With the frustration of bailing on that tourney the night before stewing in my brain, I am mad. The whole day at work I was beating myself up. Would Phil Ivey leave a poker tourney he had put himself in position to win because he was tired??
So midnight comes, and I enter the same tourney 2.20NL - at midnight. Ready to play until 7AM if needed. Well, of course things don't alway work out that way do they? I run pretty dead, and barely scrap alive and end up busting out with about 700 people left after an hour and a half. So its about 1:40am, im tired and I goto sleep right? nope. I tell myself that if I am going to get better, I have to play, and I won't always be able to play optimial conditions.
So I go looking to see what to play, I happen to spot a 90 player sit n go 2.20 filling up and I jump right in. After busting out of tourney I normally take a break, but maybe thats not the best idea. I am playing very well and I am getting good reads on the table. Sometimes you just see a table well, and while you look at my hand log, you'd see I was dealt KK 4 times! -- well actually 2 of those I won the blinds, and one of them, I got a call and a continuation bet, and the last one was folded to me.
in a tourney where I at one time had a 100,000 chips, those 4 hands of KK got me a whopping 260 chips. Though I was really playing well and I might do some hand anylsis on here if I get the time the weekend.
One hand I will note:
Blind Battle:
I pick up ATo in the BB-- all fold to the SB who makes an 10XBB raise. A really big raise that comes up really fishy here. I am in middle of the road in chips, and the SB is in the top 10. I have about 5500 he has about 9,000-- I am in no danger of being force to make a move due to the tournament structure. Though AT heads up is a mighty nice hand. Two choices run through my head right now:
Steal: very well could be -- its a lot to risk for a steal - but that maybe the point.
Medium pair: These cards are terrible to play post flop against someone who could have any number of hands. (I hate to play them anyway) -- So a big raise to win the blinds makes everyone happy.
The other choice is he has a Monster: AK, AA, KK, QQ -- and that he has pegged me as a good enough player that I will pick up on the oversized bet. But this is a really risky play, as I have been playing really tight, and 95% of the time I am hitting the muck before his chips go in.
So now: its ATo facing a big raise. So I think he has a middle pair. so im a dog, but only slightly. The question is, he has enough chips to walk away easy, and I can hurt him pretty badly here. so do I have enough chips to make him fold? I think that I do.
So I decide to push all in over the top -- in hoping to take this pot away from him. Now he goes into the tank. hits the request time button. I accomplish two things here. One, I defend my blind in dramatic fashion for all to see. and I show a willingness to play a big pot, put pressure on my oppt. and will re-raise.
The longer he waits, the more sure I am that he is going to lay this down.
He calls: flips over 77 -- perfect read on my part. Probably a good read on his part.
I hit a T on the turn and win the race: and am now sitting pretty with a lot of chips with about 40 people left to go.
Two things on this hand, as over 50% of the time, I am ending this tourney early. but in poker, you are not always going to be a 80-20 favorite -- you can't be scared to loose. but mainly, if you are reluctant to push your chips in the center, your oppt will just continue to push you around. So while I figured I was putting my money as a slight dog, it made up for it to me by the % of times he folds his hand, and now I have shown everyone at the table I will defend my blind, and put my chips in the center.
This kind of table image, with a big stack is a great recipe for success and it served me well in this tourney. When we hit 13 players left, I am at the six handed table. Though I am only 9th in chips, I am only a 1000 behind 3rd. people tend to tighten up near the money, and I have been playing really tight (card dead) for the past 20 minutes. So its time to losen up a bit and see if I can take some blinds and antes.
By the time we hit the final table I am moved up to 4th in chip position, and sitting pretty. in the money! already made back for both tournies tonight, but now the real fight begins. I won't go into any hand history, but because of the blind structure, I am sitting pretty under no presssure to make a move at the full table unless ive got a big hand.
I sit back, relax and tighten up. as two people get elimiated, and I start to pick things up and get a few hands. by the time we get down to four I am sitting on 100,000 chips. Over 50% at the table. Eventually we finally make heads up and I have 81,000 chips and my oppt. has 80,000. Even Steven!
I would like to go on and write about how I dominated my player heads up and took home the prize as he was no match for me. First off, he gave me a nice compliment to start, that he knew it would be us too, even since he saw me play a certin hand. nice to see that he thinks im a good player, and worrysome that he is actually paying attention. doh!
As I lead into before: I haven't played a meaningful heads up battle in months. Im rusty, and its late (now 5:30am and I have to wake up in 2 hours for work) I am not making excuses: he beat me. plain and simple, as we started even I soon found myself down to 45,000 chips. I double again thanks to a well placed flop -- only to find myself back down to a 100,000 - 60,000 advantage again. I pick up KQ and push, he calls with JT - T on the river -- game over.
