ThePokerResource.net: A Rounder’s blog

$2,500 NL - Part 1

I get to Commerce around 3:15 p.m. and I’m shocked to see so many players for this tourney. It is a fairly large buy-in and they have about 30 tables to start. Actually we started with a total of 270 players. I get to my table and don’t see any really big names, but believe me, all the big dogs are playing this one. It’s only a week before the main event, so the field is an all-star cast. We start with 5k in chips and the blinds at 25-50 with hour long levels. so there will be a lot of play. The first hour or so I build my stack up to 6k and am pretty happy. In the 2nd hour we get some new players and they came with big stacks. However, I just maintain my position and never fluctuate from 5-7k. Finally, my table breaks in the 4th hour and I move, but I still have only my 6k stack. At this point, the average is approaching close to 10k because half the field is already busted. I notice that the actor, Norm McDonald, is seating in seat 5. I have played with him a few times. He isn’t that bad of a poker player: a little fearless, but that is understandable since the money won’t affect him. Anyways, I some how manage to build my stack to 9500 at the 200-400 level with 50 ante. I haven’t played any monumental pots up to date, just “bobbing and weaving,” as I like to say.

Moving on, Norm moves in his whole 12k stack pre-flop from middle position and everyone folds to me on the button. I look down at AKh, and I take about a minute to decide. What would you guys do with this hand? It is obvious he doesn’t have AA, KK, or QQ because he wouldn’t over bet the pot that big. I think and think, and look at him for a while. I just feel that he has a pocket pair like 1010 or JJ. I wish he just raised it up to like 1200 so I could re-raise huge, or even move in. I mean, he took that play away from me. The value of AK, especially when short, is to re-raise so that you can possibly win without a showdown. Given that: if I call, I have to win a show down, and AK goes down in value, unless his hand contains an Ace with a smaller kicker. Now, if I felt he had an Ace in his hand I would call immediately because I would be a small dog in most spots, but a big favorite in the other. I agonize, and laid down the hand. I have no money invested in this pot and I can play a short stack well, so there was no need to panic. I actually asked a lot of people during the break and most of them said call. I asked Men the Master, Minh Nguyen, David Tran, a few others, and they all said call. Only one lesser named pro said fold. Men said, �look, you know he doesn’t have big PP like QQ on up. And if he has an Ace, you have him crushed. I replied, “I know, but Men, I just felt like he had tens, and I didn’t want to race with him there.” He still didn’t agree with my decision, saying: “you are too short. You have to gamble there. If you have like 20k there, it’s a different story.” Anyways, I folded and am comfortable with the decision completely.

The next two hours I get my stack up to 20k, but blind down back down to 12k. I raised a few hands here and there, but didn’t take down any pots. The blinds at this point are 400-800 with a 100 ante, and there are massive stacks everywhere. I believe the chip leader has 70k at this point. I look down at my next hand on the cut off with Q2 of hearts, and raise to 2400. Before you guys question this marginal play, I will tell you the situation at hand: The button is talking to Norm about something and laughing, so I know he won’t even consider playing a hand unless he has something. The SB just stacked a massive pot around 5 hands ago that put him at about 40k, so I know he won’t play as well either. The BB is an older gentleman that plays really tight. These are all important factors in determining making a play like this. The “state of mind” of the players on your table is so important, and you must utilize their mental state to your advantage. So the BB calls and I’m obviously not liking this until the flop comes A J 10, all hearts…BOOYEAH!!!! The BB checks, I bet small like 2k, he raises me all-in and I beat him into the pot. We turn them up: he shows AJs and I show Q2h. The turn comes Qc and river a black 4. Bam!!! Up to 24k, and back in the game. Now, after a hand like this, everyone on the table is staring at you as if you are some kamikaze or something. Little do they know that this hand was thoroughly thought out in advance. You know, it’s funny because before this hand, Men the Master playing from an adjacent table looks at me and my stack, then shakes his head and laughs. This is just playful needling, so I look at his 50k stack and smile at him. I know he thinks I’m playing to survive and not to win based on my fold with AKh. I beg to differ.

