Having discussed the limitations of turbo tournaments last week I’ve found a great format, at the other end of the spectrum, with the main Saturday night event on the Microgaming network. The $50k Deep Stack has a buy-in of $110, with satellites enabling you to qualify for $11. You begin with 10,000 chips and with blinds starting low and rising every 20 minutes it really is a dream structure for a decent online multi-tabler. It is a surprisingly rare treat to be able to buy-in at this relatively affordable level, have a reasonably good guaranteed prize pool and have time to play. Furthermore, the game seems to attract around 300 runners, a number I like. So often you have to beat thousands to scoop a truly big prize on the internet.
The first thought that crossed my mind was that I didn’t need to take unnecessary risks in the first hour or two with such a good chip/clock ratio. The second realisation was that I must not let that mindset make me too cautious. I remembered that when I first played deep stacks I was reluctant to play non-premium hands because I had the time and the chips to wait for the big guns. This was a mistake. If you have 10,000 chips and you can see some cheap flops with borderline start cards then do so. If you don’t connect well with the board then you can get away with little harm done. However, if you flop two pair or better then that is a big chance to build your stack up early on.
Remember that many of the worst players in the tournament may not be around very long and you want to be the one to get their chips. This won’t happen unless you play some pots against them. The irony is that the bad players will be doing what I’m advocating for good players; namely seeing a lot of flops from the outset. The difference all lies in that phrase ‘taking unnecessary risks’. You can play lots of hands if you are aware of the potential weakness of your holdings and the possible strength of your opponent. The worst players won’t be able to do that. For example there is nothing wrong with seeing a cheap flop with 7-8 suited so long as you don’t risk your whole tournament when the flop comes 8 high. There is some chance you are ahead in this situation but don’t go crazy. You’re much better off waiting for the time when your 7-8 suited becomes two pair, a straight or a flush. This is when your opponent with A-A could end up in big trouble. With all this in mind I endeavoured to strike a balance between aggression and caution. In the first couple of hours very little happened as I lost a few small pots and won a few small pots. I was treading water until I flopped a set of sevens and made my first significant chip gain.
Soon afterwards I was dealt QQ in early position but was faced with a large raise from a tight player under the gun (the first seat). I just called and everybody else folded. The flop came an appealing looking 10-6-3 with three different suits. My opponent made a standard continuation bet, I re-raised, before he promptly pushed the rest of his stack all-in. This put me in a difficult spot, not least because he held the chip advantage so it was my tournament future on the line. He had been quiet previously and had now played this hand with aggression and seeming confidence from a seat where few make outrageous moves. Given that I had no more information, I credited him with possessing a big hand as well. When I thought about where that left me I didn’t relish my predicament. Of the premium hands he would have likely raised with A-K could surely now be discounted. If he had AA, KK or even 10-10 I was beaten. Q-Q gave me a split. J-J was the only hand I could realistically be beating. If I folded I was left with 13,000 chips with the blinds at 400-800. That would be a playable stack, and with that in mind I did just that. I never discovered if I had made a great fold or not but the significant point was that that this tournament gave me the opportunity to get away from that tough situation and live to fight another battle. In a shallower tournament I would have had to call by that stage.
The next battle was not long in coming. I picked up QQ again and was first in with a raise. This time I was confronted with the dreaded bump re-raise that so often represents A-A or K-K. I couldn’t be that unlucky again could I? I called the small bet and prayed for a dream flop which duly arrived K-Q-3. I checked, as did my opponent. Immediately, and instinctively my heart sank. If he had A-A or A-K or even J-J I thought he would have bet that flop. The turn seemed to change nothing so I bet my three queens, to which I was re-raised. Now, I really did fear that he had the one hand that could beat me – the three kings. I called and then checked the river rag. I still had the second nuts so felt compelled to call the inevitable bet on the end. Yes he had K-K-K.
I had been destroyed by being dealt QQ twice in quick succession. Maybe I had got the fold wrong on the first occasion? It was impossible to say. One thing I was delighted with though was my read on the second scenario. I felt sure that most players would have re-raised with their three queens and gone bust. Yet somehow, due to my pessimistic and accurate instinct I had managed to save myself a few thousand chips. I quickly threw those all-in and doubled-up against – you guessed it – QQ. It was enough to ultimately squeeze me in to the money places for which I was very grateful. A tournament where you can lose two big, tough pots and still somehow survive is one I want to play in.