I need some heads up practice.
Either way, though I started busting out of a tourney -early - and could have went to bed - I decided to plug along and had my most successful run in a long time. 2.20 90 man sit n go -- turned into a prize of 34.00 -- considering my bankroll is 100.00 that is a pretty nice little boost.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Trucking along:
Been awhile, lets get to it. I've been playing a lot more poker lately. My new years resolution is to go out and just play play play. I've set some lofty goals for myself which I might get into later. Right now, the main goal is just to play. I have actually been playing pretty well recentley. I've always been much better in tournament poker then cash games, so i've been focusing on that to get some good confidence back and built my bankroll into the black. So two nights earlier this week I entered the 2.20nl tourney on stars.
Monday, I actually made a mistake. When I started the tourney there was 500 people. I didn't realize how many people would join in late registration. the tourney quickly ballooned up to 3800, and it was midnight and I had to get up for work in 8 hours. Well, lets just say this would come back to haunt me. Playing pretty solid early on as the table is generally loose and I know that I can get paid when I make a hand.
I moved to the table about 10 hands ago, and I don't have a read on anyone, other then we are not seeing a lot of flops.
With about 2500 in chips, 2 off the button, blind 50-100 I pick up AsKs. I make it 400 --
Both blinds call: I have more chips the both blinds.
1200 chips in the pot:
Flop comes Kc Qs Td
Top pair, top kicker, inside straight draw, back door flush draw:
SB -- Bets 1100 chips into the pot: BB Folds:
Ugh. I thought I was controlling this pot. What just happened her. I go into the tank.
I go thru the hands that have me dominated: AA, KK, QQ, TT, AJ, J9 -- if he flops any of those, would he make an extra large bet into the pot? maybe with AA or TT on that board. But I have an ace, and he would have reraised pre-flop so I throw AA out. TT-- possible he could flat call with TT, and if he did, he is probably going to make some money.
KQ, KT, QT
I have a K - so two of those are unlikely -- and I would have just been out floppped: QT is a bit of a loose call IMO but it is an online tourney. Also the size of the bet seems a bit fishy: as with 2000 chips, he bets 1000 -- if I reraise its him calling his last 1000 with 4:1 in the pot so he has to call. and I very well could have him drawing next to dead. Why not just go all-in at this point. I have 9 outs with two cards to come if he has QT-- JJJJAAAKK with a backdoor flush draw.
KJ, QJ, JT, JJ -
Pair with an open ended straight draw: he's happy to put in a big bet and win the pot here, but if I call he has outs. I like this idea for having no read on my oppt.
SB folds: now its to me. there is 2000 chips in the pot, it costs me 1000 to call, and I'll have 2200 chips. so calculating everything, there is no calling here. Its fold or all-in. I need chips, and im rdy to get healthy and win a pot early and risk being knocked out if need be. Tho folding here, I am in no immediate danger of being knocked out or having a low M.
I have top-pair, top kicker, inside straight draw, and a backdoor nut flush draw. I don't think im dominated and I just don't like the idea of laying down top pair, top kicker this early in a tourney. Espically when there is a good chance im ahead right now and I would have outs.
I re-raise all-in for my last 2200 -- and he instantly calls his last 1000. He flips over KQo-- ugh. just got out flopped. I loose the two remaining kings as outs and i'm down to JJJJAA-- about a 70-30 dog.
Turn: Blank: no spade
River: Jack -- I win a good sized pot with my striaght.
This hand has been bugging me for a couple of days now, mainly cause I don't know if I would have done it any differently. yet I put my money in as a big dog. Maybe if I had more chips, maybe if it was later in the tourney I can back if off. Also, you set the tone that I am willing to play a big pot, and call big bets. which will stop those in the future against anyone who pays attention. sometimes you just have to pick your spots, just make sure u give yourself outs.
From then on, I had a really good sized stack (top 10%) and was able to pick on the shorter stacks. I played really well without showing many hands. The last big hand the I remember came a little bit after we made the money. (top 360 made the money) I had about 12,000 in chips -- small stack of about 3,000 raises -- only to have a stack of 4000 re-raise. I look down and pick up QQ in the button. So I reraise enough to put both of our short stacks all in. Blinds fold and both insta-call.
Player one: JJ
Player two: JJ
Love it! i avoid a 4 to the flush on the river and win a really nice size pot and knock two people out. I like the way I play this. even though I have plenty of chips -- I want to put pressure on the short stacks, I have a preimium hand that could look MUCH worse post flop and the short stacks could be playing a wide range of hands.
