Tourney: July 1st 2011 Venetian Deepstack Event #36 $550

Today was one of my last chances at the Venetian to make a big impact. I was feeling good and had been playing good so I liked my chances. We had a massive field today with over 900 players in a $560! Wow. . .it was over 90k to 1st. My opening table had me in seat 1, and good young kids in seat 4, 9, and 10 (10 was the same really good kid from the previous days $340). We started with 15000 in chips.

Level 1: 50-100. I made it 250 from the button with 33 and the SB (an old, tight asian man in seat 3) called. The flop came K43, he checked, I bet 325, and he called. The turn came a T, he checked, I bet 700, and he folded. I found AA in the SB when it folded to me, I made it 250, and the tight asian man called from the BB. The flop came Q93 2 diamonds, I lead for 325, and he called. The turn came the 8d completing both an open ended straight draw and a flush draw, I checked, he bet 600, and I called. The river came an offsuit 4, I checked, he bet 1000, I called, and he showed QQ for flopped top set. I guess I could have maybe folded the river but its whatever. I made it 250 from the button with A2dd and the blinds called. The flop came JJ8, they checked, I bet 325, and they both folded. The good player in seat 9 opened to 250 from UTG, the other good player in seat 10 called UTG +1, I found KQo UTG +2 and 3-bet to 800, and they both called. The flop came KJT, they checked to me, and I checked behind. The turn came a 7, they checked, I bet 1125, and the initial raiser UTG called. The river came a 6, he checked, I bet 2000, he made it 4800, and I folded. Ugh. . .interesting hand here the checkraise on the river by him is killer. I check behind on the flop after 3-betting for pot control plus I have a draw at the nuts. I dont really know if he would check the nuts or a great hand 3 times but the manner in which he checkraised the river really looked like he has something. I was down to 9725 after this level.

Level 2: 75-150. The player in seat 9 made it 400 UTG, I 3-bet to 1100 UTG +2 with QThh, and he called. We checked to the turn on A92Q where I bet 1325 and he folded. I then found an important double where I finally had an easy hand to play. I found AA in the hijack and opened to 350. The button called, the SB called, the BB 3-bet to 1500, I 4-bet to 3500, the other players folded, and the BB 5-bet me all in for my last ~10k. I called, he showed KK, and the board ran out T74A3 and I doubled up. These days it is rare to find a spot like this to double up so I really wanted to make the most out of it. The good player in seat 10 opened to 400 UTG +1, I called UTG +2 with 33, the SB called, the BB 3-bet to 1500, and I folded. A player in MP opened to 400 and I called from the BB with KJhh. The flop came AhTh3x, giving me a royal flush draw, I checked, he bet 550, and I called. We checked down a board of T7 and my K high was good at showdown. After my double, I was up to 23200 and we went to the next level.

Level 3: 100-200. I made it 450 from the hijack with K3ss and the tight asian man called me on the button. The flop came Q72, I c-bet 525, he raised it to 1125, I 3-bet back to 2525, and he folded. His raise on the flop was against his MO throughout the day so it looked pretty weak so I just decided to 3-bet it and he folded quickly. I made it 450 from MP with Q8hh and the button and BB called. The flop came Q75 and we all checked. The turn came a T, the BB lead for 650, and I called. The river came a 3, he checked, I bet 1200, and he called and mucked when I showed my top pair. I was up to 27250 and we went on the 1st break.

Level 4: 100-200 25. A player UTG +2 made it 500, I found 66 in MP and called, and the BB called as well. The flop came QJ7 and I folded to a bet. I made it 450 from UTG +1 with AJo and got called by the button and both blinds. We checked down KK8TT and I chopped with 1 guy who held A9o. I made it 450 from UTG with 76cc, got 4 calls, and check/folded a J72 flop (he showed AJ). The good player in seat 4 made it 500 UTG, I 3-bet from the button with AJhh to 1350, and everyone folded. There was a guy at my table who was dead-straddling (minraising blind UTG) every opportunity he got. He wasnt very good and would always defent his straddle. He straddled to 400, I made it 1525 with A5o from the hijack to iso, and he was the only caller. We checked down KT6Q6 where he bet 4000, I folded, and he showed AJo. I made it 450 from MP with KJo, the hijack called, the button went all in for 5k or so, got a call, and I folded (he had AQ). I was down to 24675 and we went up a level.

