MollysPoker.com

[SBUSA]

This week’s hand of the week occurred during a live tournament, $50 buy in 2 – table to be exact. Not the biggest of stages, but a tournament nonetheless. I like these smaller tournaments for several reasons. For one, they provide a great opportunity to fine tune your game as you prepare for “bigger” tournaments. If you have aspirations of winning prestigious events, you must be able to win smaller sized tournaments with consistency and regularity. This is why I play them. What better way to prepare than in one of these events?

I have enjoyed pretty good success in smaller tournaments, usually finishing in the money in 2/3 of the events I enter. So of course, the hand of the week has to do with a recent failure of mine at one of these very events.

There were 6 players remaining and the top 4 get the money. I was on the button with Ah-10c. I planned on raising with these cards when the action got to me. Oddly enough, a player in the 4th sat raised to $300 before I had a chance to act. With a rather ordinary holding that requires improving, I just called as everyone else at the table folded. I had $1,500 chips remaining. The flop looked beautiful to me, Ac, Jh, 10d, giving me 2 pair. I put the original raiser on AK or KK so I had what I believed to me a monster of a hand. The original bettor makes a pot sized bet of $700 and I moved in without even thinking. I go all in and he quickly calls. “He definitely has AK I think to myself.” Now, I must re-emphasize the point that I didn’t even think twice before making my all-in call. I normally at least pause before acting even when I know exactly what I want to do. This time however, instinct took over.

Imagine the feeling of horror on my face after my opponent turned over AJ giving him a HIGHER TWO PAIR than me. Now, I couldn’t believe that both of us had 2 pair but I now only had a couple of outs, another 10 or an A J on the turn and river. The turn card was a Jack giving my opponent a full house and leaving me with only 2 outs on the river. An Ace would split the pot and keep my going in the tournament. Unfortunately, the river was a harmless 3d and I was ousted.

What did I do wrong? It’s tough to say what I would have done differently except perhaps folding pre-flop with a marginal holding. Why did I play it? Well, I’ve been asking myself the same question. If my assessment was correct in thinking he had Ace King, then I would have been dominated pre-flop. I probably shouldn’t have even been around to see that flop because once my two pair fell, I couldn’t lay my hand down. Chalk it up to a difficult lesson learned…

This hand illustrates the dangers of not thinking things before acting. It takes a great deal of discipline to fold an Ace with a decent kicker. Discipline I normally have, especially so close to placing in the money of a tournament. Next time, I vow to take my time and think things through before impulsively acting.

Until next time, may the chips fall your way.

(For more poker strategy and tips, please visit the PokerStrategyKing’s website at www.pokerstrategyking.com )
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