RunGood Poker Series Comes to the JACK - Part 2

On Tuesday, September 27th, I returned to JACK Cleveland Casino to play the RunGood Poker Series Guest Ambassador Bounty Ring event. This was a $200 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournament with bounties awarded if you knock out one of the 10 guest ambassadors. One of my long time poker friends, Linda Eisenstein, was one of the JACK ambassadors, while bracelet winner Chad Holloway of PokerNews.com and "Boston" Rob Mariano of Survivor fame also made the trip to Cleveland.

206 players entered the tournament with 21 making the money and 1st place earning a whopping $8,600. Everyone started with 20,000 in chips and the levels were 20 minutes long. Here's the structure:

The tournament gets off to a late start...

Listening to pre-tournament announcements & ambassador intros - Photo credit: RunGood

...but I soon find out which guest ambassador would be playing at my table - Chad Holloway!

With Chad Holloway from PokerNews.com - pleasure meeting & playing with you!

Tournament chips & guest bounty Chad Holloway

Let's dive right in, because this is a lengthy one...

Level 1 - 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante

15 minutes into the first level, I pick up 5d 3s in the BB and there are 5 players to the flop: 6h 4x 2h. With the heart draw on board, I'm not going to slow play my straight and lead out for 700. I get one caller, who was a nice gentleman I was playing cash with earlier in the day. I was able to pick up a tell on the guy earlier too. Turn [6h 4x 2h] 6c. The board pairs, but I still lead for 1,100 and he calls. River [6h 4x 2h 6c] Ax. No flush on board, so I bet 2,000 and am called. He mucks when I show him my straight and said he couldn't get away from his over-pair on the flop.

In the CO, I raise to 600 with pocket Tens and get SIX callers. This was something I was anticipating since it's a bounty tournament with re-entries. Flop is K 5 8 and we all check. Turn [K 5 8] 2. I bet 1,300 and get one caller. River [K 5 8 2] 3. We both check and my Tens are good.

I end Level 1 with 27,400. A great start!

Photo credit: RunGood's Joe Garrett

Level 2 - 200/300 with a 300 big blind ante

I pick up QJ off-suit from early position and raise to 800. Flop is J62, with two clubs. I bet 1,200 and get raised to 5,000. I'm still feeling out the table, so I fold and my opponent shows pocket Aces. Weird that they didn't 3-bet pre-flop.

In late position, I raise with Tc 2c and get several callers. I pair my Ten on the flop, but there's an Ace on board and 2 players stick around after my c-bet. I give up from there because it's clear one or both have an Ace.

There's nothing else noteworthy to report from this level and I have 22,500.

Level 3 - 200/400 with a 400 big blind ante

In the CO, I raise to 2,000 with pocket Tens and Chad Holloway calls. I want to play a lot of pots with him to see if I can earn his bounty. The Flop is 8 6 4, with two spades. I bet 3,500 with my over-pair to the board and Chad calls. Turn [8 6 4] Qc. We both check. River [8 6 4 Q] 7s, which brings the straight and spade possibilities. I check-fold to Chad's 4,500 bet and ask him if I bet the Turn if he would have folded. He says yes. I even tweet about the hand and it was fun to see him respond. Playing poker with Chad for much of the evening was really fun and he's a super nice guy!

Chad Holloway tweeting me back

Two hands later, I pick up pocket Nines in the SB. There's an all-in ahead of me for 1,300 and I call, along with several others. Flop is K 9 8, with two diamonds. I lead out for 3,500 and another player goes all-in. I call and my trip 9's hold up for a nice pot and I knock two players out of the tournament. No bounties though. This pot puts me over 30,000 and I end the level with 33,100.

Level 4 - 300/600 with a 600 big blind ante

During the first hand of the level, I limp in with pocket Twos. A new guy at my table who just sat down raises to 2,500. He has position on me, but I decide to peel a flop. The door card is a deuce and I check. My opponent jams and my set holds against his pocket Queens.

A bit later, I limp in from middle position with 5c 4c. Chad raises to 3,100 and there are 3 callers, including me. Flop 7 6 J. It checks around. Turn [7 6 J] Q. A nice lady at the table bets 1,200 and Chad and I both call. River is a blank for me and I get out of the way when she bets the river.

I'm in the BB with KQ of spades and there’s a few limpers. I raise to 2,500 and get one caller. Flop As Tx 5s, giving me the nut flush draw and gut-shot. I check-call a 3,000 bet. Turn [As Tx 5s] 6d. We both check. River [As Tx 5s 6d] 4s, giving me the nuts. I bet enough, roughly 8,000, to put my opponent all in and she folds an Ace.

I have 57,400 at the end of the level.

Level 5 - 400/800 with a 800 big blind ante 

There are 5 limpers ahead of me in the BB when I look down at pocket Queens. I pop it to 6,500. Chad thinks about calling for a while, but folds what he said was pocket Nines. Everyone else folds too, but I still pick up a nice pot. 

The very next hand, someone moves all in for 8,300 and I make a somewhat loose call with QJ of spades. It's a classic race against pocket Fours and I knock out another player when a Queen flops.

From the CO, I raise to 1,500 with J7 of diamonds. Chad calls in the big blind, and the flop is 8 4 6. We both check to see the Turn [8h 4x 6x] 3h. We both check again. River [8h 4x 6x 3h] 6h. I'm not sure I can win the pot with Jack-high, so I bet 2,600 and Chad makes a good call with A9.

