Step 3 Suck Out

[wisak7]

Down to four in a Step 3 tournament on Poker Stars, with the top two winning a Step 4 ticket that can also be used for any tournament with a $215.00 buy in. Third through Fifth receive a ticket to another Step 3 tournament. In this hand action is folded to me and I try to make a play in the small blind to steal the big blind and this happens:

Transcript for your last 1 games requested by wisak7 (wisak7@yahoo.com)
*********** # 1 **************
PokerStars Game #22806937684: Tournament #126227902, $75+$7 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2008/12/10 21:20:31 ET
Table '126227902 1' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: wisak7 (2460 in chips)
Seat 2: MontVernon (2775 in chips)
Seat 8: KOJFER (3000 in chips)
Seat 9: thiness (5265 in chips)
wisak7: posts small blind 75
MontVernon: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to wisak7 [7c Jh]
KOJFER: folds
thiness: folds
wisak7: raises 300 to 450
MontVernon: calls 300
*** FLOP *** [Jd 8c 7s]
wisak7: bets 600
MontVernon: raises 1725 to 2325 and is all-in
wisak7: calls 1410 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (315) returned to MontVernon
*** TURN *** [Jd 8c 7s] [5c]
*** RIVER *** [Jd 8c 7s 5c] [6s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
wisak7: shows [7c Jh] (two pair, Jacks and Sevens)
MontVernon: shows [4d 4s] (a straight, Four to Eight)
MontVernon collected 4920 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4920 | Rake 0
Board [Jd 8c 7s 5c 6s]
Seat 1: wisak7 (small blind) showed [7c Jh] and lost with two pair, Jacks and Sevens
Seat 2: MontVernon (big blind) showed [4d 4s] and won (4920) with a straight, Four to Eight
Seat 8: KOJFER folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: thiness (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

I have to take this in stride because Lord knows I've had my share of suck outs go my way. But man! So close to a step 4 ticket that I would have used for an entry into the Sunday Million. Good news is, I have another Step 3 ticket to use to try again.

One last thing, anyone else besides me confused about MontVernon's all in push after the flop with 3 over cards to his pocket 4's on the board?

[Holdem Freak]

Definitely a tough one to swallow there. I know I have had my share happen to me and also go my way as well but damn why in the hell did he call with 4's when everything on the board beats him. That play is beyond me. What is this step thing you are playing any way?

[Sick Fish]

He wanted to take you out of that pot so he pushed hoping that you had top pair and you'd think that he hit a set.
It was his only shot at taking that pot down.
Only thing was, you called and he had to catch a six outer.
Just unlucky on your part.

Good thing is you can try again and you don't have to start over.
It would suck a whole lot more if it knocked you out without a ticket.

Let us know when you advance to the next step. ;)

[wisak7]

The step thing is a series of tournaments on Poker Stars. There are a total of six steps, with the winner(s) of step 6 receiving a really nice tournament package. I started with step 1 which had a buy in of $7.50, finished in the top 2 so I got a ticket to a step 2 tournament, again finished in the top 2 so I got a ticket to a step 3 event. I have tried 3 step 3 tournaments and each time I finished third through fifth which gives me another step 3 tournament ticket. Like I said in the first post, anyone reaching step 4 can use their ticket for an entry into the Sunday Million, and other tournaments that have a $215.00 buy in. Each step has its own buy in amount. Step 1: $7.50, Step 2: $27.50, Step 3: $82.50 Step 4: $215.00, Step 5: $670.00, and Step 6: $2,100.00. If you finish in the top 5 in any step you get some kind of ticket. If you finish 6th through 9th you have to start all over again. You can also use frequent player points for different steps and they have frequent player point satelites also. The first 2 steps have blind levels that last 5 minutes. Step 3 has 10 minute blind levels. I'm not sure about the blind levels for steps 4,5, and 6. This is my best way to describe the step process, Poker Stars has a section on their web site that explains it too.

Looking back at the hand I posted, I'm thinking my opponent put me on Ace, King. The blinds were at a point that after the betting pre-flop that we were both getting close to being pot committed plus factor in we were both guaranteed to get a step 3 ticket no matter what happened its understandable as to how the hand went down.

One other silver lining to this is since the buy in for a step 3 tournament is $82.50, I am racking up some nice frequent player points.

[Sick Fish]

As long as you play tight at the beginning of the game those are some easy FFP's for sure. ;)