Friday, September 30, 2011
Fall Poker Classic starts tomorrow
Just an update to say that the Fall Poker Classic at Canterbury Park is starting tomorrow and I will be playing a good amount (probably all) of the events. Therefore, I will have alot of tournament updates over the next month or so. Im really looking forward to getting back into the tournament flow so hopefully I can hit a nice score that I can report to you guys!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Cash Game: Running Aces September 28th 2011
After my long 7 1/2 hour session last night/this morning I was ready to settle in for another long session today at Running Aces. As a reminder here are my total stats for Running Aces.
1 session
7 1/2 hours
+$70
Unfortunately for me today things did not go well at ALL.
First hand I played today a player in MP opened to $10, the SB called, and I called in the BB when I found AKo. The flop came 643 and everyone checked. The turn came a 9, the SB checked, I bet $18, the raiser folded, and the SB called. The river came a 5, he checked, I checked behind, and he showed K3 for bottom pair. I made it $8 UTG with A3dd and a player in MP called. The flop came AK6, I bet $12, and he called. The turn came a 7 and we both checked. The river came a 5, I bet $20, and he folded. I checked my option in the BB with several limpers with 42hh and the flop came K95 2 hearts. I checked, a limper bet $4, another limper called, and I called as well. The turn came the Jh making my flush, I checked, and the 2 guys behind both checked also. The river came an offsuit T, I bet $12, the bettor folded, and he other MP guy made it $24. I didnt really want to call that much but I did and he showed me T6hh for a higher flush. Guess I could have folded but it was pretty early and I didnt know his skill level so with a 1 card straight on board its a tough sell to fold. I was down to $150 so I bought back in for $40 more (-$50).
There were 2 limpers and I made it $8 with KQo from the cutoff and got called from the BB and the limpers. The flop came AJ3 2 diamonds, they checked to me, I bet $12, and the BB was the only caller. The turn came an offsuit 3, he checked, and I checked behind. The river came a 6d, he lead $16 and I folded. Its too bad the flush had to come because I was somewhat thinking he had the flush draw just because he was in the BB and if he had an A its a weird way to play it. I was down to $160 (-$80) after this hand. I then got coolered pretty hard in a hand that cost me quite a bit of money. I made it $8 with AJo from UTG +2 and got called by both of the blinds. The flop came A53, they checked to me, I bet $12, and the SB called. The turn came a J giving me top 2, he checked, I bet $20, he made it $60, and I called. The river came a 6, he bet $60, and I called and mucked when he showed me a set of 3s. Bah. . .I guess I am never good on the river here vs a mainly solid player so I should probably fold but I am going to blame this on the rust I had from taking 2 1/2 months off. Gah easy fold maybe even on the turn too but IDK maybe im being results oriented. Anyways after this I rebought for another $200 putting me in for $440 total. My stack was at $220 or so so I was -$220 on the day.
There were 2 limps and I made it $10 from the SB with QQ. I got 1 call and the flop came J53 all clubs (I did not have a club). I lead for $16 and he folded. There was 1 limp and I made it $8 with KQo and the limper called. We checked to the turn on AT3T where he folded to my bet of $12. It folded to the button who opened for $8. I found KK in the SB and 3-bet to $22 resulting in everyone folding. aldskfj;alsdfkj;lj.
I thought I would be able to take this hot streak back to winning but it was not to be so. I was at around $220 when I found AKo UTG +1 after UTG had limped. I made it $12, everyone folded to the SB who made it $50, the limper folded, I made it $110, he went all in for about $160-$170 total and I called. He showed AA and I wasnt able to catch up on TT5K9. I guess I could have flatted his $50 and folded but whatever. He had been active enough and he was the guy I had played all the pots in the previous paragraph with (QQ, KQ, and KK) so there was a chance he might have been getting "fed up" with my raising but I guess they always have it. I was down to my last $70 (-$370) after this hand and was ready to go after this hand (I didnt have enough money for a full buy-in so theres no real point in playing short stacked) but I was UTG so I decided to look at my cards before leaving. I found KJcc and opened to $8 and got called by a guy on the button. The flop came Qc9c5x and I got it in vs his 97o and failed to catch my million outs busting my stack and making me out of the whole -$440 for the session. GAHHHHH so frustrating.
I was planning on a nice long winning session but got just obliterated in 1 1/2 hours. What a waste of time. . .I dont know if I play badly or what but it sucks.
Overall that makes 2 sessions with 9 hours of play with me being -$370 total. Hopefully I can recover from this to get back in the green.
1 session
7 1/2 hours
+$70
Unfortunately for me today things did not go well at ALL.
First hand I played today a player in MP opened to $10, the SB called, and I called in the BB when I found AKo. The flop came 643 and everyone checked. The turn came a 9, the SB checked, I bet $18, the raiser folded, and the SB called. The river came a 5, he checked, I checked behind, and he showed K3 for bottom pair. I made it $8 UTG with A3dd and a player in MP called. The flop came AK6, I bet $12, and he called. The turn came a 7 and we both checked. The river came a 5, I bet $20, and he folded. I checked my option in the BB with several limpers with 42hh and the flop came K95 2 hearts. I checked, a limper bet $4, another limper called, and I called as well. The turn came the Jh making my flush, I checked, and the 2 guys behind both checked also. The river came an offsuit T, I bet $12, the bettor folded, and he other MP guy made it $24. I didnt really want to call that much but I did and he showed me T6hh for a higher flush. Guess I could have folded but it was pretty early and I didnt know his skill level so with a 1 card straight on board its a tough sell to fold. I was down to $150 so I bought back in for $40 more (-$50).
There were 2 limpers and I made it $8 with KQo from the cutoff and got called from the BB and the limpers. The flop came AJ3 2 diamonds, they checked to me, I bet $12, and the BB was the only caller. The turn came an offsuit 3, he checked, and I checked behind. The river came a 6d, he lead $16 and I folded. Its too bad the flush had to come because I was somewhat thinking he had the flush draw just because he was in the BB and if he had an A its a weird way to play it. I was down to $160 (-$80) after this hand. I then got coolered pretty hard in a hand that cost me quite a bit of money. I made it $8 with AJo from UTG +2 and got called by both of the blinds. The flop came A53, they checked to me, I bet $12, and the SB called. The turn came a J giving me top 2, he checked, I bet $20, he made it $60, and I called. The river came a 6, he bet $60, and I called and mucked when he showed me a set of 3s. Bah. . .I guess I am never good on the river here vs a mainly solid player so I should probably fold but I am going to blame this on the rust I had from taking 2 1/2 months off. Gah easy fold maybe even on the turn too but IDK maybe im being results oriented. Anyways after this I rebought for another $200 putting me in for $440 total. My stack was at $220 or so so I was -$220 on the day.
There were 2 limps and I made it $10 from the SB with QQ. I got 1 call and the flop came J53 all clubs (I did not have a club). I lead for $16 and he folded. There was 1 limp and I made it $8 with KQo and the limper called. We checked to the turn on AT3T where he folded to my bet of $12. It folded to the button who opened for $8. I found KK in the SB and 3-bet to $22 resulting in everyone folding. aldskfj;alsdfkj;lj.
I thought I would be able to take this hot streak back to winning but it was not to be so. I was at around $220 when I found AKo UTG +1 after UTG had limped. I made it $12, everyone folded to the SB who made it $50, the limper folded, I made it $110, he went all in for about $160-$170 total and I called. He showed AA and I wasnt able to catch up on TT5K9. I guess I could have flatted his $50 and folded but whatever. He had been active enough and he was the guy I had played all the pots in the previous paragraph with (QQ, KQ, and KK) so there was a chance he might have been getting "fed up" with my raising but I guess they always have it. I was down to my last $70 (-$370) after this hand and was ready to go after this hand (I didnt have enough money for a full buy-in so theres no real point in playing short stacked) but I was UTG so I decided to look at my cards before leaving. I found KJcc and opened to $8 and got called by a guy on the button. The flop came Qc9c5x and I got it in vs his 97o and failed to catch my million outs busting my stack and making me out of the whole -$440 for the session. GAHHHHH so frustrating.
I was planning on a nice long winning session but got just obliterated in 1 1/2 hours. What a waste of time. . .I dont know if I play badly or what but it sucks.
Overall that makes 2 sessions with 9 hours of play with me being -$370 total. Hopefully I can recover from this to get back in the green.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Cash Game: Running Aces September 27th 2011
After an extremely long hiatus from playing poker, I finally got back on the bike with some good ole cash at Running Aces. The Fall Poker Classic tournament series at Canterbury Park is coming up at the start of October so I wanted to get some practice before the actual events.
I started with $200 and this (as always) was a $2-$60 spread game so not a true no limit game but it plays more or less like it. First hand I played there were 2 limps to me in the cutoff, I made it $10 with QJcc, and the button and both of the limps caled. The flop came down Q94, the limps checked to me, I bet $16, and one of the limpers was the only caller. The turn came a K, he checked, and I checked behind. The river came another 4, he lead for $30, I called but was a loser when he showed JT for the turned straight. Pretty terrible call as I could only beat a bluff. I was down to $140 or so and I reloaded for $60 more so I was in for $260 total.
