Monday, August 18, 2008

Final Table of $26 Full Tilt Knockout Tourney

$24 + 2 Full Tilt Knock Out final table

I made another nice run in an online tournament at Full Tilt on Sunday. I played in a random Knock Out sit and go with a 90 player cap.

Here are the possible payouts:

1. $576
2. $351
3. $252
4. $198
5. $144
6. $108
7. $72
8. $54
9. $45

Plus you make $4 every time you knock a player out of the tournament.

I finished in 5th place and I had a few knockouts. I don't know how many exactly because Full Tilt doesn't tell you.

There were some donktastic players in this one and with a little luck on my part I made a nice run. I thought I would go through the hands again and see if I could have done some things better.

Level 1 20-40 blinds starting with 3000 chips.

1. TsTc in small blind. UTG limps, hijack limps, button limps, I complete and BB checks. Flop is 8c-4h-Qd and it’s checked around.
Turn is 8h. I lead out for 80 and everyone folds.

2. 9d7s on button. It’s folded to me and I open raise to 100 and win the blinds.
Stack 3150. 2c2d in cutoff. One limper and I limp along. Button raises to 120. Blinds fold, early limper calls and I call. Pot is 420.

Flop is 8s-2s-4s. I flop a set but with a monotone board and I don’t have a spade. Early player checks, I check, and button bets 240. Early player folds and I call. Pot is 900.

The turn is a 3s so now the board is 8-2-4-3 all spades. I check again and button checks behind.

River is Jh. I check. The button bets 640 and I call to see JsTs for a flopped flush and lose the pot.

This was one hand where trying to play a small ball strategy did protect my stack. Usually I would have led out on the flop to see where I was at. By check calling, I gave myself another chance to see the turn and possibly hit the full house. The river call was probably too loose, but then again, I had not shown any aggression in the hand, so I may have to call there if I don’t put any bets in on flop or turn.

Level 2 25-50

3. Stack 2100. AsKs in BB. Early player min raises to 100. Cutoff calls and Small Blind calls. I raise to 550 hoping to take it down now or get it all in before the flop. Instead I get called in two spots behind me.
1,750 in the pot and the flop is Ac-8c-2c. I push all in for 1600. They both fold and I win a big pot.

I think leading out is the right play. I can’t bet less than all in and I don’t want to give a free card. If a club draw calls me, I’m still ahead. Plus the pot is big and I want to win it now.

4. Stack 3325. 5d4d in small blind. H8thrvr in first position calls and DANIELTT2 calls 50. I limp and the BB checks. 200 in the pot going to the flop.

Flop is Jh-5c-Qc and it’s checked around.

Turn is 3h. h8thervr bets 50 and DANIELTT2 calls and I fold

River is 7c. h8therver bets 150 and DANIELTT2 calls. H8therver shows 9s8s and DANIELTT2 shows 7h6h. This is a big clue that h8thrvr is willing to bluff two streets. I don’t know why DANIELTT2 called the turn there.


5. Stack 3300. AhAs on button. Aftermath666 moves all in for 3,265 first in the pot. Hmmmm.... that is a 60 BB shove. Glad I woke up with Aces. My opponent turns over pocket Jacks. The flop was interesting as it had an Ace and a Jack in it. I dodge the one outer on the turn and river and double up to 6605.

Level 3 30-60 blinds

6. Stack is 6605. I have pocket 2’s in late position. I open raise to 180 and small blind calls me. Flop is Ah-8c-Qs and I continuation bet 240 into a 420 pot and take it down.

7. Stack 6790. I have As3s in small blind. Its folded around to me and I complete. We both check it down to the river and I win small pot.

Level 4 40-80 blinds

8. Qc6c 3 off the button. I decide to get a little frisky and open raise to 200. ByeByeToYou raises all in to 1,750 behind me and Coolerman calls on the button. I of course fold and watch as AQo goes up against Pocket Aces. The aces hold up for Coolerman.

Level 5 50-100 blinds

9. Stack size 6,380. I am moved to a new table. I pick up JhJc in the big blind. (I sure seemed to pick up a lot of hands in early position this tournament). Dg0425 is under the gun and raises to 300 and has 2,430 behind. It’s folded to the small blind who calls with 9,925 behind. I also just call.

Pot has 900 and the flop is 8s-Jd-2d. The small blind checks and I lead out for 400. dg0425 raises to 1200. I reraise and put him all in. He calls with KsJs and is drawing nearly dead. I win a 5,760 pot.

10. Stack 9,660. I have AdKh in cutoff. Cardom limps for 100 with 9,825 behind. I raise to 300. citiQQ calls on the button and Pistevo in the small blind calls. They both have about 3800 behind.

