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Two hands from the same tournament which I thought were interesting:

Relatively early stages of a low-limit triple draw tourney. No-one at the table had done anything particularly remarkable at this stage when the following hand came up. I'll break the hand into parts to make it easier to comment on particular streets (as well as the fact that the hand converter doesn't like triple draw hands it seems).

PokerStars Game #48876145112: Tournament #305342342, $2.00+$0.20 USD Triple Draw 2-7 Lowball Limit - Level III (60/120) - 2010/08/30 6:26:34 ET
Table '305342342 1' 6-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: Nicklas L. (560 in chips)
Seat 3: HipHopRTR (1980 in chips)
Seat 4: gailnras (1220 in chips)
Seat 5: Greyyy (2970 in chips)
Seat 6: brockstrongo (1380 in chips)
Nicklas L.: posts small blind 30
HipHopRTR: posts big blind 60
*** DEALING HANDS ***
Dealt to HipHopRTR [3h Qh 6c Th Jh]
gailnras: calls 60
Greyyy: folds
brockstrongo: calls 60
Nicklas L.: calls 30
HipHopRTR: checks
*** FIRST DRAW ***
Nicklas L.: discards 3 cards
HipHopRTR: discards 3 cards [Qh Th Jh]
Dealt to HipHopRTR [3h 6c] [5d 7c 8d]
gailnras: discards 2 cards
brockstrongo: discards 2 cards

All fairly standard so far (though somewhat weak to limp & draw 2).
As I've picked up an 8 (albeit a horrible 8) my plan was to bet/raise, stand pat & hope to hang on. I figured with everyone taking so many cards there is a decent chance that an 8 is good now, but its obviously very vulnerable (heck, it can't beat any other 8).

Nicklas L.: bets 60
HipHopRTR: raises 60 to 120
gailnras: calls 120
brockstrongo: calls 120
Nicklas L.: raises 60 to 180 This I did not like & it threw my initial plan out the door
HipHopRTR: calls 60
gailnras: calls 60
brockstrongo: calls 60

Yes, I played the second draw horribly. If I'm going to break the 8 I have to get rid of both the 8 & the 6 ... and its about now that I really dislike the lack of a 2 in my hand. Should I be breaking the 8 in this spot, or is my initial 'hang on & hope' still an option, even with the 3-bet from the SB?

*** SECOND DRAW ***
Nicklas L.: stands pat
HipHopRTR: discards 1 card [8d] Yes, I should have drawn two
Dealt to HipHopRTR [3h 6c 5d 7c] [6d]
gailnras: stands pat
brockstrongo: discards 1 card

With this action I no longer like my hand (as well as the fcat that it now occurred to me that a 2 & less 6s would be much more handy in this spot) & decided to save chips & dump the hand rather than making a bad situation worse. I think this is reasonable thinking given that its a tournament (I might play it differently in a cash game), but feel free to give alternative opinions. I've included the rest of the hand as the hands that the others show up with is interesting (I think)

Nicklas L.: bets 120
HipHopRTR: folds
gailnras: calls 120
brockstrongo: calls 120
*** THIRD DRAW ***
Nicklas L.: stands pat
gailnras: stands pat
brockstrongo: discards 1 card
Nicklas L.: bets 120
gailnras: calls 120
brockstrongo: folds
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Nicklas L.: shows [4c 2s 9h 3s 8c] (Lo: 9,8,4,3,2)
gailnras: mucks hand
Nicklas L. collected 1560 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1560 | Rake 0
Seat 1: Nicklas L. (small blind) showed [4c 2s 9h 3s 8c] and won (1560) with Lo: 9,8,4,3,2
Seat 3: HipHopRTR (big blind) folded after the 2nd Draw
Seat 4: gailnras mucked [6h 3c 8h 2c 9s]
Seat 5: Greyyy folded before the Draw (didn't bet)
Seat 6: brockstrongo (button) folded after the 3rd Draw

I was super-surprised when they both turned up with 9s in this spot. Is my thinking that they should have at least a good 8 here (3-betting or calling 3-bets multiway) unusual?

Second hand from later in the same tournament (new table).

PokerStars Game #48877078410: Tournament #305342342, $2.00+$0.20 USD Triple Draw 2-7 Lowball Limit - Level VII (200/400) - 2010/08/30 7:10:02 ET
Table '305342342 3' 6-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: valmux17 (2415 in chips)
Seat 2: HipHopRTR (2890 in chips)
Seat 3: camp15 (5795 in chips)
Seat 4: loco414 (7065 in chips)
Seat 5: Nicklas L. (1345 in chips)
Seat 6: mcmu2sic (2455 in chips)
camp15: posts small blind 100
loco414: posts big blind 200
*** DEALING HANDS ***
Dealt to HipHopRTR [2d 2s 2c 8c Tc]

Obviously the fact that I start with three 2s means that my opponents are far less likely to have one in their hand (obviously only 1 left in the deck), which means that they can at best make an 8. The initial plan was to raise & snow if heads-up, or draw if multiway (but looking to draw & snow the second draw), knowing that any 7 should be good & most 8s would win as well.