There was a total donk on my left and he was doing random raises to $4 or $6 nearly every hand so I was trying to do the best I could to get involved in pots with him. I found AQo and limped in the cutoff, the donk made it $6 on the button, the BB called, I 3-bet to $20, the button called, and the BB folded. The flop came T62, I checked, he bet $30, I had to fold, and he showed JJ for a massive hand. . .this was more or less the apex of his range so Im lucky I didnt lose more. Everyone limped to me in MP, I limped in MP, and we saw the flop 7-handed. The flop came 433, one of the EP limpers bet $4, another called, I made it $16, and the bettor was the only caller. The turn came a 3, he checked, and I checked behind. The river came a 9, he bet $20, I called and was good when he mucked. I was up to $215 after this hand (-$45). The donk guy made it $4 UTG, 2 people called, and I called with K6cc from the BB. The flop came K84, I checked, the donk bet $6, both of the other preflop callers called, and I called as well. The turn came another K, I checked but everyone checked behind. The river came a 5, I checked again but everyone checked behind again and I was able to take it down. I completed the SB after several limper with KTcc, the donk in the BB made it $10, 4 people called, and I called as well. The flop came J88 and I folded to a bet.
I was hanging around $225 or so when I was able to win a nice sized pot in a pretty crazy pot. There were 4 limps to me and I limped ATo in the hijack. The donk behind me made it $10, 5 people called to me, I decided to iso/squeeze with my semi-strong hand so I max raised to $70. The donk guy decided to quickly call the $60 more, then it got craze when another one of the players put in the $70 and another guy called all in for about $60 total. . .whoa! All of the sudden there was almost $300 in the main pot and I felt semi-naked with my ATo. The flop came AJ5, the 1st caller checked to me, I bet $60, the donk folded (what he angrily told me was TT and then he told me I told me I played that hand bad with AT), and so did the other caller and I was HU vs the all in guy. The board ran out QA and the all in mucked when I tabled my hand and I was up to $440 or so (+$180).
I limped UTG with A5hh and the button limped as well. The flop came 932 all hearts giving me the nut flush, the blinds checked to me, I bet $6 and the button and SB called. The turn came an offsuit 7, the SB checked, I bet $20, and they both folded. A player UTG opened to $6, I called from the button with 88, and the blinds called as well. The flop came KT9 all diamonds (I didnt have one) and everyone checked around. The turn came the 8d giving me a set but putting 4 diamonds on board, the donk from the SB bet out $6, the other 2 folded, and I called trying to pair the board. The river came a blank 6, he bet $8, and I folded. A player in EP limped, I made it $6 from MP with T9o, and the button and the limper called. The flop cmae TT5, I bet $10, and they both folded. The donk limped UTG, the button made it $7, I found QQ in the BB and made it $21, he 4-bet me to $80, I made it $140, and he went all in for $165 total which resulted in a call from me. The board ran out A9795 and he showed me AQo for the paired A taking a pretty nice sized pot from me. After this big hand I was back down to $280 (+$20).
A player in EP opened for $8, I called from MP with AJo, and the BB called as well. The flop came 433, they checked to me, I bet $20, and the BB called. The turn came a T, he checked, I bet $50, and he folded. He was a weak-tighter type player (at least at this point in the night) and I didnt really see a hand that he would really hit the flop or like the turn that much with so I figured I could take him off of his hand pretty easily. I made it $6 with JTdd from the hijack, the donk called from the cutoff, the button moved all in for $19, the BB flatted the 3-bet, I called, the donk decided to max to $79, the BB re-maxed to $139, and I folded (it ended up KK for BB vs QQ of donk). I limped the cutoff with T9o, the donk on the button made it $8, 3 people called and I called as well. We checked to the turn on Q339 where it checked to me, I bet $12, and got one caller from MP. The river came a J, he checked, I checked behind but mucked when he showed JTo for the straight draw that got there with a rivered pair of jacks. I called $6 with 7 other people with 33 but I had to fold a 765 flop. I was at $230 total (-$30).
I opened to $10 in EP with AdQo and got 6 callers. The flop came KQ8 all diamonds giving me 2nd pair and the nut flush draw. We checked to a guy in MP, he end all in for $34, it folded to me and I called. He showed 76dd for the flopped flush and I failed to hit a diamond on the turn or river and was down to $180 (-$80). I made it $12 from the button with AJo when there were 3 limpers and the SB, BB, and 1 limper called. The flop came K94, they checked to me, I bet $30, and everyone folded. I limped 22 and had to call $10 total when the donk behind me raised it and 3 other people called. We checked to the turn on AJ8T where I folded to a bet.
I then was able to play another funny pot by doing the ole limp/reraise the donk for a big pot. There were 2 limps to me and I limped AJo behind. The donk behind me made it $18, 2 people called, I made it $78, he went all in for $91 total, one of the guys who called $18 decided to flat, and I called the $13 more as well. The flop came down T63, the flatter checked, I bet $40 and he folded leaving me HU with the all in guy. Funny hand to take a giant pot with A high. . .it makes me feel good when my plan of limp/reraising the donk on my left worked perfectly like that twice. I was back up to $380 (+$120) or so after that hand.
There were 2 limps to me on the button and I made it $8 with 64hh getting 3 calls. The flop came 842, the donk in the SB lead for $8, 2 people called, I decided to make it $40 (semi iso attempt), the donk in the SB called, and one of the flatters went all in for $92. I just folded and the donk called (it was 86o for the all in vs the A5o for the donk and I almost got the MP guy to fold so this play was so close to working but it didnt). There was 1 limp and I made it $8 with K4cc from MP and the limper was the only caller. The the flop came AxQc5c flopping me the 2nd nut flush draw, he checked, I bet $12, and he called. The turn came an offsuit 2, he checked and I took my free card behind. The river came an offsuit 9 missing me, he lead $22 and I folded with him showing an A. There was 1 limp to me on the button and I raised to $8 when I found 99. The button, BB and limper called adn we saw a flop of AQ7. They checked to me, I c-bet $12, and the BB was the only caller. The turn came a K, he checked, I bet $30, and he folded A4 face up. The K was a good card for me to 2-barrel especially when he was a weaker type player and I knew I could get him off of a hand. There was a straddle, I made it $14 from UTG with T9o, and I got 4 calls. We checked to the turn on AK42 where I ended up folding to a bet.
The hijack opened to $6, I called from the button with A7o, and the BB called as well. The flop came 974, they checked to me, I bet $10, and they both called. The turn came a 5, they checked again, I bet $20 this time and they both called again. . .uh-oh should have shut it down after the flop I guess. The river came a J, they checked to me, I checked behind and one of them showed JTss for the winner. There was a straddle and I made it $14 from UTG with JJ and the SB, BB and straddler all called. The flop came KJ9, they checked to me, I bet $30, and everyone folded. There were 2 limps to the button, he made it $8, I called from the BB with 88, and 3 other people called. The flop came T42 and I folded to a bet and a raise. At this point I was hovering right around $400 (+$140) for the day.
There was 1 limp, the cutoff made it $16, I was getting a semi-tilty vibe from him at the time so I took a gamble in position by calling with Q9dd. The SB BB and limper also ended up calling and we took the flop 5 ways. The flop came 433 and we all checked. The turn came a Q, the SB lead for $20, the initial raiser made it $50, and I ended up just folding even after making top pair. I made it $14 from UTG with a straddle and Q8cc. I got 1 caller from the SB and the flop came 984. He checked and I checked behind. The turn came another 8 giving me 3 of a kind, he lead for $16, and I jsut called. The river came an A, he checked, I bet $36, and he folded. I made it $6 from the button with A9o and the blinds called. We checked to the turn on Q65A where I bet $12 and they folded. I found AKo UTG and opened for $8 and the BB was the only caller. The flop came K92, he checked, I bet $12, and he called. The turn came an 8, he checked again, I bet $30, and he called again. The river came a 3rd K giving me 3 of a kind, he checked, I bet $60, but he folded (A9 face up might have gotten value if I went smaller.) At this point I was up to around $440 (+$180).
