...is tough to do at the same place with the same players, but embolded by my 5th place finish last Friday, decided to give it another shot the next night in my favorite MTT over at Four Aces.
Going to advance over to level 7, since it's been pretty much a boring, yet steady, run so far to get up to 35K in chips...75% more than starting stack at the break. Double-up against big stack at the table after getting the standard "Flop a set, get paid off by guy holding pair of aces and either top kicker or 2nd pair" that you see a lot, then promptly lose 50K when my A-K call of an all-in vs A-Q loses to a queen on the turn.
Blinds up to 2K/4K, and at 14K I open-shove with K-Q UTG, get 2 callers. Queen on the flop holds up, and feeling really lucky after no one has a club on a four-flush board, and we merge down to 2 tables with 45K in chips. Card-dead for remainder of this and next level, and at second we're looking pretty anemic at 35K - with 5K/10K blinds, doh!
Tell a player I talk with a lot during the break that I'm lucky in that I'm on the button to start, so I have a few hands before I absolutely have to shove. 4 hands into the next level, J-J works for me to steal the blinds. The next hand, A-10 is good for a 50K shove, and the blinds fold again...great, almost double up without showing a card. 2 hands later in the BB, the SB shoves for 50K, and K-Q looks good...and in fact, is good when SB shows K-8. No one pairs up or improves, and I get a knockout. Guess you could say the plan worked.
On the button 2 hands later, the biggest hand of the night takes place. UTG open-shoves for 65K, and after folded around to me, I look down to see A-Q. Figuring that I'm probably in a great spot here, and in a coin-flip, at worst, I shove my last 110K in the middle. BB goes in tank for a bit, then calls for most of his chips. UTG shows 9-9, BB shows 10-10, so I'm, in effect, in a coin-flip for 275K here...even if I lose this hand and go out, a great spot to be in here...and I do something I rarely do - get out of my seat and stand up.
Ace on the flop brings an audible "YES!" out of me, and I clap the hands a few times as blanks come on the turn and river, and all of a sudden I'm factor in this damn thing. We lose 2 players in the next 2 hands, and off to a final table we go!
Paying 7 - no chop, again, for the short-stacks (doesn't make me upset), and we get down to that 7 in short-order. Blinded down to about 210K or so, and make (arguably) first major mistake of the night - 3-bet all-in with A-10 after UTG (loose player) raised to 50K - when UTG snap-calls with A-J. No help to me, and down to 60K...ugh!
Time to grind some more, and find a spot with K-10 to shove (BB in 2 hands - blinds just up to 15K/30K). 10-5 in BB attempts to donate...and King on flop looks great, but the runner-runner straight makes a chopped-pot. Better to be alive than not, I guess. 8-8 looks great UTG the next hand, and when it's folded around, more chips to me.
Linger around a bit more - and get a bustout with K-4 vs 2-2, of all hands. Next hand, bustout another player with my 9-9 holds up against A-J, and down to 4 players. At this point, all 4 of us have between 300K and 400K in chips, and another player proposes a 4-way chop of 340 each. While I'm amenable to a chop, I proposed everyone giving up $15 and playing it out with the $60 going to the winner. The other 3 like that idea, and off we go to get down to one winner.
One player and I end up taking small pot after small pot, before busting out the other players to get heads up. Blinds at 30K/60K now, and each of us sits with fairly even stacks. First hand of HU, I smooth-call a PFR with Q-Q, then watch my opponent open-shove after a Jack-high flop hits. Pretty much snap-call, and watch him turn over K-J - dodge a jack and a king, and leaves my opponent with 50K in chips...and in BB next hand.
The vaunted monster of 7-5 is good enough for a call, and (HA!) is dominating my opponent's 7-3. 5 on the flop is good enough, and an actual outright win is mine!
Don't get me wrong, chopping for first place money is always a good thing...but being the last man standing is even sweeter!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
A Chip, a chair, and a couple of prayers...
