I’m just new to poker and I’ve come to know the game through the WSOP. I was able to watch a few episodes of it actually.

Well, it appeared to me that when the player with a greater amount of chips calls a player with a not so plenty chips all in, such player should call and place in all his chips he has. I then thought, is this always the case or maybe I just missed seeing players fold? What’s your thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Pace
Pace,

You are not seeing other players fold. Broadcasts such as the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour edit out a lot of playing and a lot of hands. They show only the most interesting or most entertaining hands. Most final tables that you see that are broadcast in an hour take a minimum of 7 hours to play. The 2006 Main Event final table took over 20 hours to play, and they broadcast it over 2 hours only.

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Just yesterday, I was in a friendly tourney. At certain point, I mucked my straight flush draw on the river based on pot odds and then later on realized the card I should have. And so I started questioning myself afterwards about pot odds. Are they really significant in tourneys?

Well, I personally believe that in ring games, pot odds are significant in the event you want to play with probabilities and then keep them on your favor. Any thoughts?

By the way, since I’m already hear, I’ll just grab the chance. I’ll share a bad beat story. It’s about me being beaten by a player who called my all-in with a straight draw on the river. I had AAA. Mid part when he knew he needed a 9. Later on the river he got what he needed, a 9.

Any comment about my bad beat story?

Thanks!

Regards,
Donnovan
Donnovan,

When you are at the river, the hand is complete, you either hit your draw or you miss it. I’m assuming based on you saying that you had a draw that you actually was on the turn. If you did not have pot odds to make the call, then you were correct to fold.

Pot odds do play a significant role in tournaments. Sometimes it makes the difference in calling when you have a big draw and sitting back waiting for a better spot.

As far as your bad beat story, unless your all-in bet was less than 8% of the pot, this was a bad call by your opponent. When you have 4 outs on the turn, you have around an 8% chance of hitting your hand.

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For some time now, I’ve been playing 10 player tournaments for about £10-20 entry fee. Well, most of the time I can make it to the last 3, but at times just at the 7th place. I must admit, when I’m already in the last 4 or 5, I’m confident enough. I tend to be a bit more aggressive than usual and then loosen up when I know somebody has the best hand with a bit weaker hands. I usually make money because of this.

But on the flip side, I will tend to break about even in chips until 3 or 4 players have been busted out. And when around 7 players are left, I badly struggle most especially when I don’t have a big stack. At times, I can wait for others to have an error but this rarely happens as players tend to tighten up as the blinds move up to approximately 100-200 chips. Well, things aren’t that bad, I still believe that all hands could win or give me some winnings however there’s a problem. With straights or flushes I just win little large pots. And when the blinds are so high, I become very cautious hoping not to be hurt so badly in case I fold and I’ve placed some money.

Now, I’m wondering if how I should adapt myself and my game considering the stuff I’ve just shared with you. Any idea?

I hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks in advance!

Finnsso
Finnsso,

When you are in the earlier stages, you should tighten up a bit. The middle stage is where you should loosen up a bit and take advantage of the shorter stacks and those trying to squeak into the money. You should only draw to straights and flushes if you have pot odds to do so. Otherwise you need to stay out of the hand.

Taking advantage of short stacks and other bad plays becomes important in the later part of the tournament. If you can see cheap flops, try to do so and punish your opponents when they push with ace high or a bad pair.

When you are short in the middle to mid-late part of the tournament, when you play a hand, push all-in. This puts players to a decision right then and there and makes it easier on you.

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I’m not really serious about playing poker or even being a pro. I play just during my pastime. Well, I love playing online. As a player, I’m a tight type and if I don’t have good hands like ak, aq pocket pairs etc, I don’t get involved. In early stages, I play loosely. I then try to always see cheap flops when the blinds are small and a lot of callers are in. However, when the blinds start to increase, I also begin tightening a bit. Do you think this makes sense and actually a good strategy? Usually, I can have many in-the-money finishes however not oftentimes on the top 3. Also, when I get to the final stages, my stacks are really small. And to collect more money, I also just fold most of the time when everything is about to end.

I’m now confuse as to how to play as the blinds go up. Any idea? And another thing, with a medium pocket pair say a pair of sevens, is it good to raise? Or else just limp in and then have a set instead? Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

Mitchelle
Mitchelle,

You have it backwards. You need to play tight early on and then loosen up the later you get in the tournament. Tightening up and letting yourself be blinded off is why you are making the money as a short stack.

