Tourney: June 30th 2011 Venetian Deepstack Event #35 $340

I was hoping I would be able to continue the way I had been playing today in a monster field at the Venetain (911 players). My starting table was pretty tough but had some soft spots as well. We started with 12000 chips.

Level 1: 50-100. I opened to 250 from UTG with K9o (there were only 4 people sitting at the table at this point) and got called by the blinds. We checked to the turn on AK4J where I folded to a 250 bet (he had KJ). A player in MP (from seat 4. . .a decent but not great young player) made it 225, I found AQo in the SB and made it 600, and he called. We checked down 775K8 and my AQ was good when he showed A3. I then lost a big pot where I could have lost more. I made it 250 from the button with K4o and both of the blinds called. The flop came KQ2, they checked to me, I bet 325, and the SB called. The turn came a 4 giving me 2 pair, he checked, I bet 650, he made it 1400, and I called. The river came a Q counterfitting, he checked, and I checked behind but mucked when he showed 22 for the set. I made it 250 from UTG +1 with T8ss and everyone folded. Seat 4 limped in EP, I found KK in the cutoff and made it 350, the SB called, the BB made it 1200, the limper folded, I made it 2200, the SB folded, the BB went all in for 5400, and I called. He showed QQ and I held on A432A and was up to 16k or so. I usually would play it differently but since the 3-bettor had so many chips, I just made a really small raise to make it look like I was just isoing the short stack. I limped from MP with K4ss (hmmm), the hijack made it 350, and I was the only caller (hmmm). The flop came 872 2 spades giving me a flush draw, I checked, he bet 400, I made it 1125, and he called. The turn came an offsuit K giving me high pair with my flush draw, I bet 1700, and he called. The river came the As giving me the nuts, I bet 3600, and he folded. See it is profitable to limp/call K4. I limped 95hh from MP behind 1 limper but folded on the turn on K74K. The player on my right opened to 300 UTG, I called from UTG +1 with 88, the BB (who was a very very good young player in seat 6) made it 1100, and we both called. The flop came 642, he lead for 2400, and I folded (I can find better spots than just guessing here). I was at 18800 and we went to the next level.

Level 2: 75-150. There were 2 limps to my BB and I checked 53o. The flop came A53, I checked, but unfortunately everyone checked behind. The turn came a 2, I bet 250, 1 limper called, and the SB called as well. The river came a J, we checked to the limper, he bet 700, the SB called after some thought, and I decided to overcall with my 2 pair and they were good when the limper mucked and the SB showed A7. It was a somewhat easy call because I know neither of them has a 4 (the limper always reraises the turn with a 4 becuase thats how he was playing and the SB raises the river with a 4). I made it 350 from MP with KQo and the kid in seat 4 called from the BB. The flop came KT4 2 clubs, he checked, and I checked behind. The turn came the 6c, he checked, I bet 425, and he called. The river came the Jc putting 4 clubs on board, he lead for 1300, and I folded. I made it 350 from UTG +1 with KQcc and UTG +2 was the only caller. The flop came T42, I checked, and he checked behind. The turn came a J, I bet 425, and he called. The river came a 9 giving me the nut straight, I lead for 1225, and he folded. I made it 350 from the cutoff with A8o, the SB made it 1225, I folded, and he showed AA. I was up to 21275 and we went to the enxt level.

Level 3: 100-200. I made it 475 from the hijack with A9o and everyone folded. I made it 450 from the cutoff with K5hh and the BB called. We checked down J868K, he bet a massive 1500, and I decided to fold my rivered high pair. I made it 450 from UTG with 44, got 4 calls, and folded a QT5 flop. A new player, a weak new lady sitting in seat 3, opened to 400, I 3-bet her (for the 1st of many times today) from the cutoff with 74o, and everyone folded. I was at 20600 and we went to the next level.

