Another Live Tourney

Yesterday I played another $60 live touney, that started with about 25 people. Here is a detailed explanation of what happened.

I got there a little late but didn't really loose any of my stack. I stayed really patient for a very long time, not really playing any hands, and trying to take what the table gave me. It was a really crazy table, so I had to tighten up, not steal as many blinds as usual.

The blinds seemed to got up quicker then normal, so we all ended up short stacked as the tournament progressed. With the blinds at 150-300, and my stack at 2000, I really needed to make a move. I ended up getting the blinds 2 hands in a row with JJ and AA. Not the best thing, but at least I was up to 2900.

I was then moved to another table which didn't look to good, but turned out well. We were 5 handed with 2 players that I really respect at the table. I opened in a pot from the cut off with 7c8c to 800, and got a quick call from the button. The flop came Jh8h6h, and I moved all in for 1300. The button thought for a while and called with 5h5c. I held and doubled up.

A couple of hands later I was in the BB with K7, it folded to the button he limped in, small blind folded and I looked down at K7. Now the button had been player really weak, limping and then folding every time. I was pretty sure my K high was good here as he would open on the button with better then that. I am pretty sure he has some stupid hand like 67 89 ect. I raise to 2000. He thinks for ever, not looking confident at all, and says "maybe a small pair, ok I'm all in". I call the 2000 more as I' m 90% sure I have the best hand, and even if I don't I'm not going to be in bad shape. He shows the JsQs, and I flop 2 pair, and now were at the final table and I'm the chip leader. Being the chip leader does not mean that much however as the blinds are so huge, I have about 11000 as the chip leader and I only have about 18 bb's.

About 3 hands in Bill Sparks moves all in on the button and I have A6 in the bb, I'm pretty sure I have the best hand and I call. He had the 67, so I was in really good shape to eliminate the best player at the table. I held and Bill went out. That was the last good thing that happened to me in the tournament.

One thing that is important to say is that there was about 3 players at the final table that all were horrible and didn't have any skill at the game of poker. They would do things that made no sense at all, including calling off all their chips all the way down with A high, "chasing the A" as they would say. So I didn't want to get out of line raising blinds, and getting into stupid situations with calling stations. So having a big stack here didn't really give me an advantage, other then being able to stay patient and wait for better hands then normal. So after losing about 1800 to blinds after not playing a hand for 2 orbits, I get 55 in second position. UTG limps for 600, and so do I, knowing the UTG is crazy aggressive pushing every other hand that he plays. If I flop a 5 there is a good chance that I win a huge pot. Now it folds to the sb who makes in 2000. This guy was really horrible, and very easy to read. I knew he didn't have a big hand, so after the UTG folded I wanted to play a pot in position with him so I called. The flop came A 10 8 rainbow. He under bets it for 1000, like he always did when he had nothing. I was 99% sure he either had nothing or didn't like the A, so I made it 3500, expecting to take it down right here. He is about to muck, takes one more look at the board and decides to call. Turn is a 9 and he pushes all in for just less then what I have. I fold right away. He shows the JQ, well played donkey. So I loose half my stack on this hand, where I can think of 4 reasons why it never should have happened, and none of them are to do with my play.

So now I'm getting short, and a shorter stack pushes all in from the cut off, and it folds to me in the bb, I was 100% sure it was a steal, and I even said it to him before looking at my cards. I insta called with A10. He shows the J9, and I am in good shape to get the chips back from the last hand. 7 8 4 2 10 was the board and although he had a J or 9 to hit, he ended up hitting a gut shot. Nice. Now I am really a short stack with about 2800 in chips, after 1 limper I pushed all in from the cut off with A7. I get called by AQ in the sb, and the board came 4 K J 10 10, and even though he had me, surprise surprise, he hit gut shot. So I went out in 5th after being the chip leader with 8 people left. I guess that's what happens when the stacks are not big enough, and you can't seem to get your hands to hold. I was happy with how I played, and I think I deserve to win one of these soon, if I can just avoid the bullshit late in the tourney.

More importantly Krissy and I went golfing yesterday. We only had time for 9 holes, as we went at 6:00. Krissy didn't hit the ball as she normally does and she was pretty frustrated. Still managed to make a par in there though. But no hole in one today :-( . I played well paring 7 out of the 9 holes for a 38. We will hopefully get out to play a little more this week. Another hope is that I will be able to take another shot at .50-1 by he end of the week. We will see. I will be back........