As far a medium pair, if you are in late position, you can raise. Otherwise, limp in and try to hit a set on the flop.

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I joined a 10 buy 8 man tournament Monday night. Later, it was down to 3 handed and in terms of chips I was second. At some point, player leading in chips beaten the other player. He had one or two lead advantage over me going into heads up play. Well, it appeared to me as a not so big advantage as when I play heads up, I open up a lot and will play almost any cards and so for that I end up calling and raising with marginal hands while hoping to have some action and fun.

Honestly, I find my approach pretty much effective however when I play with a certain player who would normally fold without a good hand and wouldn’t call bets or raises on the flop without mid to top pair, things are a bit different. In case I play with such kind of players, I would normally call raises hoping to bust someone later. Once I remember my stack decreased in an instant because of the blinds and minor dry spell. I had A9c and then went all in. Then with jacks he called and because no one had an ace he won.

How do you find the way I play? I’m now on great trouble as I don’t know if my strategies really make sense. Do you know any good strategies?

Thanks and nice site!

Regards,
Schwenning
Schwenning,

Your strategy is a good one but when you play tight players you need to be careful when they play back. Don’t stay in a hand with a tight player when they play back at you hoping to catch lucky. Usually all you will catch is 2nd place.

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Just last Saturday, I was in a tournament for $10,000. We started with 70 players and then was down to 9 at each table, there were 2 final tables. Blinds were at $4000-8000 and then will move up to $8000-16,000 when we finally have the next hand. $4000 chips, I was at the small blind. After posting, I have around $34000 chips.

Of course aside from the small blind, there were 8 other players around. Player 1, the big blind, had $40,000 chips after posting. Player 2 had around $70000 chips. Player 3 had around $180000 chips. Both players 2 & 3 called the big blind. Player 4 was next and folded. Player 5 had around $25-30,000 chips, he folded then. Player 6 had around $70,000 chips. Player 7 had around $50-60,000 chips. And finally, player 6 had around 25,000 chips. Players 6, 7, & 8 folded.

At some point, I was dealt a Q/5 off-suit. Flop then came and brought 6h 6s Qh. I was bothered after knowing this as about 20% somebody will be hitting the six. Well, this was just based on my instincts and observations. Because of this, I checked and so as everyone else, I was not hoping for it actually, I wanted somebody to throw out a bet.

Next card came and was an 8s. I then went all-in hoping that somebody might think I have the 6. Suddenly, bid blind called while two others folded.

I knew then he had a 6/7 clubs and I have my 2 pair. River card came and was a 2. Because of this, everything was over then for me.

Some hands came. Player 5 who is actually my friend was blinded out, K/9 spades to pair of 5s. We then went out, along with our another friend, we discussed what went wrong. Well, I believe that my mistake was going all-in then. Well I realized I should have thrown out a feeler bet, however I don’t have enough chips to do so. One of my friends on the other hand had made a mistake of not going all in, and most especially for laying down beforehand. I believe his play was moronic and everything else seemed like a joke and all. On the contrary, he believe he made the right decision as the flop/turn/river didn’t help him.

Up to now, we still argue every time we talk about what happened. Personally, how do you find the way I played? How about the way my friend played? Who’s right between the two of us?

I’m really open to suggestions and even criticisms so you can actually tell me everything. I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Thanks a lot for your time.

Regards,

Paul Jon
Paul,

First, you should have put out a bet on the flop to see where you were at. If you were raised, you could then fold. When you checked around and then moved all in on the turn, you were telling the person that you did not indeed have a six. Someone with a six there would have put in a smaller amount.

In regards to your friend, I don’t have enough information. If he was blinded out to the point where K-9 was his only choice to push with, than I would recommend he loosen up his requirements in later position some.

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I was able to join many multi table NL tourneys just these past months. Most of the times, I’m going home with nothing and the reason I believe is something related to all-ins, when I have high pockets or hands such as AKs, usually I get excited preflop. However, I can muck such when I feel I will be beaten by someone. But in case of pre-flop, I don’t know why but I can’t dump any no matter what. Also, I would call pre-flop down if there are all-ins and so will just lose AA to KK or KQ and other second class hands in the end. I should have already won big if ever I succeeded on folding such.

The other day, at a certain tourney, a guy went all in and so I called him down in an instant. Once again, I lost my KK to an AJ.

