Let me preface this with a few things. The call with a10o I don't like myself. I was in position and its boarder line. Usually it is this kind of hand in the blinds early in a tournament that this happens.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (9 handed) converter

CO (t1500)
Hero (t1490)
SB (t1480)
BB (t1500)
UTG (t1500)
UTG+1 (t1500)
MP1 (t1500)
MP2 (t1530)
MP3 (t1500)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Ad, Ts.
1 fold, UTG+1 calls t20, 1 fold, MP2 calls t20, 1 fold, CO calls t20, Hero calls t20, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t120) As, 4d, Qd (6 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 bets t60, MP2 calls t60, CO folds, Hero raises to t180, SB folds, BB folds, UTG+1 calls t120, MP2 folds.

Turn: (t540) 2s (2 players)
UTG+1 bets t220, Hero calls t220.

River: (t980) Jc (2 players)
UTG+1 bets t120, Hero calls t120.

Final Pot: t1220

Obviously, you are saying, "Ok? You won... I hate winning hands too". The point isn't this exact hand but this type of hand.

I immediatelly put him on a flush draw because of the low limit and how early it is people LOVE any 2 suited. Second thought is ace crap or some kind of freaky draw. River comes and I see k10. The bet on the river is a sure call, but what if he bets 400, or more? He is putting me to a decision and just as often as he has Ace Crap, he 2 paired it, or he has a wierd str8 draw.

Let's say I lose this. I'm at 960. That's a big hit this early. Going to that final table period you are looking like you have to double up, and thats never fun. I'm not sure where to start the discussion, but hopefully a more experienced player can help me avoid or better handle these situations.

I like the play. There is NOTHING wrong with limping with ATo on the button. The guy showed a weak bet on the flop, you raised, he called. Thats fine. I dunno about the fturn and river calls though. I'm not sure what to differnt though. A reraise will get you into trouble. Folding can't be right either. I guess you are almost forced to call this down. I guess it depends n what you've seen him do before... I think I may have played it very similar.

You can't win the tournament early on, but you can put yourself in a losing situation, so your goal should be to avoid stepping in it early.

If your initial read is flush draw, keep playing the hand until you receive a signal that causes you to doubt your read. Here, the river bet of significantly less than the turn bet would tip me that he's doubting him cards. Depending how frisky and confidant I'm feeling, I might even pop a raise here on the river. (with a 10 kicker I'd have to feel pretty frisky this early on)

By contrast, if he'd led out for 400 on you, then I'd have to think. AJ in UTG +1 fits the pattern of the betting to this point and the added zeal shown by a bigger bet on the river would have me wondering if I'm good. Early on, I'd probably surrender the hand to avoid hamstringing myself. You'll have other chances in the tournament with clearer-cut decisions for winning than this, so you want to keep as much ammunition in front of you for when they arrive.

Originally Posted by Beavis68

Man, I hate this line of thinking.

Your goal should always be to build your chip stack, you can't avoid your way into the money in an MTT.

I agree that building should be your goal, but timing is everything and this is anything but a clear-cut situation.

Since your stack size directly determines the amount of building you're capable of doing on any given hand, you need to give it some level of protection. Furthermore, given the way blinds are structured in early tournaments, the amount of chips you win by taking a risk at this stage is paltry compared to what a comparable risk taken just 40-60 minutes later will make you.

The tournament just started...you have no reads on anyone's play. Half an hour from now, you'll have a clue what these guys might hold. If you guess and you gamble and you're right, you've picked up chips that an hour from now will pay for maybe 2 laps around a table...if you gamble and lose you've just hamstrung yourself and have to fight uphill from the start.

I'm not saying to avoid all conflicts where you're not a clear cut favorite. I'm saying to know the right moment to take some risk and this, for me, ain't that moment. Play the hand, but be looking for a reason to lay it down if you, as in the example, "kinda" hit the flop. If I've been bet into twice and had my raise called once and someone bets into me on the river for 400...I'm taking discretion over valor and finding myself playing with 1/2 everyone else's stack.

I agree with Shade and Beav. I was build my stack, but I wanna build with without showing down hands with small pots. This pot became big with Mr.Hankey's raise on the flop. I wouldn't say that the flop bet is weak. I think it's adequate for an unraised pot.

I'd rather see Hankey keep the pot small, call the flop. I don't see Villian betting more than 150 on the turn and 200 on the river. Hankey can win a good amount by investing less and giving a looser image to the table. I think that he might even get checked to on the river. The pot was made fairly large, so Villian would still feel the need to make a weak stab on a draw or KQ here.

I like calling the river. I wouldn't call more than 220 here, though.

i fold pf and call if its suited