Level 5: 150-300 25. The straddler made it 600 from UTG, I made it 1500 from the hijack with KQcc, and he called. The flop came K84, he checked, and I checked behind. The turn came a T, he checked, I bet 2500, and he called. The river came a J, he checked, I bet 6000, and he folded. I should have bet the flop here as he would have gotten stubborn with any pair on the flop. Even though last time I isoed his straddle I checked down when I missed the flop a player like him wouldnt have thought about this. I made it 650 from the cutoff with J4cc and got called by the button and the BB. The flop came QJ3, we checked to the button who went all in for 5k, and I folded. The good player in seat 10 opened to 800 from MP, I 3-bet immediately behind to 1750 when I found AJo, the straddler donk flatted out of the BB, and the inital raiser folded. The flop came JJT, he checked, I bet 3000, and he folded. I was up to 30575 and we went to the next level.

Level 6: 200-400 50. I only played one pot this level and it cost me quite a bit as i made a pretty bad call. The good player in seat 9 opened to 800 UTG and I 3-bet him (as I had been doing quite often today when he opened UTG) UTG +2 with A3ss to 1750. He called and we saw a flop of 965. He checked and I checked behind. The turn came a 4, he bet out 2250, and I called with my open ended straight draw. The river came a 3, he bet out 5600, and I ended up calling with my bottom pair/top kicker which was no good when he showed TT. This was an interesting hand. . .the bottom pair seems like an easy fold but during my thought process I guess I convinced myself that I was somehow good. I guess I thought that he wouldnt be betting anything but a straight because he doesnt have a hand as big as an overpair here as he didnt 4-bet me preflop. I thought his range was polarized to a straight or nothing so I went for a call which ended up being not a good play. I was down to 19950 and we went on the 2nd break.

Level 7: 300-600 50. The good player in seat 10 opened to 1350 from UTG +2, I 3-bet to 2525 in MP immediately behind with KQo, he 4-bet to 6200, and I folded. I made it 1325 from UTG +2 with 85hh and everyone folded. The good player in seat 10 opened to 1350 from UTG, I 3-bet to 2800 from UTG +1 with 63cc, and he called. We checked down AA3K6 and I was good when he showed 98dd (I made 3 pair and just decided to check it down. . .kind of played like a wuss but whatever). A player in MP opened to 1500, it folded to me in the BB, I found AQo and put him all in for his last 10k or so, and he folded. A player in EP opened to 1300, a player in MP called, I called from the cutoff with KQo, and the blinds called also. The flop came 997 and I folded to a bet. I made it 1325 from the hijack with KQo and everyone folded. I was at 23475 and we went up a level.

Level 8: 400-800 75. The good player in seat 9 opened to 1600 UTG, I 3-bet to 3825 from UTG +2 with KQss, the BB flatted my 3-bet, and the raiser folded. The flop came 853, the BB donked all in for 12k, and I folded. I made it 1725 from the button with ATcc and the SB called. The flop came 644, he checked, I bet 2025, and he folded. I opened to 1725 from UTG +1 with 55, the tight asian guy in seat 3 moved all in for 10700 and I called. He showed 99 and hte board came out QJ8K4. Bummer. . .dont really think im folding here I guess even though I got it in bad I dont particuarily hate the call overall. I was down to 10k or so after this and after letting the blinds pass through, I took 8375 to the 3rd break.

Level 9: 500-1000 100. I was extremely shortstacked and had to get something going fast. 1st hand after break, a player moved all in from EP for 14k and I called all in for my 8k or so from the cutoff with 66. He showed 55 and the board ran out A723T giving me a double to about 18k or so. I moved all in for ~16k with QJdd from MP and everyone folded. I was at 18300 and we went up a level.

Level 10: 600-1200 100. After letting the blinds pass through, I was at 16k or so. I found Q8cc UTG +2 and moved all in and got called by the BB. He showed AT and I was drawing dead by the turn on A447 and was eliminated fairly deep.

Today I played super taggy today and I did pretty well. I made the one questionable call with the bottom pair and was wrong but other than that I think I played pretty well today. I clearly didnt get too many big hands after my AA vs KK situation but I still put myself in spots where I could win pots (despite getting it in bad with 55 vs 99 for most of my chips but thats probably a call anyways). I feel like I am playing top notch poker overall. . .I am running out of time to hit a big score and it will suck if I am not able to hit one because I am definetly probably playing the best live poker I have ever played. Hopefully I will do so in the next week or so as that is the time I have.