Hey Hey, I placed in a free roll!

[Ninja]

Well I just placed in my 4th freeroll. 48th out of 1500, which I thought was pretty good. Up until now, I haven't broken the 250 mark. I tried in 590 player, 1100 player, and 1400 player freerolls, but I never did that well. This time, I managed to play more aggressive, but still fairly tight. As much as I despise it, I went all-in on the first hand. Here it is.

We all started with 1000 TC, blinds were 5-10. (There were 8 other people, but they didn't stay in).

Me: Ace Queen Offsuit
Him: Ace Two Offsuit
XX: ? ?

I bet 35, he calls, XX calls.

Flop: A K 9 Rainbow.

I bet 150, he calls, XX calls.

Turn: A K 9 Q (Don't remember suits, didn't matter)

I bet 200, he re-raises all in. XX folds, I call.

River: A K 9 Q 2

I win with Aces and Queens over his Aces and Twos.

I know that going all-in on the first hand is a bad idea, but I had an A Q, then I got an A on the flop. I had been losing before because I was too passive, so I took a risk in betting 150. He didn't re-raise, so I knew he didn't have an AK. When the turn came Q, I decided I was going to get the most of it.

Went up to 2260 on the first hand, never looked back.

Well anyway, I was just really happy that I placed in my first freeroll. I may have gotten farther, but my sister had to use the computer (for homework...heh, I'm not quite 21). Oh well, I got 15 UltimatePoints and a good experience from it = D

[Ninja]

Admittedly, I did run pretty lucky. In the span of three hands I got A Q, A Q suited, and 10's. I also got rockets three times. To outlast 1452 people though, I think you need to have SOME skill. At least I hope :D

[Absolution]

Good work. I made the final 2 tables in one of those 100 play money buy ins. I was doing very well in one of those TEC freerolls, but like you I had to go so I made a few risky moves to try and get my count high enough to coast into top 50. In a sort of funny way it backfired. I went all in with a marginal hand and got called by a pathetic hand, but I ended up getting outdrawn. You'd think most of the no fold'ems would be weeded out late in the tournament - apparently not.

I usually end up in the 200s in these lately. You're right, you really can't play passive, even though they play maniac loose. You have to just take some risks to build a bankroll as you can see. I can't believe you took that with 2 pair. I get burned with 2 pair almost every time in these big multiway pots. Heck, even my trips and boats get burned regularly. When he went all in I would have put him on 10 J. 10 J is like pocket aces to these guys. Anything over 10 is gold to them. But, the Ace rag is another favorite hand of theirs - good for you. I hope I can place in one of these TECs before the end of the week.

[iloveholdem]

Goodjob and Goodluck! I also made sunday's tournament so hopefully we'll see each other at the final

[Absolution]

I still don't know how you manage to do it. I play smart, tight and aggressive, but always lose to an idiot calling all-in with nothing and out drawing me. I seriously hope higher level tournaments aren't like these freerolls. Grrrr... Just 5 minutes ago it's down to the final 300 and I'm sitting about in the middle. I have AK and raise it. The blinds call me. Flop comes rags and I raise it again. The small blind bets half his stack but I know he's full of BS so I call him and raise all-in. He calls with 10 9o and manages to make a 9 to beat me with two 9s. Just another monkey randomly pressing all-in. :x

[iloveholdem]

I figured it out, In the first hour you have all the newb players betting high going all in- I usually wait for the 8-8 or higher pocket pair and call go all in, usually takes out their draw.

[Absolution]

But apparently the newbie players aren't all gone 1.5 hours in like I was. Who calls a raise with 10 9o let alone goes all in with it? Sigh. I will keep on entering. Tomorrow is my last chance.

[iloveholdem]

well.. after you double up or so how about playing tight until about 100-130 players are left or so. Then you can go ahead and go all in's. But till then,I would only go all in on Face pocket cards.

If you want a Tec chip that bad, try the $3 buy in satellites, those are pretty good, today I only put in 750 ub pts to enter and I never rebought, or added on and I placed 16th ( 5 places short of money ) I was satisfied to of made it that far with no rebuy's/addon's so I was happy.

[Ninja]

Hmm...I just used my 15 UltimatePoints + 19.6 I had left over to enter a 30 UltimatePoint tourney, 461 people. I ended up 263, which is pretty horrible. I couldn't even crack the top 50%. However, my sister had to use the computer, but by then I was down to 300 TC, when the average was 1600 TC. I had horrible cards though-Out of about 45 minutes and 100 hands, I got suited Aces three times (A3 suited once, A6 suited twice), A9 offsuit, K10 offsuit, and JQ offsuit. Oh yeah, I got pocket 5's ONCE. There's about a 1/9 chance to get a pocket pair on any given hand...and I got 1 in 100 hands. Oh well.

