Dear 2+2 community.
Those familiar with my posts usually contained me ranting about bad beats and how frustrating bad players are, etc.
Last December, I decided that I'm in a bad headspace and decided to take a break.
I played my first local tournament after 4 months...and got destroyed.
Free roll with 2x $10 re-buy (for 10k in chips) options. Starting stack, mere 5k.
Folded a bunch of hands. Didn't win won. And the ones I played destroyed me.
1) 74 vs 33. In the BB with 74 suited. Limped pot. Blinds are 100/200. The entire table limps in...you know...coz it's a local donk fest and they just want to "see the flop" even if they hold 83o. I check my option.
Flop 7A4. I check, MP bets 200 into 1600 pot, because, you know, pot odds. CO raises to 1200. I shove all-in due to the stack size. I'll be all in at the turn anyway.
MP folds. CO snaps with 33s. Calls without any hesitation/thought. Spikes 3 on the turn.
I rebuy.
2) 86 vs J4: A rotation later, I'm with 86s on the button. Blinds are now 200/400. Limped pot again to get some hands out of the way. I decide to raise to 1500 in position. This makes all but 3 people fold.
Flop 8J6. Hijack (who was CO in my 1) hand) checks, I bet, he 3-bets, I 4-bet shove all-in. He thinks for 2 seconds this time and calls...with J4...because, you know, my pre-flop raise range cannot possibly contain AJ, QJ, KJ, JT or even J9...which all crush his J4.
He calls, and spikes 4 on the turn.
I re-buy again.
3) AA vs 72: Blinds are now 300/600. I get handed new stack for re-buy. I look down and see AA in the CO. As always, limped pot, I raise heft amount to 3600 pre-flop. Still get 5 callers. Flop 428. Near perfect flop for me. All check around to me, I shove my remaining 6400. Everyone folds. One dude calls me with 72. He looks at my cards and says "I thought you were bluffing with AK/AQ"...only to spike a 7 on the river. Luckily, I had the guy just covered. So, I'm still in it.
Thankfully, it's the first hour, we go on break, I add-on another 10k chips for $10.
4) A2 vs AK: I decide to play tighter after the break. Fold a bunch of hands then wake up with A2s in the SB. Yet again, almost the entire table limps in with blinds at 400/800. I think about raising, but decide to just flat as the pot is already around 5000.
Flop A2Q. I flop two pair again. I just shove my 9200 into 5000 pot. The button, the same dude who cracked my AAs with 72 calls me with AK. I guess, this was just unavoidable as I don't think anyone folds AK there.
I'm out of tournament.
A long post, I know. But, I'm not here to complain or ***** about my misfortunes...or say how bad those players are as I might have done in the past.
What I genuinely want to ask is, are there different lines I could've taken to avoid going bust? Especially in hands 1) 2) and 3)? Each time, I had the villain in terrible shapes. I got them to call with worse hand, only for them to hit their 10~15% and outdrawing me.
Given the beginning stack size, all-in seemed like the only option for me.
But, perhaps, with so many players there routinely betting just the BB amount into every street, even if the pot is 5000+, maybe, I could take the same route?
It is important to think about surviving, and not only focus on the amount of chips won in tournament poker. Given that, was I just too aggressive?
What adjustments could I make to prevent these kinds of bust-outs from happening in the future?
I do rather well in bigger tournaments, but in order for me to get to those, I have to win tickets off these free-rolls. Perhaps, I need to adjust my style when playing these free-rolls?
What are your thoughts?
Thanking you in advance for the time. And my apologies for the long post.