Nicklas L.: folds
mcmu2sic: calls 200
valmux17: folds
HipHopRTR: raises 200 to 400
camp15: folds
loco414: calls 200
mcmu2sic: calls 200
*** FIRST DRAW ***
loco414: discards 2 cards
mcmu2sic: discards 1 card
HipHopRTR: discards 2 cards [2c Tc]
Dealt to HipHopRTR [2d 2s 8c] [Qs 7h]

All to plan so far (I thought raising & drawing 3 would look suspicious), though the fact that UTG+1 draws one makes me somewhat apprehensive about the plan.

loco414: checks
mcmu2sic: bets 200
HipHopRTR: calls 200 I decided not to raise here as I felt I now had to make a hand to win the pot as people are reluctant to fold if drawing one on the first draw
loco414: calls 200
*** SECOND DRAW ***
loco414: stands pat
mcmu2sic: stands pat The fact that they BOTH stand pat is a big concern for me given that there is only one live 2 left in the deck, though it also means they are pat with weakish hands a lot of the time (or at least one of them is).
HipHopRTR: discards 2 cards [2d Qs]
Dealt to HipHopRTR [2s 8c 7h] [4d 3h]
loco414: checks
mcmu2sic: bets 400
HipHopRTR: raises 400 to 800 Is this a good or bad raise given the action?
loco414: calls 800
mcmu2sic: calls 400
*** THIRD DRAW ***
loco414: stands pat
mcmu2sic: stands pat
HipHopRTR: stands pat on [2s 8c 7h 4d 3h] Again, right decision, or should I be breaking the 8 given that it is an 87 rather than a better 8?
loco414: checks
mcmu2sic: checks
HipHopRTR: bets 400 Do others value bet this spot, or should I just go for the free showdown?
loco414: calls 400
mcmu2sic: calls 400
*** SHOW DOWN ***
HipHopRTR: shows [4d 2s 3h 8c 7h] (Lo: 8,7,4,3,2)
loco414: shows [8d 4c 3c 5d 6c] (Lo: 8,6,5,4,3)
mcmu2sic: shows [3d 5c 6s 8h 4s] (Lo: 8,6,5,4,3)
loco414 collected 2750 from pot
mcmu2sic collected 2750 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 5500 | Rake 0
Seat 1: valmux17 folded before the Draw (didn't bet)
Seat 2: HipHopRTR (button) showed [4d 2s 3h 8c 7h] and lost with Lo: 8,7,4,3,2
Seat 3: camp15 (small blind) folded before the Draw
Seat 4: loco414 (big blind) showed [8d 4c 3c 5d 6c] and won (2750) with Lo: 8,6,5,4,3
Seat 5: Nicklas L. folded before the Draw (didn't bet)
Seat 6: mcmu2sic showed [3d 5c 6s 8h 4s] and won (2750) with Lo: 8,6,5,4,3

Is this just a sick spot given that they BOTH turn up with the only 8 that doesn't have a 2 that can beat me, or could I have played it better?

Hopefully it doesn't look too bad when trying to read the post!

Hand 1 is an easy cap after the 1st draw, then pat and get to showdown, vbetting when checked to. this is a $2 TD tourney, everyone sucks and they generally have no idea how to value hands. in hand 2 i would just fold pre. raising and drawing 2 is the worst option you could take imo. either draw 3 w/out putting in extra bets, or fold, with fold being the superior play. remember, there is still one 2 left and if someone is putting in action, they probably have it. even if they dont, you cant really put enough pressure on them to make them fold any marginal made hand. the rest of the hand is played well.

Definitely cap or fold to the 3bet in the first hand, breaking is quite hopeless because almost all if not all deuces will be dead.

Hand 2 just draw 3, people aren't good enough to realise what you're doing and you'll only get paid off even lighter when you do make your hand.

River is fairly close, almost always one of your opponents will have the last deuce so I wouldn't be overly excited. I think I can probably find a check here.

River is fairly close, almost always one of your opponents will have the last deuce so I wouldn't be overly excited. I think I can probably find a check here.

I don't know if you realise just how bad people play in these tourneys. You are almost never getting c/r'd, and there c/c range is like #5-any 9 they decided to pat, maybe even a T! I think checking would be a complete value spew here personally.

Thanks for the comments guys.
I think hand 2 is a triple draw example of fancy play syndrome!
Does the play change if its not a $2, but say a $50 tourney? If so, how?

Thanks for the comments guys.
I think hand 2 is a triple draw example of fancy play syndrome!
Does the play change if its not a $2, but say a $50 tourney? If so, how?

against competent to good players I would just fold pre i think. if it was folded to me I would open and draw 3 if called. you can still snow later in the hand.

In hand 2 you discard T2 and it should be very very clear that you should be discarding 22 instead.

If you want to snow and gain max FE on the end I'd just draw1 and pat/snow from the first draw as this range looks by far the strongest.

Hand 1, definitely like the Cap. I think it should be pointed out that once the SB 3-bets after the 1st draw, he is very short stacked, making me very likely to show-down light against him.

Hand 2, agree with drawing to 82xxx. I think raising predraw is fine given the quality of our opponents. As played, I think we could consider freezing on 3rd, but our hand maybe slightly too strong for that play given we've seen three 2's. If we had a weaker 87, I would be more inclined to freeze.

I don't know if you realise just how bad people play in these tourneys. You are almost never getting c/r'd, and there c/c range is like #5-any 9 they decided to pat, maybe even a T! I think checking would be a complete value spew here personally.

journey!!!!

I would like to know the buyin, if it is a $2 then yes everyone sucks bc I WON a few of them a while ago b4 i railed you in TD. if i could beat them knowing almost nothing, ayh these things are super soft!

I don't know if you realise just how bad people play in these tourneys. You are almost never getting c/r'd, and there c/c range is like #5-any 9 they decided to pat, maybe even a T! I think checking would be a complete value spew here personally.

I know people suck, but if they're both pat early and one of them calls 2 cold I think their ranges will be a fair bit stronger than "any 9". You still have to beat both players instead of one, headsup this would be an easy bet but 3ways with a lot of action I still think a check is fine regardless of how bad the players are.