin and you get to see their hands anyways.
I agree that this is a leak. I would pick up on this and play a little more agressive towards your blinds. Keep information to yourself.
It would be better for a player with a tight game to be perceived as aggressive (IE opening and then folding to a re-shove.
Because a bad player who doesnt understand shortstack play is going to call pre more often for his full stack than hes going to call off flops (unless he hits sets.)
The +EV play here is to shove knowing hes calling near always.
Good TR.
It sucks when you look back and realize the mistakes you made that prevented you from going further in the tourney. As long as we (poker players) learn from them and get better we will be all the better in the long run.
I take it it was a sell out?
The SB had no fold equity in my mind. It was not an iso shove, it was an attempt to get him all-in before the flop. It was his pattern to pause before acting. I didn't think there was any chance he would fold. He had already shown he would push all-in with 4 high - he knew he couldn't survive without a double up. Once he called the first raise, I knew he wouldn't fold.
This was probably a frustration move, and not a good poker move. The only justification I had was that this was my first hand played at the table with mostly new players, and I wanted to put it in their minds that I raised with strong hands. I was pretty sure I was going to need to steal pots at some point.
Yes, it was a sell out.
I havent played with you that much, but Im not too sure this is the best image you want to portray for your style.
Basically in none of your trip reports do any of the big hands read like: "so I open 7/10ss from MP...."
TAGs make money by being perceived as LAG, and vice versa. If you are actually a pretty tight player, the last thing you want is to have that image.
I generally classify Sandy as a more aggressive position player. Given an extensive history I can easily imagine her raising light. I believe she plays position well, and is a solid player - this was info for Wetts feedback, not a criticism or slam.
Mark
I still don't believe that 90% of the forum doesn't know the definition of LAG....hint, what does the A stand for?
I do raise with hands less than pocket pairs and A-K, eg. gapped suited connectors or A-x suited but as Mark said it is more often in position, and they rarely go to showdown unless I flop a big hand or a big draw. In most cases with these hands I am looking to win with a continuation bet when I miss the flop and believe that my opponent missed too. When I mentioned stealing pots, these are the kind of hands I was talking about, and this was the image I was looking to establish.
I am definitely more aggressive in cash games than tournaments. I also consider myself a weaker tournament player than cash game player. The limited success I have found lately in these live events has been to tighten up my game. I know I have holes in my tournament play, and am happy to take criticism.
+1 this report and others, time and time again, I keep reading about "aggressive" players who are 'checking', 'limping' and 'calling', huh?
I think LAGs make more money being perceive as retards than being perceived as TAGs.
I would like this, but he who is Wetts said it shall not be
I take offense to my misunderstanding of LAG. The players I described as LAG played a lot of pots (loose), raised or check-raised with nothing or bottom pair (aggressive), and folded when confronted on the river with a bet. Are you saying that to identify someone as LAG they are only allowed raise on every street of every pot they play. The LAG that I had the biggest confrontation with often limped in the pot and got aggressive on the flop and/or turn. That is why I was surprised not to see him bet on the A-6-5 board when I flopped the set.
that would be a loose player...I'm sorry that your misunderstanding offends you
You define any player who limps or just calls a raise preflop as bad? So you see no redeeming qualities in ever calling? hmmm..
I witnessed dozens of hands against this guy where he did raise or check raise; they just didn't happen to be hands I was involved with. My point is that a LAG is not necessarily going to raise every pot preflop. The LAG I described here in particular tended to be aggressive after the flop or turn, which again was why I was surprised that he didn't act on the pocket sixes flop.
In this situation, to call the 4000, when he had the chips to do so, was getting 8:1 to call that bet. The raise on the turn was the kind of aggression that I had been watching all tournament. That's where the "A" came from. He clearly had nothing when he raised the 10000 if he can't call my reraise with 8:1 odds.
I figured my post was too long as it was. I didn't think people would want to read about the hands I just observed.
The distinction between aggression and just terrible play is key - if he makes that 10K raise and doesn't want to play for stacks that's closer to terrible than aggressive. Pure leakage on his part. I like your aggression in the hand though - and after a hand like that I would essentially be waiting for every single possibility to play hands with that dude - he's going to dump his stack to someone, why not you!