What could I have done differently? Placed 2nd.

[5spades2u]

Hi Everyone and Goodmorin..I can't believe I am back up..did not go to bed until 4am..I was so excited over my last win this week ..I wonder what I could have done diferently to come in 1st instead of 2nd..Here she blows!
I recieved 5 dollars free from pokerstars about 4 days ago. I have been playin money tourneys since then. I have won cash 3 times on free money. But this is my FIRST BIG win and its not that big..but to me its a big win. to me..10 bux ..doubled my money
Now heres the whole story:
PokerStars Tournament #82803079, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $1.00/$0.10
45 players
Total Prize Pool: $45.00
Tournament started - 2008/03/30 - 00:30:16 (ET)
Dear 5spades2u,
You finished the tournament in 2nd place.
A $10.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account.
You earned 52.03 tournament leader points in this tournament.

and here's the sad part...I lost because of a pr of 4's
*********** # 3 **************
PokerStars Game #16353367637: Tournament #82803079, $1.00+$0.10 Hold'em
No Limit - Level XIII (1000/2000) - 2008/03/30 - 01:33:36 (ET)
Table '82803079 5' 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 3: 5spades2u (9819 in chips)
Seat 4: hinkydink (56258 in chips)
Seat 6: WILL_WELL (1423 in chips)
5spades2u: posts the ante 100
hinkydink: posts the ante 100
WILL_WELL: posts the ante 100
hinkydink: posts small blind 1000
WILL_WELL: posts big blind 1323 and is all-in
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to 5spades2u [8c Ad]
5spades2u: calls 2000
hinkydink: calls 1000
*** FLOP *** [9s As 2h]
hinkydink: checks
5spades2u: checks
*** TURN *** [9s As 2h] [Jd]
hinkydink: checks
5spades2u: checks
*** RIVER *** [9s As 2h Jd] [8d]
hinkydink: checks
5spades2u: checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
hinkydink: shows [7s 5s] (high card Ace)
5spades2u: shows [8c Ad] (two pair, Aces and Eights)
5spades2u collected 1354 from side pot
WILL_WELL: mucks hand
WILL_WELL said, "unbeleveble"
5spades2u collected 4269 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 5623 Main pot 4269. Side pot 1354. | Rake 0
Board [9s As 2h Jd 8d]
Seat 3: 5spades2u (button) showed [8c Ad] and won (5623) with two pair,
Aces and Eights
Seat 4: hinkydink (small blind) showed [7s 5s] and lost with high card
Ace
Seat 6: WILL_WELL (big blind) mucked [Ts 8s]
*********** # 2 **************
PokerStars Game #16353376133: Tournament #82803079, $1.00+$0.10 Hold'em
No Limit - Level XIII (1000/2000) - 2008/03/30 - 01:34:11 (ET)
Table '82803079 5' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 3: 5spades2u (13342 in chips)
Seat 4: hinkydink (54158 in chips)
5spades2u: posts the ante 100
hinkydink: posts the ante 100
hinkydink: posts small blind 1000
5spades2u: posts big blind 2000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to 5spades2u [2d 8c]
hinkydink: calls 1000
5spades2u: checks
*** FLOP *** [3h 4s 8h]
5spades2u: checks
hinkydink: checks
*** TURN *** [3h 4s 8h] [Qd]
5spades2u: checks
hinkydink: checks
*** RIVER *** [3h 4s 8h Qd] [As]
5spades2u: checks
hinkydink: bets 8000
5spades2u: calls 8000
*** SHOW DOWN ***
hinkydink: shows [8s 8d] (three of a kind, Eights)
5spades2u: mucks hand
hinkydink collected 20200 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 20200 | Rake 0
Board [3h 4s 8h Qd As]
Seat 3: 5spades2u (big blind) mucked [2d 8c]
Seat 4: hinkydink (button) (small blind) showed [8s 8d] and won (20200)
with three of a kind, Eights
*********** # 1 **************
PokerStars Game #16353383074: Tournament #82803079, $1.00+$0.10 Hold'em
No Limit - Level XIII (1000/2000) - 2008/03/30 - 01:34:41 (ET)
Table '82803079 5' 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 3: 5spades2u (3242 in chips)
Seat 4: hinkydink (64258 in chips)
5spades2u: posts the ante 100
hinkydink: posts the ante 100
5spades2u: posts small blind 1000
hinkydink: posts big blind 2000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to 5spades2u [Ah 3d]
5spades2u: raises 1142 to 3142 and is all-in
hinkydink: calls 1142
*** FLOP *** [Kh 2s 4s]
*** TURN *** [Kh 2s 4s] [8h]
*** RIVER *** [Kh 2s 4s 8h] [Kd]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
hinkydink: shows [4c 3s] (two pair, Kings and Fours)
5spades2u: shows [Ah 3d] (a pair of Kings)
hinkydink collected 6484 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 6484 | Rake 0
Board [Kh 2s 4s 8h Kd]
Seat 3: 5spades2u (button) (small blind) showed [Ah 3d] and lost with a
pair of Kings
Seat 4: hinkydink (big blind) showed [4c 3s] and won (6484) with two
pair, Kings and Fours

What would you have done? Be nice I am still a FISH :-?
5spades2u

[jctm1988]

*** RIVER *** [9s As 2h Jd] [8d]
hinkydink: checks
5spades2u: checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
hinkydink: shows [7s 5s] (high card Ace)
5spades2u: shows [8c Ad] (two pair, Aces and Eights)
5spades2u collected 1354 from side pot

You should have betted turn , and river, maybe even flop turn and river, atleast 1000 , and river 2000 , he would have payed off with that stack for sure, and the last hand he betted 8000 , and you make the call with one 8 2kicker, if he bets 8000 his hand value is much higher then a lousy 8 , so you check the best hand , and call with the worst hand if you dont see your own mistakes then .



Hope this improves your game, if you got it dont be afraid to value it!

[Nuttyfool]

Definitely, it seems crap can get you farther than a good hand. I say go with what your gut tells you. Maybe that is why I don't win big. LOL. No seriously, I usually go with what my gut tells me, and I seem to do well. Set your mind to it, and you will do it. Good luck in future ones.

[RedMidnight]

My big problem is with hand #3. You both checked to the river when you had top pair. You hit two pair on the river.

Why would you check it all the way down? I would've bet at least 2 of the 3.
A small bet. He likely would've folded but there's a chance you could've gotten some value out of your hand.

[coasterdude28]

You should still be proud of your second place finish. Don't get down on yourself over not winning.

I agree that a small bet and the turn in hand three would have helped. It really depends on how the other player had been playing throughout the final table. Kepp playing and you will get that first place finish soon enough.

[5spades2u]

Thanks everyone for the help, all is appreciated. Like I said I am still learning and for now I too bet on gut feelings. I need to start reading and learning the in's and out's and up's and down's more..and maybe if I understand more I will be able to get futher.. yesterday was not a bad day either I ply another s&g and placed 5th to win 4 more bux then I got into a freeroll at absolute with 3998 people and i placed 110th to win another $1.32..I have won several s&g chip games at ft but playing the money games its different I am finding out...Hopefully today will bring big bux...

5spades2u

[pothole]

In the hand you won and checked to the river I would have bet flop turn and river, he would have paid off flop and turn 4 sure as he was chasin a flush and his stack size meant he could afford to lose. Don't understand 3rd place comment when you railed him, any ace 3 handed is huge. I would not have called the 8000 river bet with 8 rag and a Q A on the board and the all in last hand with an ace everyone would have done the same and anyone saying different is kidding themself.