ThePokerResource.net: A Rounder’s blog

2006 LAPC, NL-Hold’em Championship (Feb. 16-21): Day 1

They start you off at 20k with the blinds at 25-50, so I’m excited to play because of the slow structure and massive starting chips. I scan my table and see only two big names: An “the boss” Tran, and Dustin “Neverwin” Woolf. Tran is a tournament specialist and Neverwin is an internet legend. I am actually friends with Neverwin and we talk everytime we see each other. Anyways, since the field is so monstrous, I am pretty happy with the starting line up. The first level I get 22, 33, 44 like 2 times each, with call raises and see every single flop with these hands. Since our stacks are so deep it would only cost like 150-250 to see a flop, and sets are so strong when you flop them.

I limp UTG with 55, and we see the flop like 5-handed. It comes down 224 with 2 clubs, so I lead for 200, both Tran and Neverwin call. The turn comes a 3, I lead out 500, Tran calls (I put him on a flush draw) and Neverwin raises to 2k straight. I go into the tank, take about 45 seconds and fold. Tough fold here, but I know he respects me, and I know he puts me on a hand like 88 or so. I think he has like A5 or something but I just don’t know. He could have a full house already. He tells me later that he had 33, and I tell him the truth, that I had 55. He said he put me on 88. I finish the first level down to about 21k, and not too happy. I really wanted to get a quick start, but at least I won some money.

The blinds go up to 50-100, and I swear, I get 22, 33, and 44 like two more times each. I probably have gotten these hands like 8 times total already, but have yet to flop a set. Anyways, I’m down to about 17k and not happy. In the BB I look down at 56h. There is 1 limper early and this player raises to 400. I have played with this player in cash games a lot. He is ok, but in NL tournaments, he has no chance. Anyways, I call, thinking it’s time to manufacture a pot or flop something big. We see the flop 3 handed and it comes down K84 with 1 heart. I check, so does the limper, and the pre-flop raiser leads for 750. I am convinced he doesn’t have a K. I put him on 1010, JJ, AQ, or AJ, so I call with the intention of taking this pot from him on the turn as long as the pre-flop limper folds, which he does. The turn comes the Ac to put 2 clubs up there. I deliberate for a few seconds and bet out 2k. My read feels more like he has a PP, but he takes about 10 seconds and calls. The river comes 10c. Obviously, I don’t like it, but I’m certain he doesn’t like it either. I put him to the test and bet out 3700, knowing that he can’t call with just an ace like I put him on. I’m freaking out here: if he calls, I’m down to 10k, which would put me in a big uphill battle from here. He takes about 30 seconds and folds. WHEW!!!!! I better stop doing that.

I finish the 2nd level around 24k and feeling better. At the 100-200 level with 25 ante, Neverwin raises my blind to 725. I look down at two red aces and re-raise to 2500 total. He folds and I show him face up my hand. He has raised my blind like 3-4 times and he likes to see a lot of flops. I have an aggressive player to my left. He is active and I know that he is going to give me his chips. Everyone folds to me in the SB and I look down at AQc. I elect to limp knowing very well that he is going to raise out of the BB. So what does he do? He makes it 700 to go. I quickly call. I want to see a flop here…I know that I have him and want to extract a lot of chips if I flop something. The flop comes J 10 2 with two clubs, I check, he bets 750, I raise to 2500 straight. He takes like 20 seconds and calls. At this point he only has like 7k left. The turn comes Jc to give me a flush, so I just move in his last 7k. He takes about a minute and folds. I don’t mind taking this pot right here. I am up to about 28k.

I limp in after one limper with 77, and the guy to my left makes it 1300 to go. I have seen him do this a lot: raise big after a few limpers, so I am not convinced he has a big hand. When the other player calls, I do the math and elect to call. The first player is goofy, he re-raised a 600 raise to 5k straight, and turned up two aces. I’ve also seen him bet more than double the pot at times, which is extremely uncommon. I know if I flop a 7 against these two, I can bust either one of them. The flop comes money J72, with two spades. The first player checks, I check, and the aggressive player bets 2.5k leaving himself about 6k. The first player folds, and I deliberate, trying to look like I have a weak hand, and then move in. Unfortunately, he folds. I think I should of smooth called here because I’m pretty convinced he is drawing dead or slim. But I’m still ok just winning the hand here out right. I’m up to 32k, and feeling good.

