Tourney: Venetian March 25th $150 12 PM daily recap

WARNING: Fully describing all the hands I went through during this tournament took about 5 pages of microsoft word so be prepared.

Todays Venetian tournament had 124 players (quite a few more than yesterday). First prize was a whopping 5k and I decided to screw up my chances with one gigantic blow-up of a hand.

I started out the tournament well, chipping up in some smaller pots with 53ss in the BB on T4252 vs K4 and finally picking up AA and winning a small pot with a couple of callers on 853r. I was up to 8000 or so when I realized that I cant get to the 1st break without blowing half of my chips or so. I picked up JJ and made it 150 and got called in 3 spots. The flop came 864 2 diamonds and I bet out 450 and got called by one guy who had position on me. The turn came an offsuit 2 and I checked to see what he would do. He bet 1100 and I decided to call because I didn’t want to raise and get called and have to decide what to do if the river was a diamond. The river came 7d filling a straight and flush draw and I checked and he checked and showed 67 for a rivered 2 pair.

It was level 2 (50-100) I was down to 6500. I made it 300 UTG with JJ and got 4 callers. The flop came A86 and I folded to a bet (it was good that the A came because someone had 66). I saw a few more flops this level but hit nothing and was down to 5800 or so.

In level 3 (100-200) I found AKo in the cutoff. The welder guy from yesterday was on the button and he called my raise to 600. The flop came QJ9 and I checked, he bet 400 and I thought that it was cheap enough for me to see the turn so I called. The turn was another J and I checked, he bet 1200 and I folded. He showed me KK and I felt really really lucky he didn’t reraise me preflop. Nothing much else happened in the 3rd level and I was at 4300 at the 1st break.

At 100-200 25, I was down to 3000 or so and really hurting. A weak loose player who looked like he knew what he was doing for the most part limped in EP and I decided to try iso him with position from the button with A6o. It worked and he check folded a flop of 942 to me. I started to get my stack on the right path again after I restole a button raise from the SB with and all in with JJ. I wouldn’t have pushed if I didn’t think I had a chance of getting called with a lower pair (the button folded 44 which sucked because I really wanted a call).

The blinds went to level 5 (200-400 25) and I was able to steal the blinds once with 66 (effective amount to add to my stack). I was at 5500 or so and this tighter decent player raised my BB from the button to 1500. He hadn’t been raising a lot but he was a good enough player to know that if its folded to him on the button, he is going to raise with a wide range. The SB folded and I found 99. At this point I kind of have to push and hope that hes playing a button hand here as opposed to a regular hand. I pushed and he called and showed AKo. I was lucky enough to avoid his A or K and double up to 11500 or so. In my small blind the next orbit, there were 2 limpers and I found J9o. I decided to complete and the BB checked. The flop came down QTT rainbow and it checked around. The turn came a 7 and I decided that this would be a good chance to semi-bluff as the flop would have been bet if someone had a Q and the only hand I had to watch out for was a T. Even if someone has a T here they might slowplay and allow me to catch up on the river with my open ender. I bet out 1650 and the last limper called me. The river came a blank and I check folded to his all in (I bet he had a 10).

I was down to 8k or so and we went to 300-600 50. I finally found KK in MP (hijack +1) and made it 1550. It folded to the guy on the button who was a nice guy but it seemed like he didn’t play much poker. He had a lot of chips (25-30k or so) and was making a lot of pretty big raises preflop and always standing up and cheering when he won an all in. He decided to go all in for a lot of chips (people in the blinds had about as much as him but he just decided to push on my 1550 raise) and I moved my chips in the middle quickly once it got back to me. He showed 77 and my KK held and I doubled to 17k or so. I didn’t play many other hands the rest of the level. I tried to steal from the hijack once with 64o to 1550, thinking that that guy (he was in the small blinds and there was a really tight player in the BB) would give me credit for a big hand since last time I did that I showed KK but he didn’t believe me I guess and moved all in. I folded and he showed AK (so I guess its not that he didn’t believe me).

