Getting back into online grinding after a few years off. Mainly playing Ignition $5 and $10 MTTs. Have had somewhat successful results the past two months I've been playing. ITM% - 16.7, ROI% - 19, 3 final tables and 1 runner up over 90 tourneys. VPIP is 24.36, with a PFR of 13.71, and a 3 bet PFR of 6.67 over the last 67 tourneys. Got PT4 shortly after starting back. I feel like I could raise my PFR a bit, possibly lower the VPIP just a tad. My 3 bet game is also a work in progress.

Lately, I've been running fairly well in the early to mid stages, sometimes getting absurdly unlucky, (flopped set with TT losing to 77 runner runner flush for 3 way all in pot this evening in the 8K GTD), but what can ya do. But when I'm playing well and running good also, I seem to make it right outside of cash the majority of times. Here is one hand example from tonight. In the BB with 17 blinds, 1K/3K blinds, raised to 6K, I go all in. Maybe I should just call and play post flop, light 3 bet instead of all in? What's the proper play here? Any suggestions to increase my ITM rate? I've been studying ranges, open, calling and 3 bet. Studying every day, analyzing and rethinking hands after each session. Thanks in advance, folks.

Also worth noting here, the PF raiser had an 89% fold to 3 bet PF percentage. I honestly was shocked he called off most of his stack with the hand he had.

iPoker - 1,500/3,000 NL - Holdem - 8 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

UTG+1: 40.33 BB (VPIP: 45.45, PFR: 36.36, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 11)
MP: 2.09 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: -, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 1)
MP+1: 21.87 BB (VPIP: 16.26, PFR: 6.61, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 123)
CO: 6.55 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 21)
BTN: 33.04 BB (VPIP: 75.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 4)
SB: 11.49 BB (VPIP: 22.76, PFR: 7.56, 3Bet Preflop: 2.17, Hands: 124)
Hero (BB): 17.01 BB
UTG: 7.05 BB (VPIP: 24.39, PFR: 10.08, 3Bet Preflop: 8.33, Hands: 124)

8 players post ante of 0 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.3 BB) Hero has Q K

fold, fold, fold, MP+1 raises to 2 BB, fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to 16.91 BB, MP+1 calls 14.91 BB

Flop: (35.13 BB, 2 players) J 2 6

Turn: (35.13 BB, 2 players) J

River: (35.13 BB, 2 players) 7

MP+1 shows 9 A (One Pair, Jacks)
(Pre 54%, Flop 70%, Turn 86%)
Hero mucks Q K (One Pair, Jacks)
(Pre 46%, Flop 30%, Turn 14%)
MP+1 wins 35.13 BB

Its a really std jam ul

Yes nh - don't get too concerned by a few times you bust out before the bubble - variance is very high and in the long run your win-rate will be higher if you carry on playing aggressively on the bubble

pretty standard jam and he shouldnt be calling as wide as A9os.

Although, no harm in taking a flop with this stack size either.

Thanks for the replies, and reassurance. Any thoughts on my percentages listed?

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Closing the action I'd probably just defend and see a flop.

You should work on bringing your VPIP/PFR closer together. And make sure you start to open up and increase the aggression in the middle stages.

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I agree defending is certainly fine and I would mix it esp vs this specific opponent but is it > jam.. im not sure about this our hand has very nutted blockers and we suited with <20bb vs lp open

Greatly appreciate the replies,
guys. I think the jam was necessary and long term profitable in retrospect. Cashed 3rd tonight in a $1,500 GTD for a decent chunk. Got it in good PF JJ vs K8, would've been stacked to win it if not for the turn King. But, as is poker. I think controlled, targeted aggression mid to late stages are a must. Just unlucky spots sometimes, bad play gets rewarded and such, what can ya do.

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The thing that concerns me about this villain is the 6pfr. But clearly that stat is deceptive since A9 falls well outside that range.

I could definitely go either way with it.

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I'd try and up your PFR and 3b a bit. Both are value heavy and don't have enough semi-bluffs in them, so start raising/3betting some of the hands you've been flatting. Keep studying and putting in the work and you will truly be a Little Lebowski Urban Achiever.

The KQs hand is pretty standard. For him to call off with A9o, he needs to think you are shoving at least 22+,A2s+,A7o+,KJ+,QJ.

