Leak in game What do i need to understand, ICM or M zone?

C

ComplyorDie

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Hi Guys,

I'm trying to take my Poker to the next level, I Mainly play low buy in MTT's $2-$10 on a small site which allows no HUD's tracking software ect, not that I actually have them but the next level includes the purchase of such products.

The leak I have is calling All ins late on with the top of my range AA etc AK-JJ or AQ if the read is good enough, I'll always call with AA and KK, However if I'm 50BB deep is AK a leak regardless of a read I don't mind losing a flip for half my stack think it's standard play but, I think the leak is calling for stacks who can take me out in an attempt to actually get first especially when i'm already doing well.

I'm talking late in a tourney say last 15, bubble or FT when i'm in say the top three chipleaders.


I'd say my reads are good which normally leads me to making the call I've wrote down say the last 20 MTT points where I've been knocked out due to ALL-IN, pre flop and checked the % And I'm calling with the right hands %wise.

I think my question is what will educate me to the point where I can actually fold AK or QQ to pushes and when it's correct to do so.

I have two examples bit simplistic from last night, but I'll learn to get more technical,


Me, UTG Akoff Raise 6K Blinds 2.4k 1.2k 240Ante Me 57k Stack after raising.
UTG+1 ALL IN 75K


I'm Second in chips 7 left on FT with 3 15K- Stacks I know he's not the greatest player he Show's 77 and I miss, and cash for a crappy $25.




Second example-even simpler last 9
Chip leader keeps pushing I've 70+BB in 3rd Place he's busted two out with poor holdings, Pushes again I call AQ he shows Q9off hits his 9.

I know if I've of folded these two hands probably would of won a lot more $$ and its a common situation in my game I do really well and then it comes down to a similar situation so can someone please educate me.

Thanks in Advance
 
A

AviCKter

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You need to understand/learn ICM.

I, myself, am finding it difficult to navigate those FT (on different networks, different prize distribution), and those satellite tournaments (hadn't invested in learning satellites, so am doing it right now). Things change a lot depending on the stack sizes & prize distributions.

Invest in ICMizer/Holdem Resources Calculator, both great tools to analyze FT play. I have Holdem Resources, but there are still so many spots where ICMizer does a better job, so currently working with it.

Let me give you an example, how it has been helping.
Very recently, I was playing a $8.80 satellite tournament on ACR, awarding a ticket to a $66 Mega satellite into a $540 buy-in; and a spot comes where we're 13 players left and 6 get entry. We're 7 handed on the table. I'm sitting in the SB with 17bb (less than the tournament average and like 10th in chip count) and get dealt AQo. And a player in the CO open jams 30bb, now I didn't have much read on him, the player was new to the table. From my limited experience with MTTs (working with HRC), I knew that it was a profitable call. So I did. And as predicted was ahead of his range (he had AJo), lost the flip, but was happy with the call.
But then took the HH to ICMizer and checked whether or not I was correct with the play, and bam! All my understanding goes haywire. Giving him a range, found that the right calling range from there would have been {QQ+}, that's all. Eye opener, I now know how much more I need to learn.
 
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AlexTheOwl

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With medium or large stacks, we are happy to go all-in pre-flop when we are confident that we are ahead of the villain's range. This is how massive stacks and first-place finishes are made.

Both of your examples fit that description. Poker is the game where you can play perfectly and still lose frequently in the short term, so sometimes it doesn't work out.

If you are playing well and going deep in a long MTT it is ordinary to be sucked out on several times. Remember, you can't be sucked out on unless you got your chips in when you were ahead, and getting your chips in when you are ahead is at the core of winning poker.

The only exception I can think of is games like double-ups and satellites where all the prizes are of equal value, you have a comfortable stack, and others are short-stacked.

M is a good thing to learn about, but not relevant when you have a medium stack or better, except to predict the play of intelligent short-stacks.

Understanding ICM will help you decide when to go all-in near or after the bubble. If the situations above were marginal, we would need more information to know whether you did the right thing, so that we could analyse using ICM.

Edit:
P.S. Did not see Avi's post before posting this. Agree regarding importance of practicing ICM off the table.
 
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Rational Madman

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At the ending survival instincts should cease to exist, you've "made it" go kamikaze and laugh about it, at least that's what I do when I get there.
 
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