At the 2nd break I was up to 14250 chips and we came back to play 400-800 75. I then somehow ended up in a pretty giant pot in the first hand after break. It was a hand I probably shouldn’t have been in and I got somewhat lucky but I guess I took a chance and it paid off. I was in the BB and this older 20s guy raised it from the Hijack +1. He had about 17k or so in chips and wasn’t playing all that aggressive or anything but he was in a lot of pots and always turned over a good hand at the end. He raised it to 2025 and I looked at 98cc in the BB. Usually I would fold here with a suited connector and no other callers but it just seemed like a good spot for him to raise with a wide range and I just felt like seeing a flop to see if I could hit anything. The flop came down Q93 and I checked to see what he would do. He led out for 3100 and I thought that he would c-bet here with an extremely large range of hands. I figured that he would never 2 barrel bluff me with how tightly ive been playing so I decided to call and see what he did on the turn before I committed the rest of my chips with 2nd pair (I had 9k left and had put about 5100 in the pot at this point). The turn came a beautiful offsuit 9 for me and I checked, he went all in and I called. He showed KK and was pretty disappointed when I showed my 98. The river blanked and I doubled to 29k or so in a huge pot. I looked around the table and no one else had more than, Id say 15k-18k or so EXCEPT the lady right on my left who had about 26k or so.

The blinds went to level 8 (600-1200 100) and my plan was to wait for a premium hand as I didn’t want to have to raise and double up a short stack or anything, however the cards had other plans. I was in the BB and it folded to that lady player in the SB. She picked up a bunch of chips that looked like she wanted to raise but then decided to just call. I really thought that she might have a big pair or something by the way she acted but was not positive if she was a player capable of limping with a big pair like that. I knew that I could eliminate certain hands from her range though because she would raise with a smaller pair (probably 22-QQ) as I saw her come in raising and fold and show small pairs several times. I could also probably eliminate any bigger A as she would also come in raising. Other than that, I wasn’t specifically certain. I looked in the BB and found 97o. I checked my option and the flop came out 973. . beautiful!. Since I had eliminated those small pairs from her range, I had essentially flopped the nuts and also, since I had a feeling that she had a big hand preflop, I was on the verge of winning a big pot. She bet out 2700, I raised to 9000, and she moved all in and honestly, in my poker career, ive never EVER made a call as quickly as I did on this call. Sick instacall. I was way wrong on my reads as she showed 93, for a lower 2 pair but even so, I got all my chips in as a HUGE favorite. The turn/river blanked and I won a massive pot to get up to 52k or so. There were about 5 tables left at this point and I would be willing to bet that I was the chip leader of the tournament at this point. I made it 3100 in the hijack with 55 only to get raised all in by the button and reraised all in by the SB (they had QQ and TT—why does someone else have to have a hand almost every time I try to steal). I made it 3100 UTG with AJo and got called by the BB. We checked down a board of KQ235 and I showed and he mucked. The next hand was an interesting one. This really tight lady with 9500 or so in chips made it 5k to go in early-mid position and It folded to me in the BB. I found AQo and figured that I was at best a coinflip but if I just called and didn’t hit the flop, I would still have to call because of pot odds. I folded here and figured it was no harm to fold. The blinds went around a couple of times and someone (the guy from the 98 vs KK hand) moved all in for about 10k or so from MP. I was in the SB and found AKhh and the BB only had 17k or so behind so I decided to shove all in. The MP all in had KTdd and my AKhh held up and I was up to just over 60k or so.

After this, the blinds went up to 800-1600 200. There was one limper and I found A6ss in the SB. The flop came Ts8h4s giving me a FL draw and an over. I bet out 3800 and the BB raised all in for 9500 more (13300 total). I figured that I had chips and he was looser so I also figured that he would be pushing top pair or even a lower FL draw on me here so I called. Unluckily for me, he had T8 for top 2 pair (if I would have put him on 2 pair I probably wouldn’t have called because my A redraw is no good) but luckily for me, I hit my spade on the turn and won the pot and I was up to 74K. Later, I found ATcc in the cutoff. I raised it to 4100 and the button called. The tight lady from the AQ hand pushed all in in the BB for 9500 total. I only had to call like 5400 or so but I really didn’t want to. The guy on the button called and raised a lot of hands but seemed like he played pretty decently, he was unafraid to play a pot I guess. I wasn’t really worried about getting pushed over the top by him but I didn’t want to push and have him call with something weird (He had like 35k-40k or so). Ultimately, I figured I had to call because I knew that he wasn’t pushing over the top. He also called and there was 30k or so in the pot. We checked down a board of Q954Q and he showed AK, I showed AT and the lady showed 88 for the triple. Like I said, anytime I steal people have better hands than me but I had to call for my odds here. After this hand I was down to 63k and didn’t play any other pots for the level so I dwindled a little, finishing the 3rd break at 54600.

