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  1. (Hand advice is last two paragraphs for those that dont want to read the whole thing)

    I drive down to Harrahs and wait an hour to register for there $340 buyin , starting stacks of 1500 with 40 minute blind levels. They clearly were not prepared for the turnout as the tournament was supposed to start at 12 and did not start until an hour later so they could register everyone as well as make the tables 11 handed so that they could fit all 700+ players on the 60 tables that they had.

    This is my first big buyin live tournament and not really sure what to expect regarding competition. While waiting in line to register realize there is a general mix of casual players to fairly decent players as I see a couple of guys wearing WSOP 2006 Bodog gear and some pokerstars attire. Also overhear people talking that clearly are just looking to say that they played in the WSOP.

    The tournament gets underway and it takes 30 minutes to complete one round around the table because im at the only table where people want to waste time arguing and discussing stuff. First interesting question was an older man asked if he had to just win against the 9 people at this table to advance. Next argument was an older guy complaining about the guy with headphones to my right after the no communication device rule was announced. After this I got the loud mouth guy next to me who calls a clock on a guy after like 1 minute so the other player decides to run the clock down in spite of the loudmouth and then fold. I'm beginning to get frustrated as I realize the 1500 starting stack is going to get wasted if it takes almost one level to go around the table. I continue to fold my 9 3 offsuit and just try to figure out my table. First playable hand I get is AQ first to act so I just call and fold the K high flop.

    So I've managed to build up a fairly tight table image as I basically have played one hand the entire tournament. 5 minutes before the second level is about to end I am first to act and look down at QQ and have about $1250 and make it $150 with blinds at 25/50 and I get two calls and then an allin from a guy who has me covered (approx $2600). Guy to my right thinks long and hard and says I cant believe I'm about to fold this, you won't believe what I have. He is just about 150 short from being even with the allin guy. This throws me off a bit as I recognize this guy as pretty solid as he has made some decent laydowns already. The guy that has pushed allin seems fairly decent and a few hands prior to this hand was chit chatting with tourny director so he appears to be a regular at Harrahs.

    So I begin my thought process and realize if I fold I will have $1100 and be in the blinds next hand so if I fold those I will be down to 1025 with the blinds going up to 50/100 in 5 minutes. His bet is a large overbet but the pot is one of the larger pots preflop and I feel thats it not always Aces or Kings here... after some thought I have a feeling he has Jacks or tens and doesn't want to see a flop. I know this is probably one of my better chances to double up and with this structure I need to start accumulating, but the fact that my table image is so tight I'm thinking how could he make a move on me without AA. So my question is what would you do in this situation?

    Results will be posted later after some responses.
  2. Easy call all in. You have 1100 with 50.100 blinds. If you had 10k with 50.100 blinds easy fold. But tournaments are dictated by the blind levels and your stack in relation to those blinds. Given that, you need to make this call. The reality is that you are more than likely not going to find a better situation to put your money into the pot with.

    As for the guy with the long pause, he had AK.

    As for the reraiser who went all in, either AK JJ or KK.
     
  3. It is actually very likely that the other guy folded QQ as well, in which case you're in a bit of trouble.
  4. Well with 600 in the pot and an overshove for 2600, from a solid player, I tend to think the range is pretty tight (AK, JJ+). Call me a nit but I lean towards folding here. You're still going to have 10 bb's after it comes through you, and you'll probably have a much better opportunity to get your chips in with fold equity. I don't think calling is necessarily bad, though, because the decision is really close.
  5. Still looking for a little more feedback before I post the results... but so far it looks like pretty much consensus with my thought process. Its definetely one of those hands where you are either way behind or slightly ahead for the most part. The thing that really threw me off was when the guy next to me started talking like he was making a big laydown.
    Thread Starter
  6. I call - you are forgetting that because you are so tight, people will think that they can push you around.

    The overbet there looks like a pretty standard squeeze to me - decent pot, tight initial raiser, two callers behind - he is going to take that down preflop almost every single time.

    The fact that the guy next to you is blabbing about making a great lay down makes the call even easier for me, as it increases the chances that you are up against counterfeited outs.

    If the pusher has KK or AA - it just wasn't your tourney - his range includes a ton of hands which you absolutely dominate.

    chardrian is an instructor at PocketFives Training . To get more of his advice and to watch his training videos, click here.

  7. Okay so here are the results:

    I finally decide this is could be the best shot at me getting some chips to play with and figure I might as well get it in with a top 3 hand rather than waiting and having to push with something crappy later. I called and he turns over JJ to confirm my read of JJ or 1010 trying to avoid seeing a flop. Guy to my right says he folded AK, not sure how he thinks thats a huge laydown in that spot but whatever.

    Flop comes K J 10 and I don't catch any of my outs and my first WSOP event comes to an end on a 2 outer.

    Funny thing is I was a little nervous for playing in my first tourny and prior to taking my seat I told my gf I hope I dont get QQ or something where I have to make a decision early on. Since its a good hand but not that good. Also as I stood up to make my exit I turn around to see my girlfriend and her parents entering into the tournament room to come see how I'm doing...I told them they jinxed me.

    Overall I'm happy with my first shot at a WSOP event and told myself I'm going to do my best and hopefully if and when I get knocked out I'm hoping that its a hand where I was ahead when all the money went in. Was hoping to play a little longer than an hour and a half and be a little closer to the money to get the adrenaline going but overall happy with my performance.
    Thread Starter
  8. i'm very surprised that for a world series circuit event that the tournament was so poorly run. seriously, 11 man tables? jeez man.
  9. I was fortunate enough to have the 11 seat never show up and upon the first guy busting the seat wasn't filled too quickly so we were pretty much playing 9 handed. I think with the LAPC going on they weren't expecting such a large turnout. I figured they were going to do whatever it takes to get each person into that tournament considering they make $40 a person that registers. It was just kinda crappy in the sense that they said they were pushing it back to 12:30, and then at 12:30 it was obvious it wasnt starting. I went back and checked about 10 til one and saw there were people seating and was worried they might of started already. No announcement was made, other than in the pavillion itself but that was pretty much just filled with the people in line to register.
    Thread Starter
  10. Yeah...honestly I think in the longrun, it doesn't matter which decision you made because it is pretty close.