Thursday, December 8, 2011
Update
Sorry for the lack of updates, but there really hasn't been anything to report since my last post. I haven't even played a single hand of poker since the CPMG Fall Classic tournament. Fortunately, I've been able to get my poker fix in by dealing cards, which I hope becomes more of a regular thing in my schedule. As far as playing poker goes... money is always tight for me around time of year with Xmas (obv) and my son's birthday both in the same month. To top it off, I had to switch cell phone providers, get a new phone, and I'm still looking for a new car since Dana and I shouldn't even be driving the one we have now. Repairs on our current vehicle are in excess of $3500+ (not even worth it to fix) and purchasing a new one is obviously going to cripple my already non-existent poker bankroll. If anything, I will try to host or attend a micro stakes cash game in the near future, but who knows when I'll actually make my return to the poker felt. I may not play much poker in the next couple of weeks or so, but keep an eye on the blog, as I fully intend to keep it active with different types of poker content and whatnot. Until then, here's hoping all of you find your seat at the table with Grayday.
Monday, November 21, 2011
CPMG Fall Classic
I did a Running Log for the CPMG Fall Classic tournament held on 11/12/11. 30 players, $200 buy-in, 30k starting stacks and 40 minute levels, starting at 50/100. I was really excited for this tournament and expected to do well.
Shuffle Up & Deal - I'm 15 minutes late and arrive with 25 minutes to go in Level 1. This is my first time playing at Terry K's new house and I'm blown away by how gorgeous it is. His basement is the perfect venue for home games. I start with the full 30000 starting stack and I'm seated at Table #4. Seated clockwise to my left - Yosh, Colin, Big Country, Chip, Mike T and Krazy Joe.
Level 1 (50/100) - Pretty uneventful. I played one hand (KQd) for a raise in late position and took it down with a bet on the Flop. I have 30075 chips.
Level 2 (75/150) - It folds to me on the Button and I raise with Kh Qd. Colin calls in the BB. Flop, three diamonds. Colin checks. Since I have over cards to the board and a Flush draw, I c-bet and Colin makes the call. Turn is a blank. Colin checks again and I bet about 2/3 of the pot. He calls. Obviously, he has something, maybe a pair to the board with a diamond in his hand. River is an off-suit Ace. Colin checks. I don't think he'll give me credit for anything here if I bet, so give up and check behind and Colin shows two black Queens to drag a nice-sized pot. I have 24800 chips.
During this level, homemade beef stew was served, compliments of Prowest. I didn't get a chance to eat dinner prior to the tournament and was starving, so I helped myself to a bowl. It was excellent. Thanks, Prowest. Well done.
Level 3 (100/200) - I raise from the cutoff with A6c. Big Country calls from the BB. Flop brings 2 clubs. BC checks, I bet, he calls. Turn is a blank. BC checks again, I bet 1200, and to my surprise, he re-raises 1800 more. He's offering almost 4-to-1 on the call, I'm drawing to the nuts, and I have position on him, so I call. Sadly, I brick the River and fold when BC makes a significant bet. I have 21275 chips.
Level 4 (150/300) - When Luckbox Linda busts in 28th place (joining TK and Meat on the rail), our table breaks. I'm moved to Table #2. Seated clockwise to my left is Josh, El Diablo, Mark Horton, Jeff Riegler, Krazy Joe, Julie, Doug Poker and Grayday. This is a perfect table draw as I have nits sitting on my left and LAG players sitting on my right. After winning a small pot against Doug Poker, I limp with A5h in late position. 5 players to the Flop - A 7 5, two spades. It checks to me and I make a pot-sized bet (1500) with my Two Pair. El Diablo is next to act and he re-raises to 4000. It folds around back to me and I tank. What could I be up against here? After a few minutes, I narrow his possible holding to A7, A5, 75, a Flush draw, or an Ace with a good spade kicker. 55 and 77 are possibilities too, but I think Rich would just call with a Set and 3 players left to act behind him. The hand I'm most worried about is A7. I need more information. I need to find out if Rich is sitting on A7 or not, so I 4-bet him to 12500 (which leaves me with about 11k behind). El Diablo tanks immediately, and it doesn't look like he's putting on a show, which tells me he doesn't have A7. After a minute or a minute and a half tops, Doug Poker calls the clock on him, which was unwarranted IMO. I understand wanting to keep the game moving, but it's a huge hand in a big tournament with extended levels. Data administers the clock. After about 45 seconds, El Diablo finally makes a decision. He moves All-In. He did this somewhat reluctantly, which leads me to believe I'm ahead, so I call. He shows A5 also and we end up chopping the pot. I have 26225 chips.
Level 5 (200/400) - There are 4 limpers ahead of me preflop and I'm fortunate to look down at KK in the BB. Time to narrow the field. I raise 2100 more, but all 4 players call. Flop, Q 8 4 rainbow. I'm first to act and lead out for 8500 into the 12.5k+ pot. It fold around quickly to Grayday, who eyes my remaining stack, compares it to what he has left. After a minute or two, he folds (probably something like Q9, QT, or QJ) and I rake a huge pot. I have 36150 chips.
Level 6 (300/600) - Getting a walk in the BB was the highlight of this level. We're now on Break #2. I have 35250 chips.
Level 7 (50/300/600) - Antes are in play now. Unfortunately, I'm card dead and no situations arise where I'm able to steal or pick up any extra chips. I have 33700 chips.
Level 8 (50/400/800) - I'm antsy to play a hand after being card dead for 2 levels. Finally, an optimal situation arises where it folds to me in late position. From the Hijack, I open for 2300 with Q2o. Prowest, who recently just sat down at our table, is the only caller from the BB. Flop, Q T X. Prowest checks, I bet 3600 with Top Pair, he calls. Turn [Q T X] K. This time, Prowest leads out for 5000, which tells me he has a piece of the board but isn't 100% confident in his hand. It's your typical 'weak lead' bet, so I raise to 12500 and put Prowest to the test. He ends up calling a lot quicker than I thought he would. *gulp* River, [Q T X K] Q. Once again, Prowest checks. Now I'm left with a decision to make. With 14000 chips left in my stack, do I check or bet? Most of you are probably thinking 'Duh! You hit your card and sucked out. Just ship it!'... but I didn't. I checked behind, and here's why. Remember when Prowest bet into me on the Turn and I thought he had something, but wasn't 100% confident in his hand? The first sensible holding that I put him on was QJ. I realize that the Queen on the River makes it less likely for Prowest to be holding the case Queen, but think about my decision from a tournament perspective (a $200 buy-in tournament, not a $20 donkament). If I choose to bet, the size of the pot (36k+) and my remaining stack dictate that I have to go All-In. Betting anything less opens the door for Prowest to push All-In over the top and I don't want to be faced with that decision. Therefore, if I go All-In and Prowest has QJ - or even a Straight or Full House that is still very possible on a very wet board - I'm eliminated from the tournament. However, if I check and Prowest has a better hand at the showdown, I still have 14k left in the tournament, which is more than enough chips to stage a comeback. Fortunately for me, he shows AK and I drag an enormous pot.
A few people at my table were flabbergasted that I checked the River and I'm curious to hear what others would have done in the same situation. I encourage you to share your thoughts and opinions via the Comments.
Several hands later, I pick up AA and raise to 2300. Prowest calls in the BB once again and we're heads up to the Flop, which is K Q 2. He checks, I bet 3600, and he folds. I have 57775 chips.
Level 9 (100/500/1000) - Our table is 7-handed now. I raise on the Button with QJo. Prowest calls in the BB. Flop, Q J 9 rainbow. Prowest leads out for 4000. I ask him how much he has left behind and he's got about 15k. I push a stack of 20 orange 1k chips into the middle and put Prowest All-In. I hope that he's steaming from the last few hands I've played with him that he'll call, but he makes a disciplined lay down, albeit reluctantly.
A bit later, I'm in the BB with 42h. 3 other players limp before me and I check my option. Flop, K 4 2, two spades. I lead out for 3500. Julie is next to act and raises to 8000 straight. The other 2 players fold. With a vulnerable hand and a wet board, I don't want to see a Turn card. After a minute or two, I raise to 25500 straight. Julie tanks for about 2 minutes before she finally folds (she told me she had a King). We're now on Break #3. I have 66975 chips, which is right where I want to be.
Level 10 (100/700/1500) - I eclipse the 70k chip mark early in this level. I'm UTG+1 and raise to 4100 with JJ. Krazy Joe is the only caller from the Button. Flop, T 7 6, two hearts. I'm first to act and bet 6000. Krazy Joe folds. Afterward, El Diablo asks me 'have you even shown down a hand yet?' I respond, 'yes, Q2o.' Hopefully, that will pay off for me later when I do have a big hand.
We're down to two tables now with 18 players left in the tournament. Tom Gross and Jen join the table. Both are sitting on my left and have healthy chip stacks.
From the cutoff, I raise to 4100 with KQs. Gross, sitting next to me on my left, re-raises to 8800 from the Button. Both blinds fold and I contemplate doing the same, but I've been on a mini-heater recently and decide to make the call. Flop, J T X. I check and Gross instantly moves AI for over 40k. It's obvious that he has an over pair to the board, so I muck my open-ender. Gross told me later that he did, in fact, have AA. I bleed a bit more after this hand and end the level with 46800.
Level 11 (200/1000/2000) - This is the last level of the night and my goal is to chip up so I'm not short-stacked for Day 2 of the tournament, which is to be held the following Saturday (11/19/11). In one of the first few hands of the level, I'm UTG and raise to 5000 with AKo. Krazy Joe moves All-In from the cutoff for exactly 25k more and I make the call. He shows 99 and is at risk of elimination. Flop, A X X. Turn, [A X X] 9, and Krazy Joe survives to double up. DOH! Winning that race would have put me back around the 75k mark and would have put me in contention to make a run at the Final Table. Instead, I'm left with a mere 16k.
Next time I'm UTG, I open shove for 16400 with AQo. Julie has me covered and calls from the Button with TT. Flop, Q Q T. Unfortunately, I brick the Turn and River and I'm eliminated in 14th place.
Closing Thoughts - I was really happy with the way I played overall. Despite losing nearly 1/3 of my starting stack in the first three levels of the tournament, I remained confident and made a nice comeback to put myself in contention to win/cash. Obviously, I wish the result was different, but at least it's nice knowing that I made smart decisions and played to the best of my abilities. I'd like to thank those who bought a piece of my action, which allowed my broke ass to play the tournament in the first place. Very much appreciated. I'd also like to thank TK and his wife for opening up their beautiful home to a bunch of degens. I can't wait until the next time I'm able to make a game at your place. Finally, thanks to Data for running a smooth tournament with no hiccups. Your efforts and contributions are always appreciated.
Here are the final results:
Champion - Krazy Joe - $2200* (hard not to think that this could have been me if the AK < 99 hand went my way instead of his, but congrats to Joe on the nice payday)
2nd - Colin M. - $1800*
3rd - Jen - $1000
4th - LeastBest - $600
5th - Jason F. - $400
Shuffle Up & Deal - I'm 15 minutes late and arrive with 25 minutes to go in Level 1. This is my first time playing at Terry K's new house and I'm blown away by how gorgeous it is. His basement is the perfect venue for home games. I start with the full 30000 starting stack and I'm seated at Table #4. Seated clockwise to my left - Yosh, Colin, Big Country, Chip, Mike T and Krazy Joe.
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| CPMG Fall Classic Opening Table, photo credit: Data |
Level 1 (50/100) - Pretty uneventful. I played one hand (KQd) for a raise in late position and took it down with a bet on the Flop. I have 30075 chips.
Level 2 (75/150) - It folds to me on the Button and I raise with Kh Qd. Colin calls in the BB. Flop, three diamonds. Colin checks. Since I have over cards to the board and a Flush draw, I c-bet and Colin makes the call. Turn is a blank. Colin checks again and I bet about 2/3 of the pot. He calls. Obviously, he has something, maybe a pair to the board with a diamond in his hand. River is an off-suit Ace. Colin checks. I don't think he'll give me credit for anything here if I bet, so give up and check behind and Colin shows two black Queens to drag a nice-sized pot. I have 24800 chips.
During this level, homemade beef stew was served, compliments of Prowest. I didn't get a chance to eat dinner prior to the tournament and was starving, so I helped myself to a bowl. It was excellent. Thanks, Prowest. Well done.
Level 3 (100/200) - I raise from the cutoff with A6c. Big Country calls from the BB. Flop brings 2 clubs. BC checks, I bet, he calls. Turn is a blank. BC checks again, I bet 1200, and to my surprise, he re-raises 1800 more. He's offering almost 4-to-1 on the call, I'm drawing to the nuts, and I have position on him, so I call. Sadly, I brick the River and fold when BC makes a significant bet. I have 21275 chips.
Level 4 (150/300) - When Luckbox Linda busts in 28th place (joining TK and Meat on the rail), our table breaks. I'm moved to Table #2. Seated clockwise to my left is Josh, El Diablo, Mark Horton, Jeff Riegler, Krazy Joe, Julie, Doug Poker and Grayday. This is a perfect table draw as I have nits sitting on my left and LAG players sitting on my right. After winning a small pot against Doug Poker, I limp with A5h in late position. 5 players to the Flop - A 7 5, two spades. It checks to me and I make a pot-sized bet (1500) with my Two Pair. El Diablo is next to act and he re-raises to 4000. It folds around back to me and I tank. What could I be up against here? After a few minutes, I narrow his possible holding to A7, A5, 75, a Flush draw, or an Ace with a good spade kicker. 55 and 77 are possibilities too, but I think Rich would just call with a Set and 3 players left to act behind him. The hand I'm most worried about is A7. I need more information. I need to find out if Rich is sitting on A7 or not, so I 4-bet him to 12500 (which leaves me with about 11k behind). El Diablo tanks immediately, and it doesn't look like he's putting on a show, which tells me he doesn't have A7. After a minute or a minute and a half tops, Doug Poker calls the clock on him, which was unwarranted IMO. I understand wanting to keep the game moving, but it's a huge hand in a big tournament with extended levels. Data administers the clock. After about 45 seconds, El Diablo finally makes a decision. He moves All-In. He did this somewhat reluctantly, which leads me to believe I'm ahead, so I call. He shows A5 also and we end up chopping the pot. I have 26225 chips.
