Monday, May 16, 2005
$3 Ghetto Trip Report (a riches to rags story)
I decided I'd play in the $22 stud h/l tourney tonight on stars, and 5 minutes after it started a $3 NL tourney also started so I figured I'd hop into that, too. I don't think I won a single pot in the stud and was out 152 of 160. Pretty much my worst showing ever. I honestly didn't really feel like messing with the $3 tourney but stuck it out for no apparent reason. I had AA double against JJ then I pulled off a huge bluff about an hour into the tourney and I was upto 12k chips.
Things went pretty smoothy for an hour or so and I was upto about 25k chips. Blinds were 1000/2000 and I was in SB with 92o. The BB was sitting out so his 2000 chips were up for grabs. It folded around to the button who limped and I thought and pushed in wiht my mighty 92o. He called, having me covered by a few hundred. Crapola, he turns over A8. I had the 9 of spades and he had the 8 and when the board came with 4 spades I won with the bigger flush. I feel I played pretty solidy after that for another hour. From about 50 players down to 9 I was in the top 5 almost the entire time. With about 18 players left I was involved in the biggest pot of the tournament. I raised the button with 87 of clubs, the SB called allin and the BB also called. The BB had a decent stack and had been playing pretty aggressive towards me. The flop was 5c6cJs giving me an open ended straight flush draw. The aggressive guy went allin for a big overbet of the pot. I said "I'm playing to win the whole thing" and called. He had AJ, SB had 66, and I hit my flush on the turn and the board paired on the river giving the 66 a boat but giving me the side pot worth 350k chips. At this point I had 350k and 2nd place had 260k. I should mention that at one point I raised the BB allin from the SB when I had 92o and he called with A7 and I made a pair of 2s to win. 92o is my lucky hand now.
I fluctuated as far down as fifth, but ended up making the final table in good shape with about 400k chips and in a solid 2nd place. I was first one eliminated from the final table.
The killer hand happened when I raised 73 soooooted in position and got one caller. Flop was something like J87 and I bet half the guy's stack and he raised back pretty much allin. I was forced to call 80,000 to win 550,000. I called, he had AJ and it held up. Next hand I moved in with A5 for like 4x the BB and the chip leader called with AJ. Flop was 9J5Ax and I'm out 9th for a $65 payday when first payed over $1000. Oh well. Live with raw aggression, die by 73 soooted.
I was pretty bummed at first, and still am, but I don't think I can question my play. I was truely aiming for the top four of spots and had to stay aggressive. The blinds were 10k/20k soon to be 15/30 with the average stack being about 10 BB's whoever wins the post blinds and antes will rule the table. I could probably have sat on my hands and let a few of the smaller stacks bust and guarantee 6th or 7th, but I would rather stay nice and aggressive and try to finish first. C'est la vie (which is french for poker sucks). I outlasted 1585 of 1594 players and I'm proud of that, but not pissing off my stack would have been much nicer.
At least I got a ton of TLB points out of it AND an entry into the $150 freeroll this weekend! Woot.
Tad
Things went pretty smoothy for an hour or so and I was upto about 25k chips. Blinds were 1000/2000 and I was in SB with 92o. The BB was sitting out so his 2000 chips were up for grabs. It folded around to the button who limped and I thought and pushed in wiht my mighty 92o. He called, having me covered by a few hundred. Crapola, he turns over A8. I had the 9 of spades and he had the 8 and when the board came with 4 spades I won with the bigger flush. I feel I played pretty solidy after that for another hour. From about 50 players down to 9 I was in the top 5 almost the entire time. With about 18 players left I was involved in the biggest pot of the tournament. I raised the button with 87 of clubs, the SB called allin and the BB also called. The BB had a decent stack and had been playing pretty aggressive towards me. The flop was 5c6cJs giving me an open ended straight flush draw. The aggressive guy went allin for a big overbet of the pot. I said "I'm playing to win the whole thing" and called. He had AJ, SB had 66, and I hit my flush on the turn and the board paired on the river giving the 66 a boat but giving me the side pot worth 350k chips. At this point I had 350k and 2nd place had 260k. I should mention that at one point I raised the BB allin from the SB when I had 92o and he called with A7 and I made a pair of 2s to win. 92o is my lucky hand now.
I fluctuated as far down as fifth, but ended up making the final table in good shape with about 400k chips and in a solid 2nd place. I was first one eliminated from the final table.
The killer hand happened when I raised 73 soooooted in position and got one caller. Flop was something like J87 and I bet half the guy's stack and he raised back pretty much allin. I was forced to call 80,000 to win 550,000. I called, he had AJ and it held up. Next hand I moved in with A5 for like 4x the BB and the chip leader called with AJ. Flop was 9J5Ax and I'm out 9th for a $65 payday when first payed over $1000. Oh well. Live with raw aggression, die by 73 soooted.
I was pretty bummed at first, and still am, but I don't think I can question my play. I was truely aiming for the top four of spots and had to stay aggressive. The blinds were 10k/20k soon to be 15/30 with the average stack being about 10 BB's whoever wins the post blinds and antes will rule the table. I could probably have sat on my hands and let a few of the smaller stacks bust and guarantee 6th or 7th, but I would rather stay nice and aggressive and try to finish first. C'est la vie (which is french for poker sucks). I outlasted 1585 of 1594 players and I'm proud of that, but not pissing off my stack would have been much nicer.
At least I got a ton of TLB points out of it AND an entry into the $150 freeroll this weekend! Woot.
Tad
