PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em
Double or Nothing Tournament
125/250 Blinds 25 Ante (7 handed)
Hero's M: 5.13 (Learn About M)
Preflop: Hero is Button with 8♦, A♥
2 folds, MP2 calls t250, 1 fold, Hero bets t2795 (All-In), 2 folds, MP2 calls t2305 (All-In)
OK, so this is my first error of the night. I was multi-tabling at the time so didn't notice that MP2 had open-called. Typically I would fold to another active player in this situation. But instead I shoved. My mistake.
Flop: (t5660) 3♥, 2♣, 3♣ (2 players, 2 all-in)
Turn: (t5660) 8♠ (2 players, 2 all-in)
River: (t5660) K♦ (2 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: t5660
Results:
Hero had 8♦, A♥ (two pair, eights and threes).
MP2 had A♦, Q♥ (one pair, threes).
Outcome: Hero won t5660
So I sucked out on MP2. Sorry about that. But now I am in a good chip position to bully the table. One of my frustrations is watching a big stack go to sleep during the bubble. I guess in a Double or Nothing tournament, that isn't necessarily a bad strategy. There is no incentive to build chips because everyone who cashes makes the same amount of money. In contrast, in a traditional sit n go, first place pays half the prize pool, so building your stack for In The Money play is important.
Anyway, from here I will show you the balance of the hands from this tournament and give an analysis of my own play. Here we go.
125/250 Blinds 25 Ante (6 handed)
Hero's M: 11.24
Note, with an M of 11.24 (learn about M), I am no longer in a position where I need to shove. I could just sit back and wait for a hand. However, all of my opponents at this point have M's smaller than 7, so they are in push/fold mode. Also note, and this is very important, that the BTN has only $363 left in chips. Typically on the bubble, when the other players have enough money to wait out the short stack, they will fold with just about any two cards. So the big stack can start raising or shoving with any two cards, steal the blinds and antes and build a really big stack. And even if you do get called, nobody has a stack large enough to cripple you.
Preflop: Hero is CO with 2♠, 5♣
In this situation, I have two options. I could make a min-raise and hope the BTN and blinds call (so one of us wins and knocks out the BTN), or I can fold, hope the BTN shoves and the blinds call. My thinking here is that the blinds are more likely to call the BTN if I am NOT in the hand. In addition, my hand sucks! So I fold.
3 folds, Button bets t338 (All-In), SB calls t213, BB calls t88
Both the SB and the BB call, which is correct for them with any two cards.
Flop: (t1164) 7♣, Q♥, 10♠ (3 players, 1 all-in)
SB checks, BB checks
The blinds are going to check it down to the river. If this were a traditional sit n go, I wouldn't typically check it down. I play the bubble on a traditional sit n go just like I wasn't on the bubble, because I am still trying to accumulate chips. But in a Double or Nothing, everyone who cashes gets the same prize, so there is no value in trying to win the pot here. Instead, the correct strategy is to keep both blinds in the pot so that you have two hands that could beat the all-in player. Checking it down is correct strategy for this situation.
Turn: (t1164) A♣ (3 players, 1 all-in)
SB checks, BB checks
River: (t1164) 6♠ (3 players, 1 all-in)
SB checks, BB checks
Total pot: t1164
Results:
Button had Q♠, 8♦ (one pair, Queens).
SB had 5♥, 3♣ (high card, Ace).
BB had K♦, 8♠ (high card, Ace).
Outcome: Button won t1164
OK, that didn't turn out quite like we had hoped, but that's poker! On to the next hand.
125/250 Blinds 25 Ante (6 handed)
Hero's M: 11.19
Here I want to start putting pressure on the blinds. In this case, the SB and the BB will want to wait for the small stack to blind out. They will want to avoid confrontations. Neither of their chip stacks can cripple me.
Preflop: Hero is MP with 4♣, 7♦
1 fold, Hero bets t750, 4 folds
To be honest, I don't really like my play here. This hand is too weak. I also don't like the 3x raise. I think 2x is large enough to get the blinds off the hand, and if they shove, I could still fold and maintain my big stack status. Live and learn.
Total pot: t775
Results:
Hero didn't show 4♣, 7♦.
Outcome: Hero won t775
125/250 Blinds 25 Ante (6 handed)
Hero's M: 12.14
Preflop: Hero is UTG with 6♠, K♥
In this situation, from under the gun, I'd like to have a half decent hand, or at least something stronger than a K6 off. So I fold.
2 folds, CO bets t500, 3 folds
Total pot: t775
Results:
CO didn't show
Outcome: CO won t775
125/250 Blinds 25 Ante (6 handed)
Hero's M: 12.10
Preflop: Hero is BB with A♦, 4♦
With a suited ace, I am calling any shove or shoving any limp or raise. No such luck.
5 folds
Total pot: t400
Results:
Hero didn't show A♦, 4♦.
Outcome: Hero won t400
125/250 Blinds 25 Ante (6 handed)
Hero's M: 12.57
Preflop: Hero is SB with 10♥, 3♠
I talked about this situation in a previous post. When on the small blind, if you are first to act and either you or the BB are short stacked, the correct strategy is to shove with ANY two cards. Here I raise to T1000, which is the equivalent of shoving the BB.
