Monday, September 11, 2006
Grind grind grind
I just completed 24 SNGs and I just about broke even. Got a few sick beats on the bubble where I was a 3-1 favorite when the chips went in preflop, but it's no biggie. Anyway, here's a hand that I think I played ok.
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t30/t60
UTG: t2030
UTG+1: t2660
UTG+2: t1580
MP1: t2215
MP2: t1740
MP3: t2195
CO: t1860
Button: t1465
Hero: t1850
BB: t2405
Pre-flop: (10 players) Hero is SB with Q♥ Q♦
UTG raises to t225, 6 folds, Button raises to t615, Hero folds, 2 folds.
Uncalled bets: t390 returned to Button.
Results:
Final pot: t540
Final pot: t540
This hand is entirely about the range of hands that I assign to the UTG raiser and button reraiser. The loosest ranges that I can assign are UTG -> {88+,AQs+,AQo+} and button -> {TT+,AKs,AKo}. With this range I only have an equity of 38.1% against both of them, just 5 points better than average. Since the equity edge that I am pushing is just 5% and we're only in the 2nd level of the SNG, I think it is correct for me to fold this hand and find a better spot later on. I would need to loosen the range to UTG -> {66+,AQs+,AQo+} and button -> {TT+,AQs+,AQo+} before my equity edge becomes sufficient enough for me to push.
I guess my decision worked out perfectly as I went on to win the SNG, but then again, we can't be results oriented, can we? :)
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t30/t60
UTG: t2030
UTG+1: t2660
UTG+2: t1580
MP1: t2215
MP2: t1740
MP3: t2195
CO: t1860
Button: t1465
Hero: t1850
BB: t2405
Pre-flop: (10 players) Hero is SB with Q♥ Q♦
UTG raises to t225, 6 folds, Button raises to t615, Hero folds, 2 folds.
Uncalled bets: t390 returned to Button.
Results:
Final pot: t540
Final pot: t540
This hand is entirely about the range of hands that I assign to the UTG raiser and button reraiser. The loosest ranges that I can assign are UTG -> {88+,AQs+,AQo+} and button -> {TT+,AKs,AKo}. With this range I only have an equity of 38.1% against both of them, just 5 points better than average. Since the equity edge that I am pushing is just 5% and we're only in the 2nd level of the SNG, I think it is correct for me to fold this hand and find a better spot later on. I would need to loosen the range to UTG -> {66+,AQs+,AQo+} and button -> {TT+,AQs+,AQo+} before my equity edge becomes sufficient enough for me to push.
I guess my decision worked out perfectly as I went on to win the SNG, but then again, we can't be results oriented, can we? :)
# posted by SmuCox @ 8:38 AM 
Comments:
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Out of curiosity, what $ amount sit-n-go were you playing? This fold seems to be a little too tight to be profitable over the long term playing online sit-n-go's. I think that with respect to online players, the range of hands that you were willing to put your opponents on was too narrow. Personally, I rarely fold QQ preflop in an online tournament unless it is obvious I am up against AA or KK, there are just too many hands people play unjustifiably aggressive online.
# posted by 
: 2:53 PM
: 2:53 PM
It's a $55 SNG. It was a tough decision for me and I actually used up my time bank before folding. Like I said, this hand is entirely about hand ranges and I think the range that I assigned both players is realistic enough.
What range of hands would you assign to both players? I suppose UTG's range can be expanded but button's big reraise narrows his range to the one that I specified. Also, button already has 1/2 his stack in the pot, so my fold equity is zero.
As to folding QQ preflop, I've done it several times - when I'm up against a raise and reraise and the stack sizes dictate that it's ok for me to fold QQ.
What range of hands would you assign to both players? I suppose UTG's range can be expanded but button's big reraise narrows his range to the one that I specified. Also, button already has 1/2 his stack in the pot, so my fold equity is zero.
As to folding QQ preflop, I've done it several times - when I'm up against a raise and reraise and the stack sizes dictate that it's ok for me to fold QQ.
Again, this analysis only is from my experience from online sit-n-go's, and would be substantially different for live play, but I don't think you can put the UTG guy on any significant range of hands, he could have anything from 66+, 87s+, or KJos+. A lot of online payers, expecially on Party Poker, just don't seem to worry much about position, and KJo looks like a good hand so they raise an unraised pot regardless of position. Your range of hands for the button raiser probably is accurate, although because this online, I also would inlcude 88, 99, AJ, and AQ (unlikely given your hand) in that range. The problem is that in a sit-n-go you don't have enough chips to "find out where you are at" preflop, and consequently, you have to commit yourself to the hand or fold. There is nothing wrong with folding, like you said, it only is level 2 of the tournament. But from experience, I find folding QQ preflop in an online sit-n-go to be -EV. I would agree with your analysis and range of hands if you were describing a live tournament.
# posted by : 9:05 AM
: 9:05 AM
Yeah, this is entirely about the hand ranges that I assign to the 2 players. One thing I dislike about PokerStove is that I can't assign weights to the various hands in a range. If you know of a poker calculator that can do this, please tell me.
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