Todays tournament had 291 entrants and first prize was over 25k. I went in to the tournament with the same strategy as previous tournaments. However, I arrived at the table and it was completely bonkers so I really had to lay off the gas pedal. I still tried to raise a lot but not with less than premium hands and not as often.
In the first level, I didn’t really play that many pots. I raised with Q4o and got 3 callers. The flop came QT2 and I bet out and got 2 callers. The turn came a J and I check/folded. I raised with A4hh from EP and got 2 callers. The flop came KT7 and I c-bet and got raised and folded.
I was down to 11400 and we moved to level 2 (50-100). I raised to 250 with KTo from MP and folded to a reraise. I raised with A9dd UTG to 250 and a lady minraised me to 500. I called and folded on a T86 flop and was down to 10300. I raised to 250 with K2ss in MP and got 3 callers. I folded on a flop that missed me and was down to 9850. I raised with A8hh from LP and folded to a reraise. I was in the SB and completed with Q7 with 3 other players. The flop came Q97 and I bet out 500 and got one caller. The turn came a 3 and I bet out 1000 and the caller folded and showed J8.
I was at 10200 and we went to level 3 (100-200). I raised in EP to 475 with KJo and got called by a LP and a blind. The flop came QT9 and the blind checked and I bet out 550 and they both folded. Next hand, I raised with 77 and got 2 callers and the flop came JTT. I c-bet out 550 and they both folded and I was up to 12300. I raised in EP with 475 to 44 and got one caller behind. The flop came 532 and I c-bet and he folded. It folded to me in the SB and I found TT and made it 475 and the BB called. The flop came 754 and I bet out and he folded. I was up to 13k or so after this. I found 98ss UTG and made it 475 and got 2 callers. The flop came 433 and I check/folded. I was down to 12.5k or so and we took a break soon after, with me having 12475 on the first break.
We came back and played level 4 (100-200 25). I raised a limper with KQo to 525 and everyone folded. Then a streak of 3 goofy hands happened. I was playing pretty tight and I finally decided to raise with 42o to 525 in MP. The guy on the button reraised and I folded and he showed AA. I raised in EP with 89ss and a guy in MP reraised me and I folded and he showed KK. I raised with 64o in LP and the guy in the BB reraised me and I folded and he showed AA This meant that 3 straight times I chose to raise, I got reraised and the guy had AA 2 times and KK once. Kind of sick.
I was down to 9800 or so after this series and the blinds went up to 200-400 25 (level 5). First hand of 200-400, I raised to 950 in EP with T8hh. One of the blinds called and the flop came J54. He checked, I c-bet 1100 and he folded. Next hand I raised in EP with T7o and took the blinds. A couple of hands later, I raised with J8o in LP and won the blinds. I was up to around 14k or so when I got moved to a new table. I sat down and look to my right and who do I see but none other than Marc Karam (2.3 million in career earnings, 2 WPT FTs, 2nd in EPT grand final 2 years ago) and 2 to his right is none other than Jean “Prince” Gaspard (just under 800k in career winnings, won an event at Bellagio Five Diamond 5 days prior, had just busted out of 25k event at bellagio the day before). I sit at the new table and look to get my aggressive image going. I raised the first pot I sat down in MP to 950 with K3o and Jean Gaspard reraised me from the button and I folded. 2 hands later, I raised to 950 UTG +1 with 97dd and Jean Gaspard reraised me again from LP and I folded. I should know better than to go effing around at a table with these pros (ha). A little later, I made it 950 to go in MP with AJo and got called in one spot. The flop came AQ7 and my c-bet of 1100 was good. I found AQss UTG and got 1 caller from MP. The flop came 853 and I bet out 1100 and got reraised to 3000 and I folded.
I was down to around 9600 or so and we went to 300-600 50 (level 6). I raised in EP with QJss to 1350 and got 2 callers behind. The flop came AAT and I c-bet 1525 (figuring that I would win if no one had an A). One guy called and another raised and I folded and was down to around 6k. I then caught a nice break which lead me on the right path. I pushed 6200 all in from UTG +1 with KQo and a guy repushed to iso me. He showed AQo and I was able to spike a K on the flop and double up to 14k or so. I was in the SB and Marc Karam raised the button to 1500. I found KQcc in the SB and decided to push about 12800 (after the BB and antes I was down to this much). He time banked and called and flipped over QTo. The board ran out giving me a flush and I doubled up again to around 26k through the great Marc Karam. Two hands later, Marc Karam raised to 1525 from the hijack and I found 99 from the cutoff and reraised to 3700. He called and the flop came Q94. He checked and I bet out 4000, he thought for awhile and said “I guess that I am going to have to call it an early day” an moves all in for about 10k total. I called and he showed. . .QT again and I faded his runner runner and took his 30k or so in chips in 2 hands AND I knocked him out! What a turn of events. I was up to 38.5k after this set of hands. I raised UTG with KQo to 1350 and someone reraised me and I folded. I then raised in MP to 1350 with JThh and it folded to the BB who reraised me and I folded and he showed QQ. I was down to around 35k or so and we went on break soon. At the 2nd break, I was at 34475.
