Jan. 29th, no L.A.P.C. hold’em events today, so….
January 29th, 2006
No tournaments today so I decided to play in the 10-20 blind NL live game. I manage to run my 3k buy in to about 4.5, and proceeded to play this monster pot. I limp in UTG for 20 with 99. Four other people call and the button raises to 140. We see the flop with 5-way action, it comes down JJ9, and I’m pretty fired up. The SB checks as so do the BB and I also check. The player to my immediate left moves all in for 860, the pre-flop raiser thinks for about a minute and calls the 860 leaving him with about 1500 left. Everyone folds to me, so I move in for my whole stack knowing the pre-flop raiser at best has a Jack and he quickly folds. The all-in player asks if I want to run the turn and river twice and I ask what he has. He shows me Q10 off. I say, “well, I already have a full house and you are drawing slim, lets run it once.” To my horror, the turn brings a 10 and it takes me a few seconds to realize that he picked up a lot of outs to beat me, so I try to tell the dealer to stop the action so we can run the river twice, but she proceeded to burn and turn a 10. OH MY GOD, I just lose this hand to 10s full when I have all the money in as a 51-1 favorite. I repeat he has a 1 in 51 chance of winning after the flop. I’m such an idiot not to run it twice. Certainly he can’t win them both..,no freaking way. Wow, this really sums up my week and start of the New Year.
L.A. Poker Classic, Jan. 21 & 24, NL Hold’em
Well it’s been a while since my last blog and I have played plenty of tournaments in between. Pretty much all of the NL tournys with little or no success. Anyways, I will briefly go through some of the tourneys to try and get you guys up to speed.
Sat. January 21, $300 NL with rebuys
Whenever I play rebuy tourneys I rebuy right away. This is because doubling from 1k to 2k is much smaller than doubling up from 2k to 4k. If you double up right away you probably won’t need to invest any more money into the tournament. Well, the day didn’t really go as planned. I didn’t make any progress during the rebuy period, and pretty much ended the first 3 levels with 3k. At my table there wasn’t much gambling until David Pham showed up about 10 minutes before the rebuy period ended. He proceeded to move in the first two hands, which he lost, and then did a double rebuy. So on the third hand he folds. I look down at Aces on the button and raise…get no callers…Burn. After the break I do a single add-on and have about 4k in chips. I miss a few flops and blind down to about 3k, when I look down at 2 aces and raise to 600, with the blinds at 100-200. A pretty solid player then moves in for 1400 more, which of course I call and he shows AKs. I win to get back up to about 5k.
The next big hand I won, a short stack moved in for 1200 with KJ off, I quickly call with KK in the SB, and I’m up to about 6500 in chips…feeling pretty good. The next hand I play I raise UTG (under the gun) with KQd and get a caller immediately behind me with 1400 in chips. I’m positive he has a pretty big hand but when the flop comes Q86. I bet his last 800 and he calls with a pair of 10s. So what comes on the turn and river: 10 and 10. Great, I just lost to quads, and he hits his 2 outer. I’m back down to about 5500. So the next round I limp UTG with 77 for 200. and David Pham raises to 900 out of the SB. The BB folds, so I take about 30 seconds, and move in for 5500. Now before we analyze this play, let me tell you what is going through my mind at this point. The very hand before David lost a race with AQh in the BB vs JJ from the SB, and lost about 2k in chips, bringing his stack down to about 5k, and so I have him covered by like 400 in chips. Also, since he has been to the table, the only 3 hands I have showed him are KK, AA and KQs. Furthermore, the last tournament we played sitting at the same table was at the Bellagio in November, and I played rock solid tight. I know he is kind of steamed up, and I also know my image is squeaky tight, so my read on his hand is no pair AJ or maybe AQ at best. I also know that David gets put to the test all the time, and he makes great calls and lay downs. So based on all this information I move in. Unfortunately, he quickly calls with AKs, Damn, the only non-pair hand he would call with. The flop comes Q 9 6, turn K, river K…I’m crippled and bust out shortly after. I spent a lot of analysis on this hand and truly feel I made the right play with the information mentioned. I obviously took on some unnecessary risk but truly felt he would have folded, and if he didn’t, I could win the race and have about 12k, which would be a great spot to play the rest of the tournament. I have no regrets on this hand or the way I played it.