I'm still cruising with 87,200 and I'll try to leverage that bluff I just showed to the table later on.

Level 6 - 500/1,000 with a 1,000 big blind ante

I raise to 2,500 with KT of clubs. One person calls, but another moves all-in for 19,000 and I let it go.

The next hand, I raise 2,500 again with AK of clubs. Somebody jams and I knock out my 4th player of the tournament, who had AJ.

I have a very healthy 110,200 stack heading into the first break of the day. To say I've been running hot would be an understatement.

Level 7 - 500/1,500 with a 1,500 big blind ante

The first hand back from break, I look down at pocket Eights in the BB. Everyone folds to the SB, who limps in. I make it 5,500 and he folds.

Later in the orbit, I'm UTG with KQ of spades and raise to 3,500. A short stack moves all-in for 6,000 more with KJ and hits the rail when a Queen flops for me.

Two more people arrive at the table, including a big stack who has me covered sitting directly to my left. I end the level with 117,500.

Chipping up

Level 8 - 1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 big blind ante

With no more re-entries allowed, I notice the tournament clock is updated with 206 entrants and 87 players remaining, with 21 getting paid.

Once again, I wake up in the BB with pocket Queens after a couple of limpers. I raise to 8,000 and both fold.

The next hand, it folds to me in the SB and I limp with JT of clubs. The BB is sharp player with a big stack and checks his option. Flop Q 9 6. I check-call a 2,000 bet. Turn [Q 9 6] 7. We both check. River [Q 9 6 7] 2. I miss my straight, but bet 4,000 and he folds what he said was a pair of 9's.

I end this level with 140,500.

Level 9 - 1,500/3,000 with a 3,000 big blind ante.

I knock out my 6th or 7th player of the tournament when she goes AI for only 7,000. I was in the BB with K8o and made 2-pair against her AQ.  This level is otherwise pretty quiet and I have 133,000, though I missed a bounty opportunity when Chad went all-in with QQ on my BB. Had there not been a limper UTG, I likely would have called with 3h 5h and made trips on the Turn. Instead, he doubled up through the UTG opponent who called.

Level 10 - 2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 big blind ante

Unfortunately, Chad busts from the tournament. The blinds and antes are getting higher and I have to make some moves despite not seeing as many good hands as I was previously.

I raise to 10,000 from the CO with 8s 6s. The BTN and SB both call and the Flop is terrible for my hand, Ad Kd 4h. I still lead for 12,000 and thankfully both fold. I end the level with 153,000.

Level 11 - 3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 big blind ante

I have A7 of hearts in the BB and the really quiet gentleman sitting next to me limps in from the SB. I raise to 10,000, but don't realize the blinds went up so I have to make it minimum raise of 12,000. The SB calls and the Flop is A 7 4. At least that worked out. I continue for 10,000 with top two-pair and he folds.

Later in the orbit, I raise to 12,000 (intentionally this time) with QJ off-suit. A new guy at my table gives me action from the BB and the flop is K 5 4. He checks and I continue for 15k. He immediately min-raises me and is fiddling with his cards on the table. Seems like he really likes his hand, so I muck.

A Pittsburgh native I played with in the PLO event a few days ago moves all-in for 17,500. I'm in the BB with 6s 5s and decide to give him action. I flop a 5 to knock out another player when his Ace-high doesn't improve.

I have 152,500 and there are 35 players left in the tournament.

Level 12 - 4,000/8,000 with a 8,000 big blind ante

It wasn't my intention to tighten up during this level, but there weren't many opportunities to make any kind of moves with the blinds so high and stacks getting shorter. 

Instead, I head to the 2nd break with 130,000. There are 31 players left and I'll come back with 13 big blinds.

Level 13 - 5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 big blind ante 

I raise to 25,000 with KQ of the clubs and everyone folds. Then, I call a 20,000 raise with KQ off-suit. Flop 4 3 2 and I fold to the 25,000 continuation bet. 

Eliminations have really picked up during this level and now there are only 23 left in the tournament - 2 away from the money.

I have 110,000 when the $$$ bubble bursts! I'm absolutely thrilled to have accomplished goal #1 - cash in the tournament. I text my fiancée Dana to report the good news.

Unfortunately, the blinds pass me by and I end the level with 85,000.

Level 14 - 5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 big blind ante

I end up folding A2 of spades to an UTG min-raise. The next hand, I'm now UTG and put my 85k at risk with 5s 3s. I get not one, but TWO callers - who both have AQ! These were the best hands I could have seen turned over and I'm delighted when a 3 flops and holds to triple up to 250,000!

Triple up with 5s 3s vs. AQ & AQ

Now there are 18 players left and my table breaks. I'm moved to a table with another long time poker friend, Nicole Patella, who has been playing from the start of the tournament with none other than Boston Rob.

Final 2 tables (18 left) with Boston Rob & Nicole Patella

I steal the blinds a few times and end the level with 335,000.

Level 15 - 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 big blind ante

Playing with Boston Rob is a thrill for me. He's such a fun, happy and down to Earth guy who took time to engage with everyone at the table and everyone who approached him for pictures. He's the short stack at the table with only 45k, but triples up with 65 off-suit against two players who both had AJ. The power of Coors Light!