...answered, that best sums up my Friday night at Four Aces Charity Poker Room last weekend.
79 players in my normal $35 buy-in, 20K "deep-stack" event. Not much eventful, on my end, for the first hour and a half, yet chipped up to 35K at the break after busting a shorty in a set over set confrontation. There was one hand that was really interesting on many aspects, and I'll detail it best I can here.
UTG young punk open-raises to 1200 in middle of 50/100 level, and gets the 2 players to my immediate right to call. Almost call with Q-J here, but figure that even if I hit here, I'm probably in a lot of trouble...so I dutifully fold.
Flop of 7-4-2, all hearts, hits the board, and our action just picks up. UTG raiser bets out 2500, and Teri (solid player who I've played with at World Tavern before) min-raises to 5K. Player on left smooth-calls the raise, and while UTG player goes into the tank, I stand up and talk to the dude sitting on my left...who had already gotten up from his chair to watch the action.
"What do you think they have?" is asked of me, and I tell him, "Not sure who has what, but I'm guessing that (UTG) and the lady have a set and an overpair between the 2 of them...and other dude has a non-nut flush or the nut draw".
Once in a while, I get these things right - UTG shoves all in for 18K, Teri take a minute before calling, and other dude insta-calls for less. UTG has KK (with one heart), Teri has a set of 7s, and other guy has A-hearts for the nut draw. Board runs out black and low, and a set of 7s wins a monster pot early in the tourney. Difficult laydown there if UTG makes it - and from playing with him before, surprised he didn't make it. Tough to go very far when you get your money in with only one out, though.
Lose a couple of pots, get moved to another table, and a crippling hand hits me. Correctly read an early raiser for a K-Q/Ace-rag hand, and 3-bet all-in with 8-8. Small blind calls me, but am unfortunate to run into BBs 9-9. Board runs out 7-7-7-4-9, and I'm down to 4.5K, with blinds going up to 1.5K/3K the next hand...gulp!
A couple of hands later, I see A-9, and shove in from EP - 10-10 and K-J end up all-in and have me covered, but an Ace on the river saves my tournament, and more than triples me up. Take down a couple of pots afterwards, and get moved to another table, sitting at 34K.
Shove with 8-8, again, after 2 early position limp-ins at start of 2K/4K level, only to run into the SB's K-K. Board runs out, but the prayer is answered when I spike an 8 on the river to steal the pot, and run my stack up to 80K. A little justice is served later, on another hand that merits some debate.
Guy I sucked out on previously open shoves for his last 25K after shorty UTG shoves for her last 10K. Player on my right smooth-calls, and I look down to see A-K. Hmmmm...this is where reading the player sometimes is more important than what I'm holding. I know player on my right is a real loose player, and is likely to be holding something like A-10, A-rag, K-Q, or even a hand like 3-3 in this spot. I also know that he believes me to only raise with a monster in this situation - and will probably fold hands like A-Q, A-J, and pairs like 2-2 through 9-9 if I shove. Sensing a chance to play for an 85K pot here, I shove all-in, and after a minute or so in the tank, the other caller folds his hand. He tells me it was A-Q, but I'm thinking it was some kind of pair there, based on his reaction when the cards were turned over. Anyways, 2nd all-in player gets his revenge on me, when he flops a set of 4s to take the pot down, and eliminate a player. Soon after, down to 2 tables.
Merge to 2 tables, and steadily chip up until we finally merge to final table (5K/10K blinds) - sitting at about chip average of 150K. No great hands one way or another, but with the blinds rapidly moving up, at 30K/60K level I am forced to shove for last 200K from SB with K-Q - A-2 (big-stack) insta-calls me, and when neither of us improve, am eliminated in 5th place...for about $155. Not a bad few hours of work.
Then again, that was nothing compared to the next night....
