Annoyance from my play last night in the Stars 150 seat WSOP event

[Graham C]

Playing the $350 WSOP qualifier on Stars last night.  There were 220 seats up for grabs and just under 7000 entries.  I'd been going along ok then had a massive pot go in my favour and doubled up to just over 20k.  The average at this point was about 15k and blinds were 300/600 with antes.

I'm in the cut off and find myself with pocket jacks.  It folds to me and I make a raise to 1800.  The button moves all in for about 10k and the blinds both fold.  (See below post, this isn't what happened)

In hindsight, I should have laid these down shouldn't I? My reasoning for calling was that he was short stacked and at this stage, I've seen shorties pushing with any pair or AJ upwards.  My reason for folding should have taken over and my thinking should have been, I'm still on just over 18k, above average, and I can wait for a better hand - it's only jacks after all.

Was folding the correct play or would you have called?

From then I really struggled.  I was down to 4000ish at one point but doubled up a bit later and then at 400/800 I'm in UTG with ATs and for some reason I've pushed all in.  Average at this point is well over 20k and I only have 8k so these blinds coming up are really going to hurt me. ATs really was the best hand I'd seen for an age so the urge to push took over.  Anyway, I was called by pocket 8's which held up and I was out in about 755ish - something like that.

This morning, I'm thinking a better play would have to been to wait for the blinds to pass, then push with any two half decent cards.

A $350 tourney is well above my normal limit but I'd built up a few W$ and wanted a crack at the WSOP. Apart from these two hands, I though I did quite well at this level, although I appreciate that it may be a bit different from the normal mtt's of this level.

The hand that really bugs me is the Jacks.  Much of my reason for writing this post is to realise that I could have (and should have) played them better (and to get it off my chest a bit!).  It's was satellite and there were enough seats up for grabs so I didn't need to do anything urgent with them.

Lesson learned hopefully.  Looking forward to rebuilding my W$'s for a decent attempt at an EPT event now.

[GlasgowBandit]

I'd personally have passed, but I have a thing about Jacks.  lol.  I hate them, I could count the number of times on one hand they have stood up for me in a race or even against smaller pairs.  You have called off more than half your stack in a position where you never had to, you put in a a raise either hoping to get everyone to pass or to find out where you where at as soon as he pushed his stack in its time to pass IMO.

In relation to your 2nd hand is your OOP and your likely to be called by any PP 77+ as well as AQ, AK if your up against 99 or < then your in a race and you require a little bit of luck, I think you still have enough chips to pass this hand and let the blinds go through you and then use your position in the next few hands.

Decent effort in any case buddy, as you say its above your normal level and you still finnished in top 15%

[Graham C]

TY GB, at least my thinking afterwards was correct   I just need to take more time to think about it during the play a bit more.

ARRGGHHH, I've just realised that's not how the first hand went!  He raised to 3.6k, the blinds folded, I put him all in - terrible - makes it even worse   Not quite sure how I forgot that bit

[AlexMartin]

I call with the Jacks. Normal satellite strategy doesnt yet apply as ur too far away from the payout. Your position makes your raise look stealy and your hand is strong!

I DEFINITELY DONT push ai with A10s utg. Rather have a2c than a hand thats in trouble if it gets called. As it turns out, you got it in as an evens shot.

[boldie]

I call with the Jacks. Normal satellite strategy doesnt yet apply as ur too far away from the payout. Your position makes your raise look stealy and your hand is strong!

I DEFINITELY DONT push ai with A10s utg. Rather have a2c than a hand thats in trouble if it gets called. As it turns out, you got it in as an evens shot.

I'd agree with that. If you had been fairly close to the sat bubble the Jacks would have been a fold but it's a call here...don't like the push with A10 sooted..would much rather do it with 56-67-etc sooted than a hand which is likely to be dominated by any caller.

[Boba Fett]

Re: The AT hand, I didnt see the table but I would assume that at this stage there is all all in 2 out of 3 hands generally from a short stack and when the button does pass it gets harder and harder to be the 1st one to put ur chips in.  U probably could have waited another round though.