There were 2 limps and I made it $8 on the button with 33 which got 3 callers. The flop came AQ6 and I folded to a bet. I then decided to make a genius call that cost me some money. There were 3 limps to me and I bet $12 with K9cc from the hijack. The cutoff, BB, and a limper called and we saw a flop of AJ5 2 diamonds. They checked to me, I bet $30 and the BB was the only caller. The turn came a 7, he checked and I checked behind. The river came another A, he bet $30, and I decided to call with K high hoping he had the missed flush draw but didnt win when he showed AT for 3 aces. Ugh. . .shouldnt be calling K high here. A player UTG limped, a tight decent player in MP made it $10, I found TT on the button and 3-bet to $24 and the raiser called. We checked down A437K and he showed me KJo for the winner. . .ugh again should be betting the flop or at least the turn when checked to me. After these 2 hands I was down to around $320 (+$80)
I made it $8 with ATo in MP, got 2 calls, and folded on a 975 flop. I called $8 with 87ss and folded on a 542K board. There was 1 limp and I made it $10 when I found QQ in MP and the limper called. The flop came T65 all clubs and he folded to a bet of $16. I found QQ again, this time in the cutoff. I opened for $8 and the BB called. The flop came 953, and he check called my $14 bet. The turn came a 9, he checked and I checked behind. The river came another 3 double pairing the board, he donked $24 and I called resulting in him mucking. A player in MP opened to $6, I decided to 3-bet to $16 from the cutoff with J3hh, and the BB cold 4-bet to $66 resulting in me folding (and him showing KK). A player UTG made it $8 and I called in the cutoff with 87cc, The flop came Q97, he checked, I bet $14, and he called. The turn came a 4, he checked and I decided to check behind this time. The river came another Q, he checked, I value bet $20, and he quickly folded. A player in MP made it $8, another MP called, I called from the hijack with T7dd, and the cutoff and BB also called. The flop came QT4, the raiser bet $12, I made it $40, and she called. The turn came another T, she checked, and I checked behind. The river came a 4, she checked, I bet $60, and she folded. After this I was back to around $370 (+$110)
I then was able to win a nice gift pot from a new player at the table. There were 4 limps and I checked the BB with K5o. The flop came K75, I lead $6, and 1 of the limpers called. The turn came a T, I lead for $16, he minraised to $32, and I called. The river came a 9, I checked, he bet $32, I called and was good when he showed A5 for bottom pair (bluff). I limped UTG +1 with QJo, a player in LP made it 8 and got 7 calls including me. We checked to the turn on J942 where I made a tester bet of $22 with my top pair and I got called in 1 place. The river came a 3, I bet $40 (because I now thought I was good) and he folded. I made it $8 from UTG with 55 and the BB was the only caller. The flop came A96, she lead for $8, I made it $22, and she folded. I called $10 out of the SB with J8hh and several other people. We checked down A537A where I folded to a bet. I was then able to win my last nice pot of the night. There were 4 limps to me in the BB and I made it $12 with JJ. Only 1 of the limpers called and we saw a pretty scary flop of my hand of T87. I checked (for pot control), he bet $16, and I called. The turn came a 9 giving me a straight, I checked, and he checked behind this time. The river came a 4, I lead for $34 and he called and muck after saying "nice turn". After this I was at me peak of ~$480 (+$200)
However, after this my night turned a little south with a couple of bigger pots where I probably shouldnt have lost as much as I did. First of these pots, I opened for $12 with 76hh from the hijack and got 4 calls including the cutoff. The flop came down K62, they checked to me, I c-bet $32, and the cutoff called. The turn came a 9, I 2-barrelled $54, and he called after a while in the tank. The river came a Q (taking away any chance of me bluffing the river becuase its obvious what he has at this point), I checked, he bet $60, I folded, and he showed the obvious KQ. Damn, he said he was really close to folding on the turn but even if you are close to folding here I dont think you really ever are folding. I had been playing with him all day and I had rarely taken that strong of line vs anyone so I was hoping hed fold out alot of his hands here but KQ was too strong for him to fold (KJ/KT are probably gone). Oh well I cant get too mad at myself for being aggressive here. The 2nd medium hand I played, the lady opened the cutoff to $8, I called the button with 77, and the BB called as well. The flop came 963, they checked, I bet $12, and they both called. The turn came a T, they checked to me again, I bet $26, the BB moved all in for $77, the raiser lady folded, and I called. He showed T7 and had me nearly drawing dead to win which I didnt on the J river. I guess I could have folded but I am getting decent odds and I think I have a good enough shot at having the best hand a certain % of the time that my call isnt terrible. My thought was on the flop he had a mid pair or straight draw and she absolutely had AK/AQ. Thats why I fired a 2nd barrel when they checked to me. I know the straight got there but the way he was acting he definently didnt have the striaght so I went with my read/fact that I still had outs (or I thought I did. . .its being results oriented to think he had exactly T7) but it didnt work out.
I left soon thereafter with $330 for a total of being in the green +$70. Not a great hourly for 7 1/2 hours of poker but a winning session is a winning session so I cant complain too much.
I started with $200 and this (as always) was a $2-$60 spread game so not a true no limit game but it plays more or less like it. First hand I played there were 2 limps to me in the cutoff, I made it $10 with QJcc, and the button and both of the limps caled. The flop came down Q94, the limps checked to me, I bet $16, and one of the limpers was the only caller. The turn came a K, he checked, and I checked behind. The river came another 4, he lead for $30, I called but was a loser when he showed JT for the turned straight. Pretty terrible call as I could only beat a bluff. I was down to $140 or so and I reloaded for $60 more so I was in for $260 total.
There was a total donk on my left and he was doing random raises to $4 or $6 nearly every hand so I was trying to do the best I could to get involved in pots with him. I found AQo and limped in the cutoff, the donk made it $6 on the button, the BB called, I 3-bet to $20, the button called, and the BB folded. The flop came T62, I checked, he bet $30, I had to fold, and he showed JJ for a massive hand. . .this was more or less the apex of his range so Im lucky I didnt lose more. Everyone limped to me in MP, I limped in MP, and we saw the flop 7-handed. The flop came 433, one of the EP limpers bet $4, another called, I made it $16, and the bettor was the only caller. The turn came a 3, he checked, and I checked behind. The river came a 9, he bet $20, I called and was good when he mucked. I was up to $215 after this hand (-$45). The donk guy made it $4 UTG, 2 people called, and I called with K6cc from the BB. The flop came K84, I checked, the donk bet $6, both of the other preflop callers called, and I called as well. The turn came another K, I checked but everyone checked behind. The river came a 5, I checked again but everyone checked behind again and I was able to take it down. I completed the SB after several limper with KTcc, the donk in the BB made it $10, 4 people called, and I called as well. The flop came J88 and I folded to a bet.
I was hanging around $225 or so when I was able to win a nice sized pot in a pretty crazy pot. There were 4 limps to me and I limped ATo in the hijack. The donk behind me made it $10, 5 people called to me, I decided to iso/squeeze with my semi-strong hand so I max raised to $70. The donk guy decided to quickly call the $60 more, then it got craze when another one of the players put in the $70 and another guy called all in for about $60 total. . .whoa! All of the sudden there was almost $300 in the main pot and I felt semi-naked with my ATo. The flop came AJ5, the 1st caller checked to me, I bet $60, the donk folded (what he angrily told me was TT and then he told me I told me I played that hand bad with AT), and so did the other caller and I was HU vs the all in guy. The board ran out QA and the all in mucked when I tabled my hand and I was up to $440 or so (+$180).
I limped UTG with A5hh and the button limped as well. The flop came 932 all hearts giving me the nut flush, the blinds checked to me, I bet $6 and the button and SB called. The turn came an offsuit 7, the SB checked, I bet $20, and they both folded. A player UTG opened to $6, I called from the button with 88, and the blinds called as well. The flop came KT9 all diamonds (I didnt have one) and everyone checked around. The turn came the 8d giving me a set but putting 4 diamonds on board, the donk from the SB bet out $6, the other 2 folded, and I called trying to pair the board. The river came a blank 6, he bet $8, and I folded. A player in EP limped, I made it $6 from MP with T9o, and the button and the limper called. The flop cmae TT5, I bet $10, and they both folded. The donk limped UTG, the button made it $7, I found QQ in the BB and made it $21, he 4-bet me to $80, I made it $140, and he went all in for $165 total which resulted in a call from me. The board ran out A9795 and he showed me AQo for the paired A taking a pretty nice sized pot from me. After this big hand I was back down to $280 (+$20).
A player in EP opened for $8, I called from MP with AJo, and the BB called as well. The flop came 433, they checked to me, I bet $20, and the BB called. The turn came a T, he checked, I bet $50, and he folded. He was a weak-tighter type player (at least at this point in the night) and I didnt really see a hand that he would really hit the flop or like the turn that much with so I figured I could take him off of his hand pretty easily. I made it $6 with JTdd from the hijack, the donk called from the cutoff, the button moved all in for $19, the BB flatted the 3-bet, I called, the donk decided to max to $79, the BB re-maxed to $139, and I folded (it ended up KK for BB vs QQ of donk). I limped the cutoff with T9o, the donk on the button made it $8, 3 people called and I called as well. We checked to the turn on Q339 where it checked to me, I bet $12, and got one caller from MP. The river came a J, he checked, I checked behind but mucked when he showed JTo for the straight draw that got there with a rivered pair of jacks. I called $6 with 7 other people with 33 but I had to fold a 765 flop. I was at $230 total (-$30).
I opened to $10 in EP with AdQo and got 6 callers. The flop came KQ8 all diamonds giving me 2nd pair and the nut flush draw. We checked to a guy in MP, he end all in for $34, it folded to me and I called. He showed 76dd for the flopped flush and I failed to hit a diamond on the turn or river and was down to $180 (-$80). I made it $12 from the button with AJo when there were 3 limpers and the SB, BB, and 1 limper called. The flop came K94, they checked to me, I bet $30, and everyone folded. I limped 22 and had to call $10 total when the donk behind me raised it and 3 other people called. We checked to the turn on AJ8T where I folded to a bet.
I then was able to play another funny pot by doing the ole limp/reraise the donk for a big pot. There were 2 limps to me and I limped AJo behind. The donk behind me made it $18, 2 people called, I made it $78, he went all in for $91 total, one of the guys who called $18 decided to flat, and I called the $13 more as well. The flop came down T63, the flatter checked, I bet $40 and he folded leaving me HU with the all in guy. Funny hand to take a giant pot with A high. . .it makes me feel good when my plan of limp/reraising the donk on my left worked perfectly like that twice. I was back up to $380 (+$120) or so after that hand.
There were 2 limps to me on the button and I made it $8 with 64hh getting 3 calls. The flop came 842, the donk in the SB lead for $8, 2 people called, I decided to make it $40 (semi iso attempt), the donk in the SB called, and one of the flatters went all in for $92. I just folded and the donk called (it was 86o for the all in vs the A5o for the donk and I almost got the MP guy to fold so this play was so close to working but it didnt). There was 1 limp and I made it $8 with K4cc from MP and the limper was the only caller. The the flop came AxQc5c flopping me the 2nd nut flush draw, he checked, I bet $12, and he called. The turn came an offsuit 2, he checked and I took my free card behind. The river came an offsuit 9 missing me, he lead $22 and I folded with him showing an A. There was 1 limp to me on the button and I raised to $8 when I found 99. The button, BB and limper called adn we saw a flop of AQ7. They checked to me, I c-bet $12, and the BB was the only caller. The turn came a K, he checked, I bet $30, and he folded A4 face up. The K was a good card for me to 2-barrel especially when he was a weaker type player and I knew I could get him off of a hand. There was a straddle, I made it $14 from UTG with T9o, and I got 4 calls. We checked to the turn on AK42 where I ended up folding to a bet.