It's these spots that are crucial in the late stages. I frequent ignition and love the structure of those 10$ and 5$ MTT's. I played the 1,500$ Guarantee last night and was able to snag a meager 8th place. Ran KJ into AK. KK3T7 board. GRR. no matter. I find that you have to be able to change gears and mix in some big bluffs to keep your stack afloat. But there are times when ICM should be at the front of your decision making. Try setting chip goals for where you would like to be at the top of the hour, paying careful attention to post flop play of your opponents to exploit tendencies etc..

It's these spots that are crucial in the late stages. I frequent ignition and love the structure of those 10$ and 5$ MTT's. I played the 1,500$ Guarantee last night and was able to snag a meager 8th place. Ran KJ into AK. KK3T7 board. GRR. no matter. I find that you have to be able to change gears and mix in some big bluffs to keep your stack afloat. But there are times when ICM should be at the front of your decision making. Try setting chip goals for where you would like to be at the top of the hour, paying careful attention to post flop play of your opponents to exploit tendencies etc..

Nice run, although I know how frustrating not top cashing is. I ran deep in the $10 $4k GTD last night. Ran AA into KK in a 130K pot, K on the river busted me in 34th. Would've been 3rd in chips if my 95% to win hand held up. Damn frustrating, but knowing my play got me to that point to be set for a final table run and only bad luck stopped that, is fairly reassuring.

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That's nothing lol

2 days ago I was playing 1,1 1,5k gtd on ps. Like 120 people left. I had like 90bb

Get AA on BB seat. UTG was a maniac and had like 150bb. He opens x3,5. Mp1 and Co (like 30bb both) calls. I squeeze like 24 BB. UTG calls, MP1 shoves, CO folds.

Flop: 5hearts, Aspades, 9Hearts

I had the Ahearts on my hand. I bet like 40%. UTG calls, 7Hearts, I bet like 50%, UTG Push, I call....... Qsomething

UTG's Hand: 24s hearts.

I think I would jam here as well. You both have around the same stack size and he would find the fold considering that the only has A9(offsuit) and you can have a lot of better Ax hands in your range taking your VPIP into account.

Ouch, that's pretty rough. Long term we want to battle these exact types, but damn it hurts when they hit garbage against our monsters.

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I don't think you did anything wrong, so don't get too hung up on this. I've come to realise that you just know, in your heart when you've made a genuine mistake and those are the spots I focus on.

I ran really, really deep in one of the Pokerstars Winter series events last week (finished 12th out of 12000) and I'd played superb, combined with a healthy chunk of luck. I should have won the tournament, but made one costly mistake that crippled me. I've gone over the spot again and again to find the solution, but it's still haunting me a little.

whats the spot?

This was it mate. I feel a bit embarassed to post the hand as I'm sure to most, this is glaringly bad (and still feels like it to me), but I just couldn't work out if this was a call or not. My heart was pumping and I was edgey and went for the call ultimately. Fire away, thanks:

I've definitely seen worse calls. Nice run. I had a deep run last night in a 2k gtd. Down to 11 of 474. All in with AKcc to steal, called and busted by A7 off. Would've been set up nicely for a good final table. Such is poker, damn brutal.

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big blind 1mil nice..

i think you have to open smaller here, 3x is pretty outdated and not really considered optimal these days.

I would 2.17x pre and fold to shoves

I havnt played tournament poker for a while but plan on playing $2.50 180s with some micro stakes mtts over the coming months.

I also think that the 3x open is outdated and not optimal. I would either min raise or 2.5x in that position. And fold to a shove. However is this basically just turning your hand into bluff or is there hope that a weak opponent will call and re-evaluate in the flop?

Do you have a standard opening bet size for an entire tourney or does this very at different stages and against different opponents?

usually i open 2.2x then when its gets to late stage blinds are over 2k i switch to 2.1x.

I just use the pokerstars buttons for sizing I dont actually calculate manually

What about 3 bet sizing? Standard or opponent/ situation specific? My standard would prob be 2.5-3x the initial bet.

my sizing spectrum for 3b facing single open is 2.4 - 3.5x depending on my position and hand strength. I will size bigger oop and generally speaking size bigger when I am at the bottom of my 3b range as opposed to the top to ellict more folds. (i know this is slightly unbalanced by with such an infrequent thing like 3b think its a pretty minor issue)