I guess my question is, should I fold such hands when all-ins are evident? Also, in the event there are 2-3 players who are already all in, should I just then also go all in with my pocket pair with right judgment?

Hope to hear from you in no time.

Thanks a lot!

Jon Werking
Jon,

When you are faced with a preflop all-in with a hand such as Kings or Aces, you need to call. Yes, you may get outdrawn, but that is part of the game. In the case where multiple players are all in, I would only call with Queens, Kings, or Aces unless they are really short and your have a big stack and hope to knock out some players.

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Ever since I really don’t like starting hands such as 5-7, 4-6, 8-10. Why? Well, because I typically just get weird straight or full house when I unfortunately have them. I can also just nail a player when I have a good flop.

Another thing, with such hands, I usually don’t know when to fold. Oftentimes, I just go for a small bet or two and then wait for some events to happen. Any piece of advice for me?

I hope to hear from you.

Thank you very much.

Carl Johnson
Carl,

My piece of advice for these starting hands is to not play them. Gap hands such as 4-6 and 5-7 may win some nice pots when you are lucky, but usually they just drain chips. If you can play them in the blind or cheaply with multiple players, you can speculate at that point, but not for raises.

If you do play them, the time to get away from them is when you do not connect with them or you flop a draw and there is significant action in front of you.

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Yesterday, I was in a small 10$ no limit tourney. All of us who joined got $1000 in chips. At the table, we were actually 10 players. Well, I believe some were extremely aggressive, some were maniacs, and some were tight. I chose in the end to be tight aggressive.

Earlier part, many of preflop bets went as high as $250. I was then dealt 7-2o, 10-4o, J-3o and because of such, it was then hard for me to call or even see the flop. Later, I got pockets kings and so I then placed $300 bet. Two callers appeared. Unfortunately, I had only around $350 left then while the bad cards were still coming. Finally, I got QJo and so I went all in. I was called afterwards and then was busted out.

I believe I’ve made some mistakes because of several reasons. First, I couldn’t make some moves because of the bad cards. And the bets that were quite high also had troubled me. I believe if bets had been cheaper I could’ve limped in hoping to flop something significant. Also, final two players were tight players, they’ve caused too much stress to me actually.

Now, I’m thinking what if I could have been more aggressive. What do you think? If I were at some point, maybe I could have folded my opponents. I was hesitant to be back then because the way the tourney was going was unusual to me. I can’t fold some of the very aggressive players unless I went all-in earlier.

In an aggressive no limit tourney, how do you think good players play when the cards don’t side on them?

Thanks and nice site!

Engledow
Engledow,

Good players try and see flops cheaply and connect lucky. They also steal a lot in position. When they do get good hands, they try and push with them. What happened with your Kings? I would have liked to hear more about what happened there.

Q-J was not a bad holding to move in with considering your run of cards. In fast moving aggressive tourneys, you need to either get cards or be able to control the action. If you can’t do either, it usually equals a short day at the tables.

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Just recently I joined a home tourney. A hand came up at some point. On the button, I got 4-5 clubs. Everyone at the table folded to me therefore I raised, 80. By the way, the blinds then were 10-20.

Later, both the small blind and big blind folded. Just to give you information about the two, the small blind was a very loose player then and would normally go on his way to call raises any suited A,K, Q, or the like while the big blind was a not so tight player and was fond of running for flushes back then in the tourney.

Well, to continue, after the folding event, small blind checked while big blind placed a 300 bet. I then went all in though I knew I would win. I just want to make sure that the small blind will not run for his flush.

Few minutes passed and small blind called while big blind folded. By the way, big blind had K-Q. Afterwards, small blind flipped A-3 of spades. At such point, I’ve proven to myself that my instincts about what he had was true. Well, turn brought his spade. Unfortunately, I was busted out the first hand of the tourney.

Now my question is, do you think that was an overplay? Back then, I should have re-raised however I believe that somebody had a flush draw therefore I thought that an all in bet would be much better as it will scare him away. Also, if a spade didn’t hit on the turn, I should have re-raised the 300 to 900 and then pushed all in. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Kevin
Kevin,

First, you had 4-5. This is not a strong hand. You tried to steal from the button. When you were reraised, you needed to give it up. Pushing all-in was an overplay. The rest of the thinking is irrelevant. When you try and steal with a weak hand an face resistance, it is time to fold.

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