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.

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.

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

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...

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.