Well after going what seemed like forever without placing high in a tourney, I came 3rd last night after dying on a 20 outer and missing. I was pushing and I felt there would be significant fold equity of anything but a straight or flush but I was incorrect in my assessment and had to hit the 20 outer. Not exactly the way I like to bust but it was getting late and I had not pushed into a re-raise the entire night.
Early on I saw no hands but we started with 2900 in chips because it was Jules' 29th birthday. I was down to around 2600 when I limped called a raise with 8D9D. I was out of position and it was not a great call but it was so early. The flop came 10DJH4D. I had a pretty good read on my opponent and he bet out about 2/3 pot. In my estimation he had AK or nothing. I was worried that a Q may hit but I felt I could fold a low straight. The turn was a great card for me. 2D. I checked again and he bet pot. At this point I felt he had a big PP and he was dying if I hit. I was so sure on this read that felt I was getting 4-1 on my money. I called and the river was the AD. I instantly pushed allin and he instacalled with a set of aces.
A few hands later I limped with 4C5C and flopped a flush. I bet hard on the turn because I didn't want to get hit with a higher flush. Turns out I did want to because the river would have given me a straight flush.
Next I called a very small raise with 35 sooted in the small blind and the flop came A24 but with 2 clubs. I bet the flop got re-raised. I flat called and a harmless king hit. I went all-in just wanting the pot there and got it.
A few hands later I played a 5 way pot with TJ hearts and the flop came T high with 2 hearts. It was checked to me and I bet pot. The shorstacked BB min-raised me. I thought he might have 2 pair but I was racing with that. There was another call to the re-raise though so I figured this was a great spot to win a huge pot so I pushed. If I lost I would still have a healthy stack. Strangely the shortstack BB called with JT. The whole play was strange with a check raise with top pair Jack kicker but I will take the freeroll. I did not hit but we stole the dead money.
Next came the strangest hand of my life. Blinds were 150/300. 2 players limped to me and I had around 8K. I was in the cutoff with QH5H. I raised to 1200 preflop just trying to steal dead money (the orbit before I made the same raise and showed AA). The flop came A67. An inexperienced player who flat called preflop checked to me. I bet 1600 trying to make it look like I hit the A. He flat called and left himself 2000. I was drawing thin. The turn was a 3. He checked and I checked basically giving up on the hand. The river was a 7. He then checked to me again. At that point I was confused but I was certain he did not have an ace. I also knew he knew that I didn't have an ace. I sat and thought for awhile and knew all the players at the table except him knew that I had nothing. I figured I could bet 1/3 pot and get 3:1 on my bluff. If he does not have an ace he will probably fold. He thought forever and called 1600 of his last 2100 and left himself with 500. At first I thought he was calling with something like 22, 33 or maybe even K high and I am like what a sick call for such a new player. I put my cards face down on the table and did not show them. I think they may have even hit the cards on the board but for sure did not hit a muck pile. The other players were saying "show your cards and take the pot". He showed J9 for J high. I quickly picked up my cards and showed Q high for super gross hand. To be honest I hate winning hands like that. First off, he knew I was bluffing and secondly it was very questionable on whether my hand should have been folded because of the way I push my cards over however my belief is that since they did not hit the muck pile, a dealer in a real casino would have turned them over as they were called cards and I did not muck them. Anyway as I said to James (the host), we have never stopped people who have inadvertently mucked their hand before at WNP. I still feel bad about it though.
On to the final table where I had a pretty nice chip stack to start. I cannot say I had any significant hands until we were 5 handed. Blinds were 400/800 and I limped with 66 UTG. I only had about 9600 and I did not want to raise. I figure if I limp they can put me on a big hand. There was another limper and now it was a 4 way pot. The flop came KK7 rainbow. Pretty much if no one has a K I think I have the best hand. It was checked to me and I bet 2500. The other limper flat called and I was certain he had a King. The turn was a dreamy 6. I instantly pushed all-in and being the smart player he is, he called with KQ and said I know I am beat here but can't fold. I got very lucky on the turn. My boat held and that was enough to get me all the way to 3 handed.
3 handed went on forever. There were too many significant hands to note. I raised a lot then tightened up, then went back to raising. Finally I had a real hand to raise with (TT) and COJO came over the top and re-raised. I was pretty certain we were raising and I had stolen his BB about 10 orbits in a row and this was by far the best hand I had. For some reason I thought it would be stupid to race there. The 3rd player in was short and I felt I could pick a better spot and folded.
On to my last hand. At the start of the hand I had 20k. I think COJO had about 24k and the other stack around the same. I was dealt ADQH. I raised COJO's BB again. I had gone through a good 10-15 orbits without any aggression or raising. The few times I had raised on COJO and he had chips he would beat me into the pot and I missed etc. I felt that I was just one big hand away from trapping him but I also really wanted to make it to heads up. I raised to 4000 and COJO called from the BB. The flop came QCTD7D. Almost the perfect flop for me. I figured by checking, I could check raise. This is not something I ever really do but I was pretty certain I had the best hand and I wanted him to bet. He did not bet, he checked and the turn was a KD. I knew at this point I was probably not going to be able to let this hand go. I bet 2400 and COJO raised to 5000. I quickly without hesitation pushed allin for 7800 more thinking there is no way anything but a str8, set or flush calls me because it was the first time I had pushed to a re-raise the entire game. COJO said he could not fold and called with Q7 no diamonds. I was upset that he called because I figured that he had a str8, set or flush. I had outs against all those hands but I was drawing thin. I never put 2 pair into the equation because I did not think 2 pair could call HOWEVER....I was happy with the call. COJO said you must have outs...I said actually I do..I have 20 outs (I thought it was more but after counting I realized it was 20). So I was 45.5% to win. Pretty much a coin toss. The river was a QD. I was excited as I had the nut flush...But it was pointed out to me COJO had a boat. The QD was the only diamond that was not one of my outs. So that was it...6 hours later it was 2a.m. and I was $132 richer. I was disappointed that I ended up going out on a coin toss after folding to several coin tosses earlier but I am not sure I ever fold there. As I have said before when I push all-in and get called and I am in a cointoss, I feel like I am ahead because I pushed and when you push there is some % chance your opponent folds especially on a dirty board like that. When you call an allin you have 0% chance of your opponent folding so often the best you can hope for is a coin toss.
I was very happy with my play though. I thought my reads were solid all night and I virtually never felt like I did before my poker break where it seemed like every hand I played I was going to lose. On to Renfrew tonight!
No comments:
Post a Comment