Level 5 (200/400) - There are 4 limpers ahead of me preflop and I'm fortunate to look down at KK in the BB. Time to narrow the field. I raise 2100 more, but all 4 players call. Flop, Q 8 4 rainbow. I'm first to act and lead out for 8500 into the 12.5k+ pot. It fold around quickly to Grayday, who eyes my remaining stack, compares it to what he has left. After a minute or two, he folds (probably something like Q9, QT, or QJ) and I rake a huge pot. I have 36150 chips.
Level 6 (300/600) - Getting a walk in the BB was the highlight of this level. We're now on Break #2. I have 35250 chips.
Level 7 (50/300/600) - Antes are in play now. Unfortunately, I'm card dead and no situations arise where I'm able to steal or pick up any extra chips. I have 33700 chips.
Level 8 (50/400/800) - I'm antsy to play a hand after being card dead for 2 levels. Finally, an optimal situation arises where it folds to me in late position. From the Hijack, I open for 2300 with Q2o. Prowest, who recently just sat down at our table, is the only caller from the BB. Flop, Q T X. Prowest checks, I bet 3600 with Top Pair, he calls. Turn [Q T X] K. This time, Prowest leads out for 5000, which tells me he has a piece of the board but isn't 100% confident in his hand. It's your typical 'weak lead' bet, so I raise to 12500 and put Prowest to the test. He ends up calling a lot quicker than I thought he would. *gulp* River, [Q T X K] Q. Once again, Prowest checks. Now I'm left with a decision to make. With 14000 chips left in my stack, do I check or bet? Most of you are probably thinking 'Duh! You hit your card and sucked out. Just ship it!'... but I didn't. I checked behind, and here's why. Remember when Prowest bet into me on the Turn and I thought he had something, but wasn't 100% confident in his hand? The first sensible holding that I put him on was QJ. I realize that the Queen on the River makes it less likely for Prowest to be holding the case Queen, but think about my decision from a tournament perspective (a $200 buy-in tournament, not a $20 donkament). If I choose to bet, the size of the pot (36k+) and my remaining stack dictate that I have to go All-In. Betting anything less opens the door for Prowest to push All-In over the top and I don't want to be faced with that decision. Therefore, if I go All-In and Prowest has QJ - or even a Straight or Full House that is still very possible on a very wet board - I'm eliminated from the tournament. However, if I check and Prowest has a better hand at the showdown, I still have 14k left in the tournament, which is more than enough chips to stage a comeback. Fortunately for me, he shows AK and I drag an enormous pot.
A few people at my table were flabbergasted that I checked the River and I'm curious to hear what others would have done in the same situation. I encourage you to share your thoughts and opinions via the Comments.
Several hands later, I pick up AA and raise to 2300. Prowest calls in the BB once again and we're heads up to the Flop, which is K Q 2. He checks, I bet 3600, and he folds. I have 57775 chips.
Level 9 (100/500/1000) - Our table is 7-handed now. I raise on the Button with QJo. Prowest calls in the BB. Flop, Q J 9 rainbow. Prowest leads out for 4000. I ask him how much he has left behind and he's got about 15k. I push a stack of 20 orange 1k chips into the middle and put Prowest All-In. I hope that he's steaming from the last few hands I've played with him that he'll call, but he makes a disciplined lay down, albeit reluctantly.
A bit later, I'm in the BB with 42h. 3 other players limp before me and I check my option. Flop, K 4 2, two spades. I lead out for 3500. Julie is next to act and raises to 8000 straight. The other 2 players fold. With a vulnerable hand and a wet board, I don't want to see a Turn card. After a minute or two, I raise to 25500 straight. Julie tanks for about 2 minutes before she finally folds (she told me she had a King). We're now on Break #3. I have 66975 chips, which is right where I want to be.
Level 10 (100/700/1500) - I eclipse the 70k chip mark early in this level. I'm UTG+1 and raise to 4100 with JJ. Krazy Joe is the only caller from the Button. Flop, T 7 6, two hearts. I'm first to act and bet 6000. Krazy Joe folds. Afterward, El Diablo asks me 'have you even shown down a hand yet?' I respond, 'yes, Q2o.' Hopefully, that will pay off for me later when I do have a big hand.
We're down to two tables now with 18 players left in the tournament. Tom Gross and Jen join the table. Both are sitting on my left and have healthy chip stacks.
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| 18 Players Left, photo credit: Data |
From the cutoff, I raise to 4100 with KQs. Gross, sitting next to me on my left, re-raises to 8800 from the Button. Both blinds fold and I contemplate doing the same, but I've been on a mini-heater recently and decide to make the call. Flop, J T X. I check and Gross instantly moves AI for over 40k. It's obvious that he has an over pair to the board, so I muck my open-ender. Gross told me later that he did, in fact, have AA. I bleed a bit more after this hand and end the level with 46800.
Level 11 (200/1000/2000) - This is the last level of the night and my goal is to chip up so I'm not short-stacked for Day 2 of the tournament, which is to be held the following Saturday (11/19/11). In one of the first few hands of the level, I'm UTG and raise to 5000 with AKo. Krazy Joe moves All-In from the cutoff for exactly 25k more and I make the call. He shows 99 and is at risk of elimination. Flop, A X X. Turn, [A X X] 9, and Krazy Joe survives to double up. DOH! Winning that race would have put me back around the 75k mark and would have put me in contention to make a run at the Final Table. Instead, I'm left with a mere 16k.
Next time I'm UTG, I open shove for 16400 with AQo. Julie has me covered and calls from the Button with TT. Flop, Q Q T. Unfortunately, I brick the Turn and River and I'm eliminated in 14th place.
Closing Thoughts - I was really happy with the way I played overall. Despite losing nearly 1/3 of my starting stack in the first three levels of the tournament, I remained confident and made a nice comeback to put myself in contention to win/cash. Obviously, I wish the result was different, but at least it's nice knowing that I made smart decisions and played to the best of my abilities. I'd like to thank those who bought a piece of my action, which allowed my broke ass to play the tournament in the first place. Very much appreciated. I'd also like to thank TK and his wife for opening up their beautiful home to a bunch of degens. I can't wait until the next time I'm able to make a game at your place. Finally, thanks to Data for running a smooth tournament with no hiccups. Your efforts and contributions are always appreciated.
Here are the final results:
Champion - Krazy Joe - $2200* (hard not to think that this could have been me if the AK < 99 hand went my way instead of his, but congrats to Joe on the nice payday)
2nd - Colin M. - $1800*
3rd - Jen - $1000
4th - LeastBest - $600
5th - Jason F. - $400
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
The November Nine
This past Sunday, I watched ESPN's near live coverage of the 2011 WSOP Main Event Final Table (it was broadcast on a 15 minute delay). Coverage began at 3:30pm EST and I watched it straight through until the dinner break at 10pm. By that time, I was spent from being up until 6am and 3am respectively on Friday and Saturday, so I didn't see any of the footage from 11:30 (when play resumed) on. Of the footage I did see, however, I was both impressed and inspired by the high level of play from the finalists. Not that I expected any of them to be slouches, but all clearly proved that they deserved to be there.
I didn't do any betting on the November Nine, but had I done so, I would've bet Matt Giannetti to win the tournament (defeating Eoghan O'Dea heads-up). I also would've bet the ever-popular Ben Lamb to finish somewhere in the the middle of the pack and the uber-aggressive Pius Heinz to be first eliminated.
I'm glad I didn't make any of those wagers.
Despite not being invested in any of the players, this was an enjoyable Final Table to watch. ESPN was smart to add Antonio Esfandiari and Phil Hellmuth to the commentary, as both were well spoken and fantastic in their analysis. Not only did they try to narrow down the players' possible holdings (they were pretty darn accurate most of the time), they studied the players' body language and expressed how comfortable they thought each player was with their hand. I, for one, appreciated the deeper insight into the game. Lon McEachern and Norman Chad are great and all, but I really hope ESPN brings Esfandiari and Hellmuth (or other professionals) back for future broadcasts.
As for the tournament itself, I think it will go down as one of the most memorable Final Tables in WSOP history (and that's saying something considering the remaining 3 players have yet to play things out as of this writing). Sure, the play was sluggish at first, but things really got interesting during the big confrontation between O'Dea and Heinz (AQ vs. QQ). O'Dea had been in control up until that hand and the momentum suddenly shifted to Heinz's favor. Soon after, Benba got a hold of some chips after eliminating the short stack Sam Holden (AK > AJ) and Heinz continued his ascension up the leaderboard with his elimination of Anton Makiievskyi. Poor Anton couldn't get anything going at the Final Table and suffered a heartbreaker when he was All-In against Pius (KQ vs 99). He flopped a King, but a 9 came on the Turn to send him to the rail. Adding further to the drama, Phil Collins - who was struggling with his limp strategy - overcame the odds (Qh Jd > AQc) when All-In against Ben Lamb and 4 diamonds ran out on the board. That hand slowed Benba down for the time being until an incredible hand against Eoghan O'Dea literally made my jaw drop. O'Dea raised from the cutoff with Ac 9d and Lamb pushed All-In over the top from the BB. O'Dea barely had Lamb covered and contemplated his decision for what seemed like forever. Finally, Eoghan made an amazing call and was slightly ahead when Ben revealed Q8d. The Flop offered a good sweat with 2 diamonds on the board. The Turn was a blank and had Benba at the risk of elimination with one card to come... until an 8 fell on the River to give Lamb a pair and the winning hand. O'Dea was crippled and finished in 6th place soon after. The final sweat that I saw happened during Phil Collins' elimination. Pius Heinz raised to 2.1 million and Collins moved in from the BB for about 16 million more. Heinz made the call and was ahead (99 vs. A7d) until the Flop gave Collins an open-ended Straight draw and the Turn brought him even more outs with a Flush draw. Fortunately for Heinz, Collins bricked the River and was eliminated in 5th place.
I didn't catch much of 4-handed play afterward, but I thought Matt Giannetti and Martin Staszko both played great from the outset of the Final Table. It sucks that it didn't work out for Giannetti because the consensus seems to be he played the best out of anyone at the table. Regardless, the final 3 players - Heinz (107 mil), Lamb (55 mil) and Staszko (42 mil) - return to the felt tonight to battle it out for the coveted WSOP gold bracelet and 8.7 million dollar first prize. Lamb is everyone's favorite to put a storybook ending on his 2011 WSOP, but with more than half of the chips in play, I'd put my money on Heinz. Then again, wouldn't it be something if Staszko pulled it off?
I guess we'll find out tonight. Hopefully, I don't miss much when I flip over to watch Sons of Anarchy from 10 - 11pm...
I didn't do any betting on the November Nine, but had I done so, I would've bet Matt Giannetti to win the tournament (defeating Eoghan O'Dea heads-up). I also would've bet the ever-popular Ben Lamb to finish somewhere in the the middle of the pack and the uber-aggressive Pius Heinz to be first eliminated.
I'm glad I didn't make any of those wagers.
Despite not being invested in any of the players, this was an enjoyable Final Table to watch. ESPN was smart to add Antonio Esfandiari and Phil Hellmuth to the commentary, as both were well spoken and fantastic in their analysis. Not only did they try to narrow down the players' possible holdings (they were pretty darn accurate most of the time), they studied the players' body language and expressed how comfortable they thought each player was with their hand. I, for one, appreciated the deeper insight into the game. Lon McEachern and Norman Chad are great and all, but I really hope ESPN brings Esfandiari and Hellmuth (or other professionals) back for future broadcasts.
As for the tournament itself, I think it will go down as one of the most memorable Final Tables in WSOP history (and that's saying something considering the remaining 3 players have yet to play things out as of this writing). Sure, the play was sluggish at first, but things really got interesting during the big confrontation between O'Dea and Heinz (AQ vs. QQ). O'Dea had been in control up until that hand and the momentum suddenly shifted to Heinz's favor. Soon after, Benba got a hold of some chips after eliminating the short stack Sam Holden (AK > AJ) and Heinz continued his ascension up the leaderboard with his elimination of Anton Makiievskyi. Poor Anton couldn't get anything going at the Final Table and suffered a heartbreaker when he was All-In against Pius (KQ vs 99). He flopped a King, but a 9 came on the Turn to send him to the rail. Adding further to the drama, Phil Collins - who was struggling with his limp strategy - overcame the odds (Qh Jd > AQc) when All-In against Ben Lamb and 4 diamonds ran out on the board. That hand slowed Benba down for the time being until an incredible hand against Eoghan O'Dea literally made my jaw drop. O'Dea raised from the cutoff with Ac 9d and Lamb pushed All-In over the top from the BB. O'Dea barely had Lamb covered and contemplated his decision for what seemed like forever. Finally, Eoghan made an amazing call and was slightly ahead when Ben revealed Q8d. The Flop offered a good sweat with 2 diamonds on the board. The Turn was a blank and had Benba at the risk of elimination with one card to come... until an 8 fell on the River to give Lamb a pair and the winning hand. O'Dea was crippled and finished in 6th place soon after. The final sweat that I saw happened during Phil Collins' elimination. Pius Heinz raised to 2.1 million and Collins moved in from the BB for about 16 million more. Heinz made the call and was ahead (99 vs. A7d) until the Flop gave Collins an open-ended Straight draw and the Turn brought him even more outs with a Flush draw. Fortunately for Heinz, Collins bricked the River and was eliminated in 5th place.
