Dougie Nutz

Paul Phillips posts the following problems on his livejournal: My answers are interspersed. Now keep in mind that I am just beginning to learn how to play no-limit and do not play tournaments (except for sit-n-go's wicks are a different animal altogether) so I would be surprised if I got one of these right.

I know I'm failing to include any detail about these players but it's enough to go on that they were all amateurs who had demonstrated the ability to make significant mistakes.

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Level 2, 50-100: I have 9500. Mid-position limper, I limp in the cutoff. Button makes it 600, first limper calls. I make it 2100, both other players call. Flop is 864 with two diamonds. Check, check, button bets 4000. First guy drops and I check-raise all-in for about 3000 more. The button has me covered with another 3000 or so to spare. What do I have? What should the button call with? What should he lay down?

Preflop limp reraise. I would put you on a pair or AK suited. If the other limper had folded, you might have a smaller pair, but with a player in between, you probably have a big pair AA-QQ. When you check raise on the flop you are hoping to get the button all in which means you think you are ahead. You would be ahead of most hands with a big pair or AK diamonds but your margin with AK is pretty slim. I don't think you want to get all in on a coin flip at this stage of the tournament so I narrow your hand down to AA-QQ.

Your opponent has to call 3000 to win a pot that has 17450 in it. Very close to 6:1 odds. He needs 7 outs to call. He could call with hands as low as a pair and a gut shot :78, 89 but how he would have gotten here with that hand is beyond me. I think that he only calls with AA-QQ. Of course it is going to be very tough to lay down AK or JJ-99 but the fact that you are just not in the mood to gamble with coinflips this early in the tournament should scare him off of those.

Level 3, 75-150: I have 15K at a new table. Folded to me on the button and I make it 550. The big blind, who has me covered by roughly 1000, re-raises to 2500. I re-raise to 6000. What do I have? What hands should he call or jam with?

This is tougher. You opened from the button. You could have just about anything at this point. He pops from the big blind. He could have just about anything also. You re-raise to almost half your stack. Are you bluffing? Highly unlikely. Again, this is first day and you are not looking to stick your neck out there. So you probably have a pocket pair. Not a great one or you would have given this guy a chance to bet at the flop. I would say TT-66. He should jam with any Ax Broadway (AK-AT). Maybe he should jam with hands as weak as KC. He should call with pocket pairs AA-TT.

Level 5, 100-200/25: I have 30K. There are two limpers and I make it 1200 in late position. Only the second limper calls, and he only has about 6000 remaining. The flop comes AJ6 rainbow. He checks and I check. The turn is an 8. Now he moves all-in and I call instantly. What does he have? What should I have called him with?

I don't see limping with a good ace at this point and there is never any reason to just call with a bad ace. If he has an ace I will eat my hat. He's got a mediocre jack or worse. You call with a pair of aces or a JT or better.

Then there is this hand from day two, which may have been the key hand of the tournament for me until the very late stages for reasons that should become apparent later. The big blind was a conscious player but UTG had made several questionable plays.

Level 8, 300-600/75: I have 60K. UTG (100K) limps and I call in the small blind. The big blind (12K) raps and the flop comes 863 with two spades. We check to UTG who bets 3K. I call and the big blind mini-check-raises to 6K. Now UTG mini-re-raises to 12K. After long consideration I call, and the big blind calls all-in. What does everyone have? The turn is an offsuit king. I check. I ask again, what does everyone have? UTG checks. The river is the 3 of spades. I bet 10K into the 40K pot. What do I have? UTG quickly calls. What does he have?

I concede defeat on this one. Small blind, big blind you guys could have anything. After that, I think you are just making it up. OK, OK just to say that I gave it a try. BB has two pair. UTG has a flush and you have a set for the full house.