That guy raised and won with a pair of four! This was really ugly situation!
What do you think? If you had 24K of stack would you play it the same way like me? Or would you fold AK This guy was crazy raising like that! I had straight draw, waiting for J. I know straight draw is not a hand but what he was waiting raising like that
Here you go some interesting hands from that freeroll:
Here only 3 players including me were playing. The other 7 were sitting out. That is why I didn't raise too much with AA, because the other guy would fold!
Joined: Feb '11
Location: Germany
Age: 31 (M)
Posts: 1859
Is the first hand intented to be a joke? I hope it is, because questioning getting it in here would be awful. Definitely get it in preflop though, there is no way on any flop you could fold AK here after investing 40% of your stack. If you say he was raising like crazy, what are you afraid of then? vs. a ridiculously tight player there would be some way to question it (regardless you'd have to get it in), but vs. someone with a wide range this is a nobrainer even if you have a much,much,MUCH bigger stack.
2nd hand I don't really understand the betsizing. Preflop maybe make it a little higher, about 1K, you have position postflop and both stacks (yours and your opponents') are well playable postflop. Why bet only 400 on the flop? You have top pair with good kicker, you want to get value from the hand and min-betting won't get you far. Min-betting turn by far not standard, but reasonable. It's some kind of blocking bet which you can def. use vs. weak players. River bet sizing is good
About 3rd hand, it's been mentioned on the forum a few times, never worry about what WOULD have happened, be happy you did a correct decision (which clearly is folding preflop here).
4th hand, you justify your preflop raising size. With 30BB minraising is absolutely the right move. I usually make 2.08BB to my standard raise size instead of minraising (looks like more to people not paying attention so I get more folds (obv. I wouldn't want that here but that'd be about balancing ranges)) but this is absolutely fine with all your opening range with this stacksize. Flop I'd maybe bet a little smaller, about 800 or so, but it worked out your way
Joined: Dec '12
Location: Bulgaria
Age: 47 (M)
Posts: 1022
BeMyATMplz, thank you very much for the analysis.
--- The first hand, actually my last hand of that tournament is really a joke! I thought to go all in preflop. Then the only solution as you said is to call, because I've invested 40% of my stack. There was another bulgarian player at the table. He said: "This was ugly".
--- The second hand Yes, you are right about the betting size of that hand. I usualy raise much more with that hand, but that player I was playing against is a very tight player. He usually folds most of the times. That is why I raised less because otherwise he could fold with bigger raises.
--- The third hand! Yes, I totally agree with you! This was discussed previously.
--- The fourth hand Well, I usually go all in preflop when I have AA. But not this time because I wanted to have some more chips. As I said seven players were sitting out and we were just 3. The other 2 were very, very good players who played very tight, one from Greece and one from Germany.
They have played only when having monster hands or sets. Everything else they were folding preflop. They were very good guys especially the German. He saved me a lot of times. I had set of 8, at the flop appeared 9 and that German made a huge raise. I folded with the set of 8 and he showed me his cards. He had a pair of 9. That is why I wanted to have some chips, and I didn't raise with AA as I wanted to raise usually.
And that German guy was treating me good, he had some chances to elliminate me, but he didn't, so I didn't want to hurt him so much with those AA, as I hurted and elliminated some Russians for example.
Joined: Nov '12
Location: Canada
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 4675
G'day mate
Well I would just like to say well done on making it into the money. I also would point out that the other players at your table are NOT there to be your friends. Poker is a competition mate. You want to win it all in the end and that means you need chips. If you had shoved all in with the Aces then perhaps the German player would have just folded. You could have then showed your Aces to be respectful if you wanted. All I am saying is you might have been able to get even deeper into the money . Better luck next time. be cool
Joined: Dec '12
Location: Bulgaria
Age: 47 (M)
Posts: 1022
Yes, of course I agree with you Ronin. No doubt that poker is a competition game. But from almost 19000 players, I felt comfortable and secure when playing with the German, the Greek and one Bulgarian player. Only those three players, I mean we were chatting, it was good conversation with respect and that is why only with those three players I didn't make the actions I usually make. And they did the same when they had the chance to kick me out.
I think when we play tournaments with 20 000+ players all we find at least 2 or 3 favourite players let's say and don't want to hurt them! And they either. Am I right? With the others we play more agressive. That is why I don't like to play vs Bulgarians. Actually I don't play vs Bulgarians at the cash tables. The second reason of course is that Bulgarians are as good as the Russian players.
I wished to enter deeper into the money and probably would reached maximum 100 place if I played more agressive. At the end of the tournament I began to play hyper tight. I folded preflop very good hands like TK, TA etc. But lots of all ins preflop were made at the end of that freeroll and I don't wanted to risk. I waited the monster hand. I had only 20K of stack. The chip leader had 300K of stack. I received AK, and you saw what happend! I was elliminated with a pair of four!
Thanks for the wishes Ronin! All the best to you as well!
Posted by Peter7878: Yes, of course I agree with you Ronin. No doubt that poker is a competition game. But from almost 19000 players, I felt comfortable and secure when playing with the German, the Greek and one Bulgarian player. Only those three players, I mean we were chatting, it was good conversation with respect and that is why only with those three players I didn't make the actions I usually make. And they did the same when they had the chance to kick me out.
I think when we play tournaments with 20 000+ players all we find at least 2 or 3 favourite players let's say and don't want to hurt them! And they either. Am I right?
I don't think you are. What you are describing is collusion. It's illegal.
It's understandable though, but I always consciously try to fight the urge to take it easy on anyone for any (personal) reason. The same goes for going after someone I don't like. It's not personal either way...
This was really ugly situation! 
This guy was crazy raising like that! I had straight draw, waiting for J. I know straight draw is not a hand 
and min-betting won't get you far.