I didn't catch much of 4-handed play afterward, but I thought Matt Giannetti and Martin Staszko both played great from the outset of the Final Table. It sucks that it didn't work out for Giannetti because the consensus seems to be he played the best out of anyone at the table. Regardless, the final 3 players - Heinz (107 mil), Lamb (55 mil) and Staszko (42 mil) - return to the felt tonight to battle it out for the coveted WSOP gold bracelet and 8.7 million dollar first prize. Lamb is everyone's favorite to put a storybook ending on his 2011 WSOP, but with more than half of the chips in play, I'd put my money on Heinz. Then again, wouldn't it be something if Staszko pulled it off?
I guess we'll find out tonight. Hopefully, I don't miss much when I flip over to watch Sons of Anarchy from 10 - 11pm...
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Data's Poker After Dark #2
Data hosted another one of his Poker After Dark tournaments on 10/22/11. There were 8 players. Seated clockwise to my left - Data, Doug Poker, Mark H, Jamie W, Meat, Randy and Tuttle. With Data and DP on my immediate left and Meat in raising position on my blinds, this was the worst seat draw I could have asked for at this table. Not to mention, I had never played with Mark H or Tuttle before and was unfamiliar with both.
I brought my notepad and a pen with me, but I didn't feel like doing a Running Log. September - November is my busy season at work (this is by far the busiest we have ever been in my department) and I've been trying to relax on weekends. As such, I decided to just sit back and focus on the game.
Things started slowly for me as they always tend to do. After getting crazy in my last DPAD tournament by playing trash hands out-of-position, I tightened up considerably in the early levels of this tournament. In the UTG position alone, I folded 33, 66 and AQo twice. Holy nit! Of course, I got the complete opposite when I was in late position, where hands like 92 and J6 were the norm. Early in Level 3 (100/200), however, I picked up AQh in the BB and 3-Bet Meat, who had raised preflop from the cutoff. He called. In the last DPAD tournament, Meat called a 3-Bet of mine with KJo (in position), so I figured him to be in the KJ - AK range, or possibly a mid-pair like TT or JJ. Flop, Ax X X. I checked and Meat quickly checked behind. Meat has checked an Ace in this situation several times before and that's what I pegged him for. Turn was a blank and I checked again, which opened the door for Meat to control the betting (oops). He bet somewhere in the 1000 - 1500 range and I called. The River was another blank, and I check-called a much larger 3000 chip bet (double oops). Meat turned over what I suspected he was holding all along - AK.
Had I led out on the Flop or Turn, I probably would have lost fewer chips than I did and I certainly would have gained more information about where Meat stood in the hand. Of course, it didn't help that I've fallen into this nasty habit of calling big River bets despite knowing when I'm beat. I have done this in 3 straight tournaments and it shouldn't be a surprise that I didn't cash in any of them. Recently, I've gotten a lot better at narrowing down my opponents' holdings (it's something I have been working on even when I'm not involved in a hand). I definitely need to trust my reads more. Hopefully, I can do that and break the habit ASAP.
After the debacle against Meat, I steered clear of entering any pots for quite some time. I was mad at myself and even a slight bit embarrassed after donking off chips in my second straight DPAD tournament. One of the reasons that I play the DPAD tournaments is because I love the challenge of playing against the best tournament players in the CPMG. Data and Meat, in particular, are DPAD regulars who constantly read about and study the game of poker. Both have proven via their consistency and results over the past several years that they are the Top 2 tournament players in the CPMG. For those of you who would adamantly debate that statement, I'll say that both are clearly in the Top 5. Another player that I love to play against is Doug Poker. Doug has always been a fearless/aggressive player and with a little coaching recently, he has improved his tournament game even more. He's a much better tournament player than people give him credit for. Sometimes, I think he doesn't give himself enough credit. The bottom line is all three have earned my respect at the poker table, and when I'm sitting down with them - or anyone, for that matter - I want to be respected just the same. I want to be feared. I want people to be aware of my presence at the table and adjust their play accordingly. I know that won't happen if I continue to play as poorly as I have been lately, and that's why I've been so frustrated.
Anyway...
After the hand against Meat, I blinded down to just under 5000 chips before I even dragged a pot, albeit a tiny one against Jamie. A bit later, I won an All-In race against Doug Poker to double up (I don't remember the hands exactly). Then I became card dead and my stack hovered around 10k for a few hours. The fact that Data and DP were on my left and were the big stacks throughout the tournament didn't help, as it severely limited my stealing opportunities.
I did gain a bit of momentum right before the second Break. Several players limped in ahead of me (I think everyone called except one) and I completed from the SB with 72o. I flopped 2 pair, turned Twos Full of Sevens, and won some chips off of Randy without a showdown. A bit later, I picked up 77 and made an aggressive move on a dangerous Flop full of over-cards by going All-In and forcing Randy (the initial preflop raiser) to fold. He told me he had 88. Randy later complimented me on my short stack play, saying he admired how I hung around for so long. That made me feel a bit better, but I couldn't afford to sit back and hang around for much longer.
Right after the second Break, I unfortunately lost the chips that I had just previously accumulated in the span of two consecutive hands against Data. The first time, it was folded to me in the SB and I tried stealing Data's BB with 47o. He 3-Bet me (it was an easy fold, at least). The second time, it was folded to me on the Button and I raised with a small pocket pair (22, I think). Data 3-Bet me again - this time from the SB - and would have been pot committed if I went All-In over the top of him. Thus, I folded, and with 5 players left, I joined Meat as the definitive short stacks at the table.
A bit later, I was fortunate to survive an All-In against Data when my T9o and his TT both made a Straight for a chop. I was able to chip up a bit after that hand, but I ultimately went bust early in Level 9 (700/1500). With only 11k, I moved AIPF from the Button with QJo and Doug Poker (well over 60k) called from the BB with K9s. I failed to improve and was eliminated in 4th place.
Even though I failed to cash, there were still a few positives. 1) I placed higher than I did in my previous DPAD tournament despite a bad table draw and being card dead throughout. Not once did I get AA, KK, QQ, JJ or AK. 2) I lasted a full level longer than I did in my previous DPAD tournament despite having fewer chips (my peak chip count in this tournament was a little over 19k compared to 35k in my previous DPAD).
Still, I won't be happy until I win a f*****g DPAD... or at least cash in one. Stay tuned.
I brought my notepad and a pen with me, but I didn't feel like doing a Running Log. September - November is my busy season at work (this is by far the busiest we have ever been in my department) and I've been trying to relax on weekends. As such, I decided to just sit back and focus on the game.
Things started slowly for me as they always tend to do. After getting crazy in my last DPAD tournament by playing trash hands out-of-position, I tightened up considerably in the early levels of this tournament. In the UTG position alone, I folded 33, 66 and AQo twice. Holy nit! Of course, I got the complete opposite when I was in late position, where hands like 92 and J6 were the norm. Early in Level 3 (100/200), however, I picked up AQh in the BB and 3-Bet Meat, who had raised preflop from the cutoff. He called. In the last DPAD tournament, Meat called a 3-Bet of mine with KJo (in position), so I figured him to be in the KJ - AK range, or possibly a mid-pair like TT or JJ. Flop, Ax X X. I checked and Meat quickly checked behind. Meat has checked an Ace in this situation several times before and that's what I pegged him for. Turn was a blank and I checked again, which opened the door for Meat to control the betting (oops). He bet somewhere in the 1000 - 1500 range and I called. The River was another blank, and I check-called a much larger 3000 chip bet (double oops). Meat turned over what I suspected he was holding all along - AK.
Had I led out on the Flop or Turn, I probably would have lost fewer chips than I did and I certainly would have gained more information about where Meat stood in the hand. Of course, it didn't help that I've fallen into this nasty habit of calling big River bets despite knowing when I'm beat. I have done this in 3 straight tournaments and it shouldn't be a surprise that I didn't cash in any of them. Recently, I've gotten a lot better at narrowing down my opponents' holdings (it's something I have been working on even when I'm not involved in a hand). I definitely need to trust my reads more. Hopefully, I can do that and break the habit ASAP.
After the debacle against Meat, I steered clear of entering any pots for quite some time. I was mad at myself and even a slight bit embarrassed after donking off chips in my second straight DPAD tournament. One of the reasons that I play the DPAD tournaments is because I love the challenge of playing against the best tournament players in the CPMG. Data and Meat, in particular, are DPAD regulars who constantly read about and study the game of poker. Both have proven via their consistency and results over the past several years that they are the Top 2 tournament players in the CPMG. For those of you who would adamantly debate that statement, I'll say that both are clearly in the Top 5. Another player that I love to play against is Doug Poker. Doug has always been a fearless/aggressive player and with a little coaching recently, he has improved his tournament game even more. He's a much better tournament player than people give him credit for. Sometimes, I think he doesn't give himself enough credit. The bottom line is all three have earned my respect at the poker table, and when I'm sitting down with them - or anyone, for that matter - I want to be respected just the same. I want to be feared. I want people to be aware of my presence at the table and adjust their play accordingly. I know that won't happen if I continue to play as poorly as I have been lately, and that's why I've been so frustrated.
Anyway...
After the hand against Meat, I blinded down to just under 5000 chips before I even dragged a pot, albeit a tiny one against Jamie. A bit later, I won an All-In race against Doug Poker to double up (I don't remember the hands exactly). Then I became card dead and my stack hovered around 10k for a few hours. The fact that Data and DP were on my left and were the big stacks throughout the tournament didn't help, as it severely limited my stealing opportunities.
I did gain a bit of momentum right before the second Break. Several players limped in ahead of me (I think everyone called except one) and I completed from the SB with 72o. I flopped 2 pair, turned Twos Full of Sevens, and won some chips off of Randy without a showdown. A bit later, I picked up 77 and made an aggressive move on a dangerous Flop full of over-cards by going All-In and forcing Randy (the initial preflop raiser) to fold. He told me he had 88. Randy later complimented me on my short stack play, saying he admired how I hung around for so long. That made me feel a bit better, but I couldn't afford to sit back and hang around for much longer.
Right after the second Break, I unfortunately lost the chips that I had just previously accumulated in the span of two consecutive hands against Data. The first time, it was folded to me in the SB and I tried stealing Data's BB with 47o. He 3-Bet me (it was an easy fold, at least). The second time, it was folded to me on the Button and I raised with a small pocket pair (22, I think). Data 3-Bet me again - this time from the SB - and would have been pot committed if I went All-In over the top of him. Thus, I folded, and with 5 players left, I joined Meat as the definitive short stacks at the table.
A bit later, I was fortunate to survive an All-In against Data when my T9o and his TT both made a Straight for a chop. I was able to chip up a bit after that hand, but I ultimately went bust early in Level 9 (700/1500). With only 11k, I moved AIPF from the Button with QJo and Doug Poker (well over 60k) called from the BB with K9s. I failed to improve and was eliminated in 4th place.
Even though I failed to cash, there were still a few positives. 1) I placed higher than I did in my previous DPAD tournament despite a bad table draw and being card dead throughout. Not once did I get AA, KK, QQ, JJ or AK. 2) I lasted a full level longer than I did in my previous DPAD tournament despite having fewer chips (my peak chip count in this tournament was a little over 19k compared to 35k in my previous DPAD).
Still, I won't be happy until I win a f*****g DPAD... or at least cash in one. Stay tuned.
Monday, October 24, 2011
The Sharkscope Measure
For those of you unfamiliar with Sharkscope, it's an online poker stat-tracking web site that accounts for SNG and MTT results. Players can type in their (or anyone's) online poker screen name and Sharkscope will display records of all of the games they’ve played to date, and their profitability. When a player's screen name is entered, Sharkscope returns the following data about them:
My first observation is that the total number of Games Played is inaccurate, as I played way more than 214 games overall. I know that Sharkscope began tracking different poker sites at different times, but I am unsure what month/year they started and stopped tracking PokerRoom tournaments. Despite the missing data, the results aren't completely inaccurate. I already mentioned in a previous blog that I did much better in MTTs than I did in SNGs, and the following backs up that statement - MTTs (194% ROI - 93/100 Ability) vs. SNGs (-31% ROI - 63/100 Ability). I wouldn't say that I was a bad SNG player, but I definitely could have been more consistent. Overall, Sharkscope gave me a shark icon (you can't see it via the results posted in my blog but can when you do the actual search) and a 89/100 Ability rating via whatever ridiculous calculation/formula they use to determine the number. I suppose this means I have some skill when it comes to tournament play, but again, I cannot fully support that without accounting for all of the data.
(Anyone know of a comprehensive poker database that dates back to 2003 and covers sites that no longer exist?)
Furthermore, the following graphs measure my Total Profit/Number of Games Played, ROI%/Entry Fee, and Number of Games Played/Entry Fee, respectively.
- Number of Games Played
- Average Profit
- Average Stake
- Average Return on Investment (ROI)
- Total Profit
- Overall Ability (on a scale of 0 to 100)
Username | Games Played | Av. Profit | Av. Stake | Av. ROI | Total Profit | Form | Ability /100 | Network | Filter | |
214 | $7 | $61 | 44% | $1,588 | 89 | Ongame | Pokerroom | |||
72 | $51 | $69 | 194% | $3,698 | 93 | Ongame | Sch. Only Pokerroom | |||
142 | -$15 | $57 | -31% | -$2,110 | 63 | Ongame | SNG Only Pokerroom |
My first observation is that the total number of Games Played is inaccurate, as I played way more than 214 games overall. I know that Sharkscope began tracking different poker sites at different times, but I am unsure what month/year they started and stopped tracking PokerRoom tournaments. Despite the missing data, the results aren't completely inaccurate. I already mentioned in a previous blog that I did much better in MTTs than I did in SNGs, and the following backs up that statement - MTTs (194% ROI - 93/100 Ability) vs. SNGs (-31% ROI - 63/100 Ability). I wouldn't say that I was a bad SNG player, but I definitely could have been more consistent. Overall, Sharkscope gave me a shark icon (you can't see it via the results posted in my blog but can when you do the actual search) and a 89/100 Ability rating via whatever ridiculous calculation/formula they use to determine the number. I suppose this means I have some skill when it comes to tournament play, but again, I cannot fully support that without accounting for all of the data.
