Another AK hand..opinions appreciated

[suzanne]

Whatever way I played this I was going to loose.

As Zimbra says even if I went allin im pretty sure the guy was going to call, however I realize that shoving all my chips in would probably have been the best way to have played.

So thanks to all who answered ....a lesson has been learnt 

[KeithyB]

Don't think you did anything wrong really in either hand Suzanne.  It could be argued that it should be all in straight away with AKs but end result would be pretty much the same.  Either way I reckon all the chips are going in!!

There's no point folding after he's gone all in as this leaves you very short stacked and means you'll probably end up going all in with a much worse hands very soon afterwards.

As blinds are 600/1200 very few players are comfortable and so there's likely to be a lot of action with non premium hands.

I know there's only four to bust out before you're in the money but I don't think your 16k was likely to see you through to the money just by folding everyhand. ( although this does depend on the standard/type of players left I guess )

So to get in the money I reckon you still needed to win a couple more pots and there's few better starting hands to play than AK suited.

Nothing wrong with the play just unlucky.

[suzanne]

How many times can you say unlucky before you finally say enough is enough.

I played a feeder tonight for the 5k for the grand price of $4+ which i shouldnt have really coz im trying to build a bankroll as apposed to keep on depositing.

I played like a complete calling station and was miles ahead early on hitting everything.

As expected I hit a bad patch and was down to next to nothing but climbed my way back up and won the game.

Advice i was given was play tight which I did (apart from the odd well slected reraise with nowt) and was doing ok...till this happened

MTT Table 8 8042845-60 Holdem No Limit 100/200

PS I dont mean i was rivered in the hand obviously...I mean in my head
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : Hand Start.
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : Seat 1 : Mr2iron has $920
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : Seat 2 : fredgold has $11,300
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : Seat 3 : Richiesham has $7,280
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : Seat 4 : PaulSamuel has $1,510
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : Seat 5 : shayk has $11,500
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : Seat 6 : gooooal2 has $6,550
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : Seat 7 : warwickman has $5,360
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : Seat 8 : suzanne has $2,220
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : fredgold is the dealer.
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : Richiesham posted small blind.
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : PaulSamuel posted big blind.
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : Game [60] started with 8 players.
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : Dealing Hole Cards.
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : Seat 8 : suzanne has Ah
[Mar 24 01:55:07] : Stakes: 100/200 Current level: 4 Level up in: 5 min. Break in: 1 min. Players : 66
[Mar 24 01:55:12] : shayk folded.
[Mar 24 01:55:13] : gooooal2 folded.
[Mar 24 01:55:16] : warwickman called 200 and raised 500
[Mar 24 01:55:24] : suzanne called 700
[Mar 24 01:55:25] : Stakes: 100/200 Current level: 4 Level up in: 5 min. Break in: 1 min. Players : 66
[Mar 24 01:55:25] : Mr2iron folded.
[Mar 24 01:55:27] : fredgold folded.
[Mar 24 01:55:28] : Richiesham folded.
[Mar 24 01:55:28] : PaulSamuel folded.
[Mar 24 01:55:29] : Dealing flop.
[Mar 24 01:55:29] : Board cards [ ]
[Mar 24 01:55:37] : warwickman bet 1,100
[Mar 24 01:55:40] : suzanne called 1,100 and raised 420 and is All-in
[Mar 24 01:55:40] : Under-Raise rules are now in effect.
[Mar 24 01:55:42] : Stakes: 100/200 Current level: 4 Next break: after this hand. Players : 66
[Mar 24 01:55:47] : warwickman called 420
[Mar 24 01:55:47] : Showdown!
[Mar 24 01:55:47] : Seat 8 : suzanne has Ah
[Mar 24 01:55:49] : Seat 7 : warwickman has
[Mar 24 01:55:50] : Seat 8 : suzanne has Ah
[Mar 24 01:55:55] : Board cards [ ]
[Mar 24 01:55:55] : Seat 8 : suzanne has Ah
[Mar 24 01:55:55] : suzanne has Pair: Aces
[Mar 24 01:55:55] : Seat 7 : warwickman has
[Mar 24 01:55:55] : warwickman has Straight AKQJT
[Mar 24 01:55:55] : warwickman wins 4,740 with Straight AKQJT
[Mar 24 01:56:01] : Stakes: 100/200 Current level: 4 Next break: after this hand. Players : 66
[Mar 24 01:56:04] : Hand is over.