The next hand, he goes all-in with K8o and gets insta-called by pocket Queens. Rob ends up flopping two-pair to knock out his opponent!

I limp in from the BTN with pocket Sixes. Flop J T 5. It checks to me and I bet 20k. One customer comes along from the blinds to see the [J T 5] 5 turn. We both check. River [J T 5 5] A. My opponent bets 25k and I fold. He shows KQ for the rivered straight.

Level 16 - 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 big blind ante

Boston Rob has gone from 45k to 500+k in the blink of an eye. He's laughing, ordering more drinks and having a blast. I'm taking in every memorable moment.

With the Final Table approaching, there are a couple of hands that I end up folding to pre-flop all-ins before I could act - KQ of spades and pocket Fours.

I have 275k at the end of this level.

Level 17 - 20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 big blind ante

The first hand of the level, I'm presented with another difficult decision and fold 77. My friend Nikki is getting short-stacked and ultimately busts out in 10th place. Someone else from the other table also busts in 9th, which means...

FINAL TABLE, BABY!

I'm gutted for Nikki, but I'm extremely proud of myself for reaching goal #2 for the night. My next mission is to win the damn thing.

After taking some final table photos, I got Rob to record a short video for Dana after we attempted to FaceTime her earlier in the night. The connection was bad and Dana couldn't see or hear Rob and I even though we could see and hear her. Rob's video message to Dana was amazing and something I'll cherish forever. What a ball buster!

We re-draw for seats. Despite being one of the chip leaders, Boston Rob immediately proposes an 8-way chop for $3,300 apiece. I'm the short stack and nod my head in agreement without trying to appear too excited. Everyone else at the table also agrees... EXCEPT for one Russian gentlemen sitting right between Rob and I who wants to play it out. He's also one of the chip leaders and has noticed my short stack. I'm internally peeved, but I totally get it.

So close...

During the first hand of Final Table play, I look down at pocket Nines and push for 195k, but no one calls. Then the blinds pass me by, so I'm back down to 195k when I pick up Ac 4c. I jam, but get a caller this time, who has me covered by 5,000 chips and flips over Kd Td. Sadly, a King flops and I don't improve.

I'm eliminated in 8th place at 2am and dejectedly head to the payout table to collect my winnings.

Tournament winnings!

Thankfully, Nikki and "DeJen" Malensek stuck around to cheer me on, so there are some familiar faces and friends there to make my elimination less painful. Since the blinds are so high, we all decide to stick around to rail Boston Rob.

During the wait for Final Table play to conclude, I meet Joe, who has been taking some awesome photos for RunGood. He's super nice and tells me he just started photography a few years ago. Kudos, Joe!

Boston Rob ends up winning the tournament. Nikki, Jen and I are even invited to join him for his winning "rail" photo!

Boston Rob and his CPMG Rail - Photo credit: RunGood

I thank Rob for coming to Cleveland and for being so awesome and he gives me a bro-hug.

Chad Holloway covered the event with results on PokerNews.com and included the Final Table. It's really cool seeing my name in a PokerNews article.

Ultimately, this was an unforgettable night. I wish I could have won the $8.6k and the coveted Contenders championship ring, but am still proud of my deep run despite being fully aware I ran ridiculously hot in the tournament. I still think I made some good plays along the way too.

To everyone who has read my latest blog posts - THANK YOU for the support! My passion for poker is at an all-time high and I can't wait to enter the next tournament.

RunGood Poker Series Comes to the JACK - Part 1

The RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) recently made its first stop to JACK Cleveland Casino, running a variety of tournaments from September 22nd through October 2nd, 2022. Led by CEO Tana Karn and his awesome team, the RGPS tour dates back to 2014 and won "Mid-Major Tour/Circuit" at the Global Poker Awards in 2018 and 2019.

Cleveland Jacks - the theme of this RGPS tour stop 

The winner of each tournament would be awarded a RunGood championship ring. Very cool!

RunGood championship rings

Once the schedule of events was released, my plan was to play the $300 Pot Limit Omaha 8-handed ring event on Sunday, 9/25 and the $200 Guest Bounty (No Limit Hold'em) ring event on Tuesday, 9/27. Hopefully, I can win a seat into their $800 Main Event as well!

Upon my arrival to the JACK Cleveland Poker Room, I checked in on my friend Linda Eisenstein, who was in the middle of a deep run in the $420 Opener event. She ended up making the final table and finished in 6th place for a really nice pay day. Congratulations, Linda!

The rest of this post will cover the PLO tournament, then I will follow up with additional post(s) covering the subsequent events I play in.

RGPS PLO Ring Event Structure

As I have often done in the past, I kept a running log of the tournament, where I go level-by-level and break down hands played, stack sizes, post photos, etc. I hope you enjoy!

25,000 starting stack

Level 1 - 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante

The table is 7-handed to start. A couple players, and even a few dealers, at the table discuss the tournament chips being used for the event as being ones that are difficult to get used to. I personally like the colors.

I fold my first few hands, but limp in when I pick up...

First playable hand

... 9h 8h 5h 5d in a multi-way pot. Flop is K Q 5, giving me bottom set. This is a dangerous board with straight possibilities, so I bet 1,000 with the intention of slowing down if I get action. Fortunately, everyone folds and I pick up my first pot of the tournament. 

