Dino's Tourney - 8/23/10

Another Monday comes to Dino's, and just before starting I get into my recent bit of "I feel an early knockout coming"...it's good for a few laughs from a couple of people, but it's mainly my way of giving fair warning that I'm not coming playing tight early, and that I'm willing to try to bust others (or even myself) on coin-flips and draws in the first couple of levels.

Drop down from 2400 to 1800 chips pretty early, but then quickly get back up to over 3500 in the matter of one orbit thanks to turning trip 5's and flopping a straight on consecutive hands. Pick up pocket kings on the button on last hand of 2nd orbit, and after 3 players limp in (blinds at 50/100), I raise to 500 to chase players away. Sharon (generally plays only solid cards) and some new guy call...and see a great flop of Q-2-6 rainbow. I bet out 800, which gets Sharon to fold 10-10 after some deliberation, but called by some new guy for his last 200...and he flips over Q-7 - no fold'em hold'em was not working for him today. K-K holds up, and we get 2K in chips AND our early knockout we love getting.

A couple of orbits later, after chipping up another grand via blind steals, I see Doctor O (only player who found the game from reading this blog, go figure) shove 1600 UTG...and figure that my pocket 9's are good against his 2 overs. I call, and am proven correct when O flips over A-Q. O hits his ace on flop, but I also flop a set of 9s, fill up with 8s on turn, and dodge one of 2 aces on river to knock O out.

Next couple of orbits are mainly card-dead, with the odd blind steal here, but then I decide to donk off 1/2 my chips to Jennifer (new player who only pushes with big hands) after my PFR of 1000 (150/300 blinds) is reraised another 1800. Easy call when figuring the math out and considering the stack sizes, but then you feel a little stupid when opponent flips K-K over. K-K holds up, and it's back to grinding (3900 chips at this point).

Build stack back up to over 5K (200/400) then get a knockout of Sharon after she pushes after hitting something on the river, but will be unhappy to see that my K-J made its straight on the turn. Jovan comes along for the ride on the river...and then the interesting conondrum comes up: What to make for a value bet? I sort of figure that any raise I make will not get paid off, so I make the min-raise of 900 - I figure that I am giving him 6 or 7 to 1 to call here, but he folds middle pair face-up, and after flipping my straight over we are down to 12.

Fold 2 hands in a row at new table, and then we are merged into our final table. At this point I go out for a smoke, and pretty guarantee to the other palyers at the table that I'm getting no worse than 3rd (wine for prize) tonight...kinda putting a bullseye on me.

I am thinking here that my 7700 might be best in the room, but if it's not, I'm close. Brad and Poker Don are eliminated in the first 3 hands. Donald is crippled by me and 2 pair against his top pair, then taken out by Jennifer's A-K versus A-Q...and we're down to 7.

In the next 6-7 hands, I go from about 14K to 27K in chips doing nothing but bullying the table around...and this would be my high point of the night. Go card-dead for a while, and any steal attempts are met by some playing back at me (finally). Watch Chris (new guy), Jennifer, and Slow Joe go out, and we're down to 4.

Lose 9K of chips with A-8 after I get check-raised by Kid Dave flopping top pair with his Q-10...and then the bubble-play tightens up. Jovan is crippled by Kid Dave a few hands later, and then knocked out on the next hand to get us to 3. Eric wastes little time is pushing on the button with J-10, only to have Kid Dave call...and me with an interesting decision holding A-10 (500/1000 here). I come over the top of Dave, who goes into the tank and finally calls me with A-5...monster hand potential here! K-K-4 hits flop, then an 8 on turn...followed by a loud "GD it!" after another 4 hits on river, giving Kid Dave and me a split pot...and me a feeling that my best chance to double may have passed.

Blinds up to 1000/2000, and in 3rd hand of HU I push with A-5, only to be insta-called with A-J. No help anywhere, and for 3rd time in 6 weeks, a runner-up finish is my fate in this league. I'll take the gift cert, but I leave feeling pretty
disgusted with myself for (in my mind) not getting it done...but after reviewing my recap, it was a simple case of Kid Dave catching a great run of cards, and playing them well. Congrats!

Cheryl finally tallies points up for the season, and by 9 points I have the point lead with 45 - and am a lock for the season finale tourney....errr, whenever that is.