Yesterday, I played in a local bar tournament. It was a championship freeroll (poker for money is illegal in Georgia) for players that had received rank points during the past 3 months by playing at this location. I managed to receive an extra 1200 in chips (on top of the nearly 10,000 that everyone gets) because of my 6 rank points, so I started out with a slight chip advantage to all but one other player.
During the third blind set (15 minute blinds), I made a total donkey play and got caught trying to bluff a strong player who had paired his AJ on a AKQ flop. On the turn 6, he bet 1000, which was a pot size bet, and I called with KT. On the river 8, I reraised his bet of 1300 to 3200 to represent that I had a better hand (better than what...I don't know?). He basically instacalled and I was now down to 4500 in chips with the average around 12,000.
Towards the end of the next blind set (100-200), and with around 5000 in chips, I am on the button with 3 limpers in front of me and holding the AcTc. The Tournament Director announces that in 3 minutes the regular freeroll tournament would close its seating, so I decide to loosen up and be very aggressive. I'm on the "do or die in less than 3 minutes" strategy, so I raise it to 800. Gifford, a friend who is in the big blind, and who plays only good hands, thinks for a long time and finally pushes all-in (he had appx. 12,000) with AK. The rest of the field folds, I call all-in, and Gif and I see the flop that comes out blank for both of us, but with two clubs. The turn is another blank, but the river shows the 3 of clubs, which gives me the nut flush. I have sucked out, and now I am back in the tourney with 10,800 in chips.
The next memorable hand occurs when we are down to a final table of 9 and the blinds are at 1000-2000. I'm on the cutoff with 12,000 in chips. It is folded to me and I have A3 suited. The button has appx. 14,000 in chips and he has not been aggressive at all. The small blind has 4500 behind and it seems that he wants to at least be awarded a card protector (8th place prize). The big blind has about 22,000 behind, and I doubt that he would want to get crippled so late in the tourney with anything but JJ or higher. So, I decide to gamble and push all-in with my A3. The button folds as does the small blind. Good read so far! The big blind thinks for a short while and finally says ... "I'm getting the right pot odds to call" and proceeds to call with QJ offsuit. What? What pot odds? The flop and turn don't improve either of our hands and the river is the unnecessary A to double me up. I still don't understand why people are thinking about pot odds at this late stage where one big loss will cripple them.
Later, I am able to steal some blinds and antes, and then, the following hand plays out. The blinds are at 2000-4000 with a 500 ante. There are 5 players left and I am the big blind with 35,000. It is folded around to the small blind (with 120,000 and the big stack on the table) who calls and I check the big blind holding 7 9 offsuit. The flop comes 8J4 rainbow....1 spade. Check-Check. The turn is the 5 of spades. The small blind checks and I check behind, hoping for a 6 or T that is not a spade. The river is the 6 of spades. The small blind checks and I push all-in hoping that the small blind has caught some of it and believes that I'm trying to steal. (I was pretty sure at this point that he didn't have the flush). The small blind instacalls and with an air of confidence announces that he has a straight. He shows a 2 3. I show my 7 9 and take down the pot with the higher straight.
Eventually, the others at the table get busted out and it gets down to the two of us heads-up.
We go through some folds and steals and at one point we're exactly even in chip stacks with 150,000 each. The blinds are at 20,000-40,000 and the clock shows that in 20 seconds, they are going up to 40,000-80,000. (I know...crappy structure, but it is free bar poker). I'm in the small blind and get the 9 T of spades. I decide to gamble and push all in. He thinks a little and calls the all in with K 8 offsuit. I haven't gone to a poker hand odds calculator, but I think we're about even...he being slightly ahead (I'm thinking it's about 53%-47%). The board doesn't help either of us, so he takes down the tournament with a K high.
For second place, I received a 400 clay chip set and an octagonal folding table top. First place received an oval 8-seater poker table with leather arm rests and folding legs, a 500 clay chip set in a mahogany casing and two decks of Copag plastic playing cards.
Hopefully, this is my warm up for my upcoming trip to Vegas....planning on playing the $1500 NL tournament event on June 29.
I'll keep you updated through this blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment