chrisjp Event 36 report

[chrisjp]

2447 entrants today. This compares with the 2700+ last Saturday and the 2300+ that entered on Tuesday. The fields are just huge. Huge fields are always good, but there is another factor which makes these 1500s particularly juicy. Many of the top pros skip this tournament because they are focused on winning a bracelet elsewhere. The other tournament that began Thursday was The World Championship of Omaha 8 or Better, a 10K buyin. There were less than 300 runners in that one, but it was loaded with top pros. It was possible to play our event, which started at noon, bust out, and then play that event which didn’t begin until 5pm, but I’m not sure how many top pros opted to do that. I don’t think many.

Another general comment on the number of participants that get paid. Instead of basically paying the same percentage of players each time, rounded to the nearest multiple of 9, they have some table set up which seems too arbitrary. On Saturday, with 2706 runners they paid 270 spots. Tuesday and today, with 2304 and 2447, they paid 198. This should be corrected.

OK, on to the actual poker. Matthew, Niin, and I are playing in this one. Matthew lucked out and started in the Main Room. Niin and I drew the Brasilia room, which means that you are susceptible to several table changes until they move you into the Main Room. Oh boy! Fortunately I was only moved once, and Niin never got moved. That was a big plus.

First two hours. My table is good, not great but good. I have no complaints. There are a lot of predictable players. Some are pretty clueless but no one is that wild. I am in Seat 1 and the only players that might be decent are in Seats 8 and 10, so I have position on them. Later I realize that Seat 4 seems pretty good too. But no one is trying to run over the table. I am seriously card dead these first two hours. I get one pair, 55, and limp in MP. Both blinds come along. The flop is AdAc8d. BB bets and I call figuring to take it away on the turn. You get feelings live that aren’t present online, and I just “felt” by his demeanor that he was weak. It’s probably a combination of his actually play and his behavior. He wouldn’t bet an Ace there, plus he might have raised preflop with that card, or with a pair. Unless he has an 8 I should take this one down unless he pairs or hits a gut shot on the turn. Well the turn is a safe low card, he checks, I bet, he mucks. The other hand I played….I raised with JTo OTB and the SB called. The flop was T9x rainbow. SB came out betting. I called. Ace turn. Check, check. Q river Check, check. SB shows 66. I did win the antes a couple of other times, but that’s it. I finish the first break with 3450 chips. Seat 10 busts right before the break and is replaced by a loose older gentlemen in a wheel chair. A loose player preflop, but he often folds before the river. Perfect! And he’s got some chips too.

On to Level 3, 100-200. Immediately I get involved with Seat 10. He raises OTB, I reraise with AQo in the SB, he calls. Flop is Jxx 2 diamonds. I bet, he folds. I win another pot from him on the turn. I win another on the turn. This is great! Seat 3 gets busted and is replaced by a kid with a white baseball cap. This interesting hand comes up. There are three limpers and the kid moves in for like 5K OTB. There is 900 chips in the pot and he moves in. The SB, the good player, goes in the tank. “You got AK?” he asks? Seat 3 weakly smiles. Finally SB, with about 7K, calls. The rest fold and Seat 3 shows AKs. SB: JJ. The board comes QJT. The board never pairs and I am happy that Seat 4 lost most of his stack. This table is really nice. I win another pot and am up to about 6K when unfortunately this table breaks. It turns out that my new table is another good one. I have the perfect player on my left. He finally wins a pot and I find out that it is only the second hand that he has played. Wow, perfect. There is a big stack to his left, but the guy is very passive and timid. This is great! I have 6300 in chips and my M = 21. Life is sweet.

But the poker gods decide to deal me complete trash for the rest of Level 3, and then most of Level 4. It is slow torture. Level 4 is where the antes begin. 100/200A25. 550 per round. I am melting away. My M is approaching 5. I’m going through the area where my stack is such that a resteal push is ideal. But I can’t get a situation to make it profitable. Everyone is folding or there is a raise and a reraise before it gets to me. When you go through a period like this you just have to stay patient and wait for your chance. You do need to make a move though…you’ve got to get some chips before all the bad players get replaced by good ones. And the character of this table starts transforming. Eventually it will become the table from Hell. LOL. Seat 1 busts, then busts again, and is replaced by a middle aged guy with a big stack. He comes in riding high and he is going to destroy all of us. On the very first hand Seat 10 limps UTG, Seat 1 raises. There is a call. Now Seat 10 pushes to like 4K. Seat 1 goes into the tank. “I just got here; I don’t know how he plays”. Blah Blah. Finally he calls. Seat 1: A8o. What??? Seat 10: KK No Ace, ship it. He quickly loses another couple of pots and is probably now down under 10K. Seat 1 is not a happy camper.