Two hands later, I pick up As Ks 9s 4x in late position and limp again. 6 ways to the flop, which brings two spades. I lead for 1200 and the SB calls. Turn gives me the nut flush. I bet 2,500 out of turn - like a dumb ass - and my opponent folds.

I end the level with 26,100 - slightly above starting stack.

Level 2 - 200/300 with a 300 big blind ante

During the 2nd hand of the level, I'm in the SB with As 8x 8c 4c. Somehow, my pair of 8's held against 3 other players when we all check down to the river.

A bit later, I lose my first big pot of the tournament. I'm UTG+1 and limp in with Ks Qh Js 9d. Seat 6 (two to my left) raises to 1500 and there are 3 callers ahead of me. I have a really nice hand that I could re-raise with, but I elect to flat. Flop is Q T 3, giving me a wrap. The SB leads for 5,000. I call, as does the CO. Turn [Q T 3] 6. The SB bets 5,000 again and we both call. River [Q T 3 6] X is a blank for me. The SB checks, I check and the CO goes all-in. The SB calls with a set of Tens (which were good) and I get out of the way. The CO had a similar hand as I did.

Obviously, that could have been a huge 30+k pot for me. Instead, I'm left with 14,700 but I win one before the end of the level to chip back up to 17,800.

Level 3 - 200/400 with a 400 big blind ante

I limp in from UTG with Kh Kd 9h 3c. There are 5 players to the flop, which comes A K T. We all check. Turn [A K T] Q. Everyone checks again. River [A K T Q] 6. Checks down again and I win the pot with my set of Kings.

So far, my table draw has been quite favorable, enabling me to limp in and see a lot of flops without much resistance.

Later in the level, I limp from late position with 7h 6h 4h 4d. There are 5 players to a Q 5 4 flop. BINGO. I lead for 1,200 and the BB is the only caller. Turn [Q 5 4] 3 just gets better. I improve to the nut straight with a re-draw to a full house due to my set of fours. To my surprise, the BB leads pot for 4,400. I re-pot to 17,600 and don't have much behind. He just calls. The River is inconsequential and I bet my last 2,900, which is called by my opponent who had a lower straight with 6-2.

The last hand before for the 1st break of the day, I flop a straight with K K 9 8 on a hand I played cautiously once the board paired on the turn.

I end the level and go to break with 50,400 - over 2x my starting stack.

As I'm standing outside of the poker room giving an update to Dana (my fiancée) on how things are going, I see a familiar face approach from the casino gaming area.

"Boston" Rob Mariano from Survivor!

Dana and I were late to watching Survivor, but once we starting binging it, we couldn't stop. Literally. That's pretty much all we watched while we were stuck at home during the pandemic. Seeing Rob finally win the million during his Redemption Island season was such a master class. I tell him that Dana and I binged watched every season and he tells me "that's a lot of TV!"

Anyway, it was a bucket list moment for me to meet Rob and snap a quick picture with him. Hopefully I run into him later as he's late-registering the PLO tournament that I'm in.

Level 4 - 300/600 with a 600 big blind ante

Nothing to report during this level. I have 49,500 heading into Level 5.

Level 5 - 400/800 with a 800 big blind ante

I'm UTG+1 with Ad Kd Jc Th and raise to 2,000. I get 2 callers to a flop of T T 2. I bet 5,000 and both players fold.

A few hands later, I check my option from the BB with Kh Kd Js 5s. Flop is As Ts Xx. We all check to the Turn [As Ts Xx] 6s, giving me the Jack-high flush. I bet 2,000 and get one caller. River [As Ts Xx 6s] 4c. We both check and I take down a small pot with the flush.

I'm in the CO with Ah Ad 3d Jc. There's one limper and I raise to 3,500. 2 players call and the Flop is Jd Td 2x. I bet 11,000 with a pair of Aces and the nut flush draw. The player to my right calls and we see a briliant Turn [Jd Td 2x] 4d. I bet pot ~33,000 and he folds.

I'm on the BTN with Ac Qc Qh 8s and limp in along with 3 others. Flop gives me a top set of Queens and the nut flush draw. I lead for 2,500, but everyone folds.

I end the level with 73,700.

Chipping up!

Level 6 - 500/1,000 with a 1,000 big blind ante

On the BTN, I raise to 3,000 with Ad As 8d 5s. The SB calls and the Flop is Kx 6h 5h. I probably should have led out here, but noticed my opponent looking at his chips like he wanted to bet and checked behind. Turn [Kx 6h 5h] is another King. We both checked again. River [Kx 6h 5h Kx] 6. He bets 5,000 and I call and fold when I see he has K6.

I end the level and go to the 2nd break of the day with 55,700.

In the zone - photo credit: Doug Poker

Level 7 - 600/1,200 with a 1,200 big blind ante

Another quiet level. I'm sitting at 53,900 and notice the tournament clock is updated:

There were 67 runners and 29 people left in the tournament, which pays 7 spots.

Level 8 - 1,000/1,500 with a 1,500 big blind ante

From the BTN, I limp in with 8c 4c 6s 3s. There are 5 players that see an 8 8 2 flop. It checks to me and I bet 5,500. The CO calls and the Turn is [8 8 2] 9. We both check. River [8 8 2 9] K. The CO bets 10,000 and I fold my trips with a shitty kicker.

