Tourney Hand for Review

sweetjimmi

PokerStars Game #2378374606: Tournament #11248454, Hold'em No Limit - Level XII (1000/2000) - 2005/08/19 - 23:44:00 (ET)
Table '11248454 59' Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: Gamonbak (64516 in chips)
Seat 2: lorddeseis (14011 in chips)
Seat 3: Vorcirion (32967 in chips)
Seat 4: Fat Stack213 (28449 in chips)
Seat 5: flor1559 (3105 in chips)
Seat 6: stormont (61887 in chips)
Seat 7: sweetjimmi (63352 in chips)
Seat 8: Rayo (14787 in chips)
Seat 9: kylepaul (19870 in chips)
Gamonbak: posts the ante 100
lorddeseis: posts the ante 100
Vorcirion: posts the ante 100
Fat Stack213: posts the ante 100
flor1559: posts the ante 100
stormont: posts the ante 100
sweetjimmi: posts the ante 100
Rayo: posts the ante 100
kylepaul: posts the ante 100
kylepaul: posts small blind 1000
Gamonbak: posts big blind 2000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to sweetjimmi [Jh 9h]
lorddeseis: folds
Vorcirion: folds
Fat Stack213: folds
flor1559 has timed out
flor1559: folds
flor1559 is sitting out
stormont: folds
flor1559 has returned
sweetjimmi: raises 4000 to 6000 table is tight...close to buble, like 10 away
Rayo: folds
kylepaul: folds
Gamonbak: calls 4000 decent player, call could mean many things
*** FLOP *** [9d Tc 3s]
Gamonbak: bets 6000 Now I'm thinking he has a 10 or a draw but could also be on a complete bluff. Nothing better than A10 though
sweetjimmi: calls 6000 Calling here an error? I maybe should have raised or folded?
*** TURN *** [9d Tc 3s] [Jd]
Gamonbak: bets 52416 and is all-in
sweetjimmi: ???? I really wasn't sure what to do! Help?

Let me hear it ladies and gentlemen!

SocietyRed

hehe, I'd probably call and get my ass knocked out.

BBC Z

Calling here an error?

Calling is an error if you don't know what you are going to do next.

Dave Scharf

Cold read... as usual.

PokerStars Game #2378374606: Tournament #11248454, Hold'em No Limit - Level XII (1000/2000) - 2005/08/19 - 23:44:00 (ET)

Seat 7: sweetjimmi (63352 in chips)

Our hero is in EXCELLENT shape. Costing 4,000/lap we have a TON of chips. All weapon systems are operative.

kylepaul: posts small blind 1000
Gamonbak: posts big blind 2000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to sweetjimmi [Jh 9h]

In the cutoff seat with my favourite hand. I don't know why it's my favourite hand, but I have a huge emotional attachment to J-9s. Well within my steal AND re-steal ranges. I am beginning ot salivate.

sweetjimmi: raises 4000 to 6000 table is tight...close to buble, like 10 away

Exactly what I would do.

Gamonbak: calls 4000 decent player, call could mean many things
*** FLOP *** [9d Tc 3s]

The one player who also has a huge stack. But, we have position AND we have hit the flop. I expect that we had the best hand. Caution.

Gamonbak: bets 6000 Now I'm thinking he has a 10 or a draw but could also be on a complete bluff. Nothing better than A10 though
sweetjimmi: calls 6000 Calling here an error? I maybe should have raised or folded?

I play this hand both ways -- call and raise. I prefer a raise to 18,000. But, a call is OK too since I am interested in knowing whether or not he has the balls to bet again.

*** TURN *** [9d Tc 3s] [Jd]
Gamonbak: bets 52416 and is all-in
sweetjimmi: ? I really wasn't sure what to do! Help?

Knowing nothing else, I call.

This bet looks, to me, an awful lot like someone who wants to take me off a straight draw. What are we worried about... J-T is a real possibility, 7-8, or a flopped set. The set seems less likely since *most* players will check a flopped set. He didn't. He bet out on the flop. And, the 8-7 seems unlikely since he has overbet with a hand that he certainly thinks is the best.

The progression is why I really prefer to raise on the flop. It will REALLY help to define the hand. A raise to 18,000 is A LOT. One of us is going to take a hit. In that case, it seems unlikely that he will get too far out of line on the turn since we have shown a strong willingness to play for a lot of chips.

the_main

generally with a flop like this, if i am out of a position to a raiser - i bet out if i've missed
im trying to find out if you had hig cards that just missed, or an overpair...
your call here would slow me down a lot, and i would check-fold the turn most of the time (personally, if i am you, i raise this flop bet and fold to a reraise.... your raise defines the hand and gives him a chance to drop out)

at this stage of a tournament, it is generally not a good idea to tangle with another player who could put a huge hurt on you - you have to figure he knows this
the pot is 26k, and hes betting 52 at it.... a huge overbet, and a huge risk for him to take
this is especially true because you have shown no weakness
you have to figure he has a hand, but then, so do you...

there is really only one hand here that i could see being played like this which you beat, and that is Q-10 (esp. if suited :d:s)

your posiiton in the tourny is still ok here if you fold, and there are many hands that beat you, so i think id fold and look for a better spot... even if you are ahead, he likely has a good chance to draw out and end your tourny.... if the min. payout is decent, i drop this for sure)
if you want nohting else but first place in this tourny, you have to call....

(i really hope you called, b/c i want to know what he had.... i think you called, and i think he had q10 and sucked out )

sweetjimmi

I called the flop looking to be able to take back the lead on the turn...that plan was working until he pushes at me on the turn. His push really threw me for a loop. I agonized over this for a long time before giving him for either having a hand or the balls to make a huge bluff. My imagine was very good (or at least I thought so, as I hold seen less than 20% of hands in total and had won something like 75% of my showdowns with most losses to some very tough beats).

If I had been playing looser I think this would have been an easier decision to call but I really felt that he had me beat. I guess we'll never know now though. I have been trying very hard to avoid calling in these situations just to see if I'm right. Way too often I find myself making this call just in case I'm wrong and then busting because I was right. I also knew folding leaves me in great shape to continue playing the tourney. Thanks for the feed back.

Jay

I would've raised on the flop for sure, to get a better idea of what he could be holding. It gives you the opportunity to win the pot right there and avoid a big pot that late in the tournament. If he re-raises all-in, then it's an easier fold than the decision you were faced with on the turn. Besides that, I like everything else about how you played the hand.