Tues. Jan 24th, $500 NL with one optional rebuy
This tournament was quite a bad run for me. I never really had a chance. I had no hands, blinded down and missed a whole bunch of flops. I still survived to about the 200-400 level, and about 40% of the field left. I ended up getting it all in with A9s. Flopped nothing, but turned the nut flush draw and gutshot straight draw…and missed. I would’ve turned my 1k stack to roughly over 5k. I did however get busted out by no other than Jerry Buss, the owner of the Lakers and really started to get discouraged about my LAPC performance up to date.
L.A. Poker Classic, Jan. 19, NL Hold’em - $300 buy in
Here it is…the LAPC has come. I have played the $300 NL, the $300 NL w/rebuys, and the $500 NL with one optional (rebuy). So far, these three tournaments have not gone as hoped. Here is a small synopsis of the $300 NL tournament I played this past week:
Jan. 19 NL Hold’em, $300 buy in
I wake up around 2:30 pm after being up late the night before. I get a call from a friend that you need a “player’s card” like during the WSOP. He said that I should come down ASAP because the lines were getting ridiculous. OK, so I rush and arrive at Commerce around 3:20, which in previous years is plenty early because I would’ve already had someone buy my seat. Anyways, I see about 200 people in the Player’s card line, and lucky for me, I see a friend about 100 deep. So naturally, I cut into his spot in the line. Twenty minutes later I get my player’s card, and now I have to move to the cashier line to buy my entry. This line is about 200 deep as well, and again I see a friend about half way through, so I cut in. I’m thinking these are good signs…I’m not running that bad.
I finally get my seat. The tourney has been running for 40 minutes, and they blind me down 150, which is pretty reasonable. I start with 1350 out of my original 1500. So what do I do: I bluff the first pot dealt to me with 74c, trying to steal the dead BB and the only 50 bucks in the pot. I end up losing 350 on my first hand trying to win that 50. I’m not too happy and already down to 1k quickly. The next hour or so, I raise a few pots, bet out on flops, get my chips back up to the 1500 starting stack, and think to myself: I should of done this from the start.
Slowly I build my stack to about 3,500 in the 2nd hour and feeling much better. With the blinds at 50-100, I open to 400 with AK of hearts, and get called by this pretty tight player. Immediately my head says AQ or two 9’s. We see the flop heads up and it comes down AQ6 with one heart. Now, I like this flop, but I’m not in love with it because I put him on AQ. However, checking is not an option, so I lead at this pot for 400. Basically, I don’t want to play a big pot here in case I’m beat, and I don’t want to give him a free card with any pocket pair. Unfortunately, he raises to 1k. Wow, I really want to fold this hand right now, but I call fairly quick, trying to represent a lot of strength and hopefully catch a K or a heart. The turn comes the Ace of clubs. Well, that’s a good card but I would rather have a K. I check, and he checks. The river comes an off-suit 4. I check again…I’m not falling for the trap. He bets 1k, and I have 1700 left in chips. So if I call here and lose, I’m down to 700. I take about 40 seconds, and call. I really wanted to fold, but based on the way I played this pot he really has no idea how strong my hand is. So, what do I see? The AQs, and I’m down to 700. I’m not happy about this.
In the next few hours I amazingly built my stack to 5k. I move in and win a race, 99 vs AK to double up to 1300. I also move in pre-flop after a few limpers and win the blinds. I then move in after a raise and pick up that pot too. In the BB with 66, and the blinds at 300-600 everyone folds to the cutoff, who moves in for 2400. I quickly call here. I am certain I am up against two overs at worse. He turns over A3, and I win this pot which puts me up to about 8.5k. My next big hand I finally pick up two Aces in the cutoff position, and everyone folds to the player to my right, who opens for 2500 with the blinds at 400-800. I look at his stack, he has about 4k left. I sense weakness in him, and I want all his chips. I don’t want to re-raise here to give him the opportunity to lay down pre-flop. We see the flop heads up and it comes down 10 8 2. He quickly says “all in,” and I almost beat him into the pot. He turns up QJ, so I have to fade a 9, which doesn’t come, and just like that I’m up to 15k…..Sweet.