Later in this level, I knock two players out of the tournament with Kh Kd 8h 7d. My Kings don't need to improve and suddenly there are only 22 players left.

I end the level with 60,600.

Level 9 - 1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 big blind ante

I limp UTG with Ax Qx Qc Tc. The BTN raisees to 7000 and I'm the only caller. Flop brings two clubs and my pair of Queens is an over-pair to the board. I check-call another 7,000. The Turn completes my flush and we both check. The River pairs the board, but I want to get some value from my flush on an otherwise non-threatening board. I bet 8,000, which is called and my opponent mucks his KK over-pair when he sees my Queen-high flush.

This level wasn't super kind to me otherwise and I head into Level 10 with 55,600

Grinding away - Photo credit: RunGood
Very cool to see them snap a pic of me and post to their social media platforms!

Level 10- 1,500/3,000 with a 3,000 big blind ante

I'm in the BB when I look down at a monster Qs Js Th 9s. It folds around to the SB, who raises to 11,000. I'm the only caller and the Flop is Kd 5c 8s. We both check. Turn [Kd 5c 8s] 7s. He leads out for 6,000 and I call with my open-ender and flush draws. River [Kd 5c 8s 7s] 6c. BOOM! It's music to my ears when the SB leads out for 12,000. I think for a bit, re-check my cards just to make sure I still have the nuts, and raise all-in for 19,600 more. He calls and says he turned the straight.

All in & a double up

Much healthier in chips now

I have 103,700 and right after this hand we combine to 2 tables as there are 16 players left in the tournament.

At the completion of this level, I have 98,000 heading into the 3rd break.

Level 11- 2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 big blind ante

1st hand back from break I pick up Qx Qx Th 2h in the SB. I limp, but a nice dude who is also taking written notes on the hands he plays in a notebook pops me to 12,000. I call and the Flop is T 7 4 rainbow. I check-fold to his 20,000 bet.

Coming back around the table, I'm in the BB with Ad Kc Tc 2h. I'm heads up with Nate Walter to a T 4 4 flop. Nate mentioned to someone sitting at my previous table that he was the one who knocked out Boston Rob. We both check. Turn [Tx 4x 4d] Td. I bet 10,000 and Nate calls. River is a third diamond and we both check. Nate flips over a Jack-high flush, which knocks me back to 62,000.

After another orbit around the table, in the BB with Js 7c 4s 4c. A really good player in the SB raises to 12,000 and I elect to call this marginal hand since it's heads up and I'm double suited. Part of me also wants to show I'm not a pushover since I have been playing relatively tight otherwise.

Flop 5d 9h 4h, giving me bottom set. The SB bets pot and I go all-in for not much more behind. He shows Ad Ah 3h Qs. I'm a 58% to 42% favorite.

Odds on Flop during my All-In

Turn [5d 9h 4h] 5c. 

Now I'm a 90% favorite to win the hand, with one card to come. My opponent can only catch the 2 remaining Aces or 2 remaining fives in the deck to win.

Odds on Turn during my All-In

River [5d 9h 4h 5c] 5s

I'm absolutely crushed when I realize I've been 4-outed for a higher full house (555AA vs. my 55544).

Crushing board run-out!

I'm eliminated in 10th place, 1 spot shy of the making the RunGood Series PLO Ring Event final table and 3 spots shy of cashing in the money.

Congrats to Nate, who went on to win the tournament and the coveted RunGood championship ring!

I suppose I could have just folded the hand in the first place and still had 10 or so big blinds to mess around with. Despite the result, I'm really proud of the way I played this entire tournament, despite knowing I likely made some mistakes along the way. I've played low buy-in HA tournaments in the past, but this was my first-ever PLO only tournament and you could say I was "taking a shot" given the $300 price point. It was the highest buy-in tournament I've played since 2006, back in my "professional" online poker days.

I wouldn't have been comfortable playing this tournament at all had it not been for the experience I've gained over the past two years playing low-stakes PLO with my PokerNow group. Dealing for Adam's $1/3 game has also given me much-needed PLO experience at a higher-stakes level.

Hopefully, I'll have better news to report after tomorrow night's Bounty event.

Stay tuned for Part 2 later this week.

Hello Again - with a $100 Tournament Report

Every year I follow the World Series of Poker closely and tune into Daniel Negreanu's daily WSOP vlogs. Doing so always reminds me of when I played the WSOP Main Event back in 2005. I'm also reminded how much I love the game and how I don't play nearly enough anymore.

One of my old friends from the Cleveland Poker Meetup Group (CPMG), "Krazy" Mike Krasienko was actually featured in Daniel's vlog, playing the same table as him in the $25K PLO event. Mike would go on to make a deep run in that event, cashing in 19th place. It was really cool to see Mike continue his massive success on poker's biggest stage after finished 17th in the WSOP Main Event back in 2017 for a whopping $340K.

"Krazy" Mike playing with D-Negs

In early April, I was able to check out the new poker room in downtown Cleveland at JACK casino. Chris Lose recently took over as their poker room manager and has really invested in it. Veronica Brill made a special guest appearance for the grand opening during that weekend, while Hayley Hochstetler and RunGoodGear founder Tana Karn were in town as well. I played $4/8 limit poker for about an hour and profited $117 before meeting up with Dana (my fiancee) and our friends that we were with.