79 players in my normal $35 buy-in, 20K "deep-stack" event. Not much eventful, on my end, for the first hour and a half, yet chipped up to 35K at the break after busting a shorty in a set over set confrontation. There was one hand that was really interesting on many aspects, and I'll detail it best I can here.
UTG young punk open-raises to 1200 in middle of 50/100 level, and gets the 2 players to my immediate right to call. Almost call with Q-J here, but figure that even if I hit here, I'm probably in a lot of trouble...so I dutifully fold.
Flop of 7-4-2, all hearts, hits the board, and our action just picks up. UTG raiser bets out 2500, and Teri (solid player who I've played with at World Tavern before) min-raises to 5K. Player on left smooth-calls the raise, and while UTG player goes into the tank, I stand up and talk to the dude sitting on my left...who had already gotten up from his chair to watch the action.
"What do you think they have?" is asked of me, and I tell him, "Not sure who has what, but I'm guessing that (UTG) and the lady have a set and an overpair between the 2 of them...and other dude has a non-nut flush or the nut draw".
Once in a while, I get these things right - UTG shoves all in for 18K, Teri take a minute before calling, and other dude insta-calls for less. UTG has KK (with one heart), Teri has a set of 7s, and other guy has A-hearts for the nut draw. Board runs out black and low, and a set of 7s wins a monster pot early in the tourney. Difficult laydown there if UTG makes it - and from playing with him before, surprised he didn't make it. Tough to go very far when you get your money in with only one out, though.
Lose a couple of pots, get moved to another table, and a crippling hand hits me. Correctly read an early raiser for a K-Q/Ace-rag hand, and 3-bet all-in with 8-8. Small blind calls me, but am unfortunate to run into BBs 9-9. Board runs out 7-7-7-4-9, and I'm down to 4.5K, with blinds going up to 1.5K/3K the next hand...gulp!
A couple of hands later, I see A-9, and shove in from EP - 10-10 and K-J end up all-in and have me covered, but an Ace on the river saves my tournament, and more than triples me up. Take down a couple of pots afterwards, and get moved to another table, sitting at 34K.
Shove with 8-8, again, after 2 early position limp-ins at start of 2K/4K level, only to run into the SB's K-K. Board runs out, but the prayer is answered when I spike an 8 on the river to steal the pot, and run my stack up to 80K. A little justice is served later, on another hand that merits some debate.
Guy I sucked out on previously open shoves for his last 25K after shorty UTG shoves for her last 10K. Player on my right smooth-calls, and I look down to see A-K. Hmmmm...this is where reading the player sometimes is more important than what I'm holding. I know player on my right is a real loose player, and is likely to be holding something like A-10, A-rag, K-Q, or even a hand like 3-3 in this spot. I also know that he believes me to only raise with a monster in this situation - and will probably fold hands like A-Q, A-J, and pairs like 2-2 through 9-9 if I shove. Sensing a chance to play for an 85K pot here, I shove all-in, and after a minute or so in the tank, the other caller folds his hand. He tells me it was A-Q, but I'm thinking it was some kind of pair there, based on his reaction when the cards were turned over. Anyways, 2nd all-in player gets his revenge on me, when he flops a set of 4s to take the pot down, and eliminate a player. Soon after, down to 2 tables.
Merge to 2 tables, and steadily chip up until we finally merge to final table (5K/10K blinds) - sitting at about chip average of 150K. No great hands one way or another, but with the blinds rapidly moving up, at 30K/60K level I am forced to shove for last 200K from SB with K-Q - A-2 (big-stack) insta-calls me, and when neither of us improve, am eliminated in 5th place...for about $155. Not a bad few hours of work.
Then again, that was nothing compared to the next night....
Monday, October 24, 2011
Finding a leak...and doing something about it.
Played in the Tavern Championship last week, and started off in very solid fashion. Flopped a set of 6s after an UTG-raise, and got paid off 2 streets in value the entire way by A-rag and a missed straight draw...good donkeys! Proceeded to tread water at about 22K (10K starting stack), then one hand where afterwards I immediately wanted back took place between me and Dan Park (World Tavern National Champion, in case I haven't already mentioned this numerous times) that led to my ultimate demise.
