Steamrolling a STT at the Rio

[chrisjp]

I played a $325 one table satellite yesterday. This is WTA with the winner receives six $500 chips that can be used to purchase into any event, plus $120, or basically $3120.

It is ten handed, 1500 starting chips, and 20 minute levels. Turboish to be sure. No antes ever....need to keep this moving so they can get rid of us and open another one. The House gets $120 per table in vig so let's play fast ladies and gentlemen. There's a line of players that are eager to play....I think there are like 40 tables in the room? Something like that.

Level 1: 25/25 I limp a few times, nothing. I drift down a bit. I limp after limper OTB with 86s. 6 to the flop. J54rainbow. There is a small bet, CO calls. I'm thinking maybe I should call. I have to hit a 7 on the turn but if I do I could stack one of these rascals. Or I might be able to pick it up on the turn if they both check to me. I fold. Turn is a 7.

That's OK.

Level 2: 25/50. Nothing really eventful happens. One guy busts and we head to

Level 3: 50/100 I have like 1300. I limp utg with 88. MP1, who I have played and chopped with before, raises to 350. I know his style and he fears me. He's a good player and appropriately loose in this, but not great by any means. It folds to me. I could push here, but he will call for sure. He has me outchipped by 800 or so. I decide to take a flop. T33. I had considered a stop and go but this flop is really good for me I think. If he has a high pocket pair I"m cooked of course, but if he doesn't then I want his chips. He would not raise with AT preflop so I'm hoping for two overs. I check, he bets (a good sign, with a high pair he might have given me a free card), and I push. He is downcast and reluctantly calls with the pot odds. He shows AQ, no 25% suckout and I double up.

I'm in Seat 3.

Very short Seat 7 pushes and I call in late position with A9. Him 44. I win the race.

I limp utg with JJ and there are two callers. Flop is QJT 2 suited. BB bets, I min raise, he is downcast and pushes with his few meager remaining chips. I call and he shows J9s. He has decent outs, misses, and Seat 2 is gone. My stack is growing.

I limp MP with Qto after a limper. 4 to the flop. Flop is QJx. Seat 8, who is short comes out betting, betting half his stack. This guy can't have AQ or KQ, or even AJ. He would have raised or pushed preflop. Anyway I call. We are heads up. Turn is a 9. He goes all in, I call of course. Him Q8s. He misses on the river and I knock out another.

This is fun!

Level 4: 100/200. It's desperation time for most of the rest of them. Seat 10 pushes OTB. I have the stack. I call with 44 in the SB. Him A6. Flop has an Ace, but also a 4. We are down to 5. I bust 9 seat in a race. Four. My chopping friend in Seat 5 busts a guy.

There are three remaining. Me: 7500. Seat 4: 2000. Chopping Friend in Seat 5: 5500. Chopping friend says, "Why don't we all take a chip and play for the rest." That means we would each be guaranteed $500 and the winner would take the extra $1620. This is always great for the shorties and terrible for the big stack. I smile and say, "Nope." "We have to get rid of the little guy first." No offense, but this is war....er poker.

I complete in the SB. Flop is K54. I min bet, shortie pushes, I fold.

Shortie pushes next orbit and I have AQ. I call. Him 88. Flop has an Ace and another is left in the dust. How can I be so lucky?

OK Mr. Chopping friend, lets see if we can work something out. He has 5650 chips, so I have 9350. Each 2500 in chips, 1/6 of the total, is worth a $500 chip plus $20. So if he had 5000 chips his linear equity would be $1040. So I say,

"How about you get two chips and I get the rest." He shakes my hand and we are done. He had about $1150 chip equity and got $1000. He is happy. I am very happy. I got 4 $500 chips plus the $120. We both tipped the dealer and everyone was happy.

Have to savor this one. You rarely have the poker gods smile on you like they did me in this one.

I'll be playing a $550 mega satellite today, a MTT, which will pay one seat to the ME for every 20 players at 10am this morning.

There is excitement in the air at the Rio. Day 1A of the Main Event is here and the cards fly at noon. I still plan to play Day 1D on Sunday. It will be interesting to see how many runners there are today.

Chris

ps. Matthew and I picked up Tall Paul at the airport and took him to the Palms yesterday early evening. Long day for Paul. Hope he got a good night's sleep.

[taz115]

Nice Chris, good luck in your other satelites.

[maf66]

Nice job Chris. You certainly seem to be enjoying your poker at the moment.

[chrisjp]

I've been lucky, I know it, I'm enjoying it. Need to remember this run during the inevitable visits to the dark side. But I know I'm playing well too. That makes it even better.

Thanks,

Chris