The blinds now are 150-300m which is the 4th level, and no one on my table has busted out. This is kind of crazy, there are monster stacks in the tourney, but I am stuck on this table. It’s funny because the only players above the 20k starting amount is Tran, Neverwin and me. I limp in with Q10h, the button calls and Neverwin checks from the BB. The flop comes A86 with two hearts. Neverwin checks, I lead for 600 and only Neverwin calls. The turn comes a 5 of hearts giving me second nuts. He checks and I bet 1k, which he calls fairly quickly. I’m convinced that he has like A9 with the 9 of hearts or something. The river comes Jd. He checks and folds to a 1.5k bet. I bet small here trying to extract a call. He sees right through and folds. I think to myself that I really need to throw him a curve ball. He calls out to me “you turned me huh Kelly.” I reply back, “no, I rivered you.” He asks “Ace Jack?” I say, “yes.” He says “damn, I had big ace AQ with the redraw.” I then say, “you had the Queen of hearts too?” He says “Yes.” I then say, “WOW I got lucky there” and start to laugh. It’s funny, because he is lying through his teeth. I had the Queen of hearts. I find it funny because I lied about my hand and he lied back. Us poker players are a sick breed. I’m up to 36k.

The blinds go up to 200-400 with 50 ante. I still haven’t made much progress. It’s crazy that no one has been eliminated yet. I miss a few flops, raise and lose a few pots, and I’m down to 27k. I am not happy. I lose a pot to Neverwin when I limp call a big raise with 55. He flops a 9, and shows me when I lay down. Anyways, he raises my BB to 1100 and I look down at 2 black aces. This is perfect. Normally, I would re-raise here because he plays well post-flop, and he is likely to have any 2 cards there. I elect to just smooth call because a re-raise would probably just win it out right. The flop comes K34 rainbow. I check, and he checks. The turn comes a 9 of spades, and I lead out for 1550 leaving my self 25k left. He deliberates for a 10 seconds and calls. The river comes a 5, and I think for about 15 seconds. I really want a call here. I think if I value bet like 2.5k or 3k, he will fold, so I over bet to 5k to make him think that I could be bluffing. He takes about 30 seconds and studies me. I try to give my weak look, and he finally calls me. I turn up AA and he mucks quickly. We are breaking right after this hand and as I stack up my chips he looks and me says “well played.” I say thanks, I’m sorry it was you but I had to get chips. He says it’s all good and again compliments me on my play. I’m back up to 35k and feeling good.

The next table I go to, there are some huge stacks. A player raises to 1400 UTG, and I look down at AK off. He is the same player from the 2500 who I busted with JJ against his 66. I decide to re-raise to 4400 total, making it 3k more for him to call. He takes about 20 seconds and mucks 1010 up. Sweet, I’m back up to 38k with about 30 minutes left in the day. A round later, Fabrice Soulier, a European online pro, raises to 1100, and I look down at QQ and re-raise to 3400 total. He takes like 15 seconds and calls. The flop comes A62 and I’m obviously not too happy but I elect to bet anyways. I decide to bet 4k and he raises me to 10k total. BURN!!!! I fold and back down to 30k.

I finish the day with 29,200, which is probably about 5-6k below average. I played well today. The fact that no one busted on my table till the 8th hour into tournament doesn’t give you much of a chance to get chips. Hopefully, tomorrow I get a good draw and run good. I believe we are down to about 380 out of the starting 690 entrants. Obviously, I wish I had more chips, but overall I’m happy with my play. I talked to Neverwin after and he really complimented me on my tournament play. He says that you bet good amounts when involved, and said that I played really well today. Yeah, I reply: “I threw a curve ball with that 5k bet because I know you won’t pay off a value bet there.” He says, “Yeah, you got me to call you with a pair of 3s. Either you had a big hand like AK or nothing. I thought 50/50 on a bluff so I called.” I’m really happy that he paid me off with bottom pair. WOW. Well, I look forward for tomorrow, it’ll be a new day.

KK