Poker question for online players

[saint]

Hey fellas-

I have been playing poker for a while but never online. I've finally found some time and joined a site. I was playing in a tourney (small 10+1). There were 22 people left and i was 2nd in chip lead.

Should I have just sat on it and tried to blind my way into the final table and only play top top hands?

I got dealt AQs and a smaller stack went all in and I called, he had AKs and I lost the hand. Was that a good play to play aggressively while in the chip lead or should I have layed low unless I was dealt like a high pocket pair?

Thanks in advance.

 

[marine]

just my opinion, and this is a very general statement...

with the situation you were in, you are right to play conservative... but i would never call an all in... with the big hands i would be VERY aggresive and try to come in in only later positions and come in for about 50% of the smallest remaining stack's count

in other words, i aint calling you unless i have abig pocket pair or AK.

if i am first in i will play down to an A-10 sometimes.

Try to pick exclusively on the smaller stacks at the table too.

 

[johnnyb.]

i'd lay down pockets cowboys if i was in tourny and someone went all in... just me, definitely not an expert.

 

[gman2]

I got dealt AQs and a smaller stack went all in and I called, he had AKs and I lost the hand. Was that a good play to play aggressively while in the chip lead or should I have layed low unless I was dealt like a high pocket pair?

it kinda depends on what people consider low stack. if youre not risking more than 1/5 of your chips, then its a no-brainer to call. most people low-stacked will push all-in with ace-anything most of the time. you ran into a better kicker. nothing you can do about that. even if you were up against KK, you have an overcard and a reasonable shot to catch it and knock him out.

only advice would be to not get involved in big pots with guys who have similar-sized chip stacks. in this case, it sounds like you just ran into someone on the verge of going broke who finally picked up a hand at the right time. not a bad call on your part against a low stack

 

[saint]

Thanks guys,

I ended up getting busted on pocket AA one place out of the money. The other guy was AKs and pulled a flush on the river. I swear I think I'm the only person who hates getting AA online, I lose more often than not with it.

 

[gman2]

Thanks guys,

I ended up getting busted on pocket AA one place out of the money. The other guy was AKs and pulled a flush on the river. I swear I think I'm the only person who hates getting AA online, I lose more often than not with it.

nevermind. just saw it was a flush you lost to

 

[Penguinfan]

I'm probably not the most qualified to answer this, but this is a decision you should have made before the tournament started, meaning did you just want to make the money or did you want to win? Your strategy at that point in the game depends on what you want from the word go.

I probably bust out withing 10 places of the money enough to drive most people crazy, but I just don't see playing for 3 hours (or more) only to make the last money spot and make a little less than double the buy-in back. If it's a $30 tourney alot of time the last 10 money spots pay like $55 back, I can make $20 at a cash table alot quicker with alot less risk of losing the whole $30 (quit when I am losing with something left).

As far as calling and all-in with AQ, thats something you really should try to avoid. AQ is a raising hand, but not a calling hand. For the most part I try to avoid calling any all-in bet without a premium hand.

Whenever the game gets to within 10-20 spots of the money this is the time to really improve your position as the blinds are usually high compared to the chip stacks and people are limping into that last money spot. The final table is where the money is at in these games, especially on-line. Your goal from the start should be to make the final table then play it out from there.

Quick example, you find yourself in that spot 5 times and you limp to the money 5 times only to bust out at the bottom pay level since you blinded off a good part of your stack limping in, you will pick up about $275 (on a $30 entry). If you bust out short of the money 4 times by being aggressive and once make the final table with a good chip stack you could easily get to 6th or 7th and grab a $500-$600 payday, or even a few grand if you manage to get to heads up or even win.

Just decide what you are playing for, and believe me, thinking "well I'll just make the money and then improve" does not work unless the cards run you over all of the sudden, you just won't have the chips to do it.

 

[SixFive]

what kills me is the small stack players who stall every hand until they get to the money. The last multi I was in was a 40+4, and 140-121 place got back something like $45.50. These people don't understand that they really aren't winning much here.

Saint, in your situation, if you had been playing at that table for a while and the raiser was somebody who had been making all-in moves a lot and that you thought was chitting you, I would have called. Had the player been an unknown, I probably would have folded.

 

[Agent 0659]

Playing agressively isnt CALLING. Betting and raising is. Dont call large raises with AQ, and other such nonsense as KQ and KJ. Similar to Penguinfan, I bust out on alot of bubbles because its the best time to try and run over the tables. When I do catch some cards at these times, I usually have a good chance to win at the final table.

 

[saint]

Thanks again guys great advice. I do agree that it's not worth the time to just make the money. As penguinfan said, it's kind of pointless to play for 3 hours and make what I could in a cash game in much less time.

 

[JOSHNAUDI]

Agree with penguinfan but want to add one thing to consider.

Where I play, lots of Mtt's have the bubble set at 27. More times than not, the stall at the bubble starts at 28-34 and can last 30 minutes or longer.

But, as soon as the burst, you see the next pay scale before the blinds get around.

I still agree that you should play to win, but the aggressiveness before the bubble is inviting monsters. Where as, no shiznit, I had a set of kings called by ace 3 off the first hand after the money. disclaimer, he had no draw (k87rainbow) and there was no value to his bet. He thought ace high was the best hand. And this happens right up to final table time before the action peters out again to extremely tight levels.

I would say that is the norm in the games I play.

Hope y'all win em all