So I've been talking about the first 4 levels of a tournament. I have been haunting the new PS $1 MTT because they offer endless practice of rounds 1-4. So in round 3, with a stack of around $1850 (started at $1500) I am right where I should be. I get dealt TT and I make my standard 3xBB raise. The tables had gone from loose the first hand, to tight when a bunch of players got a smack in the face, and now back to loose again. A 3xBB raise, however, would narrow the field. I was in MP and no callers as of yet when I made the bet. All fold to the button who re-raises me to 10xBB. What should I do here?
Well, this is a discussion of VOLATILITY. This guy was one of those guys looking to accumulate chips early at whatever cost. Because I should be good enough to cash in this situation, I should AVOID volatility, especailly in rounds 1-4. As Phil Hellmuth says, "early on, flop a monster and let the fish bet into you." Is TT a monster. Hardly.
So, unable to resist, I pushed my stack in on TT absolutely sure he was raising with a marginal hand. I was so right. He flipped over KcJc. For a split second I patted myself on the back for my read. Then, I lamented my fatal mistake. I had called off all my chips on a coin flip in round 1-4 when I was not even a short stack. Now I felt ashamed. And deservedly so.
I guess it really doesn't matter if he hit the board and won the hand or not. What difference is a $1 tournament with a first prize of $14 bucks gonna matter in the scheme of things? Nope, what matters is WHY I was playing. To practice my game. And I acted the fool.
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