Since then, I've been fortunate to have some free weekends recently to play a few home game tournaments. On June 25th, I was invited to play at Dax Mellon's $100 bounty tournament. His home game setup is incredible - he even has a bar with an entire wall of bourbon. I didn't cash in the tournament - congrats DeJen! - but did have a blast playing in my first live poker tournament in a few years. It was like riding a bike and I felt 'in the zone' the entire time. I didn't log a tournament report from that game, but here are a few photos:

Now for the real meat and potatoes of this blog post - my personal tournament report from a $100 bounty tournament that I played at 'Krazy' Joe Ashe's this past weekend, on July 9th. Yes, I know a lot of "Krazys" in my poker circle...

Anyway, tournament entry was $100 - $70 of which went to the prize pool, $20 for your bounty and $10 for Joe's Queen of Hearts board that had 25 cards remaining and a prize pool of over $3,000. Any hand you hit during the tournament that is quads or better earns you a chance to hit the Queen of Hearts.

There are 22 runners for this tournament who start with a 25000 starting stack. Levels are 20 minutes long with a break after six levels of play. The tournament pays the top 4 finishers.

My opening table was a fairly tough draw. Seated to my left is Kerry Zock, Papa Zock, Seth Anderson, Matt Murray, Jack T Way and Rob Bell. Fortunately, Jack and Rob are to my right, while Kerry and I are always pretty careful when we play pots against each other.

Opening table - Krazy Joe's Bounty Tournament 7/9 (Photo credit: Kerry Zock)

Level 1 (25/50) - I saw quite a few hands during Level 1. First, I picked up QQ and raised to 225. I got four callers to a A65 flop and ended up folding to a bet. A few hands later, I get As Qs in the cutoff (CO) and raise to 200. I get 5 callers to a Q88 flop. I lead for 500 and Rob is the only caller. Turn [Q 8 8] K. We both check. River [Q 8 8 K] 4. Rob leads for 400 and I make a pretty easy call. He says he has Jack high and mucks when I show him my Queen. I end the level with 26,150.

Level 2 (50/100) - Obviously, this is a very active table, with 4-5 players to most flops. No real developments. I end the level with 25,025.

Level 3 (75/150) - I look down and see pocket Kings in the big blind (BB). Jack T-Way limps from the button and Rob follows along from the small blind (SB). I raise to 625 and both call. Flop Kx Th 9h. I bet 1200. Jack gets out of the way and Rob thinks for a bit before folding. I end the level with 26,075.

Level 4 (100/200) - This was a quiet level for me despite picking up some decent hands like KQ, KT, KJ suited and 87 suited. Nothing hit. I end the level with 23,700.

Level 5 (150/300) - Jack limps from early position (EP). I raise behind him with Kh Qh. Flop A 3 4. Jack check-folds to my 1100 bluff. A short time later, I'm in the BB with 7c 3c with 4 limpers. I check my option and the flop is 3 J Q. We all check. Turn, [3 J Q] is another Q. I bet 500 and everyone folds. I end the level with 25,375.

Level 6 (200/400) - During the first hand of the level, I pick up two black Jacks and raise to 1100. There are 3 callers. Flop is K T 3. Check around to Seth on button who bets 3k. I think for a minute, because he’s looking away. I fold and he shows me a bluff with Ah Jh. Seth was showing pretty much every hand he was involved in at the river, which was really great information. Now I've picked up a possible tell on him.

Later in the level, I have Ts 6d in the BB. After winning the last pot, Jack limps in on the BTN without looking at his cards, as he was busy stacking his chips. Flop 8 7 4, all diamonds. He bets 400 and I call with the gut-shot straight flush draw (and hopeful Queen of Hearts pull if I hit it). Turn, [8d 7d 4d] is an off-suit K. I check-call 1000. River, [8d 7d 4d Kx] As. I still don't think Jack has looked at his cards, so I lead into him for 2500. He looks down and sees Q-J off-suit and folds. I show him my bluff. I end the level and go into break with 23,700.

Level 7 (300/600) - I limp in the SB with two black sevens. There are 4 other players to the 7x Qd Jd flop. With the flush and straight draws out there, I lead for 1500 and no one calls.

During this level, Seth moves to another table and Matt Murray gets eliminated by KZ. With 18 players left, we combine to 2 tables of nine. To my left at my new table is Big Country, Mike Cassidy, Steve, unknown lady playing her first-ever poker tournament, Krazy Joe, Tom Gross, Lynda Johnson and Jack T-Way. Big Country, Krazy Joe, Tom Gross and Jack T-Way are the toughest players that I'm familiar with at this new table.

I pick up JJ on the BTN. Krazy Joe limps in from EP, while Gross makes it 2100. I think about 3-betting, but just call and so do 3 others. Flop A A 2. The SB leads out for 2500 and we all fold. Later in the cut-off I make it 1500 with Qh 9h. The brand-new lady is the only caller in the BB. Flop is J T 3, giving me an open-ended straight draw. I bet 1000 and she calls. Turn [J T 3] 3. I continue for 2300 and she folds. I would’ve made straight with a King on the River. I end the level with 29,000.

