Tournament Hand History - Breakdown

[matt674]

Over on the internet section i started a thread entitled "chip and a chair" in which i played a $50 freezeout and found myself down to $60 of my $1500 starting chips after the 2nd hand. I was 560th of 560 at the start of the third hand but managed to finish 12th on the tournament. I've been posting the highlights for each of the first three hours with a bit of running commentary of my thoughts as to why i played the hands like i did. I'll be doing the finish of the tourney sometime soon but i thought i'd post the threads in this section as well to get any tips or feedback from the regular visitors to this section

Part 1: http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=11087.0

Part 2: http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=11093.0

Part 3: http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=11143.0

Part 4: http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=11191.0

[SupaMonkey]

Cheers Matt. I love reading that sort of thing.

[matt674]

Added the final part of the hand history breakdown, unfortunately the rising blinds and antes and my lack of aggression when going card dead proved my undoing just short of the final table though after being 560th of 560 after 2 hands with just $60 chips i couldnt really argue with a 12th place finish.

[TightEnd]

Matt, when I get a moment (toooo busy with poker related business stuff not poker playing unfortunately) I am going to look through these and comment.

You won't learn anything from me but you never know


Thanks for trying this "more ambitious than usual" type of post

[Dewi_cool]

The amount of trouble Matt has gone too, they deserve to go on the main board IMHO

[Bongo]

I'm in Tightend's boat - saving them for when I have enough time to go through them properly...

[TightEnd]

The amount of trouble Matt has gone too, they deserve to go on the main board IMHO

good idea, lets try that

[Indestructable]

Wow some great stuff here. 
My main learning point from reading these posts is that I don't pay as much attention to other players. Matt makes a lot of observations around how players have played prior to hands and rationalising his plays on the basis of this. i guess it is one of those things that I know I should do, but don't do much.
In terms of feedback, I can't find much fault, that's not to say i would play the same way as we all have our own style and hands we play etc.
The only hand I can't quite figure out is in hand 310 you comment that A-5 o/s is not the sort of hand to go all in with 7 handed, but in hand 317 you go all in with A-5 o/s when 6 handed. My view would be that it is either playable all in in both or neither situations? Should 7 handed to 6 handed make that much of a difference or have I missed something?
Also I know it is in hindsight, but if you had ended up going all in post turn lacman would have folded due to the Ace and possible flush. Probably doesn't help pointing this out, as I guess many other hands would have just wasted your blin dif you had limped in and be faced with a raise.
Would love to see one of your games filmed, go for it. 

[bhoywonder]

again matt

very impressed with the effort you have put in

and when i get a chance i'll put my amateur tuppence worth in

i hear what your saying when card dead and not being agressive..my perpetual downfall

[snoopy1239]

Matt, when I get a moment (toooo busy with poker related business stuff not poker playing unfortunately) I am going to look through these and comment.

You won't learn anything from me but you never know


Thanks for trying this "more ambitious than usual" type of post

same here

[matt674]

Wow some great stuff here. 
My main learning point from reading these posts is that I don't pay as much attention to other players. Matt makes a lot of observations around how players have played prior to hands and rationalising his plays on the basis of this. i guess it is one of those things that I know I should do, but don't do much.
In terms of feedback, I can't find much fault, that's not to say i would play the same way as we all have our own style and hands we play etc.
The only hand I can't quite figure out is in hand 310 you comment that A-5 o/s is not the sort of hand to go all in with 7 handed, but in hand 317 you go all in with A-5 o/s when 6 handed. My view would be that it is either playable all in in both or neither situations? Should 7 handed to 6 handed make that much of a difference or have I missed something?
Also I know it is in hindsight, but if you had ended up going all in post turn lacman would have folded due to the Ace and possible flush. Probably doesn't help pointing this out, as I guess many other hands would have just wasted your blin dif you had limped in and be faced with a raise.
Would love to see one of your games filmed, go for it. 

Thank you for the feedback squire. You are right about the A5 hand, it is a hand that is playable all in in both situations - however i know that in both instances i'm only going to get a caller if i'm behind. Therefore there is a slighlty higher chance that my A5 is the best hand when i'm only up against 5 other opponents instead of 6. Also as the bubble to the final table approaches players have a tendancy to tighten up slightly as the prize money starts to rise quite steeply once your on the final table every time someone is eliminated, whereas two tables out it doesnt matter where you get knocked out 18th pays the same as 10th. Therefore i try to loosen up a bit as i find it can be easier to steal a few more pots. That couple with the fact that the blinds were about to go up another level to $3000/$6000 meaning that instead of costing $7200 to play six hands it would be costing $10800 - and when you only have $35000 it meant i couldn't really hang around much longer.

Unfortunately i dont think i would have gotten to the stage in the hand where i could have made a bet post turn to force lacman off the pot. When it gets towards the end stage of a tournament flat calling in my opinion is not really an option. With the blinds and antes being so big then they are worth stealing on a regular basis - therefore to me if a hand is worth playing then i always bring it in for a raise. Chances are if i limp UTG there then lacman would have raised with his pocket 10's and i would have had to lay my hand down and it would have cost me about an eighth of my stack with the blinds on me the next two hands. I like to be the aggressor in situations like this at the end of the tournament putting the decisions and pressure on my opponents - if one of them takes me up on my challenge then i cross my fingers that my cards are live and lady luck is shining on me. Unfortunately on this occasion she doesnt

[seamus]

I'm in Tightend's boat - saving them for when I have enough time to go through them properly...

Me too.. I've been following your policy though (matt's) in re-buy tourneys of no-rebuy and for me no add on. Tried a couple of stars $50 and $100. - No draw yet, but it doesn't half help the prize pool. 

[matt674]

I'm in Tightend's boat - saving them for when I have enough time to go through them properly...

Me too.. I've been following your policy though (matt's) in re-buy tourneys of no-rebuy and for me no add on. Tried a couple of stars $50 and $100. - No draw yet, but it doesn't half help the prize pool. 

Thats only rebuys of $100 upwards. For the $50 rebuys and lower i always rebuy straight away and always add on at the end.

[KeithyB]

Absolutely awesome set of posts Matt and thanks for taking the time and effort to post them.  I noticed them awhile back and earmarked them for when I had more time to go through them in detail which I managed to do today.

Really fascinating to get such a comprehensive insight into how you played this tournament together with the thinking behind each move/play that you made.  So much food for thought ( bananas maybe ?  ) regarding how I currently play similar situations.

This series of hand histories / comments has to be, for me, one of the best threads on blonde that I've ever read.  And that is saying something!

Thanks again.
Keith

[Tractor]

Excellent post Matt.
Your time and effort is much appreciated