(Anyone know of a comprehensive poker database that dates back to 2003 and covers sites that no longer exist?)
Furthermore, the following graphs measure my Total Profit/Number of Games Played, ROI%/Entry Fee, and Number of Games Played/Entry Fee, respectively.
 |
| Total Profit/Total Number of Games Played Graph |
 |
| ROI%/Entry Fee Graph |
 |
| Number of Games Played/Entry Fee Graph |
If the second graph is any indication, perhaps I should strictly play higher buy-in tournaments? Hmmmm...
*notes the CPMG Fall Classic scheduled on my calendar on 11/12*
Monday, October 17, 2011
A (Slight) Bit of Redemption
After failing to cash in Data's Poker After Dark tournament, I redeemed myself a week later via a couple short-handed SNGs that I ended up hosting.
On 9/16/11, I won a 4-player, $20 winner-take-all SNG after defeating Randy (leastbest) heads up. Dana and Jimmy Bunch were the other players. Afterward, Randy, Jimmy and I played a 3-handed $20 SNG. I was first to bust in that one, however, when my QQ failed to hold against Jimmy's K7. I had hoped to get more players on this night, but Julie also hosted a tournament and most CPMGers went there.
Two days later, on 9/18, I hosted a $30 6-max SNG. It was me, Dana, Adam, Chantal, Jimmy Bunch and Jimmy's friend Andrew. I was down early after losing a big pot to Andrew (KK < QT(?) after I 4-Bet it preflop). Fortunately, I caught a few breaks to battle back. With 4 players left, I was short-stacked and moved AIPF from the SB with 54o. Chantal called from the BB with AKo, but I caught a 5 to stay alive. A bit later, I doubled again when Adam and I both flopped Straights on a QT9 board (my KJ > Adam's J8). Eventually, Adam and I ended up chopping for $90 apiece.
Finally, I played Linda's Bounty Tournament ($50 - $40 to prize pool, $10 per bounty) on 10/1. I had a great opening table. Seated clockwise to my left - McLovin, Cindy, Jamie W, Con, Monsignor, Nicole, Helen Jones (Gambling Mom) and Chaz. Everyone was incredibly limp-happy and I took advantage of this whenever I was in late position. I ran my 10k starting stack up to 32800 (good for 2nd in chips behind Data) at the 2nd break and even collected a bounty (Helen Jones) in the process. When play resumed (10 players left), the wheels came off yet again. First, I got involved in a strange hand against Nicole where I ended up losing 1/3 of my stack with 32d. On the Button with 4 limpers ahead of me, I raised in an effort to narrow the field and Nicole was the only caller. Flop, 8 2 X. Nicole checked, I bet my pair of Deuces, and she made the call. Turn, [8 2 X] 2, giving me trips. Again, Nicole checked and I checked behind to make it look like I was weak. River, [8 2 X 2] 8. This time, Nicole led out with a fairly big bet and I agonized before I eventually made the call. Obviously, she had an 8. Then, I lost 15k total trying to collect the bounties of two short-stacks that went All-In. Before I knew it, I was a short-stack myself and eventually busted in 7th place (out of 19 players) when my AK < KT.
Between these tournaments and Data's Poker After Dark, I ended up breaking even. I may not have gained anything financially, but in writing the blogs for these tournaments and Data's Poker After Dark, I've identified some mistakes/flaws that I need to avoid in future tournaments. Hopefully, addressing these mistakes will lead to more profitable results in the future.
On 9/16/11, I won a 4-player, $20 winner-take-all SNG after defeating Randy (leastbest) heads up. Dana and Jimmy Bunch were the other players. Afterward, Randy, Jimmy and I played a 3-handed $20 SNG. I was first to bust in that one, however, when my QQ failed to hold against Jimmy's K7. I had hoped to get more players on this night, but Julie also hosted a tournament and most CPMGers went there.
Two days later, on 9/18, I hosted a $30 6-max SNG. It was me, Dana, Adam, Chantal, Jimmy Bunch and Jimmy's friend Andrew. I was down early after losing a big pot to Andrew (KK < QT(?) after I 4-Bet it preflop). Fortunately, I caught a few breaks to battle back. With 4 players left, I was short-stacked and moved AIPF from the SB with 54o. Chantal called from the BB with AKo, but I caught a 5 to stay alive. A bit later, I doubled again when Adam and I both flopped Straights on a QT9 board (my KJ > Adam's J8). Eventually, Adam and I ended up chopping for $90 apiece.
Finally, I played Linda's Bounty Tournament ($50 - $40 to prize pool, $10 per bounty) on 10/1. I had a great opening table. Seated clockwise to my left - McLovin, Cindy, Jamie W, Con, Monsignor, Nicole, Helen Jones (Gambling Mom) and Chaz. Everyone was incredibly limp-happy and I took advantage of this whenever I was in late position. I ran my 10k starting stack up to 32800 (good for 2nd in chips behind Data) at the 2nd break and even collected a bounty (Helen Jones) in the process. When play resumed (10 players left), the wheels came off yet again. First, I got involved in a strange hand against Nicole where I ended up losing 1/3 of my stack with 32d. On the Button with 4 limpers ahead of me, I raised in an effort to narrow the field and Nicole was the only caller. Flop, 8 2 X. Nicole checked, I bet my pair of Deuces, and she made the call. Turn, [8 2 X] 2, giving me trips. Again, Nicole checked and I checked behind to make it look like I was weak. River, [8 2 X 2] 8. This time, Nicole led out with a fairly big bet and I agonized before I eventually made the call. Obviously, she had an 8. Then, I lost 15k total trying to collect the bounties of two short-stacks that went All-In. Before I knew it, I was a short-stack myself and eventually busted in 7th place (out of 19 players) when my AK < KT.
Between these tournaments and Data's Poker After Dark, I ended up breaking even. I may not have gained anything financially, but in writing the blogs for these tournaments and Data's Poker After Dark, I've identified some mistakes/flaws that I need to avoid in future tournaments. Hopefully, addressing these mistakes will lead to more profitable results in the future.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Data's Poker After Dark
I didn't play any CPMG tournaments in July or August. I was going to attend one of Julie's Sunday afternoon tournaments, but we ended up having beautiful weather that day and I didn't feel like being cooped up in a basement with a bunch of degens. I did play a few tournaments in September, however, most notably Data's Poker After Dark on 9/10/11. Data hosted two "DPADs" prior to this one, both of which I really wanted to attend but was unable to for whatever reason. In general, I tend to prefer one-table SNGs over MTTs, and the structure of this particular tournament is very appealing. 9 players, $60 buy-in, 15k starting stacks and 40 minute levels, starting at 50/100. Hopefully, Mailman Greg won't mind me stealing his Running Log format for tournaments.
Shuffle Up & Deal 15000 - I'm fifteen minutes late and the last to arrive with 20-some minutes to go in Level 1. I hate being late and am already on tilt because of it. There are 8 players for this one. Seated clockwise to my left - Jimmy Bunch, Cheryl, Data, Doug Poker, Jamie W, Meat and John Robinson (Jamie W's +1).
End of Level 1 (50/100) 8100 - On the drive over to Data's condo, I tell myself that I'm going to play patient, straightforward poker. No funny business - like playing shitty hands out of position or anything. Of course, the first pot I enter is from the BB, with 9d 6h. Meat raises it to 225 from the Button and the SB (John Robinson) calls ahead of me. Only 125 more? Sure, I'll tag along. Flop, 3h 6x Jh. I check-call what looks like your standard continuation bet (550) from Meat and the SB gets out of the way. Turn, [3h 6x Jh] Ah. I check-call another bet in the 1500 range. Clearly, I'm good here holding 3rd pair with an Ace and three to a flush on board (sarcasm). At least I have the 6-high flush draw (more sarcasm). River, [3h 6x Jh Ah] 6c. Now I have trips, and I'm fairly positive that I just got lucky. I contemplate leading out, but Meat has shown strength throughout the hand and could easily raise me since there are still plenty of hands that can still beat mine. He has one of those hands, and turns over A6 after I check-call a big bet of 3700.
Dejected, I kick myself under the table and contemplate asking Data for a do-over so that I can just FOLD the hand like I was supposed to. Fortunately, I have plenty of time and plenty of chips left to right the ship.
End of Level 2 (75/150) 14600 - It's the last hand before break and I'm in the SB. The BB (Jimmy Bunch) is away from the table because he is steaming from previous hands. It folds to cutoff (Meat) who sees Jimmy's big blind just sitting there for the taking and raises to 600. I have AKo and 3-Bet to 2100. Meat calls. Flop, 4 6 K. I lead out for 2500, which is about half of what I have left, and Meat puts me All-In. I snap-call and my AK holds against KJ to double me up close to my starting stack.
End of Level 3 (100/200) 12850 - No notable hands to report. I'm finally playing no-nonsense poker. Better late than never, I suppose.
End of Level 4 (150/300) 16700 - Cheryl opens for a raise (800 total) from early position. It folds to me in the SB, and I call with KTs. Flop, Ax Jh Qh. I lead out for 1200 and Cheryl calls. Turn, [Ax Jh Qh] Th. This is a terrible card for me, but I bet 1500 to stay in control of the betting. Cheryl calls. River [Ax Jh Qh Th] 3h. Given Cheryl's commitment to the hand with the presence of Hearts already on board, I decide that the odds of her sticking around with one in her hand are pretty high. I check-fold to a bet of 3500 and am back under 10000.
Two hands later, it folds around to Meat, who raises to 725 from mid-position. There are 4 callers, including me in the BB with 65d. Surprisingly, it checks all the way to showdown and my pair of Sixes is good on a board of A 3 7 6 8. Meat had 22.
Later in the Level, UTG+1 (Data) raises to 800. The Button (Meat) calls and I call from the BB with 54d. I check dark. Flop, 2d 3d 6h. Huzzah! Data checks and Meat bets 1600. I smooth call. Data folds. Turn, [2d 3d 6h] As. I check again, figuring Meat for a small or mid-pair and that he'll run away if I bet. He checks behind. River is a blank. I bet 2500, Meat calls, and my Straight is good.
End of Level 5 (200/400) 25700 - At this point, we've lost Jimmy Bunch and Doug Poker, so there are 6 players left. Meat and Data, the two guys that I don't want see accumulate chips, are the chip leaders. Fortunately, I'm back over my starting stack and am feeling a bit more comfortable. From UTG, I mix it up a bit and raise to 1100 with K3h. John Robinson is the only caller from the BB. I get a Dream Flop, all Hearts. John checks, and I slow-play my King-high Flush and check behind. Turn, [Xh Xh Xh] 4d. John leads out for 1300 and I smooth call, hoping that he'll bet the River too. River, [Xh Xh Xh 4d] 3d. John bets 1500, and I raise him 2000 more. He calls and mucks when I turn over my hand.
Towards the end of the Level, I raise from the cutoff with Ah 4x. The BB (Jamie W) is the only caller. The Flop is rags, offering me no help. Jamie checks, I make a continuation bet, and Jamie calls. Check-check on the Turn, which gives me a Gutshot Straight draw. Fortunately, I get there on the River and Jamie pays me off for 3000 more. He's disgusted.
End of Level 6 (300/600) 31200 - Early in the Level, I limp in on the Button with J8h. 4 players to the Flop, Jc Xh Xh. UTG (Jamie W) bets 1600 and I'm the only caller with Top Pair and Flush Draw. Turn is a blank, and I call 2000 more. River, [Jc Xh Xh Xx] Qh. Jamie bets 3000, and I elect to just call as opposed to raising or putting him All-In. He shows KJo (no Heart) for a pair of Jacks, and I scoop the pot.
Later, UTG (Meat) raises to 1600. I look down at AA and just call, hoping the short-stacked Jamie or Cheryl will go All-In behind me. They fold. Flop, 3 K K. Check-check. Turn, [3 K K] 3. Meat checks, I bet 2500, and he folds.
End of Level 7 (400/800) 5900 - I win one of the first few pots of the Level (albeit a small one) to build my stack to the highest it has been all tournament.
With 35600, I'm 2nd in chips (behind Data) with 5 players left after losing Cheryl. I'm feeling good, but then the wheels come off to derail my momentum. On the Button with AJs, I raise to 2100 and the BB (Jamie W) is the only caller. Flop, T 9 7 rainbow. Jamie checks, and I throw out a continuation bet of 3 orange chips with my Gutshot Straight draw. To my surprise, Jamie check-raises me, and pops it to 9000. He appears committed and comfortable, so I muck and kiss 5100 chips goodbye.
A bit later is when I really fuck myself. No doubt you will shake your head in shame as you read this. I'm the cutoff and raise to 2100 with AQh. The BB (Meat) calls and the Flop is T X X. Check-check. Turn, [T X X] Q. I have Top Pair - Top Kicker. Meat checks, and I make the huge mistake of giving him a free card. River, [T X X Q] K. Meat checks, I bet 2500, and Meat re-raises me 4700 more. I'll give props to Meat on the raise amount, as it looked like a complete bluff to me - which is what Meat later told me he intended. Sure enough, I call and begrudgingly hand over my chips when Meat shows me AJ for the Nuts.