Level 8 (400/800) - This is a fairly quiet level as I'm still feeling out my new table. I also had to make the adjustment of going from a short-handed table of 6 or 7 to a full table of 9. I end the level with 27,800.

Level 9 (500/1000) - I have KJ off-suit in a 6-way limped pot. Flop Q 3 8. Everyone checks. Turn [Q 3 8] K. I bet 1500 and Jack is the only caller. River [Q 3 8 K] 3. We both check and I win with two-pair, Kings and treys. I end the level with 37,100.

Level 10 (600/1200) - It's the last hand of the level and I raise to 2800 with KJ. Both blinds call. We all checked to the river, which was a King and good enough to win me the pot. I end the level with 39,300.

Level 11 (700/1400) - In the CO, I limp in with pocket 8's. There are 4 players to a flop of 8h 5d 3d. Jack leads for 5000. It's an interesting board with straight and flush draws, but I decide to slow play and see what develops on the turn. I can always get away from the hand if a diamond or straight card comes and there is heavy betting. Gross also calls and the Turn is [8h 5d 3d] is Tx. It checks to me and I decide to just go all-in (AI) and protect against the draws. Both players fold.

Midway through this level, we're down to 10 players left in the tournament and make two tables of 5. To my left is BC, Cassidy, Gross and Jack T Way. I end the level with 48,400.

Chipping up as we approach the Final Table!

Level 12 (800/1600) - With 5 players at the table, it's time to be a bit more active and try to steal some blinds. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful at this. I end the level with 38,400.

Level 13 (1000/2000) - I raise UTG to 4200 with Ah Jd. It folds around to Jack T-Way in the BB, who goes AI for 8200 more. I call and we have a shot to collect our first bounty of the tournament, but are an underdog against Jack's AQ. Unfortunately for Jack, his namesake flops and he doesn't improve. 

Jack's bad beat means we're now at the Final Table of 9. We redraw for seats and to my left is BC, Prowest, unknown guy, Aaron (also unknown - works with Krazy Joe), Steve, Gross, Kerry Z and Mike Cassidy. Aaron is eliminated when he overplays AK after losing a big pot and runs into pocket Aces.

We're now down to 8 players remaining as we approach the top 4. A few hands later, I look down at AK in EP and raise to 4500. Dave "Prowest" Westfall, who is a loose-aggressive player, re-raises to 12000. I have ~46000 and decided to go all in. Dave snap-calls with AA and just like that, I'm out of the tournament when he barely has me covered when we count our stacks. I should have learned my lesson from Aaron's elimination just a few minutes prior. To put it bluntly, I WAY overplayed Ace-King when I should have just called Dave's preflop raise and check-folded the flop. That would have left me with ~34000, roughly 17 big blinds with plenty of room to work with. Instead, I finished the tournament in 8th place and a mere $20 bounty.

Prowest would go on to win the tournament.

As for me, I was really proud of how I played until the last level. I was completely in the zone for 4+ hours, but one big mistake without thinking the hand through did me in. It makes me appreciate the grind that is the WSOP Main Event that much more when players spend 12+ hours per day for 7-10 days straight trying not to make mistakes.

While the two tournaments I played didn't go my way, I'll definitely be making some noise in others very soon. I'm also considering hosting some two-table tournaments again, but have to clean up my basement first. In the meantime, I recently started playing online again with friends on Poker Now. It's a $0.25/0.50 NLHE and PLO rotation that sometimes includes PLO8 as the third game in the rotation. Players usually buy in for $100 and it's good low-stakes fun that I can enjoy on my phone while watching TV or laying in bed.

I'll also be dealing on occasion for a fun private game in Strongsville. It's a great group of regulars whose company I really enjoy.

Poker during COVID-19

A lot has happened since my last post... which, sure enough, was over a year ago. A global pandemic due to COVID-19. Quarantine. Masks. Changing the way we live and work. Even the way we shop.

Also, the way we play poker.

We can't go to the local casino anymore... at least here in Cleveland. JACK Cleveland Casino closed their poker room and it doesn't seem like it will return anytime soon, if ever.

PokerStars "Home" Games

Fortunately, I have a great network of friends that found creative ways to continue playing poker during quarantine. Back in March, Eric, Dave and Cheryl from the CPMG organized a Home Game group on PokerStars. The group quickly grew to over 100 members, so the daily low-stakes ($20-30) tournaments got pretty juicy. The 7pm tournament quickly became part of my nightly quarantine routine and Dana even got involved in a few games. I was fortunate to win several tourneys and never had to pay to replenish my "play money" bankroll on PokerStars. The PokerStars tournaments still occur a few nights per week, but participation is generally in the 9-15 range instead of the 20+ that used to play during the height of the lock down.

PokerNow & Windy Crest Poker

A friend of mine also introduced me to PokerNow and Windy Crest Poker, two sites that do not require you to download anything. You don't even have to create an Account on PokerNow, which is really nice. Once I started playing with the PokerNow group -- July 4th was my first game with them -- I've played pretty much every night that a game breaks out. I've only played on WC once and quickly dropped $150 at a PLO cash table. WC has its advantages over PokerNow -- game selection, bank/cash outs to name a few -- but I 'm a much bigger fan of PokerNow's interface. Plus, it's really easy to set up a game on PokerNow. A few quick settings and you're up in running in seconds.

