chrisjp Event 52 report

[chrisjp]

1500NL again. 3K starting stacks. Sold out with 2700 runners. We begin at 25/50.

Wow. The conditions today couldn’t have been more perfect. I was worried that my table would break. It didn’t. I played for almost 4 hours there and we were not going to break any time soon. What a waste! Since at that time I had no chips.
This is the best table I have ever sat down at. While the overall play was worse at my initial Senior’s table, the opponents at that table were so bizarre that you couldn’t get many concrete reads. This table, with one exception, was extremely predictable. There were 5 truly horrendous players who would not semi bluff. Some were calling stations, some were rocks, but all were predictable. Two other players were quite poor. That only left two more. The guy to my right seemed somewhat solid, but definitely was on the weak tight side. The only good player was in Seat 1. I was in Seat 6. I’d have to look out for him. Even he attempted a bluff that was completely ill conceived and cost him 2000 chips or so. Given that the starting stacks are 3K that is significant.

Off we go. I raise with ATo in MP and get called by the blinds. Flop is J84 rainbow or something like that. They check to me and I check. Turn is an 8. They check again and I make a small bet…and they both call. Both call???? River is a blank, one of them bets and we both fold.

I get Ad4d OTB and limp first in. The blinds call…truly horrendously predictable players who only bet when they have something. Flop is Axx with two diamonds. Nice flop. They check and I check behind hoping they catch up. Turn is another diamond. They both check again. I bet and they fold.

I get AKs on the button. Seat 2 raises and I reraise and get isolated on him. Flop is A87 and the 87 are suited. He checks, I think and bet. I wanted to check behind but that 87s is too dangerous. He folds saying he held JJ. I believe him.

I get another AKo utg and raise. The SB calls. The flop is JTx. He checks, I check. Turn is a blank. He bets, I fold. We have a quiet table.

Here is a prime example of my table. Kid raises in CO, button calls, good player in Seat 1 calls in the SB. BB folds but exposes his cards: 54o.
Three to the flop. QJ4 two clubs. SB checks, CO c/bs, Button moves in, SB moves in. Wow. CO thinks briefly and calls. Silly him. CO has AA. That doesn’t have a prayer of course. SB turns up JJ for middle set. Button turns up 8c4c for a flush draw. ??? A club comes on the turn…wow…but it is 4c pairing the board. SB triples up and I’m sick about it.

I get those two nice starting hands but then I go completely card dead. In almost 4 hours the best pocket pair I had was 99. That’s the way it goes sometimes. I’m sitting in the 2K-3K range most of the time praying for something. A couple of the players bust but they are replaced by a very straightforward solid woman on a short stack. And another loose player who looked like he might be good but wasn’t. Still a great table.

I have 2800 at the first break, after two levels. Matthew had 4800. Average stack is probably 4000. We now play 100/200 no ante so I’m not at all desperate. But this great opportunity to accumulate chips at this table is being wasted. But I am patient. No problem. I drift down to about 2000, the slow melt. Finally I get 99 utg and limp. I’m willing to 3 bet all in if a late position player raises, but that’s not the case. There are three limps and the BB checks. Flop is QJx rainbow. I check and it’s checked around. I guarantee you no one has a queen at the table. Turn is a Jack. That’s a good card for me. That makes it fairly unlikely someone has a Jack. I bet. They all fold. A nice and important addition to my stack.

Back to observing and folding. I get AJo in MP1. That’s the best hand I’ve seen in ages but there is an UTG raise and I quickly muck it. I get 22 utg, that goes into the muck. We are approaching Level 4. That is 100/200A25. With 550 chips in the pot preflop maybe I can steal--it's worth it. I now have 2400 chips. I am in the BB. Seat 1, the good player, raises to 550. The SB, the weak tight player, reluctantly calls. Is it time for the squeeze? I have just about the perfect stack, maybe a bit too small. I look at my hand. T8s. Possible. The problem is not with the SB. He will fold I know. But Seat 1 already has a big stack. And he will understand that I could be weak. I have too many chips and this table is too soft to risk it here. I fold.

I keep seeing nothing, absolutely nothing. I’m at 1950 in the BB. It folds to the SB who completes. Do I even have to look? Well I have to pretend to look so I might as well look. It’s T6s. I push. SB instantly mucks. Those 650 chips in the pot are precious to me.

I’m back to around 2400. While this would be torture to most I’m just playing along hoping for a hand. Then an interesting situation comes up. The guy in Seat 2 is down to 650 chips. He pushes. It’s folded to me in the SB. I have KJo. Usually this would be a push, but the BB, a nice middle aged woman, will not play here without a huge hand. So I just call knowing I can get out of her way if she raises. Maybe I should push here, but it felt wrong given her table image. Anyway she folds. Seat 2 shows Q8s. This is an important hand, and I have the edge. But there is an 8 on the flop and I lose. Darn it! Now I’m down to groveling with an M=3.5.

One orbit later I’m in the BB with 1525 chips. It folds to SB who completes. Where have I seen this before? This time I have Q8o. I push. That wimpy push of 1300 into a pot of 650 gives him 3-2 pot odds to call push. He remembers the last time, he can afford it. He calls. He flips K6s. Actually I’m a bit surprised he called with that poor of a hand, even though he has a clear call IMO. Flop gives him a flush draw and me a gut shot. Turn hits me right in the gut. Yeah me! Now I just have to avoid a heart on the river. River is the Ace of Hearts. Good luck guys and gals. I’m out.

I felt really in control this tournament. My reads were great. My cards weren’t. My luck wasn’t. That’s poker. But I’m very encouraged and very confident.

The $400 All In tournament is tomorrow. Yankees31 and I are playing. There is a $100K overlay and 1000 players. We will see what we can do.

Chris