I felt very confident entering this tournament. It was $40 to enter with one $40 rebuy option before the 1st break and a $40 add-on option during the first break. Given the 25k starting stack, 30 minute levels and the 20k add on that I knew most of the participants would take advantage of, there was going to be a LOT of chips in play. I mentally prepared myself for a long day of poker.
There were 24 runners (three 8-handed tables) and my opening table was Stephen Germani, Mike Murray, Julie, myself, Grayday, Benjamin Licata, Brian Rieg and Pyxis. Julie was on my right and this would be my first time playing with Steve G, Mike, Ben and Brian Rieg.
I kept a running log of every level of the tournament, but to my surprise two-thirds of it was missing when I went to retrieve it from my email drafts this morning on my phone. Talk about serious tilt! Ugh... here a few hands that I remember from the first half of the tournament:
In Level 2 (50/100), I picked up QQ and 3-bet Julie's initial pre-flop raise. She called and we saw a flop of 9 8 4. I led out for 1400 and she folded pocket twos. A bit later, Julie raised again pre-flop and I 3-bet from position with the 4c2c. She called and we saw a flop 6 5 3. Once again, I bet with my straight and she ended up folding. I could tell she was annoyed that I kept 3-betting her and that we'd be mixing it up plenty throughout the tournament.
In Level 3 (75/150), I took the liberty of 3-betting Julie's 400 chip raise with pocket Jacks. She immediately 4-bet me from 1200 to 3400 and I called. The flop brought J T X, giving me a set of Jacks. Julie bet and I merely called to see the [J T X] Q turn. She instantly went all in and I didn't really take much time to call. Sure, AK was a realistic holding given her actions pre-flop, but this was a rebuy tournament and I had her well covered by about 10k. She flipped over 9-8 off for the low end of the straight and it held when the river did not pair the board or give me the case Jack.
I lost my remaining chips a short time later and elected to rebuy (20k). I quickly ran it up to 30k after winning a couple showdowns against Pyxis. In one hand, I made two-pair with 5d4d. In the other hand, I flopped a flush draw with As8s and rivered an Ace. She bluffed on the river when she missed the same flush draw (9s7s).
I elected to add on at the break for an additional 20k chips to bring my stack to 51k.
After the break, a familiar face (Conundrum) joins the table, but I am moved to a different table that features Dave A, Cheryl, Brian Rieg (who I clashed with several times at my original table), Kathy Ellis and Tina. I took about 30k off of Dave A when my pocket Jacks hold at showdown on a ten-high board. It didn’t help that I gave those chips right back to a Brian Rieg, who moved all in for 20k with Jc2c. I immediately called from the big blind and had him dominated with my pocket Jacks, but of course he rivered the flush. Dave, Kathy and Tina all had massive stacks at this table and I couldn’t get enough momentum to eclipse the 80k mark.
Fortunately, I was able to make the final table of 8 with 62000. The table features Julie, Tina, Kathy Ellis, myself, Dave A, Brian Rieg, Benjamin Licata and Rob Bell. Julie, Rob and Dave A had massive stacks -- Dave probably had a third of the chips in play, somewhere north of 300k. After spending a few hands splashing around in pots that I shouldn't have been in, I fall below the 40k mark and things are looking grim.
Here is what I was able to retrieve from my running log:
1000/2000 (2000 ante*) - I'm the dealer and my position at the far end of the table makes it difficult to deliver the cards to people sitting opposite of me. Unfortunately, Rob Bell's second card flips over when I deliver it to him -- the Ace of spades. He sends it back in disgust and I feel bad, but the Ace now serves as the burn card. Even after my dealing gaffe, Rob still raises and Julie calls. I look down at QQ on the button and push all in. Rob says he folded AJ and would have had pocket Aces if I didn't accidentally expose his original card. I end the level with 59000.
*The big blind is responsible for paying the ante. This is a huge time-saver and we don't have to remind multiple people to post their ante every hand.
1200/2400 (2400) - Rob raises to 6k. Julie, Tina and Cathy call, but my read on all four of these players makes me believe none of them are holding a strong enough hand to call a huge re-raise. I look down at 87 off-suit and push all in for 59000 and everyone mucks. I normally don't show my cards, but I flip over the 87 and this flusters the table. Rob says he folded AQ and will not fold to a re-raise from me again after 3-betting him twice. A bit later, I call a raise from the small blind with QT. I flop two-pair and pick up a decent pot before ending the level with 85000.
1500/3000 (3000) - We're now on the money bubble of the tournament after Brian Rieg, Kathy Ellis and Rob Bell head to the rail. Unfortunately, I lose a significant portion of my stack due to a combination of missed flops, draws and the huge antes. I'm down to 30k -- by far the shortest stack at the table. It's not particularly close either, as everyone else is sitting on at least 150k.
I limped in from the small blind with 87 off-suit in a community pot. The flop is 5 4 X and it checks around. Turn [5 4 X] 6. I'm at a table full of aggressive bettors, so I check my nut straight. Dave bets 7500 and Julie and Tina both call. I move all in for 28000 total and Tina calls with 67. My straight holds up and I end the level with 87500.
2000/4000 (4000) - After losing 10k of my stack from paying the blinds and ante, I'm on the button with Th7h and limp in. Dave raises to 16000 from the small blind and I'm the only caller. His bet is a quarter of my stack, but I have position and Th7h is a deceptive hand that I know he won't put me on. I just need to hit the flop, which comes 8 8 7. Dave immediately goes all in, which seems out of character based on my previous interactions with him. My initial read is that he has overs, but I take some time to think about the hand. It's the money bubble and I've already played 9 hours. I'd really hate to go home with nothing. I also remember Dave just lost a huge pot (over 100k) to Benjamin and might be steaming a bit. We banter back and forth and he makes a comment about being confident his hand is better than mine... so I call my remaining 50000 with my tournament life at risk. Sure enough, he flips over AQo and I fade his over cards to double up.
A few hands later, I'm on the button again and raise to 11k with pocket Tens. Dave goes all in for 84000 and I take a minute to count my stack. I have him covered by about 15k. I decide to call and he turns over pocket Kings. This is the only time the whole tournament where I've gotten my money in bad. I don't even look at the flop as it is dealt, but everyone's reaction tells me I hit a set. Dave is visibly upset and berates me a bit about the Th7h hand and the one that knocked him out of the tournament on the bubble. I didn't take it personally, as I'm extremely proud of the T7 call. The Kings vs. Tens hand is what it is... and I'm sure he's gotten lucky once or twice in a tournament or two.
We’re in the money now and I end the level with 164k.
2500/5000 (5000) - Not much to report in this level besides a decent hand against Tina. With AxTd, the board brings four diamonds and my ten flush plays over Tina's flush to the 9d. I end the level with 190500.
3000/6000 (6000) - With pocket 3's, I get it all in against Julie vs. her pocket Tens. I bink a trey on the flop, but she rivers a Ten for a higher set to knock me out of the tournament.
4th place paid $220, a $100 profit from my $120 investment. While a higher finish in the tournament would have been more fulfilling, I had a blast playing this deeper stack format and felt I played my best poker in years. It was great meeting all the players I haven't met in the Cleveland Poker Meetup Group, especially Benjamin, who is a really nice 21 year old that is new to the CPMG and a pretty solid player. Hopefully we see more of him at future games.
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