I played an Eastern Poker Tour no limit hold’em tournament last night. Got busted out on the 2nd hand. It took me 5 times longer to drive to the venue than it took to play.

This is the second hand of the night. Eight-handed table. I am in the Big Blind. Blinds are $100/$200. My hole cards are KK.

Pre-Flop:

1. Under the Gun (UTG) folds
2. UTG + 1 limps in
3. UTG + 2 limps in
4. UTG + 3 folds
5. Hi Jack limps in
6. Cut Off folds
7. Small Blind limps in
8. I raise to $800

UTG + 2 and the Small Blind call. UTG + 2 called so easily that I had him on a decent pair, J’s or higher. Small Blind has a habit of speculating so I thought he just wanted to see the Flop.  

Flop: K 9 10 rainbow
Woo Hoo – I’ve got trip Kings. Now what are the chances that either has QJ to make the straight? UTG + 2 I figured definitely not, Small Blind maybe.

1. I bet out a small $800 to see the response
2. UTG + 2 raises to $1600 – So now I put him on a pair of Aces or trip 9s or 10s; and, actually, I considered it a bet correction. I had not bet enough.
3. Small Blind folds.
4. I push All In
5. UTG +2 thinks a minute and calls

I turn over my Kings and he turns over QJ unsuited. So I need the board to pair to make a boat. Got about 10 outs – because Quad Kings win it as well.

Turn and River are blank cards and I’m out. That’s when I heard Mike Sexton saying,

“I don’t like the bet, Vince…You can get the same information – betting less and not putting your tournament life on the line.“

Yep. I thought of that one during the drive home. Thanks, Mike. I agree with you. Maybe next time, I’ll remember before I bet.
 
Of course, I talked to myself the whole way home. Shoulda…Woulda…Coulda. And…Who plays Q J offsuit out of position? Who calls a 4 times Big Blind bet pre-flop with Q J out of position?  It’s not like he was running hot. It was only the second hand of the night. Shaking head…I cannot control what others do. Okay – focus on my play. Next time bet an amount that will keep me in the tournament.

Interesting that I got a pair of Kings in my first Big Blind. My goal for the tournament was to practice defending my blinds. In the past, I have let them go too easily. Last week, I was lucky to be at a table with Andre. He’s a master at defending his blinds and I paid attention. So, the plan was to raise every Big Blind. I thought 4 times the Big Blind would be enough. I learned that it is not.

How about you? Are you good at defending your blinds? What is your strategy? Do you do it for all hands, including the 9 2 offsuits?

Posted Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010 at 9:38 am . Filed under PokaPaloma. RSS 2.0 feed. Write Comment or trackback.