I was playing $25NL for about an hour and got really bored. All I was getting was set mining and straight or flush drawing hands - which I played mostly by limping in. When they hit the flop, everyone seemed to fold to any aggression. Boring!
So I thought to myself, hey why not play a tournament instead!
I closed the 4 $25NL tables and entered a 27 man 3 table tournament for $5.50. It has been months since I played any tournaments. I normally play only JJ-AA, AK in early part of these MTT's.
Twenty hands into the tournament, I play this hand:
8 handed - I am in late position right before the hijack position. It folds to me and so I open raise 3BB. Small blind calls.
Flop comes: Js Qs Td. Small Blind Checks - normally a sign of weakness and I just hit TPTK heads up against a weak pre flop caller. Of course I raise it to about 3/4 Pot bet.
Opponent 3-bet re-raises me. Ha!
This is where I should have folded. I should know have given the opponent credit for two pair at least.
All I had was TPTK. At best I had a gutshot high straight draw or a draw to another pair.
On the board is an obvious straight draw. I don't think the opponent had the AK, or he should have played it differently. But certainly he could have had A9,QT, or K9 giving him an OESD. The QJ is suited so if he has any two spades he is also on Flush Draw.
But no...I re-raise him. Opponent re-raises me and suddenly we are both All-In on the flop.
Now to my credit, I simply figured he was bluffing or at best on the straight or flush draw. I figured I had TPTK and that may very well be good. If I caught the K I would have the high straight. Then only trips or a flush would beat me.
Should I have bet my tournament on that hand - of course not.
Opponent indeed was on the draw. He had low pair and two spades for a flush draw. He also had a gutshot straight draw. Keep in mind though that the opponent would have made the low flush and the low straight. That is still a gamble as he could have been beat to a higher flush or straight.
But he had enough outs to call me in his mind.
Immediately he gets a third ten on the turn for his trips. The river he makes his other hole card with an 8 and gets a full house.
I should not have re-raised the flop.
I cannot say the opponent played wrong. Perhaps he gambled too much IMHO - but he certainly had more outs than I did.
Obviously my commentaries need work. Re-reading this commentary I realize hold cards of QT would have given him two pair, and K9 would have give him a straight. Opponent could have had several other worthy hands as well.
ReplyDeleteWhat can I say, I am still a rookie at blogging :-).