[Ninja]

But apparently the newbie players aren't all gone 1.5 hours in like I was. Who calls a raise with 10 9o let alone goes all in with it? Sigh. I will keep on entering. Tomorrow is my last chance.

Damn...do you have school/work? I entered two of those tournaments, but that was because I was sick home from school. I can now play in a total of 0 TEC freerolls per week because of the amazingly shitty schedule UB has...

[Ninja]

I still don't know how you manage to do it. I play smart, tight and aggressive, but always lose to an idiot calling all-in with nothing and out drawing me. I seriously hope higher level tournaments aren't like these freerolls. Grrrr... Just 5 minutes ago it's down to the final 300 and I'm sitting about in the middle. I have AK and raise it. The blinds call me. Flop comes rags and I raise it again. The small blind bets half his stack but I know he's full of BS so I call him and raise all-in. He calls with 10 9o and manages to make a 9 to beat me with two 9s. Just another monkey randomly pressing all-in. :x

Sorry for the triple post, but if it was me, no matter how much I thought I could read the guy, I simply wouldn't push all-in with A-high, even if it is AK. If he has any pocket pair, he's got you beat, as well as any sort of pair with the rags. If you figure him as rags, he still has about a 2 to 9 chance of catching a pair on the turn or river. Then you have a 9 to 2 chance of winning, but nevertheless it's not a made hand. I wouldn't go all-in with straight, flush, and straight flush draws, even if there was a 50% chance of hitting. JMHO though.

[Absolution]

You're right, it was kind of a tilty play, but I correctly put him on rags and had my money in when I had the best of it.

The latest fun: I limp in BB with Q8o after a bunch of callers. Flop gives me top 2 pair and no drawing hands possible. I raise the pot, another guy reraises it, I go all-in (only trips scare me and my q8 cut down on those odds), he calls. He flips over 2 kings. Sweet, severly misplayed cowboys. Finally a big pot. Nope, turn comes king. Way to go 2-outer. Doesn't look like I'll be joining you boys this Sunday. Maybe I'll be good enough to get in next week. I'm obviously still learning. 2-outers are like a sure thing on UB it seems and I guess I should be playing them.

[iloveholdem]

you played that hand pretty good but heres something, I think you shoulda done.

If he re-raises you, you have to think trips or pocket's ( as you did ) Though low chance of having trips you should of called the re-raise not went all in. Then the turn, if it was a King be VERY cautions cause you know hes got either trips or a GOOD pocket pair, even if Ace,Jack,Queen, do the same. If King would of hit I probably would of checked it , if he went all in, I would of folded. But, if he say like a 8 hit the turn I would of went all in making his chances sliiiim as hell.

Although you played well, next time I think you should narrow his chances knowing he has something good.

[Absolution]

Good call. I guess at the time I just figured him for pocket pair and I was right. My mistake was thinking there was a chance he would fold right there. Never happens in play money. They will never let cowboys go no matter what comes on the flop. Do you think my call would have been better in a real money game where there is say a 50% chance of the guy laying down right there? Still, I'm still not mad about going out that way. It might have been safter to play more passive as you suggest, but got all of my money in with huge odds in my favor. That's all you can ask for.

[Ninja]

You're right, it was kind of a tilty play, but I correctly put him on rags and had my money in when I had the best of it.

The latest fun: I limp in BB with Q8o after a bunch of callers. Flop gives me top 2 pair and no drawing hands possible. I raise the pot, another guy reraises it, I go all-in (only trips scare me and my q8 cut down on those odds), he calls. He flips over 2 kings. Sweet, severly misplayed cowboys. Finally a big pot. Nope, turn comes king. Way to go 2-outer. Doesn't look like I'll be joining you boys this Sunday. Maybe I'll be good enough to get in next week. I'm obviously still learning. 2-outers are like a sure thing on UB it seems and I guess I should be playing them.

"Sweet, severly misplayed cowboys".

I don't think this was too bad of a play. With KK and the board Q 8 rag, you have the top pocket pair (unless by some fluke, someone else has AA). In that situation, I would definitely re-raise. Anyone with A Q has got to think they have one of the best hands, and it is very hard to put someone on two pair (unless it's something like AK, KQ, KJ). JMHO though.