We came back at level 7 (400-800 75). A guy limped UTG and the guy behind him made it 3200, the guy behind him called and I found 99. I decided to just fold here and I didn’t make my set anyways. There was one limper to me in the hijack and I made it 1925 with KJo and everyone folded. Then a hand that made me pretty sick happened. There were 2 limpers and I made it 1925 from the cutoff with KQo. The BB moved all in for about 10500 and the limpers folded. I thought for a while and finally decided to call and the d-bag showed me A4. A4. . .WTF man I raise 2 limpers and you push with A4 there so terrible (this was the same kid who knocked me out of a previous tournament with AT vs my QJ when he made a flush on the river). I flopped a Q but he turned an A and wont he pot and I was down to 25k (A4 WTF. . .BTW this kid ended up bubbling and I was really really happy to see that). I raised UTG with AJo to 1925 and it folded to the BB who pushed about 20k. I folded and was down to 22k. A guy raised in MP to 3200 and I found AA on the button and decided to trap by just calling. The flop came Q93 and he checked and I bet out 3500 and he folded.
I was up to 25100 and we went to level 8 (600-1200 100). I raised in EP to 2700 with J6o and Jean Gaspard was the only caller from the SB. The flop came AJ8 and he checked and I checked behind (because I didn’t want him outplaying me out of a big pot—keep the pot small). The turn came a gin for me in the form of a J. He lead out for 5000 and I thought for a while before deciding to flat call and pray for no A so I could punish him on the river. The river came a dreaded A and he lead out for 5000. I immediately called (it was one of those hands where you’ve gone too far to throw away bottom full house and the bet was so small) and he mucked his hand and I won the pot and was up to over 40k or so. I raised in the cutoff to 2700 with A9o. The BB only had about 7500 to start the hand and flat called my raise. The flop came AKQ and he moved his last 4500 or so in and I instacalled and he showed KT and I held and was up to 47500.
I folded for a couple of orbits, losing blinds and antes and we went up to 800-1600 200 (level 9). I raised UTG with AQhh to 3700 and got 2 callers. The flop came KT7 and I c-bet out 4100 and one of the callers called. We checked to the river on 76 and she bet out 10k on the river and I folded. I was in the BB and it folded to the SB who completed. I was down to 33k or so. I found AQo and put him all in for about 15k or so and he folded and I was back up to 36.5k. I was in the cutoff and the guy in the hijack attempted to go all in but got called for a string bet and they ruled it just a call. I found KK and raised it to 3700. It folded to that guy and he moved all in for 15k or so and I called and he showed AQ. The flop came Q high but no damage was done after that and I was up to 52.5k. I raised in MP with 76o and took down the blinds. Around this time, the level ended and we went to the 3rd break and I had 52000. We came back to play one more level before the dinner break.
We were at level 10, playing 1000-2000 300. I didn’t find much for hands at this level but still tried to maintain my stack. I raised it in EP to 5100 with 62o and took down the blinds. There was one weak player who limped in EP and I found 93o in the cutoff and raised to 5100. He was the only caller and my c-bet on QQ3 was good. I raised in the hijack with 23o and the button called me. I made him for a big hand just flat calling here so when I didn’t hit the Q85 flop, I check/folded. I finished the level at 52000 (again) and we went to dinner.
We came back at level 11 (1.5k-3k 500) and I was getting down there in chips. I tried to get something going as hard as I could. I raised in MP1 to 7000 with K9o and got 2 callers behind. The flop came Q63 and I check/folded. I raised in EP to 7000 with J6o and got a whole 4 callers (including the blinds). I missed the flop and folded and was down to 35.5k and needed some major help. However, I was able to hit an UNREAL rush after this that would absolutely SKYROCKET my chip stack. The same weak limper guy (from the 93 hand) limped UTG and I found KJo in MP. I almost just shoved here but thought against it, not because I was afraid of him limping with a big hand but because I knew that I could win the pot from him easily if he didn’t hit his hand and I thought he might call me with a weak A or a pair here so I could just force his hand on the flop. I made it 7000 and everyone folded to him and he called. The flop came 983 and he checked to me and I c-bet 7500 and he instantly folded. This hand increased my stack to 50k or so. Next hand, I found AKo in MP and raised it to 7000. Jean Gaspard (who was now sitting immediately on my left after a table change) moved all in for 30k or so and it folded back to me and I called and he flipped over 55 and I was able to flop an A and have it hold and win the race. Amazing, I knocked out 2 decently known pros in the same tournament. Pretty cool experience. I was all of the sudden up to 96k after this pot (average was around 70k so I was nicely above average). However, my rush wasn’t over quite yet as I got involved in a GIGANTIC and unreal pot.