Level 4: 100-200 25. I made it 450 from UTG +1 with A8cc and the kid in seat 4 called from the button. We checked to the turn on AQ78 where I bet 700 and he folded (I try to make them put chips in the pot but they refuse). A player UTG made it 525, I made it 1475 from the SB with 76dd, and he called. The flop came KKJ, I checked, I bet 2225, and I folded. The plan initially was to rep the K by checkraising the flop but he bet so much (2225 leaving ~3800 behind) that I couldnt legitmately do it because hes calling with his jack-hands after only leaving himself nothing behind. I made it 450 from the hijack with Q7hh and everyone folded. The player on my right made it 500 in the hijack, I 3-bet to 1350 from the cutoff with 54dd, and he called. The flop came a gorgeous 864 2 diamonds, he checked, I bet 1525, and he folded. I made it 450 from UTG +2 with AJdd and everyone folded. I was at 22100 and we went up a level.

Level 5: 150-300 25. I made it 650 from the button with JThh, the BB (a new aggressive asian kid who played well) made it 1650, and I called. The flop came AK5, he lead for 1300, and I decided to call to see what happened on the turn. The turn came a T, he went all in for 6500 or so, and I folded. I dont hate calling the flop after calling the 3-bet preflop but the play I should have made was the 4-bet all in preflop. I just couldnt pull the trigger. I actually really thought I might have had the best hand on the turn when he shoved but I figured at that point the risk wasnt worth it. This was the only hand I played that level and I was at 17850 going to the next.

Level 6: 200-400 50. The weak lady made it 1025 UTG, the player to my right called in the cutoff, I made it 3200 from the button with A4dd, and everyone folded. I made it 950 in the cutoff with 63o, everyone behind me called, and I folded a T94 flop. I made it 950 from MP with 99 and got called by the button and the BB. The flop came Q96, I bet 1600, and the button was the only caller. The turn came a K, I checked, and he snap checked behind. The river came an 8, I bet 3000, and he folded. Odd hand wish I could get more value when I flop sets. . .I suppose if I want to I should be betting the turn but it just seemed like either a scare card for him or a card that connects with his range so if it was a scare I could set up river value or if it hit him I could let him bluff (also I was a teensie bit worried about JTs so it was a semi-pot control turn check). I made it 950 from UTG +2 with QJo and everyone folded. I was up to 23850 and we went up a level.

level 7: 300-600 50. I made it 1650 from the SB into the BB with AQo and he folded. I made it 1350 from MP with ATcc and everyone folded. A player UTG made it 1500 and I called UTG +2 with 55. We checked down AK66K and he showed QQ for the winner. I suppose I could have tried to take it away from him at some point and it might have worked but it wasnt really the player who I wanted to make this play against nor the time of the tournament I wanted to try it. I was at 22750 and we went to the next level.

Level 8: 400-800 75. A newer player who had been opening quite a bit made it 2100 from MP, I knew that these were the specific spots he was opening light so I 3-bet to 4825 from the cutoff with 73o, and everyone folded. I made it 1725 from MP with K3dd, the kid in seat 4 3-bet me from the SB to 4100, and I decided to 4-bet shove for my ~24k stack which resulted in him quickly folding (I showed the 3. . .weeeee). I was up to 31k or so after this but then I decided to piss a bunch away in the only terrible pot I played today. The weak lady opened to 1900 in MP and I found Q9o in the BB and called. The flop came Q75 2 clubs, I checked, she bet 2000, and I called. The turn came an A, I checked, she bet 3500, and I called. The river came a K, I checked, she bet 6000, and I called but mucked when she showed 55. Booooooo. . .I thought I was done with these calldowns. My biggest mistake, as it always is in these hands, was the preflop play. I should have just 3-bet smashed her again and she would have probably folded again but just calling here had me follow up my read that she had neither an A or K in her hand which forced me to make the terrible calldown when I know I am never good. . .ugh. I was down to 15k or so after this hand but luckily I was able to grind it back up somewhat in the next couple of hands. Very next hand, the lady opened to 2000 from MP, the guy on my right called on the button, and I 3-bet all in from the SB with ATdd causing everyone to fold. I made it 1725 from the hijack with KTo and the lady called from the BB. The flop came a lovely JTT, she checked, I bet 2225, and she folded. I was back up to 24600 and we went on the 3rd break.