End of Level 8 (500/1000) 0 - It's past Midnight (now my 28th birthday) and we're still 5-handed. I want to go out and celebrate, but I want to win this tournament more. I hang around on the short stack for what seems like an eternity. Finally, with only 5 BBs left, I move All-In from UTG with J9s. The Button (Jamie W) calls and has me dominated with 99. Two spades appear on the Flop for a nice little sweat, but I fail to improve and am eliminated in 5th place.
Jamie went on to win the tournament, which ended around 4am(!!), if you can believe that. The projected end time was 2am. Overall, I loved the structure and pace of Data's Poker After Dark. Writing this blog has me itching to play another one since I made so many mistakes in the first. I'm definitely motivated to do better next time.
Shuffle Up & Deal 15000 - I'm fifteen minutes late and the last to arrive with 20-some minutes to go in Level 1. I hate being late and am already on tilt because of it. There are 8 players for this one. Seated clockwise to my left - Jimmy Bunch, Cheryl, Data, Doug Poker, Jamie W, Meat and John Robinson (Jamie W's +1).
End of Level 1 (50/100) 8100 - On the drive over to Data's condo, I tell myself that I'm going to play patient, straightforward poker. No funny business - like playing shitty hands out of position or anything. Of course, the first pot I enter is from the BB, with 9d 6h. Meat raises it to 225 from the Button and the SB (John Robinson) calls ahead of me. Only 125 more? Sure, I'll tag along. Flop, 3h 6x Jh. I check-call what looks like your standard continuation bet (550) from Meat and the SB gets out of the way. Turn, [3h 6x Jh] Ah. I check-call another bet in the 1500 range. Clearly, I'm good here holding 3rd pair with an Ace and three to a flush on board (sarcasm). At least I have the 6-high flush draw (more sarcasm). River, [3h 6x Jh Ah] 6c. Now I have trips, and I'm fairly positive that I just got lucky. I contemplate leading out, but Meat has shown strength throughout the hand and could easily raise me since there are still plenty of hands that can still beat mine. He has one of those hands, and turns over A6 after I check-call a big bet of 3700.
Dejected, I kick myself under the table and contemplate asking Data for a do-over so that I can just FOLD the hand like I was supposed to. Fortunately, I have plenty of time and plenty of chips left to right the ship.
End of Level 2 (75/150) 14600 - It's the last hand before break and I'm in the SB. The BB (Jimmy Bunch) is away from the table because he is steaming from previous hands. It folds to cutoff (Meat) who sees Jimmy's big blind just sitting there for the taking and raises to 600. I have AKo and 3-Bet to 2100. Meat calls. Flop, 4 6 K. I lead out for 2500, which is about half of what I have left, and Meat puts me All-In. I snap-call and my AK holds against KJ to double me up close to my starting stack.
End of Level 3 (100/200) 12850 - No notable hands to report. I'm finally playing no-nonsense poker. Better late than never, I suppose.
End of Level 4 (150/300) 16700 - Cheryl opens for a raise (800 total) from early position. It folds to me in the SB, and I call with KTs. Flop, Ax Jh Qh. I lead out for 1200 and Cheryl calls. Turn, [Ax Jh Qh] Th. This is a terrible card for me, but I bet 1500 to stay in control of the betting. Cheryl calls. River [Ax Jh Qh Th] 3h. Given Cheryl's commitment to the hand with the presence of Hearts already on board, I decide that the odds of her sticking around with one in her hand are pretty high. I check-fold to a bet of 3500 and am back under 10000.
Two hands later, it folds around to Meat, who raises to 725 from mid-position. There are 4 callers, including me in the BB with 65d. Surprisingly, it checks all the way to showdown and my pair of Sixes is good on a board of A 3 7 6 8. Meat had 22.
Later in the Level, UTG+1 (Data) raises to 800. The Button (Meat) calls and I call from the BB with 54d. I check dark. Flop, 2d 3d 6h. Huzzah! Data checks and Meat bets 1600. I smooth call. Data folds. Turn, [2d 3d 6h] As. I check again, figuring Meat for a small or mid-pair and that he'll run away if I bet. He checks behind. River is a blank. I bet 2500, Meat calls, and my Straight is good.
End of Level 5 (200/400) 25700 - At this point, we've lost Jimmy Bunch and Doug Poker, so there are 6 players left. Meat and Data, the two guys that I don't want see accumulate chips, are the chip leaders. Fortunately, I'm back over my starting stack and am feeling a bit more comfortable. From UTG, I mix it up a bit and raise to 1100 with K3h. John Robinson is the only caller from the BB. I get a Dream Flop, all Hearts. John checks, and I slow-play my King-high Flush and check behind. Turn, [Xh Xh Xh] 4d. John leads out for 1300 and I smooth call, hoping that he'll bet the River too. River, [Xh Xh Xh 4d] 3d. John bets 1500, and I raise him 2000 more. He calls and mucks when I turn over my hand.
Towards the end of the Level, I raise from the cutoff with Ah 4x. The BB (Jamie W) is the only caller. The Flop is rags, offering me no help. Jamie checks, I make a continuation bet, and Jamie calls. Check-check on the Turn, which gives me a Gutshot Straight draw. Fortunately, I get there on the River and Jamie pays me off for 3000 more. He's disgusted.
End of Level 6 (300/600) 31200 - Early in the Level, I limp in on the Button with J8h. 4 players to the Flop, Jc Xh Xh. UTG (Jamie W) bets 1600 and I'm the only caller with Top Pair and Flush Draw. Turn is a blank, and I call 2000 more. River, [Jc Xh Xh Xx] Qh. Jamie bets 3000, and I elect to just call as opposed to raising or putting him All-In. He shows KJo (no Heart) for a pair of Jacks, and I scoop the pot.
Later, UTG (Meat) raises to 1600. I look down at AA and just call, hoping the short-stacked Jamie or Cheryl will go All-In behind me. They fold. Flop, 3 K K. Check-check. Turn, [3 K K] 3. Meat checks, I bet 2500, and he folds.
End of Level 7 (400/800) 5900 - I win one of the first few pots of the Level (albeit a small one) to build my stack to the highest it has been all tournament.
With 35600, I'm 2nd in chips (behind Data) with 5 players left after losing Cheryl. I'm feeling good, but then the wheels come off to derail my momentum. On the Button with AJs, I raise to 2100 and the BB (Jamie W) is the only caller. Flop, T 9 7 rainbow. Jamie checks, and I throw out a continuation bet of 3 orange chips with my Gutshot Straight draw. To my surprise, Jamie check-raises me, and pops it to 9000. He appears committed and comfortable, so I muck and kiss 5100 chips goodbye.
A bit later is when I really fuck myself. No doubt you will shake your head in shame as you read this. I'm the cutoff and raise to 2100 with AQh. The BB (Meat) calls and the Flop is T X X. Check-check. Turn, [T X X] Q. I have Top Pair - Top Kicker. Meat checks, and I make the huge mistake of giving him a free card. River, [T X X Q] K. Meat checks, I bet 2500, and Meat re-raises me 4700 more. I'll give props to Meat on the raise amount, as it looked like a complete bluff to me - which is what Meat later told me he intended. Sure enough, I call and begrudgingly hand over my chips when Meat shows me AJ for the Nuts.
End of Level 8 (500/1000) 0 - It's past Midnight (now my 28th birthday) and we're still 5-handed. I want to go out and celebrate, but I want to win this tournament more. I hang around on the short stack for what seems like an eternity. Finally, with only 5 BBs left, I move All-In from UTG with J9s. The Button (Jamie W) calls and has me dominated with 99. Two spades appear on the Flop for a nice little sweat, but I fail to improve and am eliminated in 5th place.
Jamie went on to win the tournament, which ended around 4am(!!), if you can believe that. The projected end time was 2am. Overall, I loved the structure and pace of Data's Poker After Dark. Writing this blog has me itching to play another one since I made so many mistakes in the first. I'm definitely motivated to do better next time.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
CPMG Tournament Recap (May & June 2011)
I'm still playing catch-up, as these tournaments were held several months ago.
May 28, 2011 - CPMG Team Tournament ($80) - Dave W's House in Lorain, OH
I have to say, this is probably the CPMG tournament that I look forward to most every year. Not only is the team concept fun, but the tournament is preceded by a pot-luck cookout where everyone gathers for great food and socializing. In the 2010 CPMG Team Tournament, I finished 4th out of 48 runners for a nice individual cash, but Yosh (44th), Dana (21st) and I - collectively known as "DD's and the Spotted Dicks" (?? - Yosh's idea) - fell just short of a team cash. This past summer, I initially had to decline when Doug Poker approached me to join him and Special K on their team. They eventually got someone else, but that person canceled a couple days before the tournament and I ended up joining them after all. I think Dana had her kids or was working that night, which is why (along with $$ reasons) we didn't form our own team.
After chowing down on some fruit, donuts and some delicious bacon-wrapped scallops made by Tom Gross, I was ready to repeat my success from the prior year en route to a nice pay day for myself and team "2 Goofs & A Rufe." I'm not sure why, but prior success in a tournament always seems to give me extra motivation to repeat or improve on my performance. That said, I drew a decent opening table that had (seated clockwise to my left) Steve, Nicole, Hip Hop, Malcolm, Eskimo, Matt G, Karl "MF" Tsu and reigning POY IV champion Jac T-way. While the first few levels were relatively quiet, I did manage to chip up a bit to 16450 (from a 15k starting stack) by the end of Level 3.
Then came the train-wreck.
Sitting on a stack of about 10k, Eskimo raised from UTG and I 3-bet him from the hijack, holding KK. After a brief pause, Eskimo elected to use his consultation chip, which allowed him to talk about the hand and seek advice from 1 member of his team for no more than one minute. He stepped away from the table and returned after a brief conference with Nick Kavouras, only to announce he was All-In. Obviously, I'm not folding in this spot, especially since it's Eskimo (who had been very active) and I had him covered by about 5-6k. To my surprise, however, he turned over AA and avoided the suck out to double up. To this day, Eskimo is quick to remind me of his "consultation chip bluff" as if it was some type of accomplishment. Granted, it would have been if he had gotten me to call with a far inferior hand, but I had Kings. I'm insta-calling there against 99% of the CPMG.
Fortunately, I doubled up on the last hand before break with AK > Steve's A9 and had 10700 when play resumed with 300/600 blinds. I didn't last much longer after the break, however, and busted in 28th place when my TT fell to Jen's AK during the 500/1000 level. Since Special K busted minutes earlier in 29th, it meant that "2 Goofs and a Rufe" was out of the running for a team cash. At least Doug Poker finished strong for a 4th place payday. You can read his 2011 CPMG Team Tournament recap here.
June 11, 2011 - Ang's Birthday Tournament ($30 with 1 re-buy allowed if you bust before break) - Julie's House in Fairview Park, OH
20 players, 10k chips to start. The field was predominantly female, save for me, Meat, Data, RR Dave and a few others. It was Ang's birthday and several rounds of shots were being poured amidst a handful of players. This made for an interesting tournament, to say the least.
Opening Table (seated clockwise to my left): Cheryl, K-Tina, Jen, Julie, 2 dudes I didn't know (Ang's friends, I think) Ang and Meat. I was glad to have position on Meat, who very active from the outset. The tournament started painfully slow for me, however. I was card dead and bored, but still managed to chip up to 12775 at the break. Afterward, I went on a pretty sick run that put me in position to not only make the Final Table, but win the tournament as well. First, I knocked out the birthday girl to increase my stack to 18300 (AK > AQ). Then I won a race (KQ > JJ) against Cheryl, who was short-stacked and moved AIPF. The very next hand, Tommy (?) - who had just sat down with a big stack of chips after getting moved from the other table - opened for a raise preflop. I look down at AA and 3-bet him, which he called. On a Jack-high Flop, Tommy bet, I raised, and he called. To my surprise, Tommy led out again on the Turn and River, and I ended up calling both times. I was shocked when he turned over J8o for a measly pair of Jacks, but was more than happy to drag the 20k pot.
With 34875, I went on cruise control until the 2nd break, after which my good fortunes turned sour. On the 2nd hand after break, I made the mistake of 3-betting Julie preflop. Clearly, she wasn't happy about this and moved in (probably out of spite) on a Ten-high Flop. I was 90 % sure that we both had AK, but a flush draw was possible and I held red cards on an all-black board. I can't remember the details of the hand that crippled me after that, but I'm pretty sure that I had AK again and dumped even more chips to Julie.
Lesson learned.
When we drew for seats at the Final Table, I was one of the shorter stacks but wasn't in desperation mode quite yet. A few people busted before I picked off Data trying to steal my BB from the Button. I had K4o, but I had been anticipating a steal attempt from him and moved in. Sure enough, he folded and I added some much-needed chips to my stack. Eventually, we got down to 5 players and Jen (who was quite drunk) and I were the short stacks. I barely had her covered in chips when she moved All-In from UTG and I made the call from the BB. It was her AQ vs my 88, and my pocket pair held up to knock her out on the Bubble.
With 4 players left, I built my stack up to 80k, which was pretty close to what Data and Julie were sitting on (260k in play due to 6 re-buys before the first break). Meanwhile, Gambling Mom was barely hanging on with only 2 or 3 Big Blinds. I could have easily folded until she busted or blinded off, but I stuck to my "play to win" philosophy and called a 3-bet All-In from Julie after I was the initial preflop raiser. It was my 99 against her AK, and she won the race to knock me out of the tournament in 4th place ($90 payday). Not bad, but I should have done better.
