Turtleknife teaching Poker Tournament Strategy

Midnight Madness poker tournament discussion hand - AQos.

This opponent has some very aggressive stats as soon as he joined my table. The good thing for me is
that I had position on him and this helped with a big hand later on. Poker tournament strategy often
requires intense pot management while you wait for the right opportunity. So first let's look at a couple
hands before the big hand just to get a feel for this player.

I got a free look at the flop on this one, and although I don't think he has anything I don't want this pot to
get out of control on a pure bluff. With this hand, against a different player I might have raised preflop
when he limped him, but with JTs I could hit a really good hand and he would have no idea what I was
holding. I simply chose to back away from a confrontation here, or what I have termed before - "A game
of stupid".

Midnight Madness poker tournament discussion hand - AQos. - 1

Quickly this player has established himself as very aggressive, (10.0 AF!!) but in this hand I want to
re-raise and not trap because he is tough to play against post-flop. With this raise, I can bet out no
matter what flops with a good chance to end the hand right there. If I miss and he reraises post flop,
then I am probably done with the hand because I am green M and will look to use my chips in more
profitable situations.


I would like to re-raise here but the UTG player is short and a limp is just such an unpredictable move
that I have no idea where I am against either player. Had Serbja folded, I would have re-raised and
forced the short stack all-in.


So here is the big hand in question.


I too have been playing more aggressive and stealing more than usual.The two of us are the most
aggressive at the table and have clashed several times. I have been actively engaging him because I
want to get in a spot where he thinks I have nothing. earlier I lost a hand to him and he saw that I had
nothing. Although expensive, it was a deliberate plan on my part.

Now here I flat called his late position raise with a hand I was absolutely sure was ahead of his raising
range. In poistion, I am looking to trap him into a big mistake based a lot on his wild AF of 10.0. I was
also hoping the blinds would fold so I could play this heads up.


All others fold and I get a great flop with little chemistry. Even better was the fact that he bet out, as
predicted. I should flat call because only a king would worry me on the turn. However, as was the
nature of past hands with this player, I decded to re-raise him again. Since I limped behind him, it could
totally look like a bluff.


He called my flop reraise. I cannot see a two pair hand from this player, but I could see a KQ, QJ, or
QT. If that is the case then I want him to give it all up with a weaker kicker, as I know he will not fold a Q
in his hand right now. So I bet 2/3rds the pot, basically committing both of us.


Poker tournament strategy favors players who bet/shove first, applying pressure to
opponents.

My opponent reraises all in. Now I am a little concerend because with the blinds at 120/240 I can
actually fold here and have enough left to play with. That would really suck, but it would suck more if I
lost to a Q9, 44, 55, or 99. Those are some hands that beat me, but I could also see him pushing a JT
here or two hearts and perhaps a weaker pair like A9, Ah5h or K9.

The hard truth of this hand though is about our previous play together, where he knows I am capable of
bluffing and his huge AF factor. With those two things, I really don't think a fold here is an option for me.
Sometimes I might be beat here, but I feel most times I am ahead and a win can propel deep into this
tournament. I call.


If he had Ah9h, I could see a push on the turn as a decent play, but when layers have such a
consistently high aggresison factor it is also representative somewhat as playing in a tunnel, ignoring
what your opponent may have. He has seen me play aggressive, but he has not seen me play for my
entire big stack in one hand. On the contrary, I have backed down from big pots, while winning many
smaller ones up to now. He can't put me on the right hand because he really wasn't thinking that way.
He was thinking "I hit a pair, now I got him!" Had he thought about what I had, his A9 with no draw
seems obviously weak. AQ, AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 55, 44 are some plausible hands that have him
crushed.

What does he beat here? A complete bluff, or a lower pair like 88. You would have to agree that with
how I have played the hand so far that would be very wreckless and uncharacteristic. This is the kind of
mistake that can you can invite when you play more small pots and show some aggression at the table.
How to win poker tournaments often eludes impatien player like this.


This hand helped me to the final table of the Midnight Madness for a 4th place finish. I have made the
final table of that tournament 3 or 4 times, but this was my highest finish with a massive field of 3,764
during double guarantees week.

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Turtleknife teaching Poker Tournament Strategy

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Turtleknife teaching Poker Tournament Strategy