Monday, November 07, 2005
Another satellite win.
Dear bidzior,
You finished the tournament in 1st place.You qualified to play in Tournament #14407693 and are automatically registered for it.
PokerStars Tournament #14704527, No Limit Hold'em Super Satellite Buy-In: $3.00
Target Tournament #14407693 Buy-In: $215.00 17 tickets to the target tournament
Another $215 victory! This one was much more intense than the last satellite. I really wish someone could've observed the ending because it was very entertaining. Thursday it was basically 3 big hands. QQ v the AKs. AK v AJ. AKv99vA10. That's really all I needed. I was pretty safe throughout the tourney. If it was a regular tournament I had a great shot at a final table and possibly maybe even score a victory. I was almost disappointed when it ended sitting there with a 100k+ stack.
Sunday's tournament was much different. It started out fairly similar. I had 16k at the first break. Near the end of the 2nd break I was over 40k in the top 5. But that is where the similarities ended. I made a couple mistakes in the first two hours that cost me a couple big pots and was never able to break away from the bubble. It was a hard-fought grind throughout the tourney. I was faced with many difficult decisions. Not easy at all. My steals were not working at all. Until the very end.
Let's go through some key hands. Third hand of the tourney I have AQ and raise a couple limpers to 120 a bunch of callers and we see a 885 flop. I fire 220 and get two calls. Not looking good. Blank on the turn and we check. Ace on the river. A small 140 bet is in front of me and I call it. He has A8. Next hand same two limp in front of my AK0 and I push. Get a call from J5c! He flops a flush draw but misses. 5k.
At the 15/30 level I have 4600 and call a raise to 160 from the BB with 78o. 4 see the flop of 9h10hJd. I check and preflop raiser makes it 480 and I push. He calls with Kh8s and misses and I double up to 8800. Very next hand I have AKo in the SB and raise a couple limpers to 270 and they both call. Flop is KJ2, 2 spades. I bet 780 and they both call. Turn is a 5 of spades and I go all in with my TPTK along with the Ace of spades. They both think forever and fold. 10.9k. Later on in the first hour my KK beats AQ to take me to 13.8k and I take the rebuy a few hands later to put me at 16.1k.
Marshall sees my first steal attempt fail as I have 78s in the BB. A MP limps and the SB limps so I think a 5x raise to 1k might do it. I am mistaken when the SB pulls his 66 and I have to fold. I get it back when I call a 3x raise with 67h. When I flop a flush draw I raise a minbet of 400 and a caller to 1600 and they both fold. Next hand I have TT raise to 600 and flop trips with a 1097 board and decide to slowplay with a check. Turn is a brick I bet 800 now he calls and the river is an Ace. I hope he has one and bet 2600 and he folds. Up to 18k. Later on I double up to 30k when his 33 is no match for AA. It was versus the same opponent I had failed to steal from earlier with the 78s in the BB. This time two limp into my BB at 200/400 blinds and I make the same raise of 5x to 2000. Exactly the same as before versus the same opponent when I folded to his rereaise. This time he calls. QQ5 rainbow, he bets 2000 and I call thinking there's not too many cards to fear if he is behind so I don't have to worry about giving away free cards. If he has a Q I am sunk. He all-ins the turn for 8400 and I river an Ace for good measure. Next hand I flop a set of 6s and an aggressive OP can't get away from top pair 10 kicker and I am now at 38k near the leaders.
Going through the history I see a quote from Tad I did not notice before, "75!" as I river a 2p with the magic hand to win a 2800 pot. At this point I level off in the mid 40s for a long time as I can't find a hand. Finally, I get AK and get all in vs JJ but this is not too be and I am back down to 36k.
I get lucky here. In the SB I raise to 6k at 600/1200 vs a BB with 11k. He thinks forever and folds but not before calling me a bully even though I was hardly raising. However, he was right this time as I only had 56o. Next hand on the botton I find JsTc and raise to 4800 vs the SB and a sitting out BB. I raised a little less this time to make it seem like a real hand that wouldn't mind action. The SB thinks forever again and decides to go all in with Q5h! What a play! But the first four cards are clubs andI am up to 49k.
I am starting to think I have a chance at a repeat at this point. I am in the hunt but again get cold carded and blinded off and I'm down to 40k in trouble. 17th place is around the low 50s here, there are about 40 left. For the skae of cruelty 18th pays $2.
