ThePokerResource.net: A Rounder’s blog

2006 LAPC, NL-Hold’em Championship (Feb. 16-21): Day 2

I scan my table and see only Juha Helpi, a big name pro. No one on my table has more than 60k, and like everyone else, have between 20-30k. This still isn’t a bad spot to start day 2. The blinds are at 300-600 with 75 ante. I fold for the first round, Helpi has already taken down two pots and I fear he is going to run over the table. Anyways, I raise to 2k with A7 off with a dead BB (this player hasn’t shown up yet). The button calls, as does Helpi from the SB. The flop comes 256 rainbow, and it gets checked around. The turn comes a 4c to put two clubs out there, and Helpi leads for 2500. I deliberate, and call. The river pairs 5s and Helpi leads for 7500. I go into tank…I start studying and he just seemed weak. We both started the hand with 29k in chips, so if I call and lose, I have 16k. But if I call and win, I have 42k. I really feel like he has like a missed flush draw or a busted straight draw. I go with my instinct and call after a minute. He turns up 89 off for 9 high. I flip up A7 and the whole table looks stunned. WOW!!!! That’s such a sick read, and I feel great: up to 42k, and also crippling Helpi, who has to play tight now.

There isn’t much fluctuation as I hover between 35-40k for the next two rounds. Huck Seed comes to my table and is very active. Gees, he fluctuates from 20-40k in like 1 level. He re-raises, limps and just sees a lot of flops. I am glad he doesn’t have a massive stack. I don’t get involved with him and he busts out with KQd vs. AA. I am glad to see him go. With the blinds at 500-1000, I raise to 3k with 22 next to the cutoff, and Kathy Kolbert calls (I have played a lot of cash games with her and I am certain that she has a huge pair like KK or AA). The SB calls as well. The flop comes 823 with two spades and the SB leads for 5k. I am pretty sure I am going all-in against Kathy, but I will not slow play in case he has a flush draw. I raise to17k straight and Kathy moves in for 30k total. The SB folds, and I quickly call. She turns up two red aces and I bust her when it bricks off twice. I’m up to 85k now at the dinner break.

I get back from dinner and win a race with 66 vs. Q10. He was short when he moved in for 6.5k, and I called from the SB. I have over 95k and feeling great. I raise from the cutoff with 54d, and the button calls. We see the flop heads-up, and it comes A 3 4. I bet 6k and he calls. The turn comes an 8. I see that he has 25k left, but like an idiot, I bet 11k, and he moves in. This is stupid, I should have check-called. Now I am playing a 75k pot with a pair of 4s. I guess I let my guard down. I do the math and I call, thinking I have 9 outs, but he turns up A8. I miss the deuce or 4 on the river and am back down to 60k. What a bonehead play on my part. Minneapolis Jim Meehan comes to my table and I call his raise with Q10d. I flop a flush draw and miss. I know I have been very active, and I’m sure the table thinks I’m going to self-destruct. I tighten it up a lot.

I find 22 in middle position, and limp with the blinds at 600-1200 with 200 ante. The player who doubled up from me limps behind, and both blinds call. The flop comes J 9 2, and I am fired up. The blinds check, I lead to 3500, and the player behind me makes it 10k straight. I elect to just call. I want to double up here, and am willing to slow play. The turn brings a 5 and I check and he goes all-in. I call, and we turn them up: He has J9, and the river brings a K. I double up to about over a 100k, and pretty pumped up. WOW, those deuces really bailed me out twice today. I refuse to get involved now, and I tighten up my game based on my image.

The next hour or so I maintain my 100k stack, and rise a little to 120k before dropping back down to 80k. I raise a few pots here and there, and fold to re-raises. This young kid, Devon, comes to my table with 160k, and he sees a lot of flops. He is friends with Neverwin, so I know he will give me some respect. With the blinds at 800-1600, he opens for 4k from late position. I look down at AQ off and make it 13k total, and he quickly folds. A few rounds later, he raises again to 4k. I look down at AK off, re-raise again to 13k, and he folds. I just know that he is going to try to out play me later. It’s about an hour later when he raises to 5400 at the same level, and I look down at JJ. I elect to just call, because if I re-raise, I think he is capable of blowing me off jacks here. Also, I put him on a middle pocket pair. The flop comes 332 and he fires 10k, and I call. The turn brings a 2 to put two pair on the board. He fires 20k and makes a comment about me running him over. I call. The river comes a Q of clubs to put three clubs on the board. He checks and I check. I don’t want to reopen the betting. He then says, “you got it,” so I turn up my hand. Someone asks to see his hand and he turns up J9 off. THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! I’m up to about 110k.

I dip down to 85k from people moving over the top of me and blinding down. I raise to 7k (the blinds are at 1k-2k) with Q9s, and the button makes it 20k straight. I elect to call, and the flop comes QJ5 with two diamonds and one spade. I take about 20 seconds and move all-in. I think he has like AK or a middle pair, but I don’t want to call his all-in and fade 10 outs twice if he has AK. I want to give him an opportunity to fold. He only has about 40k. If he calls and I lose this pot, I will be down to 35k and pretty much crippled. He takes about 15 seconds and folds. WHEW!!!! What am I doing? He tells me later that he had AK, and I told him my hand and rationale: I don’t want to fade his AK twice because I know he is pushing. I take that play away from him. Man, I have to stop sticking my head out there. I don’t feel like I am playing my “A” game. I am pushing a little when I shouldn’t be. But I’m up to 120k and feeling good again.

We play one more level, and I slowly build my stack to 150k, before we are done for the night. Two sets really bailed me out, while we are now down to only 97 players. Average is about 140k, and I’m #32 in chips. The money pays at 45^th, but there is a lot of play still, and the structure is good. The whole day I had KK once and QQ once. Also, the whole tournament I have only been all-in once where I could have been busted. That was the set of deuces against Jacks and Nines. If you are never all-in, you can never be broke. I had a little stretch where I felt I played bad, but got bailed out by the deuces. I am exhausted and yet excited about tomorrow. There are 97 players left, and two of us will come out of this tournament a millionaire. Wow, now that is a sick thought.

KK