The pot has 1,300 in it and the flop is 2s-7c-3s It’s checked to me and I check it to the button who bets 400. The others fold. Since I’m out of position and the small bet looks suspiciously like a big hand, I fold.

Level 6 60-120

11. Stack size 9,360. I have 8c7c utg plus one. I raise to 300 and everyone folds except the big blind who calls. The pot has 660 going to the flop.

The flop is Ah-6h-6s. I make a continuation bet of 330 and he folds.

Level 7 80-160

12. Stack size is 9,540 and I have AhJd. Cardom limps for 160 with 7,435 behind and I call. The button Pistevo calls and the Big Blind checks his option. 720 in the pot going to the flop.

The flop is Ks-5h-Js Cardom bets 720 and everyone folds.

Level 8 100-200

13. Stack size 9,080 and I have Kd5d. brody1kanob limps in utg+1 with 16,785 behind. I limp in the cutoff. citiQQ calls in the small blind and Pistevo checks in the BB. 800 in the pot going to the flop.

Flop is Td-Th-7h. Right color, wrong suit. I fold to a 400 bet.

Level 9 150-300 with 25 ante

14. Stack size 8,230 and I have 7s7d on the button. Middle position moves all in for 1,790 and I call. He turns over pocket 9’s.

Flop is 8s-6s-Th giving me a little hope, but he has two of my outs. Turn and river brick and I lose.

Level 10 200-400 with 50 ante


15. Stack size 5,565 in the small blind with Ac9h. schwags 33 with 9900 in chips open raises on button for 1105. It looks like a textbook steal, so I shove all in and he folds.

16. Stack size 7,420 with 8d6s in cutoff. I open raise to 1,000 hoping to steal. It works and I pick up 900 dollars.

Level 11 250-500 with 50 ante.

17. Stack size 7,420. I have AhKd in small blind. tigerP limps utg+3 with 8,204 behind. The mokummaster raises to 1,500 with 2,710 behind. I shove all in and tigerP folds. The mokummaster calls and shows pocket tens.

There is 9,870 in the pot and the flop is Qc-Td-4c and I am in trouble. The tens hold up and I am down to 3,460.

18. Stack size 3,410. The very next hand I pick up 9c9s on the button. Schwags33 raises to 1275 in the cutoff and I push all in. schwags is getting 3-1 on his money and is forced to call with 9h8c. There is 8,020 in the pot going to the flop.

The flop is Qc-Kc-Th. I avoid the Jack for a chop on the turn and river and get right back into the tournament.

19. Stack size 7,870. I have 8c3s utg+1. The big blind is extremely tight according to my stats so I try for the blind steal by raising to 1,250. Pistevo in the cutoff shoves all in for 6,865 and I fold.

Level 12 300-600 with 75 ante

20. Stack size 5,320. I have AcKh in cutoff. Iliko59 moves all in for 3040. I reraise all in. citiQQ calls from the small blind and I am not feeling too good. The pot has 14,805.

Iliko59 shows Ad7c and citiQQ shows JhJc. The board is 9s-3c-Ks-9c-7h and I win a coin flip for my tournament life.

Level 13 400-800 with 100 ante

21. Stack size 14,630. I have AcQs utg+1. I open raise to 2000 and win the blinds and antes. It’s 7 handed at our table so that is 1,900 every time I do this.

22. Stack size 14,930. I have 7h-5h on the button. I open raise to 3600. blackpanter333 has 5,075 after paying the blind and citiQQ has 1,730 after paying the big blind.

I was thinking that they would not want to play for their tournament life, so I raised bigger than normal. In retrospect, this was dumb as citiQQ would be looking for any excuse to push all in after 1/3 of his stack went in for the blind. Blackpanther333 wakes up with AsQd and moves all in. I am forced to call getting nearly 5-1 on my money.

The pot is 12,450 and the board comes out 9c-6c-Ts-4c-8c and I suck out with the Ten high straight. This is the first hand I get really lucky on in the tournament.

23. Stack size 21,805 and I am chip leader at table. I pick up AdJs on the button. I open raise to 2000 and pick up 1,900 in blinds and antes

Level 14 500-1000 with 125 ante

24. Stack size is 23,230. I have 4c3c utg. I raise to 2,500 hoping to steal the blinds. Steinsbo11 in the small blind wakes up with QdQh and moves all in for 5,055. Getting 3-1 on my money I am forced to call again.
The pot has 11,735 and the board runs out 4s-2c-Ah-Kd-As and I lose.

Level 15 800-1600 with 200 ante.

25. Stack size 15,750 and I have Ad5h on the button. The table is 6 handed. It’s folded to me and I push all in against BIGGDEE123 with 46,137 in chips and citiQQ with 10,690 in chips.