May 28, 2011 - CPMG Team Tournament ($80) - Dave W's House in Lorain, OH
I have to say, this is probably the CPMG tournament that I look forward to most every year. Not only is the team concept fun, but the tournament is preceded by a pot-luck cookout where everyone gathers for great food and socializing. In the 2010 CPMG Team Tournament, I finished 4th out of 48 runners for a nice individual cash, but Yosh (44th), Dana (21st) and I - collectively known as "DD's and the Spotted Dicks" (?? - Yosh's idea) - fell just short of a team cash. This past summer, I initially had to decline when Doug Poker approached me to join him and Special K on their team. They eventually got someone else, but that person canceled a couple days before the tournament and I ended up joining them after all. I think Dana had her kids or was working that night, which is why (along with $$ reasons) we didn't form our own team.
After chowing down on some fruit, donuts and some delicious bacon-wrapped scallops made by Tom Gross, I was ready to repeat my success from the prior year en route to a nice pay day for myself and team "2 Goofs & A Rufe." I'm not sure why, but prior success in a tournament always seems to give me extra motivation to repeat or improve on my performance. That said, I drew a decent opening table that had (seated clockwise to my left) Steve, Nicole, Hip Hop, Malcolm, Eskimo, Matt G, Karl "MF" Tsu and reigning POY IV champion Jac T-way. While the first few levels were relatively quiet, I did manage to chip up a bit to 16450 (from a 15k starting stack) by the end of Level 3.
 |
| Grinding... (photo credit, Data) |
Then came the train-wreck.
Sitting on a stack of about 10k, Eskimo raised from UTG and I 3-bet him from the hijack, holding KK. After a brief pause, Eskimo elected to use his consultation chip, which allowed him to talk about the hand and seek advice from 1 member of his team for no more than one minute. He stepped away from the table and returned after a brief conference with Nick Kavouras, only to announce he was All-In. Obviously, I'm not folding in this spot, especially since it's Eskimo (who had been very active) and I had him covered by about 5-6k. To my surprise, however, he turned over AA and avoided the suck out to double up. To this day, Eskimo is quick to remind me of his "consultation chip bluff" as if it was some type of accomplishment. Granted, it would have been if he had gotten me to call with a far inferior hand, but I had Kings. I'm insta-calling there against 99% of the CPMG.
Fortunately, I doubled up on the last hand before break with AK > Steve's A9 and had 10700 when play resumed with 300/600 blinds. I didn't last much longer after the break, however, and busted in 28th place when my TT fell to Jen's AK during the 500/1000 level. Since Special K busted minutes earlier in 29th, it meant that "2 Goofs and a Rufe" was out of the running for a team cash. At least Doug Poker finished strong for a 4th place payday. You can read his 2011 CPMG Team Tournament recap here.
June 11, 2011 - Ang's Birthday Tournament ($30 with 1 re-buy allowed if you bust before break) - Julie's House in Fairview Park, OH
20 players, 10k chips to start. The field was predominantly female, save for me, Meat, Data, RR Dave and a few others. It was Ang's birthday and several rounds of shots were being poured amidst a handful of players. This made for an interesting tournament, to say the least.
Opening Table (seated clockwise to my left): Cheryl, K-Tina, Jen, Julie, 2 dudes I didn't know (Ang's friends, I think) Ang and Meat. I was glad to have position on Meat, who very active from the outset. The tournament started painfully slow for me, however. I was card dead and bored, but still managed to chip up to 12775 at the break. Afterward, I went on a pretty sick run that put me in position to not only make the Final Table, but win the tournament as well. First, I knocked out the birthday girl to increase my stack to 18300 (AK > AQ). Then I won a race (KQ > JJ) against Cheryl, who was short-stacked and moved AIPF. The very next hand, Tommy (?) - who had just sat down with a big stack of chips after getting moved from the other table - opened for a raise preflop. I look down at AA and 3-bet him, which he called. On a Jack-high Flop, Tommy bet, I raised, and he called. To my surprise, Tommy led out again on the Turn and River, and I ended up calling both times. I was shocked when he turned over J8o for a measly pair of Jacks, but was more than happy to drag the 20k pot.
With 34875, I went on cruise control until the 2nd break, after which my good fortunes turned sour. On the 2nd hand after break, I made the mistake of 3-betting Julie preflop. Clearly, she wasn't happy about this and moved in (probably out of spite) on a Ten-high Flop. I was 90 % sure that we both had AK, but a flush draw was possible and I held red cards on an all-black board. I can't remember the details of the hand that crippled me after that, but I'm pretty sure that I had AK again and dumped even more chips to Julie.
Lesson learned.
When we drew for seats at the Final Table, I was one of the shorter stacks but wasn't in desperation mode quite yet. A few people busted before I picked off Data trying to steal my BB from the Button. I had K4o, but I had been anticipating a steal attempt from him and moved in. Sure enough, he folded and I added some much-needed chips to my stack. Eventually, we got down to 5 players and Jen (who was quite drunk) and I were the short stacks. I barely had her covered in chips when she moved All-In from UTG and I made the call from the BB. It was her AQ vs my 88, and my pocket pair held up to knock her out on the Bubble.
With 4 players left, I built my stack up to 80k, which was pretty close to what Data and Julie were sitting on (260k in play due to 6 re-buys before the first break). Meanwhile, Gambling Mom was barely hanging on with only 2 or 3 Big Blinds. I could have easily folded until she busted or blinded off, but I stuck to my "play to win" philosophy and called a 3-bet All-In from Julie after I was the initial preflop raiser. It was my 99 against her AK, and she won the race to knock me out of the tournament in 4th place ($90 payday). Not bad, but I should have done better.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Poker in My Life Today... Or the Lack Thereof
Three months ago, I was inspired to create Rufebert's PokerRoom after frequenting the poker blogs of Doug Poker and Mailman Greg for quite some time. Poker has been a passion of mine ever since I started playing in August 2003 and I figured - at the very least - writing a blog would be a fun way to relive my poker "glory days." If you've been reading, you'll know that by "glory days," I'm referring to my success playing poker "professionally" online and my experiences at the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event and the PokerRoom.com "Become a Poker Pro" cruise. Now that I've told those stories, it's time to focus on the present, which begs the question...
Where does poker fit into my life today?
Well, a lot has changed since the "Become a Poker Pro" cruise back in March 2006. After the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) was passed, PokerRoom.com stopped accepting bets from US players (on 11/06/06, to be exact). I was so used to PokerRoom's interface, PokerRoom's tournaments, and playing against other PokerRoom loyalists that playing on PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker or Bodog just wasn't the same. I tried to give those sites a chance, but none compared to PokerRoom.com, which sadly ended up shutting down for good years later in April 2009.
The most notable change since the cruise, however, is that I no longer have the freedom that I had several years ago. First and foremost, I have a family now - a beautiful girlfriend of 5.5 years (who is the love of my life that I hope to marry someday), a wonderful 3-year old son who constantly challenges me and keeps me on my toes, and 2 awesome kiddos (my girlfriend's children from a previous relationship) that I'm blessed to share a home with for a couple of days each week. Obviously, my family is Priority #1, and between appointments, therapies, hockey practices/games, skating practices/recitals and my own softball obligations (during the summer and fall months), free time is often hard to come by. Not to mention, my job takes a good chunk of hours out of my week as well (about 52.5, including the time it takes me to travel to/from work). It's not the best paying job in the world, but the benefits are good and my income is steady, which is what matters most whilst trying to support a family of 5. That said, I don't want to be a legal plan account manager for the rest of my life. It's not exactly my "dream job," and I know I can make more money somewhere else doing something that actually interests me. While I dislike the whole job hunting/application/interview process, I recently applied to be a Poker Dealer/Supervisor at the Horseshoe Casino that will be opening here in Cleveland in March 2012. Two days after submitting my application, I received a call back from one of their recruiters, but I ended up missing the call since I was busy at work at the time. I left the woman that called me a return message, but I still have yet to hear back. I guess we'll see what happens, if anything. I'm not sure I would even take the job if it meant that I wouldn't be able to play in the casino (or any of the casinos in the state of Ohio). I guess I'll have to confirm that law/rule before giving any serious consideration to the opportunity.
Aside from work and family obligations, the devastating events of "Black Friday" prohibits me (and millions of others in the US) from playing online poker. Obviously, these events have had greater effect on others than they have had on me, but it still sucks that I can't play a quick SNG after the kids are in bed, or whenever I get an hour or two of free time. Most of the time, that is all I have, which makes hosting or attending live poker games a difficult alternative. I enjoy hosting games, but the earliest I can start them is usually 10 or 10:30pm. Finding full table of degens who are willing to start a game at that time (especially during the week when people have to be at work the next morning) is hard. Not to mention, I only have room for one table and have to compete with the other CPMG EOs (Event Organizers), all of whom have the flexibility to host larger (2 or more tables), higher buy-in games that are generally preferred among the group. It is what it is. Maybe one day, I'll have a bigger place and more free time that will allow me to host "premier" CPMG events.
Subscription poker? No thanks. I'd rather light fire to a 20 dollar bill and get more enjoyment without wasting any time.
So you see, as much as I'd love to play poker as often as I possibly can, I really just... can't. At my current rate, I make it to about one CPMG tournament per month. I guess that is better than none, but it doesn't bode well for if/when the POY starts back up and I want to make a run at it. I guess all I can do is try to make as many games as possible. As for the games I do attend, I'm sure you'll be reading about them in this blog.
Where does poker fit into my life today?
Well, a lot has changed since the "Become a Poker Pro" cruise back in March 2006. After the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) was passed, PokerRoom.com stopped accepting bets from US players (on 11/06/06, to be exact). I was so used to PokerRoom's interface, PokerRoom's tournaments, and playing against other PokerRoom loyalists that playing on PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker or Bodog just wasn't the same. I tried to give those sites a chance, but none compared to PokerRoom.com, which sadly ended up shutting down for good years later in April 2009.
The most notable change since the cruise, however, is that I no longer have the freedom that I had several years ago. First and foremost, I have a family now - a beautiful girlfriend of 5.5 years (who is the love of my life that I hope to marry someday), a wonderful 3-year old son who constantly challenges me and keeps me on my toes, and 2 awesome kiddos (my girlfriend's children from a previous relationship) that I'm blessed to share a home with for a couple of days each week. Obviously, my family is Priority #1, and between appointments, therapies, hockey practices/games, skating practices/recitals and my own softball obligations (during the summer and fall months), free time is often hard to come by. Not to mention, my job takes a good chunk of hours out of my week as well (about 52.5, including the time it takes me to travel to/from work). It's not the best paying job in the world, but the benefits are good and my income is steady, which is what matters most whilst trying to support a family of 5. That said, I don't want to be a legal plan account manager for the rest of my life. It's not exactly my "dream job," and I know I can make more money somewhere else doing something that actually interests me. While I dislike the whole job hunting/application/interview process, I recently applied to be a Poker Dealer/Supervisor at the Horseshoe Casino that will be opening here in Cleveland in March 2012. Two days after submitting my application, I received a call back from one of their recruiters, but I ended up missing the call since I was busy at work at the time. I left the woman that called me a return message, but I still have yet to hear back. I guess we'll see what happens, if anything. I'm not sure I would even take the job if it meant that I wouldn't be able to play in the casino (or any of the casinos in the state of Ohio). I guess I'll have to confirm that law/rule before giving any serious consideration to the opportunity.
Aside from work and family obligations, the devastating events of "Black Friday" prohibits me (and millions of others in the US) from playing online poker. Obviously, these events have had greater effect on others than they have had on me, but it still sucks that I can't play a quick SNG after the kids are in bed, or whenever I get an hour or two of free time. Most of the time, that is all I have, which makes hosting or attending live poker games a difficult alternative. I enjoy hosting games, but the earliest I can start them is usually 10 or 10:30pm. Finding full table of degens who are willing to start a game at that time (especially during the week when people have to be at work the next morning) is hard. Not to mention, I only have room for one table and have to compete with the other CPMG EOs (Event Organizers), all of whom have the flexibility to host larger (2 or more tables), higher buy-in games that are generally preferred among the group. It is what it is. Maybe one day, I'll have a bigger place and more free time that will allow me to host "premier" CPMG events.
Subscription poker? No thanks. I'd rather light fire to a 20 dollar bill and get more enjoyment without wasting any time.
So you see, as much as I'd love to play poker as often as I possibly can, I really just... can't. At my current rate, I make it to about one CPMG tournament per month. I guess that is better than none, but it doesn't bode well for if/when the POY starts back up and I want to make a run at it. I guess all I can do is try to make as many games as possible. As for the games I do attend, I'm sure you'll be reading about them in this blog.
Friday, September 23, 2011
"Become a Poker Pro" Closing Thoughts
After the conclusion of the "Become a Poker Pro" tournament, everyone (the finalists, guests, poker journalists and PokerRoom.com executives) briefly went back to their rooms to freshen up before reconvening at "A Touch of Class" Champagne Bar for a toast to poker's newest professional, Jim Davenport. Not surprisingly, Jim was all smiles and was clearly "fired up" (that was his saying) for the year ahead. For whatever reason, he kept thanking me, as if I played some sort of crucial role in the outcome of tournament when all I really did was offer some sensible advice and encouraging words to a friend. Typical Jim never gave himself enough credit.
During the toast, Glenn Cadematori (the PokerRoom.com spokesperson) said a few words about the BaPP tournament, PokerRoom.com's first-ever sponsored professional and Team PokerRoom.com as a whole before presenting all of the BaPP finalists with a parting gift - a PokerRoom.com chip set. The chips were the same 10 gram ceramic chips (manufactured by CHIPCO) that were used during the BaPP Final Table, and the set altogether retailed for more than $400, making it a truly awesome (and valuable) keepsake. To this day, I use this particular chip set when I host home cash games or smaller SNG tournaments (6-max or less).
