The Matusow Blow Up

I almost always seem to do this. I can't blame Mike when he does it anymore. I'm not sure what causes it either. The last 3 tourneys Ive done, I was crippled like this:

Im in BB, everyone folds to SB. SB limps in, I raise 4*blind. Ive had K 9, Q 7, and J 10, on the 3 hands.

SB just calls, flop comes out a rainbow with low cards. I bet, take another stab. SB calls. Turn comes, I pair my low card (All 3 times this happened.) I take another stab, usually 6*blind. SB calls. River comes, its a low card, always. So I stab again, top pair, Ive been betting all the way. SB goes all in. I call, not much more, its generally close to 2/3 the pot size. Twice Ive been beat by sets, and once by two pair.


I raise 4*blind to discourage these crappy little hands that people play. 4 2,
7 4, 9 3. Stuff like that. Ive had a bigger chip stack then each of these guys, but this has always crippled me. I havent lasted longer then 5 more hands after these happened. This has happened when I get down to about 150 to 300 players, Pokerstars 6000 entrant tourneys. This is a long way in. I could understand this play not working on the amatuers who go all in when bottom pair half the time, but with being this deep, it seems like people generally play smarter.

Is there a way to avoid this crap? Im generally a very tight player. I stay at about the average chip stack size until top 10% are left, then i start to move up. The highest I have ever finished in a tourney with 2000+ players is 20th. I just can't seem to keep it together for a whole tournament.

A few months ago, in a 25 +5$ NL hold em tourney with Rebuys and addons, I was the chip leader after hour two, and I had nearly double the stack of the second guy. I finished around 90th. I started to fall apart. Most my friends call me quicksand

Anyone have any advice for me? (Its 3 AM, leave me alone if something doesnt make sense :P)

If you have been beaten by sets 2 of 3 times then they had a PP, not 42 or 93 and I don't consider calling a 4x BB bet with a PP a bad play especially in this position where you could easily be trying to steal.

My advice to you is this: With all of the betting going on after the flop I am under the impression that the blinds aren't worth a whole lot in the "grand scheme" at this point and you are losing large pots because you are initially trying to steal one BB. Just check to the limper and see if you hit any kind of flop, lay it down if you miss. Save your chips for a hand that matters.

You are not a tight player if your playing hands such as Jx, Qx or Kx. If your making a 4xBB raise against a PP with these hands your asking to be beat. You might limp with these hands but I sure wouldn't make a 4xBB bet with them even in LP or on the blinds. If you have a Matusow blowup it should be at yourself and not the other player. He is just playing good poker. To avoid this "crap", that's easy...stop trying to push when you have nothing to push with.

One thing I would suggest is lose the "defending the blind" idea. Once your chips are in the pot, they're not yours anymore. I only bet solid hands from the blinds because you're either going to be first or second to act. If there are limpers or everyone folds and I'm SB I might call with K 9, Q 7. I would definately call with J 10. The thing here is, if I don't get help I'm out if he raises/bets a substantial amount. If I'm first to act I'll check. If he checks it means 1 of 2 things. 1) He didn't hit or 2) he's trapping. So what, you get a free card that could possibly help you. If you get a card that helps, make a value bet and see what he does.

Remember, folding is a good thing. Your next hand is just 30 seconds away and you could get a better starting hand.

I agree with Urateup you definately are not a tight player but a very loose player, dont take stabs at a pot too often with crappy pairs, and realize the more you pull these shannannagans the more like you are to be called, pick your spots and tighten up your game.