Level 9: 500-1000 100. It folded to me on the button and I found AA, made it 2300, and everyone folded. lak;dfsj;aklsfj;lasdfjkl; god dammit I thought I was active enough to get action here. I made it 2300 from MP with J8o, the kid in seat 4 moved all in from the SB for 12k, and I folded. I made it 2300 from UTG +2 with 99, the SB called, the lady in the BB moved all in for 14.8k, I reisoed, and the SB folded. She showed TT which had me pipped by 1 and I wasnt able to bink on KJ57A and was down to 8k or so. I folded until my SB where it folded to me, I moved all in for 6k when I found the monsterous TT, and the BB called showing KJo. The board ran out 86532 and I doubled to 12k. Next hand, a kid in the hijack opened to 2500, I moved all in for 12.5k from the button when I found KTo, and he ended up folding. I made it 2300 from UTG +2 with Q6ss (figuring I would get credit becuase of my stack size and the fact that my last 2 hands I showed down were 99 and TT) and everyone folded. I was back and breathing at 19600 when we went up a level.

Level 10: 600-1200 100. The kid in seat 4 opened to 2500, it folded to my BB and I found QQ and went all in, and he ended up folding after a long long time in the tank. I almost had him calling weak here but he decided to disgustedly fold. Bah. Seat 4 made it 2500 from MP again, the guy on my right called, and I found AA in the cutoff and made it 7100. It folded to the kid and he moved all in for 14k, the guy on my right folded, and I snap called and guess what? He showed AA also. . . .wow pretty rough luck to finally get action with a monster and he has the same hand. He flopped 2 hearts but I faded his freeroll by the turn amd I was at 22k. I opened ot 2600 from MP with QJo and the BB called. The flop came a perfect AKT, he checked, and I decided to not go too crazy and just checked behind. Alot of times I bet the nuts here but I figured it was a good board to trap. The turn came a 7, he bet 2500, and I just called. The river came a 2nd T, he bet 2500 again, I made it 10k, and he quickly folded. I dont know if he had something he would have called the flop with but I feel like I made some extra chips by checking behind. A different lady made it 2600 in MP, I found AQcc in the cutoff and made it 6100, ande everyone folded. The guy who had been raising alot (from the hand where I had 3-bet him with 73) made it 2800 from UTG +1 and I found KQo in the hijack and decided to flat. We checked down AJ549 where he bet 8000 and I folded. I had gotten pretty lucky and turned my 6k in chips all the way up to 32500 and we went to dinner.

Level 11: 800-1600 200. I couldnt really get much going for the 1st 30 minutes or so of the level. The only pot I played was when a player opened to 4000 from UTG +1, another player in MP called, and I found 44 in the BB and decided to call as well. The flop came 975 and I just check/folded. I dropped as low as 20k or so with about 5 minutes left in the level when I went on a nice rush to amass a decent stack. It started when it folded to me in the SB and I found AKo, jammed on the BB, and he folded. This allowed me to take 26300 to the next level.

Level 12: 1000-2000 300. My rush continued as I moved all in from the cutoff with A3ss and everyone folded. I moved all in from UTG +2 with A9ss and everyone folded. 2 hands later, it folded to the button who opened to 5000, I found ATo in the BB and reshipped and he instamucked and I was at my peak for the tournament pushing my stack all the way up to 45k. 2 hands after this, a player UTG +1 opened to 6000, it folded to me on the button and I found 88 and jammed for my 45k hoping to take down the pot there. However, he decided to snap call and showed KQhh and the board ran out KQ9JJ giving him the pot and busting me out of the torunament. . .snap call with KQ there FML akjlsdf;lasdfjlas;fjalsf.

For the first time after busting out this year I felt truly frustrated. I played so well today (other than that Q9 call but I was able to fight past that) and if I can just win that stupid flip I am up over 90k with a massive stack that I could have crushed the increasingly passive table with. I just have to go back tomorrow, equally as focused and play just as well and hopefully good things will happen.