The next few hours I don’t really fluctuate too much, but I manage to start this next hand with about 17k. At this point in the tourney, there are about 90 players left out of the original 1148, and wow, I’m feeling real good about this opportunity. I am in the BB with K8 off-suit, the blinds at 800-1600 and everyone folds to the SB, who completes the action, and I check. The flop comes K 6 7, with two diamonds. I don’t have a diamond, and the SB leads at this pot for 2,500. At this point, I’m pretty certain I have the best hand, but not 100% sure. If he doesn’t have a K, I have him crushed, and I’d want to move in on the turn, so I call. The turn comes the A of diamonds. Now under normal circumstances that card would be the worst card in the deck. However, since he limped from the SB, and he led into that flop, I don’t think he has an ace. It is also possible that he turned a flush, but I really didn’t think so. He leads for 3k. At this point, I no longer want to put any extra chips in if I do not have to, which is why I won’t move in here. The river comes horrible: the 3 of diamonds, to put 4 diamonds in there, and the SB moves in. I have to fold. I am not a happy camper. I lost about 40% of my stack, but I really don’t think that I played the hand poorly. I spent a lot of time thinking about that hand, and am still ok with the play, just unhappy with the result.
Now I am pretty short stacked, and I move all in at the cut-off with 89c. I had noticed the button disinterested, no read on the SB, and the BB only has about 5k, so I know if he calls, he cannot bust me. Everyone folds to the BB who calls with A3d, and we race. Unfortunately, I make no hands and now I’m down to 5k in chips. This is not good. There are about 70 players left, and I literally blind down to 1600 when I move in with 99 in the cutoff. I triple up when the button protects me with A7 off. Now again, I blind down, and I’m all in with 82 off suit in the BB. I’m up against 22 and KK. The flop comes down Q 6 5, turn a 4, the best card for me because now U have 4 outs to tie, and 4 outs to win. But the river bricks off and I’m out about 55th, 10 spots away from the money.
This is definitely disappointing, but I really feel good about my play. I really didn’t have many hands. I maximized the ones I did have, and lost the minimum in other hands where I could’ve went broke. A break here or there, and I could’ve really made a run. I faded almost 1100 people, and have nothing to show for it. I will be back. My next blog entry will have the $300 NL multi-rebuy, the $500 NL with one optional (rebuy), and a few live game hands that were pretty sick. Until next time….
KK
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, Bahamas, Jan. 4-11, 2006
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, Bahamas, Jan. 4 - 11, 2006
Day 1 Bahamas Jan 06…
As I scan the table I notice a lot of young internet qualifiers. I have already amassed a simple game plan for this tournament. I intend to build my stack pretty safely trying to avoid big pots and big confrontations and since we start with 10k in chips and the blinds at 25-50 there will be a lot of play. I am hoping to over bet my huge hands like aces in hopes to represent AK or a smaller pair in essence I want to get max value from this hand pre-flop as opposed to post flop. There is a negative to this strategy which of course would be to pick up a small pot but I think it is worth the risk, these new young breed of poker players always assume AK with an over bet pre-flop. My only other real strategy is to find “situations” during the tournament and pick up chips this way. I could go in detail and give examples of methods that I personally use but this would take too long, and I will have to save it for another day. Anyways, on to the poker:
Shuffle up and Deal…..I love those words
My first big hand…
I pick up KK in early position and open for 200, and so far the table has been pretty tight. However, a big pair can be very dangerous so I want to try to protect it as much as possible. An older European gentleman calls my raise and we see the flop heads-up which comes Q-7-2, rainbow, so I lead into the pot for 350 and he calls fairly quickly. Now, I am a little concerned because there is always a possibility of him flopping a set, but I definitely do like this flop: there is no straight or flush draws. The turn: 10c, putting two clubs out there. Not the best card, but ok. I bet 625, and he calls. Here comes the money card…Qc, putting three clubs out there and completing a back door flush. This is pretty much the worst card in the deck, the only other card worse than this would be the Ace of Clubs. I wouldn’t even mind an off-suit ace as much, so I check, and he bets 1k. Now, if you review the hand he called a bet on the flop and turn, where there is no straight possibility, the only hand he could have is a Q, and the only legitimate hand I can beat is JJ. He also could of slow-played a set. I don’t think he would smooth call me with JJ pre-flop, so I reluctantly fold. Damn…down to 8600…not the start I was looking for.
My 2nd big hand…
I raise to 200 with A-Q, and get called by a pretty aggressive player in the small blind position. The flop comes good again, Q-7-3 with two clubs. He checks, and I lead for 375 which he raises to an even 1k. About 5 minutes previous I saw him bluff on every street, so his image is not good. Anyways, I call fairly quickly. I am pretty sure I have the best hand, but I don’t want to re-raise to reopen the betting for him to move in (this is a very important tournament topic) and possibility take this pot away from me. The turn comes a red 4 and he bets 800, and I quickly call. River pairs 3 (which is a good card for me), he bets 800, and I call again. He turns over KQ, so I scoop this pot and bam, I’m back up to 11,500 and feeling good.
