Live tournament - first hand

Miklosik · Live tournament - first hand

I played a live event at the local B&M yesterday and this is a review of the first hand.

Blinds are 25/50, I'm the CO and hold

As it is the first hand, everyone is watchful and cautious and it folds all around to me. Not really wanting to see a flop I raise to 200. Should I limp here or min raise? What is the right thing to do?

Button calls, sb folds, bb calls. It should be noted here that starting stacks are 2500.

is the flop.

bb checks

This is where I need help. I don't know what to bet. I don't think I can just check and open myself up to a steal by the button and if I bet less than my pf raise it would send the same message as a check.

So I bet 300 and the button calls, bb folds.

turn is

Do I slow down here or fire again?

I chose to fire again, another 300.

river

Oh crap. Now what?

How would you play this street and what do you think the button was holding?

harry_lime

with the blinds so low and the stacks so big, i would be tempted to limp in at this early stage hoping to hit a friendly flop where i could get paid off.

if you want to raise, i would never min raise but pop it up to 150 or 200. the problem here is that the stacks are large so it's really nothing to call and if you raise too much you have no chance of getting value on the hand.

once in the hand and with that flop, i think your first bet is ok. once you get the call you must decide whether he's chasing or not and obviously this tends to be easier live if you can read your man.

again, i would have taken the safe route into the hand as it's such an early stage and been quite happy to have folded, even to that flop. early on, hands like 8's, 9's 10's or J's are really tough to play as theres not much point in stealing the blinds but it's also hard to know how to play these to get value and know exactly where you are after the flop. always a potential nightmare early on but great hands to have in the later stages when the blinds mean something.

...that doesn't really answer your question does it.

....but hopefully you get my drift.

Ramster

I like the pre flop raise
but on the flop i would be hitting this harder after all you got top pair and you are drawing to the nuts
On the turn i would be firing out at least a pot sized bet to find out where i am i dont think you have put enough out here to induce a fold by a drawing hand
As you say its the first hand of the tourney i think im gonna be slowing down on the river and probly check/call depending on the bet size

With the bet sizes you have put out there and it being a live game i would say they are holding anything between

and

Know-nuffin

How big was the field.

I would tend to be cautious early in a game until I get a feel for the table and be happy for a cheap look with 10-10.

Real tough flop in any situation, if you turn a 10 you may still be miles behind.

I think I'm looking for a reason to get away from this hand.

If you've fired twice and got called twice it's hard to bet on the river but I may try a block bet.

Limp, pre-flop
1/2 or pot size on the flop
Check the turn
Small bet on the river.

Your opponent is holding...

/

or

PoolDemon

I think the 200 PF was good, 1/2 the pot off the flop was ok, with the button again just calling, you now have to decide if you already lost the hand, or if he has a high club or straight draw, IMO, a bet of at least 800 up to the pot is needed on the turn, depending on what your gut is telling you they are doing...this is where I luv live play, if you are anywhere near decent in getting a read on people...

With only another 300 bet on the turn, you made it super cheap for the call if he's drawing, or already had it & slow playing U, as that bet doesn't tell you anything...

River time & now you have a set, & could have aready lost to 2 possible hands, & have not bet it to find out, if your ready to go home, all in, cuz he ain't calling hardly anything now that he got to the river pretty much as cheap as possible, unless he was ahead all that time...

if you were ahead, the turn bet was the one to remove the most chips from his sweaty little hands...

as for what he could have been playing, the betting never drew out what it could have been, so anything from ducks to two suited semi's could have been in his hand...

HOUSECATS

I think what advice everyone is giving you is right. You should of bet more to get more information on the villain. But now that the river is dealt and you could be way behind and you are in position I think you have to see what his bet is. If the villain bets big I would fold and wait for a better spot to get you money in with. If they just bet out a small bet to try and take it down then I would just call. If he checks then I would check to and see the showdown. I would not go over the top of any bet the villain makes. And I agree he could have any 2 cards hard to put him on anything.

Miklosik

Once again some great insights by all of you. As this was the first hand of the game, I had no real reads on anyone yet. Just a gut feeling. I didn't think his had was made post flop or post turn because he only called. And I think if I had made a stronger turn bet he may have folded. I checked the river and after loooooong consideration so did he.

Button had

Arjonius

How many chips did you have to start? That might influence my bet sizing. However, I'm unlikely to limp TT in the CO on the first hand of a tournament without some good reason to do so. If I end up showing down this hand, it gives everyone who's paying attention a quick read that I'm weak tight, which isn't a desirable image to have.

So, I open, probably for 150, although I might go 125 if the stacks are on the short side e.g. 1000.

While it's possible you're crushed on this flop, you're probably a decent favorite against the opponent' entire calling range, so I don't see much reason not to bet around 2/3 pot - again, unless the stack sizes influence me to choose another amount.