I am rivered out big time and at an all time low.....I dont think im playing badly but EVERY time I make a crucial move im busted.

Think i might go back to scrabble

I wasnt rivered in the game obviously...I meant in my head

[clayftknight]

The preflop call in my opinion was horrible with A9, post flop ladyluck was very cruel indeed

[bundle]

  could you not put the guy on AJ AQ if you didnt get the flush draw too would you have put them all in on the Aces. We now know you were ahead anyway, but still.

But it was a terrible play by matey going for the gutshot, I see how that can tick you off big time. But i don't think i would have been in that hand with nothing invested to start with.

[KeithyB]

Hi Suzanne,

I don't mind playing suited rag Aces but only if you can get to see a cheap flop. Then play them for the flush only and almost ignore it if your ace pairs because, as stated by the previous posters, there could easily be a bigger Ace out there.

In your situation here, on the button, I would be playing (and probably raising with) but only if there has been no raising before play gets round to me.  If someone raises then I fold because I don't think  is a hand with which to call a raise. Although you are short stacked you still have 11 big blinds which, whilst not ideal, means you can still afford to be patient.

I know you won't thank me for saying this  but you were unlucky again here especially after the flop. Warwickman's post flop bet is not clever given your call and the fact there's an  on board. He got very lucky hitting inside straight.

One thing I would say is not to take this hand ( or your luck ) in isolation. Remember earlier on in the tourny when, in your own words, you were "hitting everything",  did you not get some good luck then?  The thing to do is to ensure you cash in on this good luck when it happens.

When you get this early good luck, which made you a big early chip leader, you have no need to keep playing recklessly. Just tighten up and play premium hands only.

One thought Suzanne....do you work out in any satellite tourny approximately how many chips you think you'll need to win to ensure a qualification place? 

This helps me a lot when I play.  Obviously I don't know numbers of players/chips involved in this case but if you had an idea that your early big chip lead was, say, 80% of the likely amount you'd need to qualify then it may have made it an easier decision to tighten up your play from then on.

Keith

[I, Zimbra]

As above...

You called 700 (a third of your stack) with A-9 suited; and hit possibly the best flop (apart from A9x or 99x) that you were going to. This does not make the call correct.

A saying for you: "Poker is about making correct decisions."

It helps if you give yourself the easiest decisions possible to make. Calling 700 pre-flop with A-9 is likely to give you a head-ache, even if an ace or nine hits.

You might have position on the raiser, but if he bets again, what do you do? If the flop is ace-high (as in this instance) he might have an ace with a better kicker. If the flop is 9-high, you need to worry about him having raised with a pocket pair like J-J.

And if the board is something like Q-9-3? What then? You have second pair, are facing a large bet from an aggressive player... who might have A-Q and the pot locked up, or maybe K-J, and on a total steal. Will you be able to tell the difference?

Even if he checks, the problems aren't over. He might be lining you up for a check raise. Maybe he flopped three tens when it came down A-5-T with two hearts; then even a nine won't save you.

A-9, even when suited, is not a hand you want to be playing big "raised-preflop" pots with, if you can help it. If you have to, just make sure you're the one doing the raising.

[clayftknight]

A9s on the button is actually a perfect MIRROR hand.

Someone raises you fold
folded to you, you raise
limped to you, you limp

You do opposite to those before you, i.e. mirror.

[suzanne]

Just to clarify a couple of things as I could have worded my second thread a little better.

Remember earlier on in the tourny when, in your own words, you were "hitting everything",  did you not get some good luck then?  << this was in the feeder that I played to qualify for the tournament.

In the actual tournament I was playing very tight, apart from bluffing a hand or two I seriously had not seen a decent hand the whole game so my playing tight was not through choice.

The  was the best hand I had seen the whole game and although it wasnt great I felt I had to make SOME kind of move. This is a 15min blind game and I had been sat there for almost an hour.

After rereading my thread and studying the hand analysis I think I played the hand cause I was BORED and of course after seeing the flop, top pair with A high flush draw...my chips were in there.

I think I might have to try playing more than 1 game at a time (stressful...tried it once) which would relieve the boredom and hopefully stop me from fishing so much. 

Thanks again for the much vauled input