At the 3rd break, we were down to 26 players or so with 9 paying. We came back to level 10 at 1k-2k 300 and were soon playing 7-8 handed at the table. The blinds came around pretty quickly but I was able to steal the blinds a little less than every round. The first 28 minutes of 1k-2k went by without anything exciting for me, but we were down to 20 players close to the end. My table was next to break and the hand before the table broke (we were playing 6 handed) UTG pushed 19500 aipf and I was next to act. Everyone was racking up ready to leave, and I found AKo. I didn’t think I could fold here so I actually decided to iso here so I pushed all in for my 60k or so. Everyone else folded and UTG showed QQ. I was lucky enough to flop an ace and hold up and my stack soared up to 82k.

Our table broke and I moved to a new table and the level went up to 1.5k-3k 500 and it didn’t take me long to dive into my new table. About 7 hands after I moved, I had the button and found AQo. I raised to 8k and the blinds folded. The next hand, I found A8o in the cutoff. I made it 7500 and the button reraised me to 20k. The BB went all in and I folded (it was AA vs AQ). The next hand after that I was in the Hijack and found AJo I raised to 7500 and the blinds folded. I hovered at 80k or so for a while. I was in Hijack +1 and a guy pushed directly in front of me for 19500. I looked down at AJhh and god did I think about this one. I was listening to him talk and knew he was looking for any hand to push in with but there were still so many people behind me and I didn’t want to get snapped off and have to call like 20k more with AJhh. Also, the whole time I was thinking about 2 years ago in the Venetian deep stack when I finally made it deep in a big tournament and called off with AJ here and the guy obviously had me beat (and, Ironically I was at the same seat on the same table in the Venetian so that was definitely coursing through my mind). Ultimately I ended up folding and so did everyone but I think that a call was probably the right play here because I know im way ahead of his range.

I was at 80k and the hand that will stick with me for a LONG LONG time occurred. I just feel so sick typing about it now but I will share it nevertheless. There were 16 players left and we were playing 8 handed. That looser decent player from the AK vs AT vs 88 hand was at my table. He was older and had longer hair. He was probably chip leader of the tournament and probably had 150k or so at this point and was still raising a lot of pots and showing fearlessness to play turns and rivers. Anyways, he raised from UTG +2 to 9k and I looked down at AQo on the button. He could have made it 9k here with literally any 2 cards and I figured he didn’t have much of a hand and I would be able to win it right here so I made it 22k to play. He thought for a while before he decided to call. I still don’t have him on a hand range right now because I had seen him play a lot of bigger pots never really knowing what he had but assuming he had a hand. The flop came JJ9 and he checked to me. At this point, I SHOULD have bet out about 25k or so something because he rarely hits that flop and he rarely follows with me if he has a smaller pair here I think (but he might have). However, I decided to check. The turn came an 8 and he bet out 12k. I still have no idea what he has but 12k into the pot is a pretty simple call with 2 overs and a gutshot. I tinkered with pushing all in here but I didn’t want him to snap me with a J or anything like that. Also, if I push here, I may get called by a 9 or even an 8 because he figures me for AK because I checked the flop here (even though I would check that flop with AA or KK 100% of the time). Therefore, I just call which I feel like is actually the correct move at this point in the hand. The river is a 4 and he thinks a little before betting out 25k. Alarm bells start to go off in my head here. To me, there are very little hands that he can do a combo bet of 12k on the turn and 25k on the river that are seemingly in his range (even though I have no idea what his range really is). I feel like I can almost eliminate a J from his range as he would have played the turn differently by either betting more or checking again. I can also probably eliminate connectors like 98 or 87 that he might raise and call a reraise with because he would probably just be content with showing this hand down. I actually was semi worried about a hand like 55 or 66 where he thinks he is bluffing but he actually has the best hand, but I pretty much ruled these hands out with the rationalization that he would be content with showing down these hands against my AK and winning the pot there. Other hands that made sense were QT and T7 suited, as he would probably play these hands pretty much like how he played them. However, I thought that he thought that I was playing tightly and afraid of cashing, so if he turned up the heat enough he could get me to lay down whatever hand he put me on. His range also might include hands like AT or 67 suited for busted straight draws or a KQ for overs with a gutshot. His range could also legitimately a complete bluff here (looking back and analyzing I will usually think that this is obviously not a possibility when I make a stupid call like this but this time I actually agree that this may be a 2 barrel bluff). I ended up calling after getting the clock called on me and he showed me 86hh for an unreal value bet he snuck in on me. Looking back on the hand now, I still really don’t completely hate the river call (or the turn call). I simply did not give the guy credit to make a value bet of this caliber. The place where the hand went all wrong is the check behind on the flop. I should bet here, I need to bet here, and I would have won the pot and been up to over 100k if I bet here. However, I lost about 60k that hand and was down to 18500 at 1.5k-3k.

