My slowplay monster..

***** Hand History for Game 5688848659 *****
HHawkeye finished in 4 place.
0/0 Tourney Texas Hold'em Game Table (NL) (Tournament 31841471) - Mon Feb 19 02:36:31 EST 2007
Table Table 126570 (Real Money) -- Seat 2 is the button
Total number of players : 3
Seat 1: mcame80 (3611)
Seat 2: CanadaSunny (4234)
Seat 8: pokeralicat (12155)
pokeralicat posts big blind (400)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to pokeralicat [ Td, Ac ]
mcame80 raises (800) to 800
CanadaSunny folds.
pokeralicat calls (400)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ Ts, Th, Ad ]
pokeralicat bets (400)
mcame80 calls (400)
** Dealing Turn ** : [ 8c ]
pokeralicat checks.
mcame80 checks.
** Dealing River ** : [ Jc ]
pokeralicat bets (400)
mcame80 raises (1200) to 1200
pokeralicat raises (7600) to 8000
mcame80 calls (1211)
mcame80 is all-In.
Creating Main Pot with $7222 with mcame80
** Summary **
Main Pot: 7222
Board: [ Ts Th Ad 8c Jc ]

mcame80 balance 0, lost 3611 [ Kh Qc ] [ a straight Ten to Ace -- Ad,Kh,Qc,Jc,Ts ]
CanadaSunny balance 4234, didn't bet (folded)
pokeralicat balance 15766, bet 9200, collected 12811, net +3611 [ Td Ac ] [ a full house, Tens full of Aces -- Ac,Ad,Td,Ts,Th ]

This is my second online tournament in 6 months.
I came in 3rd in a $22 buy-in SnG last week and
I came in 1st in this $22 buy-in SnG.

I think a year ago I tried 3 or 4 $11 ones
....don't remember how I did in them because I generally focus on cash games.
I might have come ITM once last year. It is only recently that I have been reading up alot on tournament strategy and trying to apply the techniques.
So far I would absolutely say that it is because of the books I'm reading
Dan Harrington's Tournament Strategy books (Volume 1&2) that have helped me improve
my tournament play. Also "Small Stakes Hold'em" by Slanksy, Malmuth, & Miller and "The Book of Bluffs" by Matt Lessinger

I made some bets and fold or went in on hands based on my book readings.
I also think this is why I managed to come in the top 10 of a women's satellite tourney 2.5 weeks ago.


Let's see if my TAG play continues to bring winning results.

Vegas Cat

well played hand and congrats on the win.

You should probably start playing SnGs more often, seems like you have some nice success in them.

When I bet 400, the smart thing for mcame80 to do which might have got him out of trouble was to raise my BB bet. He was too passive and as such simply flat calling my bet and holding his K,Qo told him nothing about what I had.

He had two choices to get himself out of this monster situation.

With my minimum bet and it not flopping for him, except for a gutshot straight draw, he could think that since I called his raise I might potentially be holding either the T or A. Yes I was on the BB but he should at this point decide to fold or if not fold then do the 2nd choice which is to...

Raise my 400. I think a 3BB raise, so an additional 800 from him over my 400 would give him an answer as to the strength of my hand. If I fold, then he would know I had the Ace and thought he had the ten, in which case his raise called me out. Most likely I would not fold on his 3BB bet if I did indeed hold the ten.

Now if I called his raise, he would have to assume I was not on a draw if I was confident enough to call him.

When the turn came an 8, still not improving his gutshot, I checked and he simply checked.

Once again a very weak play on his part.
He should assume my check was weakness and show some aggression to give himself an answer. It was already incorrect of him to simply flat call my bet. But now that he was in the next situation, he still could have remedied it by betting after my check.

If he bet a 2BB bet, he still would have 2000 chips and could see what sort of action I would take. By me calling his bet even after I originally bet and then checked...he could take that as a trap from me and fold accordingly on the river if I bet out and still be in the game with chips.

So now on the river he gets his straight, but never betting for information on the flop or turn.

He was out of this tournament out of very weak play.

Cheers,
Vegas Cat