Minefield Dilemma

http://charleshorse.wordpress.com/2011/04/03/minefield-dilemma/
Everest 50K Freezeout, approx 440 entries. Busted out in approx 200th place. Details:

Blinds 150/300. This table has not broken since play began: I have reads on all my opponents. Most are passive and seem like satellite entrants. For most of the tournament, the loosest one at the table was a fish on my immediate left; he recently busted out (giving his chips to the tricky player on my right) and was replaced by a new player. Over a very small sample, I have already observed him defend his BB and stick around vs the button on a “raisers flop”, as well as float another flop with only backdoor draws, barrel a blank turn into multiple opponents and check back river when he caught showdown value with a pair: This player, who unfortunately covers my chip total by a small margin, seems to be aggressive and understand position. The player in the BB is very tight and more than doubled me up last orbit when I limp-called his late position all-in squeeze from UTG, holding QQ vs AK; he is now the table shortstack.  I have shown very few hands, mostly premiums, so I should have a rather tight image. (It may be relevant to note that I had also doubled up on the first hand of the tournament by limping UTG with 65s.)

I am dealt QQ. The bigstack folds UTG and I am next to act. My stack contains approx 32BB, which is above average for the table. In a “minefield format” competition such as this, I always feel a dilemma when holding a big hand in early position. I tread a fine line between sticking to the standard opening strategy for value (this works best vs the decent players) and setting traps for the volatile and/or inexperienced players who are willing to pay me off with their dead money. Several stacks are currently in the 12-20BB range and probably looking to shove over a raise or a limp. I feel that if I limp, feigning weakness, it is possible that someone may try to isolate me from the consequent parade of limpers-behind (maybe even the shortstack BB player); however, the fact that I just executed that move makes it less likely to catch anyone by surprise this time. It would also be a tragedy if no one takes the bait and the action is never opened.

I decide to raise to 900, hoping to confuse my observant opponents by playing it straightforwardly. This way I can still get all the chips in against anyone who spastically shoves an ace or a pair in an attempt to double up. To my surprise, the new guy on my left reraises all-in for just over 10K chips (from UTG+2); placing everyone else all-in who still has cards. The action folds around to me. Not believing I am beat, but somewhat upset at having passed up the chance at a lower-variance outcome, I make the call for my remaining ~8700 and lose a race for approx 20th place chips. Safe flop, killer turn.

What happened in the Mutiverse… He might conceivably have folded if I had elected to limp-reraise, though probably not. I would never have merely limp-called if he had made a standard raise, so we would still have raced. The only other way to win the pot was if my open had been cold-called, allowing me to c-bet my overpair; but not even that is guaranteed since some players never fold Big Slick post-flop.

Nasty river: 15K GTD final table

This guy Vanje was the only LAG left in the final few tables. He had accumulated tons of chips, raising close to 50% of hands, against an extremely tight field comprised mainly of Broomcorn's Uncles.

When he limped in, I elected to complete my SB with J♦T♦; then immediately shoved around Quadruple-Pot, preferring to take it down on the J♦9♥8♥ flop than to race. My holding was favored against almost all plausible holdings (even big overpairs, in case Vanje happened to be trapping). 

True to a loose nature, he tanked briefly and called with K♥5♥, the very top of his "limp/chase-down" range. It turns out to be nearly a perfect break-even chip decision: calling off ~20K to win ~28K is equivalent to 42.2% pot odds. Whether or not it was a smart move to jeopardize so many chips on a draw - that is a question I leave to the endgame theoretical gurus... He decided to "roll the dice" with his chip leadership and 43% equity in the hand, hoping (possibly praying) to destroy me, which I will take as a compliment.

Just another one of those nasty rivers!

Neku the lil' mascot

take a listen!

hosts remarkably bland.
yet insightful interesting interview w/ carter king

topics include:
existential questions, gage use in trny plyrs vs cash, mtt strategemz

http://pokercast.twoplustwo.com/pokercast.php?pokercast=65

"None of you seem to understand..."

Have been grinding NL50 and NL100 for about a week.
Cashing in on a great many hours of 6-handed video training.
Feeling renewed confidence amping up aggression in confined spaces.

Here is a fictional account of a hand where I trapped & melted a villain:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYAcUZ-Av0E