I have AKo in the SB and the button makes it 3x to 9k. I decide to pull it hoping for the game deciding flip. If I win this flip I am in... If I lose I am at least not right on the bubble. He folds, I'm at 53k. Right on 17th place now. AJ steals the blinds and I am at 59k. I have A3 in the BB, folded to the SB. He limps I check the option. K92 diamonds. I have the 3d. He minbets 1500 I call. He checks the Js turn, I bet 6k and he folds. 65.8k, I think I'm in now. Right around 12th. Next hand I decline a steal attempt from the SB and can't pass up another on the button with Q6d making it 3x to 9k. BB goes all in for 14k more and I fold. This was a close decision and I think I should've called because who is going to respect me now? A rotation later I try a 3x raise from EP with QJc for 12k and fold to another allin for 35k more. Suddenly I am in serious trouble. I'm appx 22nd out of 24 now. The blinds go around and I am at 28k. I went from 65k and nearly off the bubble all the way down to 28k and not looking like I am going to make it. Maybe 21st out of 24 here. But you can never give up.
Crunch time. 2/4k blinds. I am not going to bubble. I refuse. I make a raise to 12k from the CO with A8o and they fold. 35k. From 3rd position I raise it 5x to 20k with A4o and they lay down. Whew. 42k. 2nd position. KJo. Repeat. 50k.The blinds go by and I am down to 43k. With 21 left Its folded to me on the CO and I look down at Q6o. I think long and hard and decide I am going to go for it. I make it 20k again and they fold and I'm back at 50k. suddenly in good shape again. 13th out of 21. 4 steals in the matter of minutes and I go from 28k to 50k. 21st to 13th.
I try to limp in now only to see a few small stacks at my table double up. 18th out of 21. Finally a big stack drops out at 21st. Another drops. Another. And we are down to 19. Smallest stack gets all in with AKs v AA. Flop is QJx. OE. Turn gives him a flush draw. River is a brick and we're at 18. I am in 15th with 40k. 16th=35k, 17=30k, 18=25k. It is not over yet. I have been in many situations like this where the small stack continuously doubles up and finally I have to make a move. Who will win the $2 for being bubble boy... The small stack gets all in with K2. Bigger stack turns over A6. AK2 board. River... 6! And its over. If he wins that hand I'd be in 16th out of 18 with gigantic blinds, anyone's ballgame. I was fortunate to end without a flurry of small stack double ups this time.
This tourney was much different. I was up against what seemed like tougher opponents which like to play back at you. I was faced with many difficult decisions and had to pull off 4 steals at the end to make it. It really could've gone the other way. After winning this one I was extremely pumped. It was much more fun than the last one. Later.
You finished the tournament in 1st place.You qualified to play in Tournament #14407693 and are automatically registered for it.
PokerStars Tournament #14704527, No Limit Hold'em Super Satellite Buy-In: $3.00
Target Tournament #14407693 Buy-In: $215.00 17 tickets to the target tournament
Another $215 victory! This one was much more intense than the last satellite. I really wish someone could've observed the ending because it was very entertaining. Thursday it was basically 3 big hands. QQ v the AKs. AK v AJ. AKv99vA10. That's really all I needed. I was pretty safe throughout the tourney. If it was a regular tournament I had a great shot at a final table and possibly maybe even score a victory. I was almost disappointed when it ended sitting there with a 100k+ stack.
Sunday's tournament was much different. It started out fairly similar. I had 16k at the first break. Near the end of the 2nd break I was over 40k in the top 5. But that is where the similarities ended. I made a couple mistakes in the first two hours that cost me a couple big pots and was never able to break away from the bubble. It was a hard-fought grind throughout the tourney. I was faced with many difficult decisions. Not easy at all. My steals were not working at all. Until the very end.
Let's go through some key hands. Third hand of the tourney I have AQ and raise a couple limpers to 120 a bunch of callers and we see a 885 flop. I fire 220 and get two calls. Not looking good. Blank on the turn and we check. Ace on the river. A small 140 bet is in front of me and I call it. He has A8. Next hand same two limp in front of my AK0 and I push. Get a call from J5c! He flops a flush draw but misses. 5k.
At the 15/30 level I have 4600 and call a raise to 160 from the BB with 78o. 4 see the flop of 9h10hJd. I check and preflop raiser makes it 480 and I push. He calls with Kh8s and misses and I double up to 8800. Very next hand I have AKo in the SB and raise a couple limpers to 270 and they both call. Flop is KJ2, 2 spades. I bet 780 and they both call. Turn is a 5 of spades and I go all in with my TPTK along with the Ace of spades. They both think forever and fold. 10.9k. Later on in the first hour my KK beats AQ to take me to 13.8k and I take the rebuy a few hands later to put me at 16.1k.