As for the rest of the night, well... let's just say that the whole group of BaPP finalists, guests and PokerRoom.com executives were one helluva fun group to party with. Given that the cruise ship was scheduled to dock back in Miami, FL at 8am sharp the next morning, I think everyone made sure that their last night aboard the "Majesty of the Seas" was a memorable one. In mine and Brandon's case, it was well past 4am when we finally stumbled back to our room.
Overall, the "Become a Poker Pro" tournament/cruise was a great success - all thanks to the hard-working folks at PokerRoom.com who made it all possible. I cannot emphasize how much PokerRoom went out of their way to make the BaPP finalists feel like professional poker players. I am truly grateful for the experience and the opportunity and wish PokerRoom still existed today so that poker players all over the world would know what it's like to play on a world class poker site - one that actually cares about its players and doesn't steal from them. In the wake of the Full Tilt Poker "ponzi scheme," - or whatever they're calling it - I can proudly say that PokerRoom.com was my "home" poker site.
During the toast, Glenn Cadematori (the PokerRoom.com spokesperson) said a few words about the BaPP tournament, PokerRoom.com's first-ever sponsored professional and Team PokerRoom.com as a whole before presenting all of the BaPP finalists with a parting gift - a PokerRoom.com chip set. The chips were the same 10 gram ceramic chips (manufactured by CHIPCO) that were used during the BaPP Final Table, and the set altogether retailed for more than $400, making it a truly awesome (and valuable) keepsake. To this day, I use this particular chip set when I host home cash games or smaller SNG tournaments (6-max or less).
As for the rest of the night, well... let's just say that the whole group of BaPP finalists, guests and PokerRoom.com executives were one helluva fun group to party with. Given that the cruise ship was scheduled to dock back in Miami, FL at 8am sharp the next morning, I think everyone made sure that their last night aboard the "Majesty of the Seas" was a memorable one. In mine and Brandon's case, it was well past 4am when we finally stumbled back to our room.
Overall, the "Become a Poker Pro" tournament/cruise was a great success - all thanks to the hard-working folks at PokerRoom.com who made it all possible. I cannot emphasize how much PokerRoom went out of their way to make the BaPP finalists feel like professional poker players. I am truly grateful for the experience and the opportunity and wish PokerRoom still existed today so that poker players all over the world would know what it's like to play on a world class poker site - one that actually cares about its players and doesn't steal from them. In the wake of the Full Tilt Poker "ponzi scheme," - or whatever they're calling it - I can proudly say that PokerRoom.com was my "home" poker site.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
The "Become a Poker Pro" Final Table (Part 3)
I didn't eat much during the dinner break. To be honest, I don't even remember what was served. All I was really hungry for was the $250,000 endorsement package. I made it deep enough into the tournament that I could taste it, and when the tournament resumed in Level 7 (500a/3k/6k blinds), I was eager to make a move.
With HustlerPoke off my back, I watched as he fell victim to his own aggression in Level 8 (1000a/4k/8k blinds) - in a blind vs. blind confrontation with BillyBluff13. To make a long story short, HustlerPoke (AJ) and Billy (AT) got their chips in the middle pre-flop, with HustlerPoke at risk. HustlerPoke had him dominated, but Billy spiked a Ten to eliminate him in 4th place. Similar to MarvinGarden's elimination, I genuinely felt bad for HustlerPoke. I was happy to get to know Dustin, but at the same time, from a poker perspective, I was really glad that he got knocked out. Not only was HustlerPoke a tremendous poker player, his elimination meant I was an inch closer to winning the endorsement package. Even a 2nd place finish would award me PokerRoom's consolation prize of a trip and entry into the 2006 WSOP Main Event. All I had to do was outlast one more player.
*cue Data's obligatory bubble announcement*
Of course, that task would be easier said than done. With 3 players remaining, I was the clear short stack with 75k while JDTrojan3 and BillyBluff13 both had around 300k apiece. Short-stacked since Level 4, I desperately wanted to show what I could do with more chips. One double up was all I needed to stay ahead of the blinds and have enough chips to potentially make a few moves. Until then, however, my plays were limited to "All-In" or "Fold."
With a scheduled 15 minute break approaching, we didn't see many Flops after 3-handed play began. The pressure and tension was so high at that point that I think Billy, Jim and I were hesitant to do much of anything - at least, initially. As such, we passed our blinds around, giving each other walks until time ran out in Level 8 and it was time for the break. As we stood up from the table, JDTrojan3 and I shared a brief "whoa, this is big" look with each other before stepping away to meet up with our respective guests. Brandon had been quiet, yet supportive of me all tournament and seemed to believe that I still had a chance to win despite being the short stack. Jim was also fortunate to have Kim in his corner. At the time, she was a freelance writer for People magazine and turned down a gig covering the Oscars to support him on the "Become a Poker Pro" cruise. Oddly enough, People assigned Kim to cover the World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational tournament a year later (in 2007), and she is now the anchor of the WPT. It's weird, because every time I see on her on TV, I'm reminded of the "Become a Poker Pro" tournament. Anyway...
I was still hovering around 75k when we returned to the table for Level 9 (1000a/6k/12k blinds). Given my stack and the significant jump in blinds, this was it. I couldn't sit back and wait for a hand any longer. Any face card, suited connector, or obvious pushing hand and my chips were going in the middle. Needless to say, I was thrilled to pick up 77 in one of my BBs. JDTrojan3 had raised to 35k from the Button and I pushed All-In for a little over 35k more, hoping for a race. When Jim called and turned over JJ, my heart sank. Our goal from the beginning was to be the last 2 players standing, to play each other heads up for the endorsement package. We both wanted that, and now Jim was the one that had me on the brink of elimination (to no fault of his own, as BillyBluff13 had been sitting back trying to coast into the "money"). It was a bittersweet moment, to be sure - especially for me since I was a 4-1 dog in the hand. With all eyes in the room focused on the table, the Flop presented itself with 3 hearts. Fortunately, I had the 7h in my hand, but Jim held the Jh to deny me any chance of a suck-out. But wait... a fourth heart on the Turn improved us both to a flush... and gave me an open-ended straight flush draw for a nice little sweat on the River. I had 2 outs - the 8h and 3h. Man what a beat that would be if either one of them peeled off! I shot a smile to Jim, who looked like he was about to vomit, especially when the River fell... ... a blank. His Jacks held, and I was eliminated from the "Become a Poker Pro" tournament in 3rd place.
Sure, it sucked to see my chance at becoming a sponsored poker professional go down the drain, but I honestly wasn't that upset. Jim and I had become great friends since the 2005 WSOP and I was genuinely happy for him. Better my chips go to my friend in his quest to win the biggest freeroll prize in online poker history than the other guy. Anyway, I had all the confidence in the world that he could take BillyBluff13 heads up. He had the chip lead (401k vs. 287k) and momentum on his side, and when he asked me what I thought about checking a monster in heads-up play, I told him he should go for it. He ended up taking my advice after only a few hands.
With AQh, JDTrojan3 checked his BB and checked again on the Ad Js 7c Flop, slow-playing his top pair. BillyBluff13 walked right into the trap and moved All-In, only to find his Q7d (bottom pair) was behind. When the Ac fell on the Turn, BillyBluff13 was drawing dead and Jim "JDTrojan3" Davenport became PokerRoom.com's first-ever sponsored professional!
 |
| From Left: HustlerPoke, rufebert and JDTrojan3 |
Seat 1 - Dustin "HustlerPoke" Goff - 120,000
Seat 3 - Ryan "rufebert" Rufe - 102,000
Seat 4 - Jim "JDtrojan3" Davenport - 184,000
Seat 10 - Bill "BillyBluff13" Pero - 282,000
Since BillyBluff13 had 41% of the chips in play, I expected him to play "big stack poker," you know, raise a lot, especially when he had the Button (during which I would be BB). More often than not, however, he'd just fold, which allowed HusterPoke to raise my BB instead from the SB. He did this often - at least 3 or 4 times in a row - and since the blinds were eating away at my stack, I needed to make a stand. Sure enough, the next time it was folded to HustlerPoke in the SB, he bumped it again to 24k. I looked down at K9o, shot him a glare, and confidently announced "All-In." HustlerPoke hadn't been forced into many tough decisions in the tournament and it seemed he was seriously considering calling. I, on the other hand, buried my head into my arms on the poker table in front of me - not because I was trying to hide any potential tells, but because I was literally sea sick from the cruise ship rocking back and forth. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, HustlerPoke said "I called, man. Whaddya got?" I about shit myself, not wanting to turn over my K9, but a smirk and a laugh from HusterPoke made it evident that he, in fact, folded.With HustlerPoke off my back, I watched as he fell victim to his own aggression in Level 8 (1000a/4k/8k blinds) - in a blind vs. blind confrontation with BillyBluff13. To make a long story short, HustlerPoke (AJ) and Billy (AT) got their chips in the middle pre-flop, with HustlerPoke at risk. HustlerPoke had him dominated, but Billy spiked a Ten to eliminate him in 4th place. Similar to MarvinGarden's elimination, I genuinely felt bad for HustlerPoke. I was happy to get to know Dustin, but at the same time, from a poker perspective, I was really glad that he got knocked out. Not only was HustlerPoke a tremendous poker player, his elimination meant I was an inch closer to winning the endorsement package. Even a 2nd place finish would award me PokerRoom's consolation prize of a trip and entry into the 2006 WSOP Main Event. All I had to do was outlast one more player.
*cue Data's obligatory bubble announcement*
Of course, that task would be easier said than done. With 3 players remaining, I was the clear short stack with 75k while JDTrojan3 and BillyBluff13 both had around 300k apiece. Short-stacked since Level 4, I desperately wanted to show what I could do with more chips. One double up was all I needed to stay ahead of the blinds and have enough chips to potentially make a few moves. Until then, however, my plays were limited to "All-In" or "Fold."
With a scheduled 15 minute break approaching, we didn't see many Flops after 3-handed play began. The pressure and tension was so high at that point that I think Billy, Jim and I were hesitant to do much of anything - at least, initially. As such, we passed our blinds around, giving each other walks until time ran out in Level 8 and it was time for the break. As we stood up from the table, JDTrojan3 and I shared a brief "whoa, this is big" look with each other before stepping away to meet up with our respective guests. Brandon had been quiet, yet supportive of me all tournament and seemed to believe that I still had a chance to win despite being the short stack. Jim was also fortunate to have Kim in his corner. At the time, she was a freelance writer for People magazine and turned down a gig covering the Oscars to support him on the "Become a Poker Pro" cruise. Oddly enough, People assigned Kim to cover the World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational tournament a year later (in 2007), and she is now the anchor of the WPT. It's weird, because every time I see on her on TV, I'm reminded of the "Become a Poker Pro" tournament. Anyway...
I was still hovering around 75k when we returned to the table for Level 9 (1000a/6k/12k blinds). Given my stack and the significant jump in blinds, this was it. I couldn't sit back and wait for a hand any longer. Any face card, suited connector, or obvious pushing hand and my chips were going in the middle. Needless to say, I was thrilled to pick up 77 in one of my BBs. JDTrojan3 had raised to 35k from the Button and I pushed All-In for a little over 35k more, hoping for a race. When Jim called and turned over JJ, my heart sank. Our goal from the beginning was to be the last 2 players standing, to play each other heads up for the endorsement package. We both wanted that, and now Jim was the one that had me on the brink of elimination (to no fault of his own, as BillyBluff13 had been sitting back trying to coast into the "money"). It was a bittersweet moment, to be sure - especially for me since I was a 4-1 dog in the hand. With all eyes in the room focused on the table, the Flop presented itself with 3 hearts. Fortunately, I had the 7h in my hand, but Jim held the Jh to deny me any chance of a suck-out. But wait... a fourth heart on the Turn improved us both to a flush... and gave me an open-ended straight flush draw for a nice little sweat on the River. I had 2 outs - the 8h and 3h. Man what a beat that would be if either one of them peeled off! I shot a smile to Jim, who looked like he was about to vomit, especially when the River fell... ... a blank. His Jacks held, and I was eliminated from the "Become a Poker Pro" tournament in 3rd place.
Sure, it sucked to see my chance at becoming a sponsored poker professional go down the drain, but I honestly wasn't that upset. Jim and I had become great friends since the 2005 WSOP and I was genuinely happy for him. Better my chips go to my friend in his quest to win the biggest freeroll prize in online poker history than the other guy. Anyway, I had all the confidence in the world that he could take BillyBluff13 heads up. He had the chip lead (401k vs. 287k) and momentum on his side, and when he asked me what I thought about checking a monster in heads-up play, I told him he should go for it. He ended up taking my advice after only a few hands.
With AQh, JDTrojan3 checked his BB and checked again on the Ad Js 7c Flop, slow-playing his top pair. BillyBluff13 walked right into the trap and moved All-In, only to find his Q7d (bottom pair) was behind. When the Ac fell on the Turn, BillyBluff13 was drawing dead and Jim "JDTrojan3" Davenport became PokerRoom.com's first-ever sponsored professional!
 |
| Pictured from Left: mdjohnny, rufebert, mav98911, Glenn Cadematori (PokerRoom.com spokesperson), JDTrojan3, BillyBluff13, KMO28, MarvinGarden, HustlerPoke, arttu5, Dragon2 |
The tournament ended at 9:20pm, and after congratulations and a check presentation, everyone gathered in a different area of the ship for a long night of partying. Stay tuned for details and my closing thoughts on the "Become a Poker Pro" cruise/tournament in my next blog.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
The "Become a Poker Pro" Final Table (Part 2)
Before I get into how the "Become a Poker Pro" Final Table went down, you should know that I didn't keep notes on the tournament because all the finalists were supposed to receive a DVD of the footage after it had been edited. Per PokerRoom, we would receive this DVD about 2 weeks after the cruise. 5.5 years later, I'm still waiting for my copy. Don't get me wrong, I'm not waiting by the mailbox or anything. In fact, I'm 99.9% sure I'll never see the DVD, but it sure would be a nice keepsake to have. The footage that WAS released on PokerRoom's web site was poorly edited, which could have been the reason the DVD was never produced. Regardless, that footage is no longer available on PokerRoom's web site because PokerRoom no longer exists (bwin closed the site in April 2009). My last hope for trying to obtain the footage is via a former PokerRoom employee who I am friends with on Facebook. Last I heard from him (at the end of July), he dug up some BaPP files on an old hard drive and was going to send them to me digitally. I haven't heard from him since. If he ever does get back to me, I'll be sure to share the footage with you via this blog.