UTG raise with 10-9 soooooooted (5-handed table - next player out brings upon a merge to final table of 8), smooth-called by Dan. Dan plays a lot of hands, both raising and in the blinds, so it's tough to put him on hands early. Flop of J-7-6 rainbow hits, and Dan (small blind) checks. As am I want to do on pre-flop raises (PFR), I bet out a 60% or so pot-sized bet, which is followed by a rather quick check-raise to put me all-in. I Hollywood things a bit, then fold...dealer rabbits out an 8 next card, which would have been gin for me, and worth a huge pot due to Dan holding A-J here.
Results aside, I can think of a few instances recently where my PFRs have been check-raised in instances where I could have taken free cards and better figure out where I am in hands, and that's a problem I need to work on. Well, at least be aware of it more - utilized to great effect this weekend at the charity poker rooms...but that's another post, altogether.
UTG raise with 10-9 soooooooted (5-handed table - next player out brings upon a merge to final table of 8), smooth-called by Dan. Dan plays a lot of hands, both raising and in the blinds, so it's tough to put him on hands early. Flop of J-7-6 rainbow hits, and Dan (small blind) checks. As am I want to do on pre-flop raises (PFR), I bet out a 60% or so pot-sized bet, which is followed by a rather quick check-raise to put me all-in. I Hollywood things a bit, then fold...dealer rabbits out an 8 next card, which would have been gin for me, and worth a huge pot due to Dan holding A-J here.
Results aside, I can think of a few instances recently where my PFRs have been check-raised in instances where I could have taken free cards and better figure out where I am in hands, and that's a problem I need to work on. Well, at least be aware of it more - utilized to great effect this weekend at the charity poker rooms...but that's another post, altogether.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Sweet!
Get me a little hardware later tonight, and pretty damn proud of it. After checking things out on the league website, it's official - I managed to hold on to 1st place for the season, despite not playing 2 out of the past 3 weeks at Hatchey's (or anywhere else, for that matter). That plaque/coin, or whatever the hell I get, will look good collecting dust on some shelf somewhere, I'm guessing.
Seriously, in some ways it almost doesn't matter how I do in the Tavern Championship, since I think long-term results are more gratifying than the results of one tournament. That being said, I want to get another piece of hardware tonight - we'll see how that works.
Seriously, in some ways it almost doesn't matter how I do in the Tavern Championship, since I think long-term results are more gratifying than the results of one tournament. That being said, I want to get another piece of hardware tonight - we'll see how that works.
Monday, October 17, 2011
A long break from the blog is over...
...so a post or 3 is in order for this blog. Enjoyed my first full week off of work in almost 5 years right before Labor Day, and have gotten to play a lot of poker since then. Let's first recap the month of August for me here:
- Min-cashed in charity poker room tourney...went out 10th (9th & 10th got buy-in back in chop once final table reached) out of 83 players.
- Two wins, two seconds in last 3 weeks at World Tavern Poker at Hatchy's.
- Two top-4 finishes (29 & 26 player fields) over at WTP at Overtyme this week.
- Two top-15 finishes out of 50+ man fields at WTP at Bullfrog's this week.
- 2 home game cashes out of final 3 games in Dino's game - game permanently ended until a new home is found.
Relatively small stakes, but a very solid month, ROI-wise. September also turned out to be a solid month - 2 more wins, 3 more seconds in September for me, another home game win at my place (thanks to the Dinos crew for a hell of a fun night!)...just not as much play as I would have liked.