Marshall sees my first steal attempt fail as I have 78s in the BB. A MP limps and the SB limps so I think a 5x raise to 1k might do it. I am mistaken when the SB pulls his 66 and I have to fold. I get it back when I call a 3x raise with 67h. When I flop a flush draw I raise a minbet of 400 and a caller to 1600 and they both fold. Next hand I have TT raise to 600 and flop trips with a 1097 board and decide to slowplay with a check. Turn is a brick I bet 800 now he calls and the river is an Ace. I hope he has one and bet 2600 and he folds. Up to 18k. Later on I double up to 30k when his 33 is no match for AA. It was versus the same opponent I had failed to steal from earlier with the 78s in the BB. This time two limp into my BB at 200/400 blinds and I make the same raise of 5x to 2000. Exactly the same as before versus the same opponent when I folded to his rereaise. This time he calls. QQ5 rainbow, he bets 2000 and I call thinking there's not too many cards to fear if he is behind so I don't have to worry about giving away free cards. If he has a Q I am sunk. He all-ins the turn for 8400 and I river an Ace for good measure. Next hand I flop a set of 6s and an aggressive OP can't get away from top pair 10 kicker and I am now at 38k near the leaders.
Going through the history I see a quote from Tad I did not notice before, "75!" as I river a 2p with the magic hand to win a 2800 pot. At this point I level off in the mid 40s for a long time as I can't find a hand. Finally, I get AK and get all in vs JJ but this is not too be and I am back down to 36k.
I get lucky here. In the SB I raise to 6k at 600/1200 vs a BB with 11k. He thinks forever and folds but not before calling me a bully even though I was hardly raising. However, he was right this time as I only had 56o. Next hand on the botton I find JsTc and raise to 4800 vs the SB and a sitting out BB. I raised a little less this time to make it seem like a real hand that wouldn't mind action. The SB thinks forever again and decides to go all in with Q5h! What a play! But the first four cards are clubs andI am up to 49k.
I am starting to think I have a chance at a repeat at this point. I am in the hunt but again get cold carded and blinded off and I'm down to 40k in trouble. 17th place is around the low 50s here, there are about 40 left. For the skae of cruelty 18th pays $2.
I have AKo in the SB and the button makes it 3x to 9k. I decide to pull it hoping for the game deciding flip. If I win this flip I am in... If I lose I am at least not right on the bubble. He folds, I'm at 53k. Right on 17th place now. AJ steals the blinds and I am at 59k. I have A3 in the BB, folded to the SB. He limps I check the option. K92 diamonds. I have the 3d. He minbets 1500 I call. He checks the Js turn, I bet 6k and he folds. 65.8k, I think I'm in now. Right around 12th. Next hand I decline a steal attempt from the SB and can't pass up another on the button with Q6d making it 3x to 9k. BB goes all in for 14k more and I fold. This was a close decision and I think I should've called because who is going to respect me now? A rotation later I try a 3x raise from EP with QJc for 12k and fold to another allin for 35k more. Suddenly I am in serious trouble. I'm appx 22nd out of 24 now. The blinds go around and I am at 28k. I went from 65k and nearly off the bubble all the way down to 28k and not looking like I am going to make it. Maybe 21st out of 24 here. But you can never give up.
Crunch time. 2/4k blinds. I am not going to bubble. I refuse. I make a raise to 12k from the CO with A8o and they fold. 35k. From 3rd position I raise it 5x to 20k with A4o and they lay down. Whew. 42k. 2nd position. KJo. Repeat. 50k.The blinds go by and I am down to 43k. With 21 left Its folded to me on the CO and I look down at Q6o. I think long and hard and decide I am going to go for it. I make it 20k again and they fold and I'm back at 50k. suddenly in good shape again. 13th out of 21. 4 steals in the matter of minutes and I go from 28k to 50k. 21st to 13th.
I try to limp in now only to see a few small stacks at my table double up. 18th out of 21. Finally a big stack drops out at 21st. Another drops. Another. And we are down to 19. Smallest stack gets all in with AKs v AA. Flop is QJx. OE. Turn gives him a flush draw. River is a brick and we're at 18. I am in 15th with 40k. 16th=35k, 17=30k, 18=25k. It is not over yet. I have been in many situations like this where the small stack continuously doubles up and finally I have to make a move. Who will win the $2 for being bubble boy... The small stack gets all in with K2. Bigger stack turns over A6. AK2 board. River... 6! And its over. If he wins that hand I'd be in 16th out of 18 with gigantic blinds, anyone's ballgame. I was fortunate to end without a flurry of small stack double ups this time.
This tourney was much different. I was up against what seemed like tougher opponents which like to play back at you. I was faced with many difficult decisions and had to pull off 4 steals at the end to make it. It really could've gone the other way. After winning this one I was extremely pumped. It was much more fun than the last one. Later.