4 folds, Hero bets t1000, 1 fold
Total pot: t650
Results:
Hero didn't show 10♥, 3♠.
Outcome: Hero won t650
125/250 Blinds 25 Ante (6 handed)
Hero's M: 13.29
Preflop: Hero is Button with 10♥, 6♦
This is an interesting spot. Here I am shoving almost any two cards. I am not worried about the SB's stack size (he can't hurt me). And unless the BB wakes up with a big hand, he will lay it down and wait for the SB to blind out. A 2x raise is OK here because it lets you get away from the hand if the SB folds and the BB shoves.
3 folds, Hero bets t500, 2 folds
Total pot: t525
Results:
Hero didn't show 10♥, 6♦.
Outcome: Hero won t525
125/250 Blinds 25 Ante (6 handed)
Hero's M: 14.24
Preflop: Hero is CO with J♦, 3♠
We're back to the scenario described a few hands ago. I can either raise here, hoping the button and blinds all call, and we knock out the button, or just fold and hope the button shoves and is called by the blinds. Again, it might scare off the blinds if I raise, reducing the number of opponents playing against the BTN shove. In addition, my hand sucks. So I fold and leave it to the blinds to bring us into the money.
4 folds, SB bets t500, 1 fold
I don't mind the min-raise from the SB here. If the BB is going to fold, he will fold to a min-raise just as easily as to a shove. And if he shoves, the SB can still fold and wait out the BTN. So I am OK with the min-raise here.
Total pot: t650
Results:
SB didn't show
Outcome: SB won t650
125/250 Blinds 25 Ante (6 handed)
Hero's M: 14.19
Preflop: Hero is MP with 6♦, 7♥
This hand is probably right on the line as to whether or not to play. If I raise and the CO folds, I expect everyone else to fold because of the VERY short stack of the CO. If the CO calls, I am typically behind but probably not dominated and could suck out. I decide to play and bet large enough to put the CO all-in.
1 fold, Hero bets t750, CO calls t614 (All-In), 3 folds
Flop: (t1753) K♠, 4♥, 4♦ (2 players, 1 all-in)
Turn: (t1753) A♥ (2 players, 1 all-in)
River: (t1753) 9♠ (2 players, 1 all-in)
Total pot: t1753
Results:
Hero had 6♦, 7♥ (one pair, fours).
CO had A♣, 8♣ (two pair, Aces and fours).
Outcome: CO won t1753
That didn't work out like I had hoped, but it didn't hurt me and it actually increases the pressure on the other players (because of increasing the CO's stack, they are all now closer to being the short stack!). This is actually good strategy when playing a traditional sit n go. If the small stack is on the big blind, it's good to fold to him and increase his stack. This keeps the pressure on the rest of the table which then allows you to continue to steal the blinds. Anyway, that's another discussion. Back to the tourney.
125/250 Blinds 25 Ante (6 handed)
Hero's M: 12.97
Preflop: Hero is UTG with 7♥, 9♠
This is again a pretty weak hand to play from UTG. However, the table has tightened right up. Technically, this is probably a fold. But because of the situation, I raise large enough to commit anyone who calls to the pot. This is about bullying the table, not about what is technically correct to do.
Hero bets t1500, 5 folds
Total pot: t775
Results:
Hero didn't show 7♥, 9♠.
Outcome: Hero won t775
The next three hands are uneventful, so here's the quick version...
Next hand is folded to my on the BB.
Next hand I open-shove with A7s, everyone folds.
Next hand I open-shove with 99, everyone folds.
125/250 Blinds 25 Ante (6 handed)
Hero's M: 16.07
Preflop: Hero is CO with 6♥, Q♥
This one is kinda interesting. Q6 is probably a little weak to shove here. However, with the small stack folding before me, the BTN and the blinds aren't going to call unless they have a big hand. Again, they can't hurt me, so I bet large enough to put them all-in. I continue bullying the table.
2 folds, Hero bets t2000, 3 folds
Total pot: t775
Results:
Hero didn't show 6♥, Q♥.
Outcome: Hero won t775
Next hand I open-shove with A9, everyone folds.
125/250 Blinds 25 Ante (6 handed)
Hero's M: 17.97
Preflop: Hero is UTG with A♠, 4♣
Again, technically, I think this is a fold. But it is also an opportunity to finish the tournament. I think if I put the BB all in, the rest of the players will fold. If one of them shoves, I am calling with Ace high.
Hero bets t650, 4 folds, BB calls t375 (All-In)
Flop: (t1525) A♦, 9♠, 5♠ (2 players, 1 all-in)
Turn: (t1525) 3♦ (2 players, 1 all-in)
River: (t1525) 6♥ (2 players, 1 all-in)
Total pot: t1525
Results:
BB had K♥, 7♥ (high card, Ace).
Hero had A♠, 4♣ (one pair, Aces).
Outcome: Hero won t1525
I am able to knock out the button and we are in the money!
I know this post was long, but I wanted to give an example of using a big stack in a Double of Nothing tournament. I hope you were able to get something of value out of these examples. Would you have played any of these hands differently? If so, leave me a comment and let me know why.
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