So this is Paradise?

[RammerJammer]

Well, I lasted exactly twelve minutes in today's Paradise Poker freeroll. Caught AA on the button. #3 bets 120 to open. #7 calls. I raise to 240. Both call the raise. Everybody else out. 3-handed.

Flop comes K,Q,7 rainbow. 3 & 7 check. I bet 300. They both call. Now I'm worried that either or both have a set, or 2 pairs at worst.

Turn comes 5. Again, both check. I bet 600. 3 calls, 7 folds. Now, I'm pretty sure that 3 has a set. But he's been completely passive by only calling my button bets with no raises.

River comes 2. My aces have received no help, but all the cards on the board are unders, there's no straight or flush possibilities. 3 checks AGAIN. He has now checked every round, except pre-flop. I only have about 280 chips left with 1140 invested in the pot.

I start to think this cat isn't running a trap, or he would have set me all in on the final bet. I get the notion that he may believe top pair of Kings is good enough. He's played the classic calling station from the get-go. Initiated nothing but the opening bet. I decide to go ahead and get the rest of my stack in and see what's what. He calls. Flips over 55.

He hit his set alright, but only after leading for 120 pre-flop, then calling another 120 raise. He called a 300 chip bet despite three overcards flopping onto the board. Then he nailed his set, but two other guys are also hot for the pot. Either or both probably have a set of Kings, Queens, or sevens. But he calls a 600 chip bet on the turn anyway.

I only go through this to demonstrate the thought processes, or lack of them, involved. My frustration level is now at a point where I wonder what's the use of spending precious time and energy playing blind man's bluff in these things. It's time to step up exclusively into the world of risk & reward at the real money tables!! :banghead:

 

[Nick]

This should probably go in the Hand Analysis section, so I've moved it there. But I also got knocked out of the Paradise freeroll pretty fast and went to play in the ring games. I quadroupled my bankroll pretty fast and I was really enjoying playing no limit there.

 

[jeterkid925]

I get busted fast too, I lost a boat to quads

 

[PokRok]

I did well for a while, then did what I did on my last tourney when I was doing well, got carried away with pocket rockets. Idiot, idiot, idiot!


Oh well, next time?

 

[RammerJammer]

I quadroupled my bankroll pretty fast and I was really enjoying playing no limit there.

Thanks for the heads up and congrats on turning lemons into lemonades at the ring game. I'm thinking it's time to leave the kiddies in the freeroll wading pool and try out my strokes with the sharks in deeper waters. We can keep playing it safe and cast our poker pearls before play money swine to be trampled underfoot, or we can cast aside the net and step out onto the high wire. Hey, it's only money! They print more every day!!

 

[Nick]

I simply play the freerolls for two main reasons... a) start my bankroll at certain sites (because some won't take my card etc...) b) play with friends and it's much more fun competing against people you know. You need to take the step eventually and invest some money into a site... go for a low minimum deposit one if you don't want to risk much (Noble). It's a whole different world out there, beware!

 

[zeta056]

ouch that set has to hurt... same thing happened to me before... except other guy had pocket 3s and caught it on the river... yet he keeps checking even tho all the cards on the board were overcards.. crazy people these days but oh well thats poker

 

[Nabbin Bones]

Thanks for the heads up and congrats on turning lemons into lemonades at the ring game. I'm thinking it's time to leave the kiddies in the freeroll wading pool and try out my strokes with the sharks in deeper waters. We can keep playing it safe and cast our poker pearls before play money swine to be trampled underfoot, or we can cast aside the net and step out onto the high wire. Hey, it's only money! They print more every day!!

if only i had the combination to get those new prints! real money tables are the way to roll

 

[b huey]

Well, I lasted exactly twelve minutes in today's Paradise Poker freeroll. Caught AA on the button. #3 bets 120 to open. #7 calls. I raise to 240. Both call the raise. Everybody else out. 3-handed.

Flop comes K,Q,7 rainbow. 3 & 7 check. I bet 300. They both call. Now I'm worried that either or both have a set, or 2 pairs at worst.

Turn comes 5. Again, both check. I bet 600. 3 calls, 7 folds. Now, I'm pretty sure that 3 has a set. But he's been completely passive by only calling my button bets with no raises.

River comes 2. My aces have received no help, but all the cards on the board are unders, there's no straight or flush possibilities. 3 checks AGAIN. He has now checked every round, except pre-flop. I only have about 280 chips left with 1140 invested in the pot.