Now comes the dissappointing part. I am in 36 chip position with about 180 people to go and I cannot keep my eyes open. I make two bad reads in a row, and decide I have to shut it down. it sucks, but I do have a professional life I have to worry about. I close down my laptop -- and get some rest.
I wake up in the morning and I finsihed 68th out of 3780 -- 2.20 buyin turned into 12.50 win. not a bad return on invenstment, but rest assured going to bed early really bugged me. More on that tomorrow.
Monday, I actually made a mistake. When I started the tourney there was 500 people. I didn't realize how many people would join in late registration. the tourney quickly ballooned up to 3800, and it was midnight and I had to get up for work in 8 hours. Well, lets just say this would come back to haunt me. Playing pretty solid early on as the table is generally loose and I know that I can get paid when I make a hand.
I moved to the table about 10 hands ago, and I don't have a read on anyone, other then we are not seeing a lot of flops.
With about 2500 in chips, 2 off the button, blind 50-100 I pick up AsKs. I make it 400 --
Both blinds call: I have more chips the both blinds.
1200 chips in the pot:
Flop comes Kc Qs Td
Top pair, top kicker, inside straight draw, back door flush draw:
SB -- Bets 1100 chips into the pot: BB Folds:
Ugh. I thought I was controlling this pot. What just happened her. I go into the tank.
I go thru the hands that have me dominated: AA, KK, QQ, TT, AJ, J9 -- if he flops any of those, would he make an extra large bet into the pot? maybe with AA or TT on that board. But I have an ace, and he would have reraised pre-flop so I throw AA out. TT-- possible he could flat call with TT, and if he did, he is probably going to make some money.
KQ, KT, QT
I have a K - so two of those are unlikely -- and I would have just been out floppped: QT is a bit of a loose call IMO but it is an online tourney. Also the size of the bet seems a bit fishy: as with 2000 chips, he bets 1000 -- if I reraise its him calling his last 1000 with 4:1 in the pot so he has to call. and I very well could have him drawing next to dead. Why not just go all-in at this point. I have 9 outs with two cards to come if he has QT-- JJJJAAAKK with a backdoor flush draw.
KJ, QJ, JT, JJ -
Pair with an open ended straight draw: he's happy to put in a big bet and win the pot here, but if I call he has outs. I like this idea for having no read on my oppt.
SB folds: now its to me. there is 2000 chips in the pot, it costs me 1000 to call, and I'll have 2200 chips. so calculating everything, there is no calling here. Its fold or all-in. I need chips, and im rdy to get healthy and win a pot early and risk being knocked out if need be. Tho folding here, I am in no immediate danger of being knocked out or having a low M.
I have top-pair, top kicker, inside straight draw, and a backdoor nut flush draw. I don't think im dominated and I just don't like the idea of laying down top pair, top kicker this early in a tourney. Espically when there is a good chance im ahead right now and I would have outs.
I re-raise all-in for my last 2200 -- and he instantly calls his last 1000. He flips over KQo-- ugh. just got out flopped. I loose the two remaining kings as outs and i'm down to JJJJAA-- about a 70-30 dog.
Turn: Blank: no spade
River: Jack -- I win a good sized pot with my striaght.
This hand has been bugging me for a couple of days now, mainly cause I don't know if I would have done it any differently. yet I put my money in as a big dog. Maybe if I had more chips, maybe if it was later in the tourney I can back if off. Also, you set the tone that I am willing to play a big pot, and call big bets. which will stop those in the future against anyone who pays attention. sometimes you just have to pick your spots, just make sure u give yourself outs.
From then on, I had a really good sized stack (top 10%) and was able to pick on the shorter stacks. I played really well without showing many hands. The last big hand the I remember came a little bit after we made the money. (top 360 made the money) I had about 12,000 in chips -- small stack of about 3,000 raises -- only to have a stack of 4000 re-raise. I look down and pick up QQ in the button. So I reraise enough to put both of our short stacks all in. Blinds fold and both insta-call.
Player one: JJ
Player two: JJ
Love it! i avoid a 4 to the flush on the river and win a really nice size pot and knock two people out. I like the way I play this. even though I have plenty of chips -- I want to put pressure on the short stacks, I have a preimium hand that could look MUCH worse post flop and the short stacks could be playing a wide range of hands.
Now comes the dissappointing part. I am in 36 chip position with about 180 people to go and I cannot keep my eyes open. I make two bad reads in a row, and decide I have to shut it down. it sucks, but I do have a professional life I have to worry about. I close down my laptop -- and get some rest.
I wake up in the morning and I finsihed 68th out of 3780 -- 2.20 buyin turned into 12.50 win. not a bad return on invenstment, but rest assured going to bed early really bugged me. More on that tomorrow.
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