Well, I just busted out of the PPIV Super Satellite in 6th place. Yes,
top 2 get the cruise package, next 3 pay, and 6th gets nothing. Here goes
the full tourny story (my first time writing one)...
So in case you missed my 15 posts on the subject, I qualified for this
$210+$16 event through a $28 SNG, which I qualified for from an $8 SNG.
Would have been nice to turn $8 into $1890 (5th place prize) or more, and
I definitely wouldn't have minded making it onto the WPT final table and
have them mention how I only bought in for $8. I think that's the lowest
buy-in you can get for these tournys! Anyway, I played the $8 SNG last
night and the $28 SNG this morning, and I thought that I was qualifying
for the January semi-finals. Turns out I qualified for a tournament
tonight, so I changed my plans and was home at 7:15pm for the tourny.
Everyone started with 1000 chips, and there were 165 entries. I got a
nice start when I had 9c Tc in the big blind and checked and saw a flop of
Ac Qc 4c. I bet the pot to get out the King and Jack high flush draws,
and one guy flat called me. The turn brought a rag, so I moved all in on
the turn, and this guy called me all in. He had As 6c, so he was drawing
dead. Nice double up.
A little bit later, a desperate short stack made a decent size raise UTG.
I found KK in middle position and wanted some action, so I just called his
bet. A bigger stack behind me made a raise, and I flat called that raise
as well. If one of these players was going to show me aces, I was ready
to accept that. But it was pretty early in the tournament, so I was
pretty sure this was loose playing at its best. Flop came rags, like ten
high, and I checked to the raiser. He went all in, and I quickly called.
He flipped over queens, and original short stack had K5o. No help for
either of them on the river, and I became the chip leader of the entire
tournament for about 5 seconds.
Was pretty proud of myself when I found AKs in the SB and was able to fold
it. Early position raise, which I was ready to call, but then a guy
before me re-raised. I was pretty sure I was beaten, and might get a chop
at best. Folded, and original raiser went all in and re-raiser called.
JJ vs. AK. A jack on the flop and AK was out, and I smiled to myself.
Got a little short stacked and won a nice pot with AQ. I raised preflop
and the chip leader at our table called. Flop gave me nothing, so I bet
3/4 of the pot hoping to take it down, and he flat called. The turn
brought no help, so I checked, giving up on the bluff. He checked as
well. OK, maybe I'll try again on the river. YES! Poker gods brought me
a queen on the river and I bet 3/4 of the pot again. He folded.
Very next hand I limped in in late position with J9s, and the flop came
JJ7. A nice gift to say the least... I took it down quite quickly.
Picked up 99 UTG and raised from 50 to 175, middle position player raised
to 300, I called. Flop came down 8 high, so a decent flop for me. I bet
half the pot and was raised. I folded and saw him flip over KK to beat
the all-in's hand. Good fold again.
I raised UTG with AK and got called by a maniac, this maniac being the
same guy who lucked into being the chip leader and gave me some chips when
I had AQ. Flop came down rags and he checked to me, so I bet 2/3 pot. He
called. Hmmm. Same thing on the turn as last time: check, check. River
looked a little scary (can't remember, flush draw?), so I checked, and he
checked. I won with ace high... he had Jc 5c and was calling with a gut
shot straight draw. Hmmm, ok, I'll take it.
Didn't get any hands for about an hour and got somewhat short stacked
because of it. Found AK in the BB and was fortunate enough that the table
folded to the button and the button raised a lot, which was obviously a
steal. I moved all-in, and he stupidly called with J8o. I won and
doubled up.
Found KK again in MP. EP player raised from 200 to 900, and I reraised to
1800, he called. He checked when the flop came 952, and I put him all in.
He called and showed A7o, and I got his chips and busted him out. Even
got a king on the river to make a nice set, though it was unneeded.
Didn't have hands again for awhile, so just stayed below the radar and
stole the blinds when I could. Tried to steal the blinds when one of my
tables was shorthanded with A7o on the button. I was called, and the flop
came KTT. He checked and I made a decent bet, and he moved all in.
Folded and lost a few chips there.
Ended up short stacked again and was forced to push a few times to steal
blinds. Got KJo on the button and pushed and was called by AQ. Hit a
jack on the flop and doubled up.
Found KK again for the 3rd time (still no aces, grrr) and made a small
raise UTG. Another player pushed all in and I called. He flipped over AT
and got no help, and again I caught a king to make an unneeded set.
Had a very big hand when I had As 7s and raised to steal the blinds and
was called by the BB. Flop came 9s Tc 5s. He checked to me, and I was
going to bet it, but he had a tendency to smell my weakness and move in on
me. I decided to decide if I had a monster or nothing. Turn didn't bring
me my flush, but it brought me 8d, so now I had a straight draw to go with
my flush draw. He bet about 1/2 pot and I immediately just called. River
was the beautiful 8s to complete my nut flush. Pretty sure he didn't
runner runner a full house, so I was good.
He checked and I bet 1/2 of the pot and he contemplated for awhile and
finally folded.
That gave me a nice chip stack, and I was 3rd in chips going to the final
6 players. Here's the horrible hand that ruined me...
Early position player limped in, and we had been going virtually flopless
for quite some time, so limping meant strength to me. But I had AQs, so I
decided to raise and make sure he wasn't trying to get fancy with suited
connectors. He called, and the flop came down AQT. Jackpot! Or is it?
He bet 1/3 of the pot at it, so I put him on Ax, and I made a pot size
raise, which committed a lot of my chips to the pot. He then thought and
moved in.
Now here's the problem... when Mike ***ton says the players are replaying
the hand in their hand, I should have listened and done just this. I had
already decided the limp meant strength. AK is not strong enough to limp
with, but AA is. So is QQ. Mayyybe TT. But I figured those two hands to
be likely, yet when he moved all in on me, I called. He had QQ for a
flopped set. My read was correct and my call was incorrect.
Everyone at the table gasped and assured me they would have lost it all on
that hand, too, but I disagree. I knew better than to call his all-in,
and I still would have had a decent sized stack to at least try to make
the money as one player was left for me to get a guaranteed $2k. I guess
I'm getting to be a better poker player, though, because I made it pretty
damned far and even knew the correct move, but second guessed myself. I
could see him making that move with AK or KK, so it definitely wasn't a
terrible call, but my gut originally said not to call and I did anyway.
What can you do, right?
Can't complain... got some nice tourny experience, and it only cost me $8.
Will definitely be trying this again... let's hope it's not beginners
luck.
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