The hijack opened to $6, I called from the button with A7o, and the BB called as well. The flop came 974, they checked to me, I bet $10, and they both called. The turn came a 5, they checked again, I bet $20 this time and they both called again. . .uh-oh should have shut it down after the flop I guess. The river came a J, they checked to me, I checked behind and one of them showed JTss for the winner. There was a straddle and I made it $14 from UTG with JJ and the SB, BB and straddler all called. The flop came KJ9, they checked to me, I bet $30, and everyone folded. There were 2 limps to the button, he made it $8, I called from the BB with 88, and 3 other people called. The flop came T42 and I folded to a bet and a raise. At this point I was hovering right around $400 (+$140) for the day.
There was 1 limp, the cutoff made it $16, I was getting a semi-tilty vibe from him at the time so I took a gamble in position by calling with Q9dd. The SB BB and limper also ended up calling and we took the flop 5 ways. The flop came 433 and we all checked. The turn came a Q, the SB lead for $20, the initial raiser made it $50, and I ended up just folding even after making top pair. I made it $14 from UTG with a straddle and Q8cc. I got 1 caller from the SB and the flop came 984. He checked and I checked behind. The turn came another 8 giving me 3 of a kind, he lead for $16, and I jsut called. The river came an A, he checked, I bet $36, and he folded. I made it $6 from the button with A9o and the blinds called. We checked to the turn on Q65A where I bet $12 and they folded. I found AKo UTG and opened for $8 and the BB was the only caller. The flop came K92, he checked, I bet $12, and he called. The turn came an 8, he checked again, I bet $30, and he called again. The river came a 3rd K giving me 3 of a kind, he checked, I bet $60, but he folded (A9 face up might have gotten value if I went smaller.) At this point I was up to around $440 (+$180).
There were 2 limps and I made it $8 on the button with 33 which got 3 callers. The flop came AQ6 and I folded to a bet. I then decided to make a genius call that cost me some money. There were 3 limps to me and I bet $12 with K9cc from the hijack. The cutoff, BB, and a limper called and we saw a flop of AJ5 2 diamonds. They checked to me, I bet $30 and the BB was the only caller. The turn came a 7, he checked and I checked behind. The river came another A, he bet $30, and I decided to call with K high hoping he had the missed flush draw but didnt win when he showed AT for 3 aces. Ugh. . .shouldnt be calling K high here. A player UTG limped, a tight decent player in MP made it $10, I found TT on the button and 3-bet to $24 and the raiser called. We checked down A437K and he showed me KJo for the winner. . .ugh again should be betting the flop or at least the turn when checked to me. After these 2 hands I was down to around $320 (+$80)
I made it $8 with ATo in MP, got 2 calls, and folded on a 975 flop. I called $8 with 87ss and folded on a 542K board. There was 1 limp and I made it $10 when I found QQ in MP and the limper called. The flop came T65 all clubs and he folded to a bet of $16. I found QQ again, this time in the cutoff. I opened for $8 and the BB called. The flop came 953, and he check called my $14 bet. The turn came a 9, he checked and I checked behind. The river came another 3 double pairing the board, he donked $24 and I called resulting in him mucking. A player in MP opened to $6, I decided to 3-bet to $16 from the cutoff with J3hh, and the BB cold 4-bet to $66 resulting in me folding (and him showing KK). A player UTG made it $8 and I called in the cutoff with 87cc, The flop came Q97, he checked, I bet $14, and he called. The turn came a 4, he checked and I decided to check behind this time. The river came another Q, he checked, I value bet $20, and he quickly folded. A player in MP made it $8, another MP called, I called from the hijack with T7dd, and the cutoff and BB also called. The flop came QT4, the raiser bet $12, I made it $40, and she called. The turn came another T, she checked, and I checked behind. The river came a 4, she checked, I bet $60, and she folded. After this I was back to around $370 (+$110)
I then was able to win a nice gift pot from a new player at the table. There were 4 limps and I checked the BB with K5o. The flop came K75, I lead $6, and 1 of the limpers called. The turn came a T, I lead for $16, he minraised to $32, and I called. The river came a 9, I checked, he bet $32, I called and was good when he showed A5 for bottom pair (bluff). I limped UTG +1 with QJo, a player in LP made it 8 and got 7 calls including me. We checked to the turn on J942 where I made a tester bet of $22 with my top pair and I got called in 1 place. The river came a 3, I bet $40 (because I now thought I was good) and he folded. I made it $8 from UTG with 55 and the BB was the only caller. The flop came A96, she lead for $8, I made it $22, and she folded. I called $10 out of the SB with J8hh and several other people. We checked down A537A where I folded to a bet. I was then able to win my last nice pot of the night. There were 4 limps to me in the BB and I made it $12 with JJ. Only 1 of the limpers called and we saw a pretty scary flop of my hand of T87. I checked (for pot control), he bet $16, and I called. The turn came a 9 giving me a straight, I checked, and he checked behind this time. The river came a 4, I lead for $34 and he called and muck after saying "nice turn". After this I was at me peak of ~$480 (+$200)
However, after this my night turned a little south with a couple of bigger pots where I probably shouldnt have lost as much as I did. First of these pots, I opened for $12 with 76hh from the hijack and got 4 calls including the cutoff. The flop came down K62, they checked to me, I c-bet $32, and the cutoff called. The turn came a 9, I 2-barrelled $54, and he called after a while in the tank. The river came a Q (taking away any chance of me bluffing the river becuase its obvious what he has at this point), I checked, he bet $60, I folded, and he showed the obvious KQ. Damn, he said he was really close to folding on the turn but even if you are close to folding here I dont think you really ever are folding. I had been playing with him all day and I had rarely taken that strong of line vs anyone so I was hoping hed fold out alot of his hands here but KQ was too strong for him to fold (KJ/KT are probably gone). Oh well I cant get too mad at myself for being aggressive here. The 2nd medium hand I played, the lady opened the cutoff to $8, I called the button with 77, and the BB called as well. The flop came 963, they checked, I bet $12, and they both called. The turn came a T, they checked to me again, I bet $26, the BB moved all in for $77, the raiser lady folded, and I called. He showed T7 and had me nearly drawing dead to win which I didnt on the J river. I guess I could have folded but I am getting decent odds and I think I have a good enough shot at having the best hand a certain % of the time that my call isnt terrible. My thought was on the flop he had a mid pair or straight draw and she absolutely had AK/AQ. Thats why I fired a 2nd barrel when they checked to me. I know the straight got there but the way he was acting he definently didnt have the striaght so I went with my read/fact that I still had outs (or I thought I did. . .its being results oriented to think he had exactly T7) but it didnt work out.
I left soon thereafter with $330 for a total of being in the green +$70. Not a great hourly for 7 1/2 hours of poker but a winning session is a winning session so I cant complain too much.
Tourney: July 9th and 10th 2011 Caesars Megastack Main Event $1080
My final tournament of the summer was the Caesars Megastack Main Event. My last main event with a ridiculous structure I final tabled so I hoped to continue that momentum to this one. There were 2 day 1s (with reentry both in each of the day 1s and from day 1a to day 1b) and this tournament ended up with over 1300 runners and an absurd 268k to 1st place! This tournament we started with a massive 50000 in chips and the levels were an awesome hour long. I actually missed the 1st 25-50 level (which was completely unnecessary) so I came in at the 2nd level.
DAY 1
Level 2: 50-100. I sat down in the 2nd level thinking a really long day was ahead but not looking forward to the first couple levels as I figured I would NEVER be able to make any real headway when everyone has 500 bbs. However, I started the day on a ridiculous heater and quickly built a decent stack. Very first hand of the day, I found 55 behind a couple of limpers and decided to limp as well. The flop came 875 2 clubs, they checked to me, I bet 300 and got 3 callers. The turn came an offsuit 3, I bet 1025, and got 1 caller. The river came an offsuit 8 filling me up, he checked, I bet 3100, and he called mucking when I showed. I opened to 250 UTG with A6hh and got 6 callers (weeee. . .500 big blinds). We checked to the river on Jx3x2h3hTh where I runner-runnered the nut flush, I bet 1700, and got one caller who mucked when I showed. UTG limped and I made it 650 with KK from UTG +2. The limper called and we saw a flop of J65 2 hearts. He check/called a bet of 1200 and we saw the Kh on the turn giving me top set but putting a potential flush out there. He lead for 2400 this time and I called. The river came a beautiful 6 pairing the board, he bet 6100, I made it 25000, and he folded. This guy was the biggest donk at the table (and you will hear more about him in future hands) but even after only seeing 2 orbits of his play, I was fairly certain that he wasnt folding a flush here and made the conclusion after the hand that he was absolutely bluffing. I made it 250 with T9hh from UTG, got 2 calls, and folded on the turn on a KQT5 board. I had increased my stack to a ridiculous 67075 after less than one level of play and we went up to the next level.