But what about me. Nothing! It is real torture. I’ve got to double before the break. About 20 minutes before the break I’m in the BB. But there is a raise and a reraise and I have complete garbage. I fold. I only have about 3500 remaining. Now we are down to less than 10 minutes remaining before the break. Just sick. Finally, with 1 minute to go in Level 4, I am back in the BB. I figure if there is any middle or late position raise I’ve got to push with anything but the worst of holdings. Seat 2 had busted and the new guy, doesn’t look impressive, finally sits down for his first hand. He has 3700 exactly. You will soon find out how I know this. He raises to 600. It folds to me. This looks like a push. I look at my cards: AA!! Wow…. I push, he thinks for a bit and says, “I have to call” He shows AJ. Thank you poker gods for delivering this gift. We count down and I started this hand with 3450 since he was left with 250. Off to break we go!

Matthew has busted but Niin is going great. I come back from break and we are not breaking the table, but we are bagging our chips. Time to move into the Main Room, to Blue 46. OK, Blue 46. This means we will break up this table with 450 players remaining. I will be here until after Dinner, and probably break toward the end of Level 7. Looks like 3 hours here. Shortly after this Niin is moved into the Main Room also, Blue 41. We are physically one table from each other.

OK now I’m in the SB flush with my double up. Blinds are 150/300A25 now. 700 chips per orbit. Gotta get going! It folds to CO who raises to 1000. He’s pretty active and has a big stack, well bigger than mine. I look down and there they are again. AA. Two hands in a row! I reraise to 2500. He quickly mucks. OK, that’s OK. Now I’m up to about 8K. This is only about average but I’ll take it. But poker is fickle. I’m back in card dead mode. And the table is getting tougher.

I’m in Seat 7. Seat 9 busts and is replaced by a young kid with a hood on and 15K in chips. His turn to try to run over the table, and he looks capable of doing it. The first hand he raises on the Button. SB immediately pushes and he mucks. The second hand he’s in the CO. He raises to 900. Seat 2, the guy I had knocked down to 250, only has 325 to start this hand. So the BB calls for his last $25 chip and the dealer is trying to get the pot right. And Mr. Hood has his IPOD on and doesn’t know what is going on and the dealer is trying to get his attention. Geez. Finally he gets it straight and they show. Q6o for BB. J3s for the kid. Love it! Shortie was happy too since he doubled up.

Seat 8 busts on my left. Another young guy with a big stack moves in. Ugh. Seat 3 busts. A very proish looking middle aged guy with a monster stack of 40K or so moves in. Ugh!!! What is happening to my table? Awful. Seat 3 is playing almost every hand, and winning. He’s up to 50K. He’s using his stack and not showing anything. Give me a hand please! Seat 8 raises UTG, how dare him since I’m in the BB. Seat 3 calls. Flop is Qxx 2 flush. Seat 8 continuation bets. Seat 3 calls. Turn is a blank. Seat 8 makes kind of a smallish bet for the size of this growing pot. Seat 3 raises. Seat 8 thinks briefly and reraises almost all his chips. Seat 3 doesn’t think long and puts Seat 8 in for his last couple of stacks of greens. That’s only like 1K. Turn them over gentlemen. Seat 3 has TT. Wow. Seat 8 KK. Almost a 40K pot and I’m sitting there watching with my puny 7K or so.

Shortly after that this hand comes up. I discussed this with Neilis on IRC and think I’ll just paste it in here….

<chrisjp> I had a chance to make a play in yesterday's tournament and I let it slip away. Discouraging, but at least I saw it afterwards. I'm bummed.
<chrisjp> especially since of course it would have worked, pokergods rubbing it in
<Neilis> the one you mentioned about side pots?
<chrisjp> Right
<chrisjp> I'm in the BB with 6000 chips.
<Neilis> a hilger-esque 53o isolation raise maybe?
<chrisjp> lol. We are at 200/400A50
<chrisjp> Short stack pushes for 650.
<chrisjp> SB, a clueless nice guy, not wild, not tight, calls
<chrisjp> I have 87o and call.
<chrisjp> Three to the flop: AsQh6s
<chrisjp> He checks, I check.
<chrisjp> Turn is 9s.
<chrisjp> SB bets 500
<chrisjp> Your move
<chrisjp> 1950 in the Main pot
<chrisjp> 500 in the side
<chrisjp> The damn 3 flush on board has me worried
<chrisjp> But no way does this guy have an Ace
<chrisjp> or he would have bet the flop
<Neilis> sb have you covered?
<chrisjp> Yep, not by a lot though
<chrisjp> He's on his second Rum and Coke
<Neilis> haha nice
<chrisjp> I got paranoid and folded
<chrisjp> figuring i might be drawing dead, unlikely
<chrisjp> but i may only have 6 outs
<chrisjp> He could have the Qs here
<chrisjp> in fact likely to have a Q or 9, or maybe flush
<chrisjp> What I should have done is raise to like 1200
<chrisjp> I am capable of this
<chrisjp> And then if he repops I fold
<chrisjp> If he calls then I push the river regardless
<Neilis> it is a pretty cool play
<chrisjp> He had the Qc
<chrisjp> He won't call the river with that
<chrisjp> Not after I raise and push
<chrisjp> He will call the turn
<chrisjp> Well probably
<chrisjp> But if not I win his 500 chips
<chrisjp> He had QTs
<chrisjp> QTcc that is
<chrisjp> Shortie had QJo
<chrisjp> No one had a spade
<chrisjp> And of course the river is a 5
<Neilis> of course
<chrisjp> Not a spade
<chrisjp> I wouldn't have pushed the river, I would have reverted to a value bet
<chrisjp> I am so mad lol
<Neilis> lol
<Neilis> i wouldn't be too pissed about that one
<chrisjp> But a year ago I wouldn't have even seen this play
<chrisjp> The interesting thing about this play
<chrisjp> is that when there is a side pot you can come in weak preflop in position
<chrisjp> and try a delayed isolation move if you flop anything
<chrisjp> The tournament before
<chrisjp> MP raise, big stack
<chrisjp> I push
<chrisjp> I'm with 5BB, and he raised to 3BB
<chrisjp> Now Bellande, with a big stack on the button, calls
<chrisjp> Raiser calls, he can't reraise unless I make a complete raise
<chrisjp> Bellande called with 87o
<chrisjp> sound familiar?
<Neilis> heh
<chrisjp> Flop is Q97
<chrisjp> It's checked to Bellande and he bets
<chrisjp> Raiser folds
<chrisjp> Now Bellande is isolated with the dead money against a desperate shortie
<Neilis> which is great for you
<chrisjp> I loved it
<chrisjp> but good for him too
<chrisjp> I'm sure he didn't like seeing my hand
<Neilis> and bad for everyone else
<chrisjp> Since Bellande was hoping raiser and me had high cards
<chrisjp> I showed JTo
<chrisjp> OESD and two overs
<chrisjp> Turn K
<chrisjp> ship it!
<chrisjp> But he made a very nice play
<Neilis> tripling up is good

