Can someone explain me how to win consistently in tournaments? Because...

[nbraga]

Today. First game, first hand.
I knew i was beatten in his last bet, i just call because, well... i had 300 chips

PokerStars Game #12219186945: Tournament #62013989, $1.00+$0.20 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2007/09/23 - 05:28:31 (ET)
Table '62013989 1' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: newfie0443 (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: megabong (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: MUSCHiHOBLER (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: ipoker2you (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: roofLe (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: SpicySpike (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: talnottowel (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: nbraga (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: Timeh666 (1500 in chips)
megabong: posts small blind 10
MUSCHiHOBLER: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to nbraga [Kc Kd]
ipoker2you: folds
roofLe: folds
SpicySpike: calls 20
talnottowel: calls 20
nbraga: raises 60 to 80
Timeh666: calls 80
newfie0443: folds
megabong: folds
MUSCHiHOBLER: folds
SpicySpike: calls 60
talnottowel: folds
*** FLOP *** [3h 6s 9h]
SpicySpike: checks
nbraga: bets 300
Timeh666: folds
SpicySpike: calls 300
*** TURN *** [3h 6s 9h] [7s]
SpicySpike: checks
nbraga: bets 800
SpicySpike: calls 800
*** RIVER *** [3h 6s 9h 7s] [5c]
SpicySpike: bets 320 and is all-in
nbraga: calls 320 and is all-in
*** SHOW DOWN ***
SpicySpike: shows [Kh 8h] (a straight, Five to Nine)
nbraga: shows [Kc Kd] (a pair of Kings)
SpicySpike collected 3130 from pot

wait he had an open straight draw and flush draw in the turn... 8 + 9 = 17 outs.. 17/44 = 0,38.. ah ok he had 38% of hitting his draw.. i keep forgetting people don't care about odds.

Now, really, besides that last call. What have i done wrong in this hand? Should i play it diferently? For future reference.

I really don't know how to win consistently simply because i get caught game after game with a bad beat. I then turn to ring games and, surprise, i recover my bankroll, the problem is i don't care for ring that much... any thoughts beside moving to $30 buy ins? hmm i guess this is just another cursed player whining about a bad beat...

[dchung89]

well i think u should have raised it high pre flop...its just unlucky that u were up against a donk who calls with K 8

u played the hand fine...ur opponent didnt and got really lucky lol

just play aggressively with KK i guess

[Jesusitonsky]

i think the best form of be a consistent winner in tourneys and cash like 50 % of the time or something is pay much attention in all the tables u sit, observer all kind of players, take notes, bluff them, steal blinds, and call or bet with nothing when u feel they have nothing. Almost all the chips u are getting by this way of play is very important, cuz in that way u grow a big stack and u can afford a bad beat if it happen, and continue playing. Only i recommend is not doing in the early stages of the tourney, cuz it had no sense, steal a pot of 45 or something, i try in the medium stages and ahead. And of course with a bit of lucky mixed up =) ur results in tourney will increase.

[FramCire]

It all matters what kind of tourney you were in. In a freeroll a raise to 60 is a call to the donks. Your 300 chip bet on the flop should have knocked this guy out BUT that happens.

The best way is to make notes, play very very very tight and passive early until you have reads on how players are playing and then adjust to them as you play. Play the same tourneys a lot and play on the same site a lot so you can get reads on a lot of players and make the notes online so you can reference them as you play.

To be successful, you either have to play for fun or work hard online to learn the players you are playing with.

I use MyPokerRegistry to remind me of the tourneys I play every day and when they register. By playing the same ones all the time, I can keep notes and have that advantage.

Hope this helps, bad beats stink!

[the Styb]

Online poker has created a different breed of player that we call donks. Look at the hands they play, make notes, and remember them well because they'll crush you if you give them half a chance, and it looks like he was trying to bluff you out of the pot. While I would have been leery of the str8 possibility on 4th, I think you should have pushed him all in there. Of course, the quality of players out there is low and he might have called anyway, but it's a possibility.

One thing I've learned is to never get too attatched to a hand. Hard to say looking at KK? Not really, especially at the beginning of the tourney. With low blinds and 300 chips left you can easily come back with some patience and determination.