Level 3: 100-200. A player UTG opened to 600 and I 3-bet to 1625 with KJo from MP. The BB flatted and the original raiser called as well. We checked down a board of AK579 and the BB took it down with his AT. I made it 525 from UTG with 77 and got 2 MP callers. The flop came A76, I bet 1200, and got 1 call. The turn came a 5, I bet 3000, and he called. The river came a 3, I checked, and he checked behind showing a no good A9 in the process. Its easy to play when you flop sets every time. I dont know why I didnt bet the river but I figured it was OK to air on the cautious side when we are playing so deep and I already had built a stack. The button opened to 600, I called from the BB with QsJx, and a UTG limper also called. The flop came AKT all spades (no big deal), I checked to trap, but everyone else checked behind me. The turn came a 7, I bet 1525, and the UTG limper called. The river came a 9, I bet 4100, and he folded. I made it 525 with 54hh from UTG +1 and got 4 calls. The flop came J87 and I folded to a bet. I limped from EP (trying new things) with QThh, the button limped, the SB (idiot who I was talking about before) made it 900, I called, and the button called as well. The flop came JT4, the SB checked, I bet 1500, the button called, the SB made it 5000, and I ended up just folding. The cutoff limped (idiot guy), the button made it 525, I called from the SB with A4dd, and the BB and cutoff both called as well. The flop came Jx3d2d flopping me a straight flush draw, I checked, and everyone else checked behind. The turn came another 3, I bet 1500, and the cutoff (idiot guy) was the only caller. The river came an offsuit Q missing all my draws, I checked and he checked behind showing a good 62o for the winner. No point in bluffing when the idiot will probably call and I will be able to get him later. There were 3 limps to me on the button and I made it 1500 when I found QQ. The idiot guy was the only caller and we saw a flop of 877. He checked, and I checked behind (value/pot control). The turn came a 9, he lead for 1500 and I decided to just call. The river came a T (4 straight on board), he checked, I bet 2200, he called and mucked when I showed. I know hes not clever enough to check a straight here so its like almost 100% straightforward that I have the best hand so a value bet was in order. There were 2 limps to me in MP and I made it 1500 with AJo. One of the limpers called and the flop came A55. He check/called my bet of 2000 but when the turn came a 7, he check folded to my bet of 3500. I limped K4ss from MP with 2 other limps and we saw a flop of 985 2 spades giving me a flush draw. It checked around and the turn came a Qc. We checked to a limper on the button, he bet 1025, the SB called, and I called as well. The river came a 3s filling my flush, the SB checked, I bet 3500, and they both folded. I was up to 81300 and we went to the next level.
Level 4: 200-400. A player UTG limped, I made it 1500 from the cutoff with AQo, and he was the only caller. We checked down JT664 and I was good. The idiot guy opened for 900 UTG and I 3-bet to 2600 from UTG +2 with 99. He called, we checked down J85AK, and he showed JTo for the winner. I opened to 1000 from the button with QTo and the SB was the only caller. The board ran A657 to the turn where he check/folded to my 1500 bet. I opened to 1000 in MP with AJo and a tight player behind me in MP 3-bet to 3500 causing me to fold and him to show QQ. I was at 78100 and we went up to the next level.
Level 5: 300-600. I made it 1500 from UTG +2 with J9o and the tight player in MP made it 4000 resulting in another fold from me. I made it 1500 from MP with 75cc and the button and BB called. The flop came J96, we checked to the button, he bet 1500, and we both called. The turn came another J, we checked to the button again, this time he bet 2500, and I ended up folding. The idiot guy opened from UTG +2 to 1500 and I called in MP with A2dd. The flop came JT8 and I folded to his bet. A player in EP opened to 1300, the idiot guy called, I 3-bet to 4000 from the cutoff with KJo, and they both called. The flop came 877 and I folded to 6000 from the idiot guy. At this point I was looking for good spots to iso that guy because he was really going off the deep end at this point (this KJ hand was an attempt to do just that even though he wasnt the original opener I thought I could iso him). The idiot guy opened to 1800 from UTG +1, I 3-bet to 4000 from MP with ATdd, the tight player behind in MP made it 14000, we both folded, and he showed QQ again. A player opened UTG to 1500 (guy on my right, not idiot guy 2 on my right), I 3-bet to 3400 from UTG +1 with 98hh, it folded to him, he 4-bet to 12000 and I folded. I made it 1500 UTG with 76dd and got 4 calls. The flop came A87 all spades and I folded to a bet. A player in MP opened to 1400 and I called from the button with 77. The blinds also called and we checked to the turn on JJT8 where I folded to a bet. The hijack (guy on my right) opened to 1600 and I 3-bet to 3800 from the cutoff with 87o. He called and check/folded to 3000 on a K64 flop. The blinds went up and after that unsuccessful level, I was down to 58800.
Level 6: 400-800. I opened to 1800 from UTG with J8dd and everyone folded. The button limped and I completed from the SB with 66. The flop came T84, I donked 1200, and everyone folded. I made it 1800 from the button with ATo and the blinds called. We checked to the turn on 9635 and I folded to a bet. I made it 1800 from UTG +2 with K3dd and the button called. The flop came 553, I bet 2200, she made it 6000, I folded, and she showed JJ. I never thought that she would bluff here so I ended up folding even when I hit the flop here. A player in MP opened to 1800, the hijack called, and I called from the SB with A8ss. The flop came AKT all hearts and I folded to a bet and a call (tighter players so I just got out of there). I was back to a near starting stack of 51200 and we went up a level.
Level 7: 500-1000. Around this time the table settled down as the idiot guy busted. I made it 2300 with A7o from the cutoff and everyone folded. A player in EP opened to 2300 and I found AKo on the button and decided to mix it up by just calling. The flop came J64, he bet 2600, and I called. The turn came a 9, he bet 6200, and I folded. I opened to 2300 from the cutoff with ATo and the button called. We checked to the turn of Q64A and I check called 2500. The river came a 2, I checked, he bet 5000, I called and he showed JTo for a bluff. I opened to 2300 from the hijack with JTo, the cutoff 3-bet to 6000, the button called, and I decided to call as well. We checked down Q85J4 and I was somehow good for a decent sized pot. I was up to 75000 or so again when I got pretty unlucky in a hand that I played super well. The tight player on my left (who had 3-bet me a couple times and showed big hands most of the time but also did try to bluff me with JTo that time) opened to 3000 from UTG and I decided to just flat AKo again, this time from the BB. We checked to the turn on 922A, I checked, he bet 4000, I made it 10500, and he called. The river came a J, I checked, and he checked behind showing AJ for a rivered 2 pair that got there on my AK. Kind of sick becuase I KNOW he was calling no matter what on the river and I said anything but a Q or a J I am going to punish him so hard. Not only did I lose the ~17k in chips but I also lost the extra 25k I was going to bet and get called on the river if that J doesnt come. As it was I was back down to 56600 and we went up to the next level.
Level 8 600-1200 100. I made it 2500 with 75cc from UTG, UTG +2 called, A player in MP 3-bet to 6600, and I folded. The button opened to 3000, I found KK in the SB and 3-bet to 9100, and he called. The flop came an ugly AQ9, I checked, and he checked behind. The turn came a nice looking Kh giving me a set and putting a flush draw on board. I bet 11k, he made it 25k, I went all in for 43k total and after tanking a really really long time he ended up calling. He showed 76hh for a flush draw (I was hoping to have him dead after how long he took!) but he missed when the river came an offsuit 8. Its amazing how incredibly face-up I played this hand and I still got action on it (I wasnt even playing loose at this time just ABC poker). I was up to around 105000 after this hand. I made it 2500 UTG with T8hh and the button and BB called. The flop came AA4 and we all checked. The turn came a Q, I bet 3600, and the button called. The river came a 3, I bet 11000 thinking that this would take this weak-tight player off a Q for sure, but she quickly called showing A6 and I was back down to 87k (I am pretty sure I was right about her folding the Q though). There was 1 limp and I made it 2600 from the button with Q9o. He called and the flop came A32, he checked, I bet 3100, and he called. The turn came a 5c putting 2 clubs on board, he lead for 5000, I made it 13500, and he called. The river came the Kc, he bet 12000, and I had to fold. Grrrr. . .whats so sick about this hand is that I was so sure that he had nothing on the flop when he called, and that when he donked the turn it is probably a flush draw so I had the hand setup so perfectly to win with Q high but the flush got there, he donked again, and I had to fold. My chip stack had quickly gone back down to 68k or so. I opened to 2500 with KJo from UTG +2, the SB 3-bet to 6500, and I folded. I made it 2500 with 66 from UTG and a player in MP called. The board ran to the turn on T73Q where I folded to 4500. I was down to 61500 and we went up a level.
Level 9: 800-1600 200. A player in EP limped, a player in MP made it 3600, I called from the BB with A9ss, and the limper called as well. The flop came KK5 and I check/folded to a bet. I made it 3500 with 74dd from MP and the weaktight lady called from the BB. The flop came KT8 and she checkfolded to 4100. I made it 3500 from UTG +2 with A2ss and got 2 calls. We checked to the turn on T765 and I folded to a bet. I then made a questionable play (possibly out of frustration of losing every pot) but it worked out nonetheless. I opened to 3500 with A5dd from UTG +1 and got called by the cutoff, button, and SB. The flop came J62 and everyone checked. The turn came a 4, the SB checked, I checked, the cutoff bet 5500, the button called, the SB called, and I just decided to jam my last 55000 or so into the pot as a squeeze and pray for folds. The cutoff folded pretty quickly, the button sat and tanked for about 90 seconds and slowly folded, and the SB sat there for forever, counting his chips, thinking, but eventually folding giving me the much needed win. Sometimes a goofy play like this is all you need to boost you to the next level as I was now up to about 80k or so and on the very next hand, my stack got a whole lot bigger. I was still ecstatic about my bluff when I found a beautiful AA UTG and casually opened to 3500. It folded to the BB and he 3-bet me to 11000 and I decided just to smooth call to trap. The flop came T84, he bet 15k, I put him all in for his ~50k effective (total) and he snap called showing KK for the massive cooler (either way if I would have 4-bet it probably would have been the same). The board ran out 53 and I dodged the bad beat and my stack skyrocketed to ~145k. The hijack made it 4000 and I called from the BB with 88. The flop came AQT and I check folded to his 4000 bet. I made it 3500 with 77 from UTG +2, a player in MP called, another player in MP 3-bet to 13400, and I folded. I made it 3500 from UTG with AQo and the BB was the only caller. The flop came Q73 and he check folded to my 4100 bet. I was at 146300 and we went up to the next level.