Soon after this, the blinds went up to 2k-4k 500. I stole the blinds one hand that orbit and on the next orbit, I had about 16k in my BB. We were playing 7 handed at this point (14 players left) and a guy made it 15k UTG. The SB went all in for a total of 14k and I found 67cc in the BB. Im not going to let all of this dead money go to waste so I put all my chips in the middle and the hand were my 67cc vs UTG AQo vs SB Q9dd. The board ran out 36777 for a convenient triple up to about 50k for me. After this, the guy who I lost all my chips to went on an unreal run. He had about 200k after the hand with me and, by the time the final table started, he had about 450k. One hand, a guy made it 17k from the button, the SB moved all in for 41k, and he flatted from the BB. The button folded and the SB showed AK and he showed JT. Im not too sure I get this call but it worked for him (Id assume he was giving himself an image of being able to call any push to make sure we would be more afraid to push). He then won a 200k or so pot in a coinflip with AK vs TT (I felt bad for the kid with TT, push this guy raising every hand with a legit hand and somehow end up in a race). We were 5 handed for a while and I literally could not find a spot to push my chips in. He was right on my right and raised every pot and by the time the madness of him getting all the chips was done, I only had 40k or so so I could push on his raise with like 93o or T5o, knowing I was going to get called. I think I folded K5 one time and remember immediately regretting folding a king. (although he probably would have shown A3 or something). The frustration of this combined with the hand I misplayed is just making me infuriated right now by the way.

Anyways, someone busted at the other table and we were down to our final 10. That guy had like 450k-500k of a possible 900k in chips. I had 26500 in chips and there were about 3 other players who had as much as me. Only 9 spots paid but everyone agreed to throw in $20 so that the person who finishes in 10th would get paid (which was just fine by me at this point). I drew a good seat and was lucky enough to be 2 spots away from the button to give me ample hands to find one to push in with.

Also, upon arriving at the final table, we went on the 4th break and the blind level went up to 3k-6k 1k. I folded a couple of hands to watch all the other short stacks push and get no callers, except for this one short stack who started in the BB and continued to fold his hands. UTG, I found AJo and pushed my 22k in chips. The guy who kept folding decided to call his last 6k (yes, one BB) and everyone else folded. He showed K6o and the board came out QQ246 for a bad river for me. If I would have won that pot I would have been up to like 45k or so (decent in chips but still obviously hurting) but instead was down to my last 16k in the BB. 1k went in the ante and the guy who just doubled off of me pushed all in. The big stack guy called and it really didn’t matter as I only had 9k behind and 7k in the pot already. I found T3o and went with it and they showed KQ and KJ. The board came out K42QJ and I was eliminated in 10th place after 7 ½ hours. At least I won $180 for a net profit of $30 (Like $4 an hour. . .sick).

It sucks that I was 2/2 in coinflips, made a FL draw in a pretty big pot, got lucky vs KK in a big pot, and had all my big hands hold in the key spots and all I could make of it was a 10th place (especially when 1st was like 5k) but like everything in poker, it’s a learning experience and I hope that I will be at a final table again soon someday (I KNOW I will).