A Couple Of Hand's For Analysis....

P-Hound

Hey Guys, recently played in a couple of Tournaments and was wondering what you thought of these last two hands,
I've made it to the final table twice and both times ended up finishing second to bad beats in my opinion, but want to know if anybody would have played these hands any differently, worse part about this is I busted out in second twice to the same guy.

#1 Chip Leader is very agressive and calls a lot, has about 20,000 in chips more than I at this point
I'm in the BB, look down and see pocket KK's. I contemplate a small raise, but at this point he's been pushing a lot to try to steal blinds as well as show he's not going to let me raise him out of flops. I push all in. He contemplates for a second and calls.

I throw down KhKc
He Throw's 3d3h

Flop: Jh,Qd,2c...turn Jc, river...3c he busts me out with that...ouch bad beat or wrong play by my part throwing the KK's all in at this point against the chip leader.


#2 Same guy, this time has about 60,000 in chips more than me
I'm again in my BB, and feel that I need to make a move as he's been getting away with bullying, and I need to double up to get him on the ropes.. I look down and see 88's. I go all in. he calls....with J4o

Flop comes Ad,Th,Kc,turn..Jh, River...9c

again bust out in second, anybody see any thing I did wrong, I understand that 88's aren't that strong, but I figured against a guy who gets cocky with the chip lead as well fairly loose calling standards I figured this was a must play at this point and time.
I couldn't see anybody calling all-in with j4o, he had a sizeable advantage but not that sizeable...I couldn't believe it.... I wasn't sure if I was playing against a complete maniac or Gustav Hansen the II.

Any thoughts?

pkrfce9

I wouldn't say either play was a mistake on your part. You needed a chance to double up and he was kind enough to give it to you. You were a strong favourite on both hands. He just got lucky. That's poker.

On the other hand, his play in both cases was a bit suspect. Less so on the first hand where he at least had a pair (albeit a very weak pair). Every time you have a good hand against this guy, you know you can push and he'll call. What else could you want?

Flint Bones

When you are Heads Up with pocket 8s or pocket Ks it is not a bad move to go all in. The odds are in your favour. Losing with the KK was a tough beat. The 88 loss happens. He had the over card.

Perhaps if you saw the flop with the 88, you would have folded. But you have have lost a lot.

With the KK, you have have bet it all the way to the river and lost. Nothing would have changed your fate here.

Big E

you're head to head with the small stack, I don't think either play was bad, the KK IMHO is a no brainer, you have to push all-in. The 88 perhaps you could have lived to see another hand had you checked being in the BB and then you'd likely fold to a raise given the overcards on the flop but again you're head to head with a mediocre pocket pair, with the chip lead he has on you and if he is playing aggressively why wait to be either blinded out or hope to hit better cards. I think you got your money in on good hands, that's all you can do.....it happens.

I was in a sng on stars the other day, 4 players left I was small stack, the table was playing extremely tight, no one wanted to bust out 4th, it was very late and I decided to push all-in with A8o on the button...mainly hoping to steal the blinds (which was working so far as the players were unbearable tight!!!!). BB calls with 88 and I never hit my A. I think his call was correct and I give him credit for finally getting some balls, although it sucks going out 4th and I think your push was not a bad play.

roketinpoket

In hindsight I think that the all-in with the KK was worse in the sense that once cards came out on the flop, if you go all in he's more likely to fold. By forcing him to call all-in pre-flop he might think that he's a slight favorite if you have overcards. They were both bad beats and I'm not saying anything to the contrary, just something to think about. Oh well, we've all had those happen to us. Just take solace in the fact that statistics have a way of catching up with people over the long run.