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.
No comments:
Post a Comment