I did not want to give the big stack a chance to reraise me if I only raise 3x the blinds. They both fold and I pick up 3,600 in blinds and antes.

26. Stack size 18,750 and I have AhQc in the hijack. I push all in again and nobody calls.

Level 16 1000-2000 with 250 ante

27. Stack size 18,750. I have Ac7d under the gun. I push all in and bbridges4058 on button calls for 7,260. The blinds fold and the pot has 18,520. He turns over KsQh so I am ahead but barely.
The board runs 9c-4c-Ah-9d-4d and I flop good!

28. Stack size 30,510. I have Kh9s on the button. The table is 5 handed. I believe we are at money bubble time. It’s folded to me and I raise to 5,000 and win 4,250 in blinds and antes.


29. Stack size 34,760. I have As2d in cut off. The table is still 5 handed and still on the bubble. I raise to 5,000. Steinsbo in the BB wakes up with 77 and raises all in to 5877 and I call 877 more. The 7’s hold up and I lose the pot.

Level 17 1200-2400 with 300 ante

30. Stack size 24,333. I have QhTs in cut off. The table is still 5 handed and still on bubble. I open raise to 7000 and everyone folds. I win 5,100 in antes and blinds.

31. Stack size 25,133. I am in the SB with Kh4s. Still 5 handed on the bubble. It’s folded to me and I decide to limp in.

I had been raising a lot and I was going to try and take away the hand on the flop by making a min bet. Just to be a little different.

The pot is 6,300 and the flop is Q-9-8 rainbow. I lead out for 2,400 and get min raised to 4800. I have to fold.

Level 18 1500-3000 with 400 ante

32. The bubble has burst and we are 9 handed at the final table. I have 19,733 and I am utg+2 with AcTd. I open raise all in and get called by the BB with 33. It cost more than half his stack so I don’t know if that’s a call that should be made, but so be it.

The pot has 44,566 and the board came out Jd-5d-7d-2d-Qh and I manage to hit the diamond flush and win the pot.

33. Stack size 44,166 and I am in second place. I am utg+2 with AcKd and I raise to 7,500. Everyone folds and I win 7,700 in blinds.

Level 19 2000-4000 with 500 ante

34. We have lost 3 players since I last played a hand. We are down to 6 handed. Stack size 39,066 after posting the Big Blind. I have TdTc. It’s folded to the button who is the chip leader with 91,000 in chips. He raises to 8,000. The small blind folds and I push all in. He folds and I win $12,500.

Level 20 2500-5000 with 600 ante.

35. Six players left. Stack size 52,366 and I have the button with Jc4h. It’s folded to me and I raise to 12,500 and win the blinds and antes which are now up to 10,500.

36. Down to 5 and I have 52,966 in chips. I also have the small blind and JcTc. It’s folded to me and I raise to 12,500. The BB shoves over the top of me for 35,116. I’m getting almost exactly 2-1 to make the call but I fold because I’ll still have 9 BB left and I can push and win the blinds in another hand and make the 12,500 back.

37. The next hand I have 42,366 in chips on the button and I wake up with QhQs. IrieAce in cutoff pushes his last 8,684 into the pot and I reraise all in to isolate. IrieAce turns over Jd4d and I feel good. There are 26,668 chips in the pot.

The board comes out 8h-7c-5s-4c-Js. He catches runner-runner to stay alive. At the time I was pissed because I felt that this crippled me. Looking at it now, it was the best time to take a bad beat because it was against the shortest stack at the table. Still it would have been nice to eliminate him and move up the pay scale.

Level 21 3000-6000 with 750 ante

38. I have 23,632 in chips and I pick up Ah8s on the button. The chip leader at the table raises to 18,000. I decide to push in the rest of my chips and he turns over AsJh. I do not improve and I am out in 5th place.

It’s common for most players to lament their elimination hand as the cause of their bad performance. Usually it was the hands they didn’t play right earlier that put them in the position to be eliminated. This time, however I really should not have pushed in there. I need to have first in the pot raise equity or a really solid hand to play anything with that short stack.

Here were the final stats of the tournament according to PokerTracker:
Total hands: 154
VPIP: 25%
PFR: 19%
Blind defense: 1 time, successful
Att to steal Blinds: 9 times out of 21 66% of the time they folded, 11% they folded on flop.

Overall it was the typical combination of good aggressive play, timely cards, and a little luck

2 comments:

NumbBono said...

Congrats on the nice run. If you look at the tourney summary in your hand history, I think it tells you how many KO's you had.

#1 Stalker said...

Great analysis! Please keep up these kinds of blogs...exactly like this one.