chrisjp> It would have been so sweet

<chrisjp> I am bummed
<chrisjp> And I was thinking about it when I got the 87o yesterday
<chrisjp> but in mine the other guy built a small side pot so I should have moved on that
<chrisjp> I look strong because of the main pot, but it is an illusion
<chrisjp> I am bummed
<chrisjp> lol
<chrisjp> but I won't blow it next time
<Neilis> it's probably a better play with the side pot to work with
<chrisjp> well the side pot is crucial to this play
<chrisjp> The point is you can call very weak in this type of situation in position if you and another guy have big stacks when there is a shortie all in
<chrisjp> and take a flop and see
<chrisjp> I didn't have a big stack here, but big enough
<chrisjp> I can move on the side pot on the turn and maybe get him to fold a nine, and if shortie doesn't have a pair I have 14 outs on the river.

OK back to the wars. I need chips! Who doesn’t. I get 66 in the hijack, raise, and the BB in Seat 10 calls. Flop is T73 rainbow. He checks, I bet, he pushes. Whoops. 2 outs or a 75% favorite I am. Gotta fold here.

I’m back in resteal push mode. Give me a hand please. Seat 1 raises to 1200. He’s the guy that got messed up with his A8o v. KK. I’m in the BB. I look down and see AJo. That’s good enough. Reraise all in to 4900. He’s thinking. I hope he has AT.

He calls and flips JJ. What, he was thinking about? Or did he fall asleep? Board comes with all low cards and I am history.

A good learning experience again. But another cash would have been nicer. Day off today. Then the 1500 on Saturday is next up.

Chris

[jaydreb]

Another solid report.

How can you afford to buy into all these tournaments? Did you win seats through satellites?

[chrisjp]

Don't lose!

1/4 cashes this year puts me down about $1900 in the WSOP events so far. But I've won a bit more than that in the satellites so I'm doing OK. The one table satellites are soft, but you can still go on horrendous losing streaks there too. So far so good.

I am going to start playing cash games. They are less volatile. I've played a little at the Rio, 2/5, and they are soft. They must be. I'm up a little and I have very little cash experience. Toro says they are even easier to beat at the Bellagio. I'm going to actually get more into the cash games I think. I will always love the tournaments, but the cash has become more interesting since I read the Harrington on Cash books. I won't get big time into the cash until after the WSOP. I need more pointers from Toro.

Chris

[chrisjp]

OK I'm over the dry side pot episode and ready to play tomorrow. One postscript. I think in this tournament with the blind structure I should proceed on the assumption that villain does not have a flush, nor will he draw one, and just go for it. In a certain sense you throw pot odds out the window and just figure you will raise bluff the turn with outs, and then push the river to get him to fold. When you are lucky enough to complete the draw on the river then you try to extract maximum chips...whatever method works.

Matthew thinks that villain would have folded to a 1200 raise on the turn. Maybe, he has second pair, weak kicker, and there is a three flush on the board. Well more than maybe. But that's a great result,. win 500 chips, and have 8 or 14 outs to take the down the Main Pot.

OK I have officially beat this hand to death. Have a pleasant evening, or if you live near Neilis, G'Day.

[PauliF]

its because you agonise over this away from the table that the chances of your sometime winning a bracelet are significantly higher than most people in these things

gg and nice writing fella

maybe I come for the last 2 weeks next time... there seems to be a 1.5k every other day now