This pot had to be one of the highlights of my poker career. I was in the BB and this huge donk (I mean, he was just awful, just terrible) raised it in EP to 7000. The guy on the button called, the SB called and I looked down at 22 in the BB and said a little “one time” prayer before calling. Low and behold, in the door I saw a beautiful 2. The flop completed 962 with 2 diamonds. The SB checked, I checked, the raiser went all in for about 120k and the button called all in for around 105k!!!! The SB folded and I went all in as fast as I fn could for my 90k or so. The donk flipped over KTdd for a flush draw and the button showed QQ (he was trying to trap the donk because the donk kept raising and going all in on the flop for way to much money, just like this). I was way ahead and the board ran out KT, giving the donk a no good 2 pair and missing his flush and missing the 2 out Q and shipping me the absurdly big pot. Right after this hand, our table broke (it took me a good 2 minutes to stack the chips I won before I moved to the new table) and I was up to 271k with the average being only 70k (I was probably chip leader of the tournament at this point). I moved to the new table and there were 4 tables (40 people) left.
Around this time, we went to level 12 (2k-4k 500). At the new table, I started stealing the blinds often and with little resistance I had worked my 271k to around 295k. I opened again to 9500 with KJo in MP and the button called my raise. The flop came KQ7 and I checked to him and he moved all in for 40k or so and I called and he showed AQo and the board ran out xQ, giving him a fortunate river and sending me back down to 230k. I was in the SB and it folded to me and I raised again to 9500 with Q4o and the BB pushed and I folded. A guy raised in EP to 12k and I found AcQx in the cutoff and reraised him to 28k. He called and the flop came QT7 all clubs, giving me top pair + nut flush draw. He lead out for 22k, I raised him to 47k and he folded and I was back up to 262k. After this hand, our table broke (we were down to 30 players or so) and we went on the 4th break. I was at 262k on the 4th break.
We came back and were at level 13 (3k-6k 1k) and only played about 5 hands of hand for hand before the money bubble broke and we were all in the money! We redrew for the final 3 tables and everything started to go backwards for me. First hand at the new table, I found KJo UTG and raised it to 14k. It folded to the BB and he called. The flop came AJ6 and he bet out 15k, I raised him to 37k, and he called. The turn and river came out blanks and we went check check and he showed A3 for a hand that beat mine. I dropped down to 200k or so on this hand. It folded to me on the button and I found AA. I made it 14k and the SB called me. The flop came J98 and he checked and I c-bet 18k and he called. The turn came a K (which worried me a little) and we both checked. The river came an A, but it completed a runner runner club flush. He bet out 25k and I just called because of flush and straight possibilities and he mucked and I was back up to 265k. I just couldn’t find very many spots for the next couple orbits. The kids in front of me were playing very aggressively and the 3 guys behind me were all short stacked so I couldn’t find spots to reraise or open a pot myself.
I slowly started to blind down and we went to level 14 (4k-8k 1k). I was able to steal the blinds from MP with Q2o once. I found AKss in EP and raised it to 19k and got 2 callers in the blinds. The flop came Q84 and it checked to me and I c-bet 22k and one of them called. We checked to the river on JQ and he lead out on the river and I folded. I was down to 220k or so. I still couldn’t find any steal spots or anything and continued to blind my stack little by little. Around this time, one of the other tables broke and we were down to the final 18 players. I was UTG and found 66 and made it 19k. A guy in MP moved all in for 28k total and the SB called. This sucks because I raised the BB of 8k 11k to 19k and he raised my bet only 9k more so I cannot make a reraise all in to isolate so I just have to call here and throw almost 30k into the pot in a bad spot. The flop did come a harmless looking T83 2 diamonds and the SB checked and I bet 25k just to iso the all in. However, the SB snapped me with a raise to 100k and I had to fold because I know that this is not a play here. The SB showed QTdd (a hand that I could have gotten out of there if I could have repushed) and the all in showed AK (a hand that I would have ended up beating if I would have gotten in there HU vs him). As it was though, I lost nearly 60k on the pot and was down to 160k or so. I wasn’t too worried as I still had 20 bbs or so though.
I folded for an orbit (not because I was playing tight but because I couldn’t find any spots) and lost a small amount of my stack, and all of the sudden, the blinds went up to level 15 (6k-12k 2k) and I was down to 132k! WTF I go from 20 bbs one orbit to just over 10 bbs. Man, just a tough spot—the blinds and antes just really caught up to me all of the sudden. I folded a couple hands but the 2k ante ate at my stack. I was down to 122k and found 95o UTG +1 and thought that this would be as good of a spot as any so I pushed my stack and it folded to the SB who snapped me off with AK. The flop came a beautiful J85 giving me a pair and the lead but the turn came an A, and the river blanked and I was knocked out in 15th.
I won $842 and finished 15/291. It was good and fun to get deep again but it still kind of sucks because once you get that deep, you really just want to win so badly and I guess it just wasn’t in the cards for me this time. Maybe next time it will turn out differently.
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