Strange hand from a game at Overtyme, and a lesson in why you never show your cards to anyone at the table if you're staying in the hand. We're on the 4th or 5th hand of the 2nd tournament, and UTG I look at AK...raise it up to 600 (100/200 blinds). Old guy next to me (who I played against the night before at Bullfrogs in Ortonville) pops it up to 1,200, and folded around to me. In way I am seated at the table, I see the old guy show the player to his left what he has, and in putting them back (slowly) on the table, I am able to see that he holds A-10...interesting.
There's a good argument to be made about making any play here (except for folding, of course), but I chose to 4-bet him to 2,400...believing that he won't fold for that cheap a reraise, and I want to get more of his chips in the center. After a few seconds of thought, I believe he puts me on a JJ or QQ hand, and 5-bets it back to 5K. Pause for a few seconds, then 6-bet shove my chips in the middle...which unbelievably gets a snap call from my opponent! Board runs out A-K-8-Q-Q, and I claim an early knockout of my opponent. Can't remember the last time I've been in a hand where a 5-bet was going on, much less a 6-bet...but, obviously, when you KNOW what your opponent actually has (as opposed to "what you put him on"), much easier to play him.
I could get used to that time off...but don't ever want to do it under the 99 Weeks of Obama-goodness plan (otherwise known as "unemployment").
Trying to figure out how to add a 2nd night to my schedule...and I pretty much have approval from the Mrs to do so. Thinking either Sunday night at Buckshots in Clarkston, or Tuesday nights at Overtyme in Waterford...but we'll see.
Anyways, have my Hatchey's Tavern Championship this week, then Hatchey's Tournament of Champions next week - looking to finish one of my most consistent seasons in any league out in style.
- Min-cashed in charity poker room tourney...went out 10th (9th & 10th got buy-in back in chop once final table reached) out of 83 players.
- Two wins, two seconds in last 3 weeks at World Tavern Poker at Hatchy's.
- Two top-4 finishes (29 & 26 player fields) over at WTP at Overtyme this week.
- Two top-15 finishes out of 50+ man fields at WTP at Bullfrog's this week.
- 2 home game cashes out of final 3 games in Dino's game - game permanently ended until a new home is found.
Relatively small stakes, but a very solid month, ROI-wise. September also turned out to be a solid month - 2 more wins, 3 more seconds in September for me, another home game win at my place (thanks to the Dinos crew for a hell of a fun night!)...just not as much play as I would have liked.
Strange hand from a game at Overtyme, and a lesson in why you never show your cards to anyone at the table if you're staying in the hand. We're on the 4th or 5th hand of the 2nd tournament, and UTG I look at AK...raise it up to 600 (100/200 blinds). Old guy next to me (who I played against the night before at Bullfrogs in Ortonville) pops it up to 1,200, and folded around to me. In way I am seated at the table, I see the old guy show the player to his left what he has, and in putting them back (slowly) on the table, I am able to see that he holds A-10...interesting.
There's a good argument to be made about making any play here (except for folding, of course), but I chose to 4-bet him to 2,400...believing that he won't fold for that cheap a reraise, and I want to get more of his chips in the center. After a few seconds of thought, I believe he puts me on a JJ or QQ hand, and 5-bets it back to 5K. Pause for a few seconds, then 6-bet shove my chips in the middle...which unbelievably gets a snap call from my opponent! Board runs out A-K-8-Q-Q, and I claim an early knockout of my opponent. Can't remember the last time I've been in a hand where a 5-bet was going on, much less a 6-bet...but, obviously, when you KNOW what your opponent actually has (as opposed to "what you put him on"), much easier to play him.
I could get used to that time off...but don't ever want to do it under the 99 Weeks of Obama-goodness plan (otherwise known as "unemployment").
Trying to figure out how to add a 2nd night to my schedule...and I pretty much have approval from the Mrs to do so. Thinking either Sunday night at Buckshots in Clarkston, or Tuesday nights at Overtyme in Waterford...but we'll see.
Anyways, have my Hatchey's Tavern Championship this week, then Hatchey's Tournament of Champions next week - looking to finish one of my most consistent seasons in any league out in style.
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