Tourney: Venetian April 8th $340 2009 Venetian Deepstack Extravaganza II Event #7 recap

Todays tournament was pretty weird for me. I ran so good but then I just ran so bad in a couple pots that were the difference. There were approximately 260 or so people in the tournament and First prize was 24k or so. I went in the tournament planning to play ABC tight poker for the first level and then really open up in the 2nd and 3rd levels, establishing an incredibly loose aggressive image, and then play the table from there.

The tournament started very well for me. First hand I played in the tournament, I raised to 125 from the cutoff with 22 and both of the blinds called. The flop came T92 (I finally flopped a sick natural set on a pretty dry board!). They checked to me and I bet out 225 and the BB called. The turn came another T and he checked and I bet out 625 and he called. The river came a 6 and he lead out for 1650 and I raised to 4700 and he called and showed 87 for the no good straight and I was quickly up to 18k or so.

About 5 hands later, I opened my 2nd pot UTG +1. I raised to 125 with JJ and SB raised it to 325. I called and the flop came J88 (another set. . so sick) and she (she was really hot and good at poker actually) bet out 525. I just flat called and the turn came a 4 and she bet out 975 and I just flatted again. The river came a 9 and she bet out 1625 and I raised it to 5k and eventually, she called and showed AA and I was up to 25k. I might have been able to get more chips out of her by raising the flop but she had already seen me fast play a set on the flop in this tournament so I thought that just flatting twice would work out better. Maybe if I raise the flop she 3 bets all in or something but I still knocked her stack to 3.5k or so so I guess I got most of her chips. Another funny thing was that once I raised to 5k on the river, I started giving my reverse tells and I literally held my breath the entire 2 minutes she was thinking. I had to be so red and was shaking she had to think I was bluffing. My head still kind of hurts from doing this. Anyways, I was at 25k or so and I folded out the rest of the level pretty much and ended the first level at 24.3k. The 2nd level came and I completely switched gears.

The first hand I played in the level the guy on my right made it 300 and I reraised to 925 with JJ and the BB flat called. The flop came KQ5 and he checked and I bet out 1625 and he raised to 4k and I folded and I was down to 22k or so. After this, I raised 3-4 pots every orbit (no lie) to 2.5 bbs (250 at 50-100 and 475 at 100-200) regardless of my cards to establish my image. However, these pots did not turn out well for me. My stack slowly dwindled, 250 or 475 at time depending the level. I really didn’t right down any of these hands but I think I won about 2-18 that I raised. They would always call my c-bets and I would never flop anything. I did flop 2 pair with AT once but got no action on m c-bet. I lost my stack down to 19k or so but losing 5k of my stack to try to build it up to 30-35k is worth it.

I called a raise to 600 with 1 other caller with 55. The flop came 942 and the raiser bet out 1200 and I decided to call. The turn came a Q and the raiser bet out 4k and I folded my small pair. I was down to 18k or so after this hand and was waiting to finally make a hand so I could get paid off.

With about 20 minutes in the 100-200 level (level 3), this hand happened. I had about 18k and it folded to me in the cutoff and I made it 475 with KQss. The guy on my left was extremely loose and was the only one who had about the same amount of chips reraised it to 1250 or so. It folded to me and because he was so loose and everything, I decided to call and see a flop. The flop came down A74 all spades flopping me the nut flush (sick flop!). I contemplated checking but instead bet out 1600, hoping he had AK or something and would raise me back. As I hoped, he instantly went all in for his giant stack and I instantly called. Instead of showing AK like I hoped, he showed AA and was still drawing pretty live. The turn came a 5 but the river came an ugly looking 7 pairing the board and sending him the pot of 35k+. If I win this pot, I have a huge stack and am able to run over the table and build an even more giant stack. Instead, I am down to 1.5k (hardly 8 bbs) and am in big trouble.

I push all in 2 straight hands with AT and AJ to get back to 2.2k or so and then I picked up AA next hand and decided to make it just 475 to go. Some terrible lady player called on the button and the flop came 843 and I checked to her and she bet 300 and I called. The turn came a T and I checked and she bet 300 and I called. The river came a 6 and I went all in for my last 1125 and she called and mucked and I doubled to 4.5k or so.

A couple hands later, I picked up 77 in the cutoff and made it 475 and got called by the button (same guy from KQ hand) and the BB. The flop came A72 (3rd set of the day. . unreal) and the BB checked and I bet 650, the button raised to 2k and I moved all in for about 3.6k total and he called and showed AJ and I doubled when the board blanked out. I had worked my stack to about 9k or so again. I then found AQo in MP to 475 and the stupid lady player from the AA hand reraised me to 1k (wtf minraise) and I called. The flop came KT7 and I check folded. I was down to 8k or so and ended the level at 7725 and we went on our 1st break.

I came back pretty short to level 4 (100-200 25) but still with plenty of chips. I raised a limper from the button with QTss and c-bet the A73 flop and took it down and was up to 8.5k or so. I then raised to 550 with 77 in LP and got called by the guy from the KQ hand and both the blinds. The flop came K53 and it checked to me and I bet out 1125 and the guy behind me raised to 3k and I folded. I was down to 6.5k or so after this hand.

I played tight and folded for a few orbits and the blinds went up to 200-400 25. I was down to 5.5k or so and a guy made it 1500 in MP and it folded to me in the SB and I found 88 and went all in for 3.6k more. He thought for literally like 5 minutes (wtf either instacall or fold jackass) and decided to call with J9o. The board blanked until the river and the river came a 9 and I busted out. I don’t know what place I was in but it was much earlier than Id have liked it to. Oh well. Better luck next time.