Level 10: 1000-2000 300. A player UTG +2 opened to 5500, I made it 13600 from MP with AsTx and he called. The flop came 853 all spades and we both checked. The turn came a 7, he checked, I bet 10500, and he folded. I wasnt very active this level and we went to the last level of the day with me having 147100.
Level 11: 1200-2400 400. I made it 5100 with AJo from UTG, UTG +2 called, a player in MP made it 20100, and I folded (he showed QQ). A player in EP limped, the SB completed, and I checked the BB with 52o. The flop came T44 2 clubs, we checked to EP, he bet 3200, the SB raised to 8000, I cold 3-bet to 20500 from the BB, and they both folded. Whew. . .thought this was a good spot as I know the limper is c-betting a paired board light here and I know the raiser will likely be slowplaying a 4 if he has one and my play looks so strong it would likely get him to fold a T. Luckily it worked perfectly. I made it 5100 with A3hh from UTG +1 and everyone folded. I made it 5100 from UTG +1 with KTcc, the hijack 3-bet to 13500, the BB moved all in for 110000, and I folded. The level ended soon thereafter with me having 150900 and that was the end of the day.
Overall the 1st day was pretty good for me. I ran really good at the start of the day, hit some rough patches in the mid levels, but thanks to a massive cooler in my favor ended up with an above average stack for day 2 (avg was around 120k and I had 150900). I had a day off in between day 1a and day 2 so I relaxed and came back the next day ready to roll for the 268k.
DAY 2
Level 12: 1500-3000 400. First hand of the day I played was pretty awesome. After going through the blinds I was at around 145k or so. There was a middle aged guy who looked semi-rereational and he had been extremely active at the start of the day, raising probably 4-5 pots in the 1st orbit. He kept saying "Man these cards are ridiculous, I cant believe this, I was planning on sitting back and playing tight but I just cant with these cards". So this hand begins with him UTG +1. He looks at his hand and laughs to himself as if to say "again. . .no way" and opens to 7500. It folds to me in the cutoff and I find KJo and figure that if he is strong he cant be that strong so I 3-bet him to 18000. It folds to him and he takes about 30 seconds before 4-betting to 40000. It gets back to me and I dont take much time before 5-bet shipping my final ~145000 and he shakes his head as if to say "theyre good but not that good" and releases his hand. Weeeee. What really really sealed this hand for me is the fact that he laughed after looking at his cards. Think about it. . .if he has been talking about how much he has been playing and he looks down at AA KK or QQ is he really going to laugh and then play? No chance. He is going to be raising focused and not draw attention (even if it is subconsciously) to the fact that he had been advertising how often he had been raising. He obviously had a decent hand but theres no way his laugh indicates a hand that can call a 5-bet jam like that. Just like that I was up to ~188k. However after this the day spiralled out of control EXTREMLY quickly and I ended up pretty sick to my stomach (which is too bad. . .even then it made me sick that the day started of soooo well with that play and had to go so poorly after that so looking back on it it makes me equally as sick at the missed opportunity). I found 77 UTG and opened to 6800 and got called by the BB. The flop came K63, he checked, I bet 8200, and he called. The turn came a T and we both checked. The river came a 2, he checked, I came really really close to putting in a value bet but decided to just check behind but was no good when he showed KQ. A couple hands later is when it really came unglued. The guy who had been raising opened to 7500 UTG, a younger kid UTG +2 3-bet to 31000, I found AKo on the button and cold 4-bet all in for everyones effective stacks (SB and BB had insignificant amounts, opening raiser had ~120k, and the 3-bettor had around 90k). Everyone folded to the 3-bettor who quickly called and showed AA and I got demolished on an all blank board. I briefly thought about folding but the thought was fleeting because he was a younger kid meaning he might have been capable of making a move (like I did previously) on the guy who had been raising alot. His range doesnt have to be huge and he doenst necessarily have to be super strong and I would gladly take AK vs his range. However, one thing I didnt really think about until after the hand is that younger kids can be terrible players as well. He hadnt played a hand all day (which really doesnt say THAT much about his skill level or ability to make a play) but that combined with his raise size could have MAYBE sent alarm bells off if I would have thought about it a little more. In retrospect he really play the hand awfully and got lucky to get action. If someone else opens and he 3-bets like that, well I probably still will be 4-betting him all in which sucks, but it is much easier to think about a fold. Anyways, after this hand I was down to about ~85k or so. 2 hands later, I found A9ss in the hijack and opened to 6800, it folded to the BB and he jammed for his last 70k or so and I decided to call. He showed AQdd and I didnt improve and I was crippled to my last 15k or so. I guess this could be a fold but whatever. . .he had already reshoved 2 times at the table today and it looked like he was trying to increase his stack but looking back on it he probably had it both of those times since people are scared to make moves. Whatever, I dont hate my call but I look like an idiot typing about it now I guess. Anyways, a couple of hands later I found 33 in MP and put my last 15k in and the guy on my left isoed by making it 50k or something. He turned over AKo, turned a K, and ended my tournament painstakingly earlier than it should have.
Day 2 was just an awful experience for me but you really have to move on from it I guess (I mean I have now but it is almost 3 months later and I have played no poker since).
Overall the summer was a pretty good success. I got deep a ton, made a major final table, and had some successes. Hopefully I will be able to play more poker in the future but with online closing and the cost of playing live I dont know how much I will be able to do so. Poker wise, this was my best summer yet. It was very enjoyable and I was able to learn a ton. Hopefully this will translate into success in the future for me.
DAY 1
Level 2: 50-100. I sat down in the 2nd level thinking a really long day was ahead but not looking forward to the first couple levels as I figured I would NEVER be able to make any real headway when everyone has 500 bbs. However, I started the day on a ridiculous heater and quickly built a decent stack. Very first hand of the day, I found 55 behind a couple of limpers and decided to limp as well. The flop came 875 2 clubs, they checked to me, I bet 300 and got 3 callers. The turn came an offsuit 3, I bet 1025, and got 1 caller. The river came an offsuit 8 filling me up, he checked, I bet 3100, and he called mucking when I showed. I opened to 250 UTG with A6hh and got 6 callers (weeee. . .500 big blinds). We checked to the river on Jx3x2h3hTh where I runner-runnered the nut flush, I bet 1700, and got one caller who mucked when I showed. UTG limped and I made it 650 with KK from UTG +2. The limper called and we saw a flop of J65 2 hearts. He check/called a bet of 1200 and we saw the Kh on the turn giving me top set but putting a potential flush out there. He lead for 2400 this time and I called. The river came a beautiful 6 pairing the board, he bet 6100, I made it 25000, and he folded. This guy was the biggest donk at the table (and you will hear more about him in future hands) but even after only seeing 2 orbits of his play, I was fairly certain that he wasnt folding a flush here and made the conclusion after the hand that he was absolutely bluffing. I made it 250 with T9hh from UTG, got 2 calls, and folded on the turn on a KQT5 board. I had increased my stack to a ridiculous 67075 after less than one level of play and we went up to the next level.
Level 3: 100-200. A player UTG opened to 600 and I 3-bet to 1625 with KJo from MP. The BB flatted and the original raiser called as well. We checked down a board of AK579 and the BB took it down with his AT. I made it 525 from UTG with 77 and got 2 MP callers. The flop came A76, I bet 1200, and got 1 call. The turn came a 5, I bet 3000, and he called. The river came a 3, I checked, and he checked behind showing a no good A9 in the process. Its easy to play when you flop sets every time. I dont know why I didnt bet the river but I figured it was OK to air on the cautious side when we are playing so deep and I already had built a stack. The button opened to 600, I called from the BB with QsJx, and a UTG limper also called. The flop came AKT all spades (no big deal), I checked to trap, but everyone else checked behind me. The turn came a 7, I bet 1525, and the UTG limper called. The river came a 9, I bet 4100, and he folded. I made it 525 with 54hh from UTG +1 and got 4 calls. The flop came J87 and I folded to a bet. I limped from EP (trying new things) with QThh, the button limped, the SB (idiot who I was talking about before) made it 900, I called, and the button called as well. The flop came JT4, the SB checked, I bet 1500, the button called, the SB made it 5000, and I ended up just folding. The cutoff limped (idiot guy), the button made it 525, I called from the SB with A4dd, and the BB and cutoff both called as well. The flop came Jx3d2d flopping me a straight flush draw, I checked, and everyone else checked behind. The turn came another 3, I bet 1500, and the cutoff (idiot guy) was the only caller. The river came an offsuit Q missing all my draws, I checked and he checked behind showing a good 62o for the winner. No point in bluffing when the idiot will probably call and I will be able to get him later. There were 3 limps to me on the button and I made it 1500 when I found QQ. The idiot guy was the only caller and we saw a flop of 877. He checked, and I checked behind (value/pot control). The turn came a 9, he lead for 1500 and I decided to just call. The river came a T (4 straight on board), he checked, I bet 2200, he called and mucked when I showed. I know hes not clever enough to check a straight here so its like almost 100% straightforward that I have the best hand so a value bet was in order. There were 2 limps to me in MP and I made it 1500 with AJo. One of the limpers called and the flop came A55. He check/called my bet of 2000 but when the turn came a 7, he check folded to my bet of 3500. I limped K4ss from MP with 2 other limps and we saw a flop of 985 2 spades giving me a flush draw. It checked around and the turn came a Qc. We checked to a limper on the button, he bet 1025, the SB called, and I called as well. The river came a 3s filling my flush, the SB checked, I bet 3500, and they both folded. I was up to 81300 and we went to the next level.