The blinds go up to 400-800 with a 100 ante. A pretty solid player opens for 2400. I look down at KK from the SB and re-raise to 7500 straight. He calls, and the flop comes 962. I quickly announce all-in for my whole 13k. I don’t want to get greedy here, picking up 9k with KK is fine with me. Also, the all-in bet on the flop could get a worse hand like 1010 or JJ to call sensing weakness in the over bet. After about 10 seconds he folds.

With the blinds at 600-1200 with a 200 ante now, I raise from early position with JJ, and the same player calls on the button. We see a flop heads up and it comes down K 9 6. I deliberate for a few seconds and check. Now, I don’t want to play a big pot here. If I bet any amount and he raises, I fold. I want to play a small pot and hope he checks too. So he checks, and the turn comes the Jack of spades. Wow!!! I lead out 4500. As I do so, I think to myself, if he has Q10 or KK, he is gonna win a huge pot. Well, he raises all-in for about 20k total and I quickly call. He says, “I have a set.” I reply back, “so do I.” He turns up 66, and I bust him when he doesn’t hit his one out. Now I’m up over 60k and feeling real good. Now that�s a stack to be happy about.

OK, I am now table chip leader with about 35 left. Seat one opens for 3600, and I call from the SB with 22. We see the flop heads-up and it comes down J 10 3. I check and fold to a 4k bet on the flop. Now, about a round later he raises to 3600 again. I look down at 56c from the BB and I call. Before I get any further on this hand: I was really trying to get into a pot with him because he has been pretty aggressive and quite frankly, running too good. He never had to show any hands and he wins his steal-raises. I am hoping to find a favorable flop and take a huge pot from him to maybe rattle him a little. The flop comes K23 rainbow. I check and he fires his 4k bet again. I take a few seconds and I know I’m going to at least call. I sense a little weakness. I truly feel he doesn�t have a King, and maybe a pocket pair instead. So I take a shot at the pot and raise to 11k straight. This raise seems so strong almost like I want him to call. The real raise begging for a call is 10k, but I really want a fold so I made it 11k. He takes for about a minute and finally calls. Believe me when I tell you, waiting a minute when you just raised on a bluff seems like an eternity. I am kind of freaking out here, I really thought he was gonna fold for sure. But when he calls I just didn’t know what I was gonna do on the turn. No problem, the turn comes the 4 of diamonds. That’s it, over, end of story. He is drawing dead, for sure. I check in hope that he pushes in with AK or some marginal holding, or gets there drawing dead to his pocket pair. He quickly checks. On the river comes a black 7. I have the stone nuts and cannot lose. I announce 15k with kind of a loud voice, and push my chips in forcefully. I want to portray a reverse tell here because this player is solid. He takes another minute, and finally calls. I flip up the nuts. He is stunned, and finally mucks. Mission accomplished, and the big dog is up to 85k. SWEET!!!!

We are now playing hand for hand because it is down to 28 players. When we were at 30 players, I lose a few steal attempts when people go over the top. Now at 28, I know that no one will mess with me unless they have a real hand. I take this opportunity to look for a spot to re-raise someone without much of a hand because the fear of busting out on the bubble. With the blinds at 800-1600, a player opens for 6k, a pretty big overbet. He has about 50k, and I have him covered. His big raise is screaming a hand like AQ or 99, so I take the liberty to put him to the ultimate test on the button and re-raise to 20k total in the dark. Yes, that�s right, I didn’t look at my hand. I already made my decision on this play. I don’t want to see 72 off-suit and not make it. I know he has to fold for sure. He takes about a minute, and lays down AK offsuit face up. He says “not now, maybe later, I think you have Queens.” I was pretty shocked to see that strong of a hand, and even more shocked to look down at my hand to find two black jacks. So naturally, I turn them up and say, “good fold, I was going to call you for sure.” LOL…this is kind of crazy.

We end the day with 23 players and I don’t really improve my position at all. We combine tables, and I am no longer the largest stack. I have Barry Greenstein to my left, and Men the Master to my right. I play tight for the last half hour and finish the night with 82,800 in chips, which puts me at either 5th or 6th biggest stack. Average at this point in the tourney is about 56k, so I’m feeling much better. Also, the blinds are only 1k-2k with 300 ante, so there is much more play than there was in the $300 NL (with rebuys) event at this time.

My next blog will be on the following day.