Now onto the tournament...
To give you a quick recap, 69 Team PokerRoom.com members played the online portion of the "Become a Poker Pro" tournament back in September 2005. The Final Table of 10 then finished the tournament offline on a Royal Carribean International cruise ship in March 2006 where the winner walked away with a full year's endorsement package worth $250,000. I entered the BaPP Final Table 3rd in chips with 86,400 and the tournament resumed with 45 minutes levels, starting at 100a/400/800 blinds.
Hand 1 of the Final Table could not have been more dramatic. To make a long story short, MarvinGarden - who was widely considered the odds-on favorite to win the BaPP tournament - was eliminated when his pocket Aces could not improve against the flopped set of Tens of chip leader BillyBluff13. Man down! Here, everyone (myself included) was expecting MarvinGarden to be a force at the BaPP Final Table, yet his run ended up lasting a mere two minutes. Given the circumstances, I felt for MarvinGarden, albeit briefly. He was a really nice guy and a fellow member of The Bustouts (an exclusive poker group I was affiliated with on PokerRoom), but at the same time, he was a tremendous poker player and I was happy to see him go.
Amidst the shock of MarvinGarden's elimination, there was still poker to be played, and on Hand 2, I found AKo on the Button. I put out a raise and got a caller in mav98911, who had thick mustache, a Jersey accent and was the oldest player at the table. While the details of the hand are sketchy to me, I do know I flopped a pair of Kings and forced mav98911 to fold. Similarly, I raised 2 out of the next 3 hands and took down a very sizable pot against arttu5. I can't remember if I had JJ or QQ (it was one of the 2), but I raised pre-flop, Arttu re-raised, and I 4-bet him, which was enough to get him to fold (he told me later that he folded QQ). Most importantly, none of these pots that I won went to showdown, which helped me establish the LAG image that I sought to portray early on at the Final Table.
After five hands, I was rolling - already up over 100k. As such, I decided to catch my breath and slow down a bit. Little did I know that I'd spend the next 3 hours (through Level 4) folding junk hand after junk hand. The only playable hands I saw during this time period were 77 and AJs, both of which I lost. Admittedly, I played the AJs hand terribly and out of position against HustlerPoke, who was a player I did NOT want to see accumulate chips. Fortunately, arttu5 (9th place) and mav98911 (8th place) were eliminated during these levels, along with Dragon2 (7th place) after his AA was cracked by the club flush of - you guessed it - BillyBluff13. The way Billy was running, it seemed like he was destined to win the tournament as he was sitting on well over 250k. I, on the other hand, was down to 48k and reeling.
Unfortunately, things continued to head south for me in Level 5 (400a/1.5k/3k blinds). On the Button with 53s, I tried stealing the BB of the tightest player at the table, KMO28. He hadn't made any noise in the tournament and it was a good spot to try to add some much-needed chips (6900 to be exact) to my stack. To my surprise, however, KMO28 pushed All-In over the top of my raise and I was forced to muck my hand. A short time later, KMO28 busted out in 6th place, and I became the short stack.
With 5 players remaining in the tournament, it was only a matter of time before my good friend JDTrojan3 and I played a pot against each other - albeit an un-raised one between our blinds. With 9h 8x, I checked a 3 heart Flop and JDTrojan3 checked behind. A 4th heart came on the Turn and I led out for 6000, which JDTrojan3 called. The River was a blank and I checked, hoping JD would be "friendly" and check behind. He didn't, and I folded to his 12000 chip bet, knowing I could pick a better spot to commit my chips (I'd find out later that Jim held the Kh, for a higher flush). Certainly, my little showdown with JDTrojan3 captivated the attention of the poker journalists and PokerRoom staff, who had been craving the "Friend vs. Friend" storyline all tournament.
My next hand of significance was against BillyBluff13, the chip leader by far at that point. With AJo, I raised from the cutoff and Billy called from the BB. We both checked on a K35 rainbow Flop. The Turn paired my Jack, which looked golden to me for about a second until Billy unexpectedly announced "All-In." I didn't want to fold, but Billy looked really comfortable - easily the most comfortable he had looked all tournament. Here, he was a hard nosed bully-looking type from Boston who was now smiling and laughing it up with his guests that were railing him nearby. I was confused. If Billy had a hand, wouldn't he just check to try and lure the short-stack - who was the pre-flop aggressor, no less - into betting? To me, that would've been a more sensible play, because even if I had him beat, the loss would have barely made a dent in his stack. Then again, Billy didn't seem like the most sensible player. I'm not trying to knock the guy or anything, but he played the cards, nothing more. Math, odds, his opponents - nothing else factored into his decisions, and here he was, putting me All-In. Eventually, I folded, though I was reluctant to toss my cards into the muck.
Still in Level 5 (400a/1.5k/3k blinds), I was down to just 17k when the action folded around to me in the SB. J6o didn't look sexy to me at all, but I had to accumulate chips somehow. "All-In," I announced, hoping JDTrojan3 would fold in the BB. Jim didn't seem thrilled with his cards either, but made the call anyway. His 37o wasn't even a huge dog, and actually became the favorite when a trey appeared on the Flop. Fortunately for me, a lovely Jack came on the Turn and I doubled up to 36k.
Whew!
A few hands later, BillyBluff13 had the Button and raised to 7500. I was in the BB and called with QJo. Flop, QJX. I checked, slowplaying my top 2 Pair, and Billy checked behind. The Turn was a blank and I checked again, hoping Billy would take a stab at the pot. He did, and bet 7500. From prior hands, I knew that Billy was unlikely to fold to a small raise, especially a min-raise, so I threw out 15k total. He called. The River brought another blank, and with only 12k left in my stack, I committed the rest of my chips. After some thought, Billy said "I don't see how I can fold this" before pushing his calling chips forward. "If you got a pair, you got me," BillyBluff13 continued before I rolled over my 2 pair and dragged the 72k pot. Ace high? Really? Sure, he was getting 5-to-1 on the call, but why give life back to a short stack at such a critical point in the tournament? In any case, I was happy to feel like a contender again.
Level 6 (2k/4k, 500 ante) was the last level before the 1 hour dinner break, during which I managed to stay afloat and even chip up a bit. Also during this level, JDTrojan3 tangled with mdjohnny and called his All-In bet preflop (99 vs. Johnny's AQ). A Queen on the Flop spelled trouble for my good friend, but a 9 on the Turn ultimately sent mdjohnny packing as the 5th place finisher. When the 9 hit, Jim literally described the feeling as if "a jolt went through his body." It was a huge hand that ended up being the talk of the dinner break. With 4 players left in the tournament, the chip counts at the dinner break were as follows:
Now onto the tournament...
To give you a quick recap, 69 Team PokerRoom.com members played the online portion of the "Become a Poker Pro" tournament back in September 2005. The Final Table of 10 then finished the tournament offline on a Royal Carribean International cruise ship in March 2006 where the winner walked away with a full year's endorsement package worth $250,000. I entered the BaPP Final Table 3rd in chips with 86,400 and the tournament resumed with 45 minutes levels, starting at 100a/400/800 blinds.
Hand 1 of the Final Table could not have been more dramatic. To make a long story short, MarvinGarden - who was widely considered the odds-on favorite to win the BaPP tournament - was eliminated when his pocket Aces could not improve against the flopped set of Tens of chip leader BillyBluff13. Man down! Here, everyone (myself included) was expecting MarvinGarden to be a force at the BaPP Final Table, yet his run ended up lasting a mere two minutes. Given the circumstances, I felt for MarvinGarden, albeit briefly. He was a really nice guy and a fellow member of The Bustouts (an exclusive poker group I was affiliated with on PokerRoom), but at the same time, he was a tremendous poker player and I was happy to see him go.
Amidst the shock of MarvinGarden's elimination, there was still poker to be played, and on Hand 2, I found AKo on the Button. I put out a raise and got a caller in mav98911, who had thick mustache, a Jersey accent and was the oldest player at the table. While the details of the hand are sketchy to me, I do know I flopped a pair of Kings and forced mav98911 to fold. Similarly, I raised 2 out of the next 3 hands and took down a very sizable pot against arttu5. I can't remember if I had JJ or QQ (it was one of the 2), but I raised pre-flop, Arttu re-raised, and I 4-bet him, which was enough to get him to fold (he told me later that he folded QQ). Most importantly, none of these pots that I won went to showdown, which helped me establish the LAG image that I sought to portray early on at the Final Table.
After five hands, I was rolling - already up over 100k. As such, I decided to catch my breath and slow down a bit. Little did I know that I'd spend the next 3 hours (through Level 4) folding junk hand after junk hand. The only playable hands I saw during this time period were 77 and AJs, both of which I lost. Admittedly, I played the AJs hand terribly and out of position against HustlerPoke, who was a player I did NOT want to see accumulate chips. Fortunately, arttu5 (9th place) and mav98911 (8th place) were eliminated during these levels, along with Dragon2 (7th place) after his AA was cracked by the club flush of - you guessed it - BillyBluff13. The way Billy was running, it seemed like he was destined to win the tournament as he was sitting on well over 250k. I, on the other hand, was down to 48k and reeling.
Unfortunately, things continued to head south for me in Level 5 (400a/1.5k/3k blinds). On the Button with 53s, I tried stealing the BB of the tightest player at the table, KMO28. He hadn't made any noise in the tournament and it was a good spot to try to add some much-needed chips (6900 to be exact) to my stack. To my surprise, however, KMO28 pushed All-In over the top of my raise and I was forced to muck my hand. A short time later, KMO28 busted out in 6th place, and I became the short stack.
With 5 players remaining in the tournament, it was only a matter of time before my good friend JDTrojan3 and I played a pot against each other - albeit an un-raised one between our blinds. With 9h 8x, I checked a 3 heart Flop and JDTrojan3 checked behind. A 4th heart came on the Turn and I led out for 6000, which JDTrojan3 called. The River was a blank and I checked, hoping JD would be "friendly" and check behind. He didn't, and I folded to his 12000 chip bet, knowing I could pick a better spot to commit my chips (I'd find out later that Jim held the Kh, for a higher flush). Certainly, my little showdown with JDTrojan3 captivated the attention of the poker journalists and PokerRoom staff, who had been craving the "Friend vs. Friend" storyline all tournament.
My next hand of significance was against BillyBluff13, the chip leader by far at that point. With AJo, I raised from the cutoff and Billy called from the BB. We both checked on a K35 rainbow Flop. The Turn paired my Jack, which looked golden to me for about a second until Billy unexpectedly announced "All-In." I didn't want to fold, but Billy looked really comfortable - easily the most comfortable he had looked all tournament. Here, he was a hard nosed bully-looking type from Boston who was now smiling and laughing it up with his guests that were railing him nearby. I was confused. If Billy had a hand, wouldn't he just check to try and lure the short-stack - who was the pre-flop aggressor, no less - into betting? To me, that would've been a more sensible play, because even if I had him beat, the loss would have barely made a dent in his stack. Then again, Billy didn't seem like the most sensible player. I'm not trying to knock the guy or anything, but he played the cards, nothing more. Math, odds, his opponents - nothing else factored into his decisions, and here he was, putting me All-In. Eventually, I folded, though I was reluctant to toss my cards into the muck.
 |
| rufebert vs. BillyBluff13 (pictured left). Also pictured is JDTrojan3. |
Whew!
A few hands later, BillyBluff13 had the Button and raised to 7500. I was in the BB and called with QJo. Flop, QJX. I checked, slowplaying my top 2 Pair, and Billy checked behind. The Turn was a blank and I checked again, hoping Billy would take a stab at the pot. He did, and bet 7500. From prior hands, I knew that Billy was unlikely to fold to a small raise, especially a min-raise, so I threw out 15k total. He called. The River brought another blank, and with only 12k left in my stack, I committed the rest of my chips. After some thought, Billy said "I don't see how I can fold this" before pushing his calling chips forward. "If you got a pair, you got me," BillyBluff13 continued before I rolled over my 2 pair and dragged the 72k pot. Ace high? Really? Sure, he was getting 5-to-1 on the call, but why give life back to a short stack at such a critical point in the tournament? In any case, I was happy to feel like a contender again.
Level 6 (2k/4k, 500 ante) was the last level before the 1 hour dinner break, during which I managed to stay afloat and even chip up a bit. Also during this level, JDTrojan3 tangled with mdjohnny and called his All-In bet preflop (99 vs. Johnny's AQ). A Queen on the Flop spelled trouble for my good friend, but a 9 on the Turn ultimately sent mdjohnny packing as the 5th place finisher. When the 9 hit, Jim literally described the feeling as if "a jolt went through his body." It was a huge hand that ended up being the talk of the dinner break. With 4 players left in the tournament, the chip counts at the dinner break were as follows:
Seat 1 - Dustin "HustlerPoke" Goff - 120,000
Seat 3 - Ryan "rufebert" Rufe - 102,000
Seat 4 - Jim "JDtrojan3" Davenport - 184,000
Seat 10 - Bill "BillyBluff13" Pero - 282,000
To be continued...
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