Wednesday, July 12, 2006
My Tourney Play
I played in a $4K Guaranteed rebuy at AbsolutePoker.com
I played well with my original buy-in + 1 add on after the first hour. Payed the top 9 and I went out in 18th when my broadway straight with A-K lost to a full house on the river. Click here for image.
Badger Poker Freeroll
Last night, I went a played a live freeroll at a local bar through a group called Badger Poker. Around 80 people. Made some good plays early. We start with 10K in chips and get more for drinks and food so I began with 14K. Blinds start at 200-400 and get to 400-800 by the end of the first hour. So first hour play is usually wild.
Blinds 300-600. I limped in early position with K-J suited. I noticed that the pot was frequently uncontested pre-flop. BB raises. 4 to the flop. I've got position. Checks around on flop, no help to me. Turn, no apparent help to anybody, and the bettor bets. I call, other players fold. 2 to the river. I'm hoping for a small card so I can bluff him off his A-whatever. Small card and he checks. I make a 5K chip bets and he says you got it showoff. I didn't show my bluff and rake in a big one.
Right before the break, I won a coin flip with 10-10 against a guy's A-Q. Nice. Then this hand came up when tables were condensed. After the second break.
I was in the BB with A-Q and I don't look at my cards until it gets to me. Blinds 1K-2K. Guy I know as tight solid limps in mid position. This guy won a Badger Poker satellite in Vegas to get a buy-in to the WPT $5K event in Reno and busted out on the bubble in 45th or so place in the WPT event. Before I thought he was awful, but I think he has improved and plays fairly conservative.
Onward, SB calls and I make it 6K to go. He makes it 12K. SB folds, and now I'm thinking. What can he limp raise with here. Not utg and doesn't expect a raise from me because I play strong hands strong. I don't get aggressive with junk. As I'm thinking, I put him on pocket 7s at the highest pp. He may have A-K, but that probably would have raised too. So I'm either a coin flip or have him beat with a weaker ace. If I call and miss, I can get out, but I decide to move all in and he calls. What does he have? Pocket 6s. Good read and an even better move, especially when the flop doesn't have hit my hand. The turn does, making me a pair of aces and him a straight and flush draw. River blanks for a great double up.
Going down to the wire with 2 tables left, people are getting knocked out left and right. One girl gets lucky with K-Q against 3 other players. One with 9s, one with A-K, and another mucked. 2 players were all in preflop and she makes a pair of queens on flop and two pair kings and queens on the river. She has a mountain of chips now, but is to my right. She likes to see flops with garbage too, like K-6 os. She limped with it and I raised with my A-7 to grab her limp and the blinds.
I got lucky when we're down to 11 with A-5 spades against A-K os. I raised with 5 players, and tight old man goes all in. I don't have many chips so I'm stuck. I just hoped he had K-Q like he had before when he went all in. Nope. I hit runner-runner flush and am still alive. Player gets knocked out at other table so we combine to final table.
Blinds are now 5K-10K. I had about 75K so short stacked, but most of us were, except the mountain of chips girl. I don't play a hand until 2 are knocked out, then I try a steal with 4-5 diamonds and get reraised by aces. Oops! I get my chips in decent when 3 players are all in after I limp and would still had some chips left if I called and lost, only 15K. I call 3 short stack all ins with 4s and am looking at A-K, A-Q, and A-J. Not too bad. First card off is the case ace. Had a straight draw on turn, but it didn't hit.
Next hand all in blind for 15K in my BB. Mountain of chips girl says, "I'll donate from early position." What does she have 10-4 os? Nope, J-8 os and made a pair of 8s on river to beat my flopped pair of 4s. GG. I'm done in 6th place. I'm happy with my play. I could've played tigher and lasted, but I was trying to get lucky and afterall, it is a freeroll. Maybe next week. They have cash prizes next week anyways.
Badger Poker Freeroll
Last night, I went a played a live freeroll at a local bar through a group called Badger Poker. Around 80 people. Made some good plays early. We start with 10K in chips and get more for drinks and food so I began with 14K. Blinds start at 200-400 and get to 400-800 by the end of the first hour. So first hour play is usually wild.
Blinds 300-600. I limped in early position with K-J suited. I noticed that the pot was frequently uncontested pre-flop. BB raises. 4 to the flop. I've got position. Checks around on flop, no help to me. Turn, no apparent help to anybody, and the bettor bets. I call, other players fold. 2 to the river. I'm hoping for a small card so I can bluff him off his A-whatever. Small card and he checks. I make a 5K chip bets and he says you got it showoff. I didn't show my bluff and rake in a big one.
Right before the break, I won a coin flip with 10-10 against a guy's A-Q. Nice. Then this hand came up when tables were condensed. After the second break.
I was in the BB with A-Q and I don't look at my cards until it gets to me. Blinds 1K-2K. Guy I know as tight solid limps in mid position. This guy won a Badger Poker satellite in Vegas to get a buy-in to the WPT $5K event in Reno and busted out on the bubble in 45th or so place in the WPT event. Before I thought he was awful, but I think he has improved and plays fairly conservative.
Onward, SB calls and I make it 6K to go. He makes it 12K. SB folds, and now I'm thinking. What can he limp raise with here. Not utg and doesn't expect a raise from me because I play strong hands strong. I don't get aggressive with junk. As I'm thinking, I put him on pocket 7s at the highest pp. He may have A-K, but that probably would have raised too. So I'm either a coin flip or have him beat with a weaker ace. If I call and miss, I can get out, but I decide to move all in and he calls. What does he have? Pocket 6s. Good read and an even better move, especially when the flop doesn't have hit my hand. The turn does, making me a pair of aces and him a straight and flush draw. River blanks for a great double up.
Going down to the wire with 2 tables left, people are getting knocked out left and right. One girl gets lucky with K-Q against 3 other players. One with 9s, one with A-K, and another mucked. 2 players were all in preflop and she makes a pair of queens on flop and two pair kings and queens on the river. She has a mountain of chips now, but is to my right. She likes to see flops with garbage too, like K-6 os. She limped with it and I raised with my A-7 to grab her limp and the blinds.
I got lucky when we're down to 11 with A-5 spades against A-K os. I raised with 5 players, and tight old man goes all in. I don't have many chips so I'm stuck. I just hoped he had K-Q like he had before when he went all in. Nope. I hit runner-runner flush and am still alive. Player gets knocked out at other table so we combine to final table.
Blinds are now 5K-10K. I had about 75K so short stacked, but most of us were, except the mountain of chips girl. I don't play a hand until 2 are knocked out, then I try a steal with 4-5 diamonds and get reraised by aces. Oops! I get my chips in decent when 3 players are all in after I limp and would still had some chips left if I called and lost, only 15K. I call 3 short stack all ins with 4s and am looking at A-K, A-Q, and A-J. Not too bad. First card off is the case ace. Had a straight draw on turn, but it didn't hit.
Next hand all in blind for 15K in my BB. Mountain of chips girl says, "I'll donate from early position." What does she have 10-4 os? Nope, J-8 os and made a pair of 8s on river to beat my flopped pair of 4s. GG. I'm done in 6th place. I'm happy with my play. I could've played tigher and lasted, but I was trying to get lucky and afterall, it is a freeroll. Maybe next week. They have cash prizes next week anyways.