I start to think this cat isn't running a trap, or he would have set me all in on the final bet. I get the notion that he may believe top pair of Kings is good enough. He's played the classic calling station from the get-go. Initiated nothing but the opening bet. I decide to go ahead and get the rest of my stack in and see what's what. He calls. Flips over 55.

He hit his set alright, but only after leading for 120 pre-flop, then calling another 120 raise. He called a 300 chip bet despite three overcards flopping onto the board. Then he nailed his set, but two other guys are also hot for the pot. Either or both probably have a set of Kings, Queens, or sevens. But he calls a 600 chip bet on the turn anyway.

I only go through this to demonstrate the thought processes, or lack of them, involved. My frustration level is now at a point where I wonder what's the use of spending precious time and energy playing blind man's bluff in these things. It's time to step up exclusively into the world of risk & reward at the real money tables!! :banghead:

Although Paradise is the site I frequent most often... I do find myself out early on good hands/bets occasionally too during their freerolls. The "true" random deal here is questionable but probably no worse than anywhere else with the same number of players.
B Huey

 

[PaisanDom]

I would recommend just sitting out the first few levels of blinds espically in FRs. There are too many supre loose players and someone will catch something to beat you.

Whith that said, If I got AA early on, I'd go all in preflop.

 

[buckster436]

Dont feel bad rammer i only lasted five minutes i had pocket jacks and the flop came 9s7c 2s and some fool went all in on a draw so i called,had the best hand going in but he caught a spade and it was all over for me. Going all-in on a draw in the first 5 minutes makes no sense to me, but what do i no > i lost< LOL

buckster436:tee:

 

[JJedi53]

Ahh the classic " I had AA and didnt raise enough" story...

It dosent get much better in cash games either when u dont raise enough w/ AA

I had AA in a $1-$2 NL cash game.... raise to $7 (3 1/2 x BB) Mistake #1 ( should have raised at least 5x)
Flop 7h Ks 3C

I bet $25 opponent all in $95 .... call
he flips 33 and im beat

Moral of the story ... I didnt raise enough pre-flop to make small pocket pair fold ...

 

[tmccauley06]

that is what happens. you play people who hold onto crap hands too long, and then catch a miracle

 

[RammerJammer]

Ahh the classic " I had AA and didnt raise enough" story...

Go back and re-read the first sentence in the opening post. We were still within the first fifteen minutes of the tournament. The blinds were only 10/20 when I raised the opening bet to 240, followed by 300 & 600-chip bets before putting it all in for the rest of my stack on the river. The only way I could have raised any more would have been to go all-in pre-flop, as someone else suggested, but why would you put your tournament life at stake in the first several hands? You don't win tournaments in the first hour, but you sure can lose them.

 

[H8POKER]

The main problem I see with the Freerolls is there free, people dont care and all-ins are flying around so fast if your not in late position then watch out. But on the other hand just play really tight and let these people bust out, they will bust out most of the time and hey if you last the 2-3 hours then there is a "little" pot at the end of the rainbow

 

[coendp]

I also pretty much sit out the first half hour of free rolls. I will pretty much play my blinds and that is it!!!:dito:

 

[steffne]

Paradise is no vacation for me!! I have lost on their freerolls everytime w the best hand going in, pct aces, kings or queens, to some dingdong going all in w nothing and outdrawing me for a str8, or flush, or jack 2, hitting 2 pair. Too many bad beats on paradise island for me.

Steff

 

[Devilpoker78]

I know exactly how you feel rammer, that has happened to me more times than I can remember, thats why I dont rate AA as high playing in freerolls. I never commit my chips to a pair, unless im low and desperate lol. Anyway, you made the right move, you were just unlucky, like many other good players are .

 

[KK_Cowboy]

In this case

After looking at the situation, I would say you obviously should have raised a little more preflop. That being said I don't totally dislike your raise pre-flop. After what was on the flop though, I would have considered an all-in here or at least a lot more than 300. I say that because realistiicly only 6 hands have you beat. KK, QQ, 77 or to a lesser extent KQ, K7, Q7. One of the first 4 being the most likely in this case.

 

[Poker Player 100]

well wen i see a

A, A..Im thinking bingo with hiding the expression. if somone raises half of there stack i say allin MOFO!!:beer:

 

[Devilpoker78]

The raise wouldnt have made much of a difference this early in a freeroll in my opinion, a reasonable raise and bets of $100s to the river if you dont catch the third card will be a good option. That way you dont commit your stack to the pot too much and although u might not win big, you wont be out of the tourney if u do get beat.