My 3rd big hand…
Blinds are still 25-50, 4 people limp in, and I limp in the Small Blind with 4-4. The flop comes beautiful: Ks-7c-4c. So I check, one player bets 150, the button calls, then I raise to 650, and only the button calls. The turn comes a 3s, so I lead 1200 into this pot. He deliberates, and calls. At this point, I give him a flush draw and a gut-shot straight draw, which is the only real hand that has the right price to call if he is on a draw. So the river brings the 6c, which is pretty much the worst card in the deck again. This puts a 4 card straight and completes a flush so I again reluctantly check, he bets 1800, and man, I again have to fold. The day is just not going as planned.
My first real bluff…
Now I am hovering around 8k and not too happy about it. I decide to limp in with 10J off-suit pretty early, and this real tight player makes it 375 to go, so I call and we see a flop heads-up. The flop comes K-10-8 with two hearts, and although I have the J of hearts, this flop is very bad for me, because even if I make two pair he could very well have AQ. So I check, and he bets 400. At that price I have to call. The pot is already 1300, and I am getting 3.25 to 1, with a pretty passive player. So the turns brings a 7 of clubs, which sort of improves my hand. I check and he bets 800. Now I know for sure he has me, but I am getting better to 3-1, and this player is pretty passive, so if the right cards comes off, I can bluff (I’m hoping for a heart so I can represent a flush, or the 9 or 10). The river brings a 4 of hearts….so I deliberate, and bet 2200. I think this is a number that would get him to lay down. He studies for 35 seconds, and finally folds…whew, that was a close one, and I’m back over 11k.
The next few hours were pretty slow. I miss a few draws, and called a re-raise with AK hoping to flop something, and then folding on the flop. I also call a few raises with pocket pairs in hopes of flopping a set to no avail. I get no hands, and now I am down to 6800…not too happy about it.
I bust someone…
The blinds now are 100-200, and the same gentleman earlier with KQ vs. my AQ limps in Under The Gun (UTG), but he only has about 2k in chips, so I am assuming he has a pretty decent hand. Earlier he limped, re-raised me when I held AQ, and I had to fold. I look down at A-K off-suit and open for 1k straight. Now, I already assumed that he is going to go all in, which I am perfectly ok with. I am hoping that someone calls my 1k, and after he re-raises all-in, I can move behind and get some more dead money. With that being said, the optimal raise would probably be 600, so other people would call. But given my short stack, I didn’t want him to just see a flop, or let others see a flop and him to just call the raise for me to flop nothing, allowing this player to move in on the flop, and would force me to fold AK if I miss. With this reasoning, I opened for a big raise. Anyways, it gets back to him, and he of course goes all-in. I quickly call. He turns up 9-9, and we race. Flop comes 5-2-4, turn 2, river K…Sweet, now I am at 7800, and feeling better.
The hand that ended me…
I start this hand with 8300 in chips, and the blinds are 100-200 with a 25 ante. Another short stack player UTG opens for 650, and I look down at two beautiful Kings. So I re-raise to 2k. Everyone folds to the BB who thinks for 5 seconds, and re-raises to 7k. Now the player UTG folds, and it is up to me. I start to think, I’m pretty sure that the money is going to go in on this hand, but I need to review the action. This player has been playing pretty fast, and built his stack to about 16k. The two players behind me and the UTG player were both pretty short with about 7-8k in chips. Now, you never want to go out with KK vs. AA, and as I began to study, he just seemed weak. Realistically, the only two hands he could have is AA, QQ or maybe AK (because I have KK). I could tell he really wanted me to fold, so after about 30 seconds of time on me, I move in for my whole 8300, re-raising his 7k + 1300 more. We turn them up and he has JJ and I am pretty excited, because this would put me at 18k, which would be well above average. The flop comes A-J-10, and I am stunned. The turn comes an 8, the river comes a 4, and just like that, I’m out.
Over the course of my short tournament here I am very pleased with my play. I made some big lay downs, picked up a few chips here and there, and just ran pretty bad. Actually speaking, the hand where I flopped the set of 4s, the gentleman came up to me at the break and said he actually had 56 of hearts. He said that he knew I had a big hand, and he wanted to take one shot at the straight because he could win a huge pot. Of course, he hits the 3 right away on the turn. I am inclined to believe him, he did approach me and I never asked him. Anyways, I’m overall happy with my play and just got unlucky…it’s poker, nothing you can do. But I’ll be back: the LA Poker Classic at Commerce begins in the middle of January, and I am prepared as ever.
Until next time,
KK