The PokerNow interface on mobile

The game we've been playing regularly is $1/1 HA ($200 max buy in). I hadn't played $1/1 cash since my online grinding days prior to Black Friday, so I was a little out of my comfort zone when I started playing with the group. I'm also one of the more inexperienced players in PLO, so I was particularly cautious during those rounds. I was a break-even player in July, but August was especially kind to me. I built a legitimate bankroll, enough where if I dropped a couple of buy-ins on a particular night, it wasn't crippling to me.

Unfortunately, September was a losing month for me in the PokerNow cash games. I was a loser in 10 of the 15 sessions I played that month, and the biggest win I booked was $75.

We continue to have regular games on PokerNow, but we've been mixing in more low stakes ($0.25/$0.50 - $100 max) games to make the swings less painful for all.

Adam's Cash Game - $1/2 ($200-300 max) - NLHE, PLO, Big O rotation - 10/2/2020

In late September, I received a special invite from Adam to play a $1/2 cash game at his home on Friday, 10/2. His first game since early March! My family and I haven't been socializing much during the pandemic aside from outside activities like golf, so I wasn't sure I'd be able to attend. He did make me feel more comfortable when he said masks would be required at the table and he was limiting seats to 7 players. He also deep cleaned his basement and had hand sanitizer available, which the players used frequently.

I was so excited to play. I prepped all week by dealing out mock 7-handed Big O hands during slow periods at work. But I was even more excited to see the people. Everyone arrived close to 7pm and we drew for seats. Sitting to my immediate left was Branden, followed by Marc S, Adam, Jen, TK and Prowest. I wasn't thrilled with the seat draw, but I'm not so sure there would have been an *ideal* seat draw with this group of players. All are incredibly tough to play against.

Photo credit: TK

I bought in for $200. The very first hand, I'm UTG and raise to $5 with JT off-suit. Branden 3-bets to $12 and I’m the only caller. Flop is K 9 3 rainbow. We both check. Turn [K 9 3] Q. Bingo! I bet $15 with the nut straight and Branden calls. River is a blank. I bet $50, which was roughly a pot-sized bet. I probably should have bet $30 or so to induce the call, but to my surprise, Branden raised to $110. I go all in for a bit more and he calls with top set of Kings that he slow-played on the flop. I felt incredibly lucky to double up on Hand #1.

A bit later, during PLO, Jen straddles to $5. Prowest calls. I make it $20 with AsAhQs9h double-suited (Spades and Hearts). Marc S and Prowest call. Flop Jd Td X, with two diamonds. It checks to me and I bet $30. Marc is the only caller. Turn [Jd Td X] Q. We both check. River [Jd Td Xx Q] K. I bet $50 with Broadway and Marc folds.

During Big-O (O8 with 5 cards instead of 4)... I'm UTG with Ac Ah 2h Kc Ts, double-suited (Hearts and Clubs) and raise to $5. TK makes it $20. Prowest and I call. Flop Qs 9h 8c, rainbow. TK leads $30. I don't have much besides the Aces, a gutter and backdoor flush draws, but I want to see a Turn. Prowest and I both call. Turn [Qs 9h 8c] 5h. This gives me the nut heart and nut low draws. This time, Prowest bets $40 and TK and I both call. River [Qs 9h 8c 5h] Td. I miss and fold the river. TK scoops a big pot w KJ.

Another Big-O ends up being the most interesting pot of the night, at least for me. I start the hand with $436 and look down at Kd Qd Jx 6s 3x in late position facing a raise to $7. I realize this isn't a great hand for Big-O, but I call and it's a family pot, 7 ways. Flop is Js Ts 9x, two spades. Adam leads pot for $50. Jen and TK call. I obviously call with the nut straight. Turn [Js Ts 9x] 8h. Adam bets pot again, this time $250. Jen folds. TK thinks for a while and calls. I don't know what to do...

This is the biggest bet I've faced in YEARS. I have the nuts, but there are a ton of cards that would make me snap-fold the river. Any card that pairs the board (the 2 remaining Jacks since I had one in hand, 3 tens, 3 nines, 3 eights, plus any spade. If I counted correctly, that's about 18 cards that beat me. I'm also worried that Adam and Terry are both holding KQ as well. Calling a $250 bet to potentially chop 3 ways just seems a bit risky, but I make the call as well. Part of my thinking was that if I fold the nuts and it ends up being good, I'll probably be massively tilted the rest of the night. River [Js Ts 9x 8h] Ac. I fade spades and the board pairing -- THANK GOODNESS! Adam and TK both check. I go all in for my remaining $129. Adam insta-folds and TK thinks for a while. Now I'm feeling fantastic because I know I'm scooping a huge pot whether TK calls or not. Eventually, TK makes the call with a lesser straight (and missed nut spade draw) and I drag a massive $1,250 pot.

After winning that huge Big O hand, I'm card dead the rest of the night and give back a few hundred dollars to the table. We called the game at 4:34am and I cashed out $984... a nice profit of $784.

Photo credit: Adam

My final stack

Needless to say, I can't wait for the next game. I believe Adam mentioned he was going to host Limit Night -- a crazy mix of games like Big O, SOHE, Drawmaha and Hollywood 8. These are some of the craziest poker games I've ever played and they're all incredibly fun.

Until next time! Thanks for reading.