Level 4: 200-400. A player UTG limped, I made it 1500 from the cutoff with AQo, and he was the only caller. We checked down JT664 and I was good. The idiot guy opened for 900 UTG and I 3-bet to 2600 from UTG +2 with 99. He called, we checked down J85AK, and he showed JTo for the winner. I opened to 1000 from the button with QTo and the SB was the only caller. The board ran A657 to the turn where he check/folded to my 1500 bet. I opened to 1000 in MP with AJo and a tight player behind me in MP 3-bet to 3500 causing me to fold and him to show QQ. I was at 78100 and we went up to the next level.
Level 5: 300-600. I made it 1500 from UTG +2 with J9o and the tight player in MP made it 4000 resulting in another fold from me. I made it 1500 from MP with 75cc and the button and BB called. The flop came J96, we checked to the button, he bet 1500, and we both called. The turn came another J, we checked to the button again, this time he bet 2500, and I ended up folding. The idiot guy opened from UTG +2 to 1500 and I called in MP with A2dd. The flop came JT8 and I folded to his bet. A player in EP opened to 1300, the idiot guy called, I 3-bet to 4000 from the cutoff with KJo, and they both called. The flop came 877 and I folded to 6000 from the idiot guy. At this point I was looking for good spots to iso that guy because he was really going off the deep end at this point (this KJ hand was an attempt to do just that even though he wasnt the original opener I thought I could iso him). The idiot guy opened to 1800 from UTG +1, I 3-bet to 4000 from MP with ATdd, the tight player behind in MP made it 14000, we both folded, and he showed QQ again. A player opened UTG to 1500 (guy on my right, not idiot guy 2 on my right), I 3-bet to 3400 from UTG +1 with 98hh, it folded to him, he 4-bet to 12000 and I folded. I made it 1500 UTG with 76dd and got 4 calls. The flop came A87 all spades and I folded to a bet. A player in MP opened to 1400 and I called from the button with 77. The blinds also called and we checked to the turn on JJT8 where I folded to a bet. The hijack (guy on my right) opened to 1600 and I 3-bet to 3800 from the cutoff with 87o. He called and check/folded to 3000 on a K64 flop. The blinds went up and after that unsuccessful level, I was down to 58800.
Level 6: 400-800. I opened to 1800 from UTG with J8dd and everyone folded. The button limped and I completed from the SB with 66. The flop came T84, I donked 1200, and everyone folded. I made it 1800 from the button with ATo and the blinds called. We checked to the turn on 9635 and I folded to a bet. I made it 1800 from UTG +2 with K3dd and the button called. The flop came 553, I bet 2200, she made it 6000, I folded, and she showed JJ. I never thought that she would bluff here so I ended up folding even when I hit the flop here. A player in MP opened to 1800, the hijack called, and I called from the SB with A8ss. The flop came AKT all hearts and I folded to a bet and a call (tighter players so I just got out of there). I was back to a near starting stack of 51200 and we went up a level.
Level 7: 500-1000. Around this time the table settled down as the idiot guy busted. I made it 2300 with A7o from the cutoff and everyone folded. A player in EP opened to 2300 and I found AKo on the button and decided to mix it up by just calling. The flop came J64, he bet 2600, and I called. The turn came a 9, he bet 6200, and I folded. I opened to 2300 from the cutoff with ATo and the button called. We checked to the turn of Q64A and I check called 2500. The river came a 2, I checked, he bet 5000, I called and he showed JTo for a bluff. I opened to 2300 from the hijack with JTo, the cutoff 3-bet to 6000, the button called, and I decided to call as well. We checked down Q85J4 and I was somehow good for a decent sized pot. I was up to 75000 or so again when I got pretty unlucky in a hand that I played super well. The tight player on my left (who had 3-bet me a couple times and showed big hands most of the time but also did try to bluff me with JTo that time) opened to 3000 from UTG and I decided to just flat AKo again, this time from the BB. We checked to the turn on 922A, I checked, he bet 4000, I made it 10500, and he called. The river came a J, I checked, and he checked behind showing AJ for a rivered 2 pair that got there on my AK. Kind of sick becuase I KNOW he was calling no matter what on the river and I said anything but a Q or a J I am going to punish him so hard. Not only did I lose the ~17k in chips but I also lost the extra 25k I was going to bet and get called on the river if that J doesnt come. As it was I was back down to 56600 and we went up to the next level.
Level 8 600-1200 100. I made it 2500 with 75cc from UTG, UTG +2 called, A player in MP 3-bet to 6600, and I folded. The button opened to 3000, I found KK in the SB and 3-bet to 9100, and he called. The flop came an ugly AQ9, I checked, and he checked behind. The turn came a nice looking Kh giving me a set and putting a flush draw on board. I bet 11k, he made it 25k, I went all in for 43k total and after tanking a really really long time he ended up calling. He showed 76hh for a flush draw (I was hoping to have him dead after how long he took!) but he missed when the river came an offsuit 8. Its amazing how incredibly face-up I played this hand and I still got action on it (I wasnt even playing loose at this time just ABC poker). I was up to around 105000 after this hand. I made it 2500 UTG with T8hh and the button and BB called. The flop came AA4 and we all checked. The turn came a Q, I bet 3600, and the button called. The river came a 3, I bet 11000 thinking that this would take this weak-tight player off a Q for sure, but she quickly called showing A6 and I was back down to 87k (I am pretty sure I was right about her folding the Q though). There was 1 limp and I made it 2600 from the button with Q9o. He called and the flop came A32, he checked, I bet 3100, and he called. The turn came a 5c putting 2 clubs on board, he lead for 5000, I made it 13500, and he called. The river came the Kc, he bet 12000, and I had to fold. Grrrr. . .whats so sick about this hand is that I was so sure that he had nothing on the flop when he called, and that when he donked the turn it is probably a flush draw so I had the hand setup so perfectly to win with Q high but the flush got there, he donked again, and I had to fold. My chip stack had quickly gone back down to 68k or so. I opened to 2500 with KJo from UTG +2, the SB 3-bet to 6500, and I folded. I made it 2500 with 66 from UTG and a player in MP called. The board ran to the turn on T73Q where I folded to 4500. I was down to 61500 and we went up a level.
Level 9: 800-1600 200. A player in EP limped, a player in MP made it 3600, I called from the BB with A9ss, and the limper called as well. The flop came KK5 and I check/folded to a bet. I made it 3500 with 74dd from MP and the weaktight lady called from the BB. The flop came KT8 and she checkfolded to 4100. I made it 3500 from UTG +2 with A2ss and got 2 calls. We checked to the turn on T765 and I folded to a bet. I then made a questionable play (possibly out of frustration of losing every pot) but it worked out nonetheless. I opened to 3500 with A5dd from UTG +1 and got called by the cutoff, button, and SB. The flop came J62 and everyone checked. The turn came a 4, the SB checked, I checked, the cutoff bet 5500, the button called, the SB called, and I just decided to jam my last 55000 or so into the pot as a squeeze and pray for folds. The cutoff folded pretty quickly, the button sat and tanked for about 90 seconds and slowly folded, and the SB sat there for forever, counting his chips, thinking, but eventually folding giving me the much needed win. Sometimes a goofy play like this is all you need to boost you to the next level as I was now up to about 80k or so and on the very next hand, my stack got a whole lot bigger. I was still ecstatic about my bluff when I found a beautiful AA UTG and casually opened to 3500. It folded to the BB and he 3-bet me to 11000 and I decided just to smooth call to trap. The flop came T84, he bet 15k, I put him all in for his ~50k effective (total) and he snap called showing KK for the massive cooler (either way if I would have 4-bet it probably would have been the same). The board ran out 53 and I dodged the bad beat and my stack skyrocketed to ~145k. The hijack made it 4000 and I called from the BB with 88. The flop came AQT and I check folded to his 4000 bet. I made it 3500 with 77 from UTG +2, a player in MP called, another player in MP 3-bet to 13400, and I folded. I made it 3500 from UTG with AQo and the BB was the only caller. The flop came Q73 and he check folded to my 4100 bet. I was at 146300 and we went up to the next level.
Level 10: 1000-2000 300. A player UTG +2 opened to 5500, I made it 13600 from MP with AsTx and he called. The flop came 853 all spades and we both checked. The turn came a 7, he checked, I bet 10500, and he folded. I wasnt very active this level and we went to the last level of the day with me having 147100.
Level 11: 1200-2400 400. I made it 5100 with AJo from UTG, UTG +2 called, a player in MP made it 20100, and I folded (he showed QQ). A player in EP limped, the SB completed, and I checked the BB with 52o. The flop came T44 2 clubs, we checked to EP, he bet 3200, the SB raised to 8000, I cold 3-bet to 20500 from the BB, and they both folded. Whew. . .thought this was a good spot as I know the limper is c-betting a paired board light here and I know the raiser will likely be slowplaying a 4 if he has one and my play looks so strong it would likely get him to fold a T. Luckily it worked perfectly. I made it 5100 with A3hh from UTG +1 and everyone folded. I made it 5100 from UTG +1 with KTcc, the hijack 3-bet to 13500, the BB moved all in for 110000, and I folded. The level ended soon thereafter with me having 150900 and that was the end of the day.
Overall the 1st day was pretty good for me. I ran really good at the start of the day, hit some rough patches in the mid levels, but thanks to a massive cooler in my favor ended up with an above average stack for day 2 (avg was around 120k and I had 150900). I had a day off in between day 1a and day 2 so I relaxed and came back the next day ready to roll for the 268k.
