Weird Freeroll Poker Hand

[kattboots]

Ok now, don't throw fruit at me, I am just learning how to play online poker...    ... Following is a shot of one hand I played today in an El Dorado Palace Freeroll game...

Weird huh?! 

[blueday]

Nice win Katt.   Some great hands their particularly the AA. I bet he was gutted being as he was all in most hands and now, when he finally gets a decent hand, he loses.  What is weird is that player number 8 woul have won the side pot for 80 chips (if I'm reading your screenshot right) with his rubbish K7off.

How did the game end up Katt?  Did you cash out?

blue

[kattboots]

Yeah, there was a lot of gutted folks after that hand... but, no #8 did not win with the K7 garbage... that was the thing that was frustrating me... he and #7 would either both go all-in pre-flop every hand or take turns, so even with a reasonably good pre-flop hand I had to fold hand after hand, as did the rest of the table. I was quite happy he did not win with the K7...

now, #7 with the AA was almost as bad about all-in pre-flop on every hand and this time she actually had the cards and the bankroll bludgeon tactic did not work because I was going to play a hand come hell or high water. and then the hand did not play out for her.

the other 2 all-ins were probably as frustrated as I was by then and had good hands they were determined to play, but the game did not go their way either with all the small cards dealt.

And #5 who did not need to go all in to meet the bet had the 33 and got 3 of a kind and beat all those high card hands too... and they got the side pot which was actually more than my win of $7500 with my lucky 4 of a kind. 

As soon as the hand ended the tables were changed which precluded observing what happened to the other players that did not win that hand. Nor any reaction in chat. Did they re-buy, did they just fold their tents for the day? I'll never know.... I ended in 18th place in the end with no winnings, but it was a good learning experience.

katt

[blueday]

You will see a lot of players with these kind of tactics in freerolls....and in other tournaments of course, but it is definitely worse in freerolls.

All you can do is remain calm, wait for your hand and then go in for the kill.  Players like this rarely win because they will be exposed at some point and other players wise up to them. 

You seem to have grasped this game really well and you did well to come 18th Katt bearing in mind you are a new player.  Congratulations on that and thank you for posting your experience.  I'm looking forward to more of your posts.

blue

[kattboots]

Let me ask you about this one... I wish I had grabbed the history of that hand, but I think I can remember enough... so, it is midway through a freeroll tourney, my bankroll is pretty weak, maybe $600 - $700... I haven't been getting any real hands to play, but on this hand I finally got QQ in the pocket... so, I flat called pre-flop and no one came in with anything but flat calls... at the flop there was and A and 2 other lower cards... everyone is flat calling or folding so with my little bit of money I go all in with my queens... I ended up losing to a player with an A in the pocket for AA... I felt like it was worth a try at that point in the game, but when the hand was over I watched the game a bit longer and in chat a couple of players commented on "stupid bets" and about going all-in with QQ against an A in the flop... then they went on and said perhaps it was not so bad an attempt after all considering the way the game had been going... and that was it... so, I am left wondering just how foolish it was or not? What do you think?

katt

[blueday]

Not foolish but consider this.  Lets go back to the beginning of the hand.

Everyone is flat calling the BB which shows they either have a weak hand and are chancing their luck or they have a corker and are slow playing it.  Personally, I think the weak hand is appropriate in this case (which is more often than not the case when you see flat calling).  By not raising pre-flop you slow played your Queens which can be a dangerous move.  That said, a player with Ace rag (rag= low card to go with the Ace and not a good hand to play unless heads up) will flat call to chance his luck.  If you had either gone all in (which I think would have been the better move) or raised pre-flop, the Ace rag player may have folded and you would have won the blinds or alternatively, another player may have chanced his luck with a smaller pair.  The fact that you didn't raise preflop meant that the Ace rag player(s) got a chance to see the flop and try and hit their ace.  Remember there are only 3 aces in the pack or if more than one player is holding an ace, obviously there are less.  You basically gave them the chance to see the flop without having to risk any of their bankroll (except the price of the BB of course).

Going back to the action that you did take, I think you made the right move post flop and I probably would have done the same.  You were unlucky that the ace came out. 

The importance of getting "luckers" out of a hand is so important in poker and a pre-flop raise will certainly help.  Obviously, there are players that are "calling stations" i.e. they call no matter what they have, no matter what the bet.

I also think what is important, is how you have portrayed yourself during the previous hands.  A player that calls and raises very few hands is likely to be a good player and will only play good hands.  A player that is calling every hand, gets no respect at all.  Gain respect during a game and a big raise will see all players fold their weak hands. 

Gosh there is so much to consider Katt but I think given the circumstances i.e. that you didn't raise pre flop, you definitely made the right move.

blue

[kattboots]

Thank you, I have to work on that slow play ... tend to do that when I don't have much of a bankroll and don't think my bet will scare anyone out of the hand if they have anything at all... Have to get more nervy on that!

As for cultivating the image of a good player that will only play good hands, that is something I manage to do pretty well for the most part. Shrinking bankroll gets me a little off track here, but in the direction of not betting a hand I should or again, slow playing things like those queens... and of course when being pounded by the All-in no matter what player buying every hand, I get a bit out of kilter when this goes on for too many hands... like when I went all-in with those 4's today.

Can't wait for the tourney on the 23rd... feel free to critique my play after the game if you notice anything that I am doing wrong... or maybe right

Thanks again for the help

katt

[blueday]

Katt - we each have our own playing style and I would hate to influence your playing style.  You seem to be doing very well all by yourself. 

I am looking forward to the game and it should be a lot of fun.

blue

[kattboots]

Aw blue, you have already influenced my playing style and for the better! I so appreciate your input! Thanks!

latt