DAY 2
Level 12: 1500-3000 400. First hand of the day I played was pretty awesome. After going through the blinds I was at around 145k or so. There was a middle aged guy who looked semi-rereational and he had been extremely active at the start of the day, raising probably 4-5 pots in the 1st orbit. He kept saying "Man these cards are ridiculous, I cant believe this, I was planning on sitting back and playing tight but I just cant with these cards". So this hand begins with him UTG +1. He looks at his hand and laughs to himself as if to say "again. . .no way" and opens to 7500. It folds to me in the cutoff and I find KJo and figure that if he is strong he cant be that strong so I 3-bet him to 18000. It folds to him and he takes about 30 seconds before 4-betting to 40000. It gets back to me and I dont take much time before 5-bet shipping my final ~145000 and he shakes his head as if to say "theyre good but not that good" and releases his hand. Weeeee. What really really sealed this hand for me is the fact that he laughed after looking at his cards. Think about it. . .if he has been talking about how much he has been playing and he looks down at AA KK or QQ is he really going to laugh and then play? No chance. He is going to be raising focused and not draw attention (even if it is subconsciously) to the fact that he had been advertising how often he had been raising. He obviously had a decent hand but theres no way his laugh indicates a hand that can call a 5-bet jam like that. Just like that I was up to ~188k. However after this the day spiralled out of control EXTREMLY quickly and I ended up pretty sick to my stomach (which is too bad. . .even then it made me sick that the day started of soooo well with that play and had to go so poorly after that so looking back on it it makes me equally as sick at the missed opportunity). I found 77 UTG and opened to 6800 and got called by the BB. The flop came K63, he checked, I bet 8200, and he called. The turn came a T and we both checked. The river came a 2, he checked, I came really really close to putting in a value bet but decided to just check behind but was no good when he showed KQ. A couple hands later is when it really came unglued. The guy who had been raising opened to 7500 UTG, a younger kid UTG +2 3-bet to 31000, I found AKo on the button and cold 4-bet all in for everyones effective stacks (SB and BB had insignificant amounts, opening raiser had ~120k, and the 3-bettor had around 90k). Everyone folded to the 3-bettor who quickly called and showed AA and I got demolished on an all blank board. I briefly thought about folding but the thought was fleeting because he was a younger kid meaning he might have been capable of making a move (like I did previously) on the guy who had been raising alot. His range doesnt have to be huge and he doenst necessarily have to be super strong and I would gladly take AK vs his range. However, one thing I didnt really think about until after the hand is that younger kids can be terrible players as well. He hadnt played a hand all day (which really doesnt say THAT much about his skill level or ability to make a play) but that combined with his raise size could have MAYBE sent alarm bells off if I would have thought about it a little more. In retrospect he really play the hand awfully and got lucky to get action. If someone else opens and he 3-bets like that, well I probably still will be 4-betting him all in which sucks, but it is much easier to think about a fold. Anyways, after this hand I was down to about ~85k or so. 2 hands later, I found A9ss in the hijack and opened to 6800, it folded to the BB and he jammed for his last 70k or so and I decided to call. He showed AQdd and I didnt improve and I was crippled to my last 15k or so. I guess this could be a fold but whatever. . .he had already reshoved 2 times at the table today and it looked like he was trying to increase his stack but looking back on it he probably had it both of those times since people are scared to make moves. Whatever, I dont hate my call but I look like an idiot typing about it now I guess. Anyways, a couple of hands later I found 33 in MP and put my last 15k in and the guy on my left isoed by making it 50k or something. He turned over AKo, turned a K, and ended my tournament painstakingly earlier than it should have.
Day 2 was just an awful experience for me but you really have to move on from it I guess (I mean I have now but it is almost 3 months later and I have played no poker since).
Overall the summer was a pretty good success. I got deep a ton, made a major final table, and had some successes. Hopefully I will be able to play more poker in the future but with online closing and the cost of playing live I dont know how much I will be able to do so. Poker wise, this was my best summer yet. It was very enjoyable and I was able to learn a ton. Hopefully this will translate into success in the future for me.
Tourney: July 6th 2011 Venetian Deepstack Event #42 $340
So I am FINALLY back on the blogosphere (for all my loyal readers). What happened is as Vegas got winding down, I got too into hanging out with all the people arriving for the main which gave me less time for blogging (I only actually missed writing about 2 tournaments so give me some credit). Since then I havent played a single hand of poker (until today that is so I decided to get back into sharing my stories with you guys!) so I havent had much motivation to keep this updated but I will be going back on a streak where I will start reupdating again.
Without further ado, here is one of my final tournaments from Vegas this summer.
I was back at the Venetian for (what would be) my final Deepstack event of the summer hoping to hit it big. Unfortunately, the perverbial hangover from my big stack no cash last tournament affected me greater than I would have liked it too and I ended up busting early in a spot I usually might not go bust.
Level 1: 50-100. The SB limped into my BB and I made it 250. He called and we checked to the turn on J958 where he bet 300 and I folded. The hijack made it 250 and I 3-bet to 600 from the button with KJo. He called and we checked to the turn on 7769 where he bet 625 and I folded. It may be weak to not c-bet on either of these hands but I think on the 2nd one I am getting called by like 90% of his range on that flop so I didnt really want to overdo it that early (1st one I absolutely should have c-bet). I made it 250 UTG with 97dd and the BB was the only caller. The flop came A64 2 diamonds and he check-folded to my 325 bet. A player in EP made it 300 and I called from the button with AJo. We checked to the turn on Q54K where he bet 300 and I called. The river came a J, he checked, I bet 700, he called, and I lost when he showed AK. Not too sure what I was thinking here. I found QQ UTG and made it 250 and got 3 callers. The flop came a harmless J43r, I bet 650, and 2 of the callers called. The turn came another 4, I bet 1700, and everyone folded. The button opened to 250 and I called from the BB with 87o. The flop came QT7, I checked, he bet 275, and I called. The turn came a 4, I checked, he bet 550, and I called. The river came an A, I checked, he checked behind and my 4th pair happend to be good. A player UTG opened to 225, 2 people called, I 3-bet to 800 from the button with KQo, and they all called. The flop came KK9, they checked, I bet 1500, and they all folded. I was up to about 15000 after this hand. The hijack opened to 250 and I called in the cutoff with 77. The flop came KQ9 and I folded to a bet. After this hand, however disaster struck as my stack went from 15k to 0 in 2 hands! Typically when I bust out I dont write my hands down out of 1. Anger 2. The fact that I am leaving and dont want to stay and write and 3. I will always remember my bust hands. However, since this is about 3 months after the tournament I dont remember the specific details of these 2 hands. What I do remember is as follows. I remember the 1st hand, I lost about 6k-7k of my chips when I 3-bet KQ suited, got called, the flop came K high, and he flopped a set. I was down to about 8k-9k in chips when next hand, I flopped a straight draw/flush draw and got it all in vs an overpair and busted when I failed to hit. Typically I wouldnt really push the action with a combo draw like this here this early but like I said, I was probably destined to fail this tournament because my heart wasnt 100% in it.
After this tournament, I took a few days off to mentally get myself ready for the last tournament of my summer, the giant Caesars 1k main event that was going to be massive in terms of entrants, prize pool, and structure.
Without further ado, here is one of my final tournaments from Vegas this summer.
I was back at the Venetian for (what would be) my final Deepstack event of the summer hoping to hit it big. Unfortunately, the perverbial hangover from my big stack no cash last tournament affected me greater than I would have liked it too and I ended up busting early in a spot I usually might not go bust.
Level 1: 50-100. The SB limped into my BB and I made it 250. He called and we checked to the turn on J958 where he bet 300 and I folded. The hijack made it 250 and I 3-bet to 600 from the button with KJo. He called and we checked to the turn on 7769 where he bet 625 and I folded. It may be weak to not c-bet on either of these hands but I think on the 2nd one I am getting called by like 90% of his range on that flop so I didnt really want to overdo it that early (1st one I absolutely should have c-bet). I made it 250 UTG with 97dd and the BB was the only caller. The flop came A64 2 diamonds and he check-folded to my 325 bet. A player in EP made it 300 and I called from the button with AJo. We checked to the turn on Q54K where he bet 300 and I called. The river came a J, he checked, I bet 700, he called, and I lost when he showed AK. Not too sure what I was thinking here. I found QQ UTG and made it 250 and got 3 callers. The flop came a harmless J43r, I bet 650, and 2 of the callers called. The turn came another 4, I bet 1700, and everyone folded. The button opened to 250 and I called from the BB with 87o. The flop came QT7, I checked, he bet 275, and I called. The turn came a 4, I checked, he bet 550, and I called. The river came an A, I checked, he checked behind and my 4th pair happend to be good. A player UTG opened to 225, 2 people called, I 3-bet to 800 from the button with KQo, and they all called. The flop came KK9, they checked, I bet 1500, and they all folded. I was up to about 15000 after this hand. The hijack opened to 250 and I called in the cutoff with 77. The flop came KQ9 and I folded to a bet. After this hand, however disaster struck as my stack went from 15k to 0 in 2 hands! Typically when I bust out I dont write my hands down out of 1. Anger 2. The fact that I am leaving and dont want to stay and write and 3. I will always remember my bust hands. However, since this is about 3 months after the tournament I dont remember the specific details of these 2 hands. What I do remember is as follows. I remember the 1st hand, I lost about 6k-7k of my chips when I 3-bet KQ suited, got called, the flop came K high, and he flopped a set. I was down to about 8k-9k in chips when next hand, I flopped a straight draw/flush draw and got it all in vs an overpair and busted when I failed to hit. Typically I wouldnt really push the action with a combo draw like this here this early but like I said, I was probably destined to fail this tournament because my heart wasnt 100% in it.
After this tournament, I took a few days off to mentally get myself ready for the last tournament of my summer, the giant Caesars 1k main event that was going to be massive in terms of entrants, prize pool, and structure.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)