Close so Close!!!!!!!

Its been so long since I blogged one of the local tourneys I played in. Its partly because I do not play nearly as much live as I used to and it seems when I go deep, I have been getting in the money but not winning.

I recently played in a special 27 person $80 buy-in with very deepstacks (5k to start, blinds start at 10/20). I settled in for a long night because really unless something goes really wrong you should be playing in this for several hours.

I played 3 hands in the first 3 levels for a very uneventful hour:

I 3 bet Jh9h on a AA6 flop with 2 clubs. I would played an ace the same way and I took a small pot. I bet A9 from the bb on an AAT board with 2 hearts. My opponent checked the river and showed KhQh. I raised to 100 with AJo in ep and got min-raised to 200, the button 3 bet to 400. I hate AJ and was folding to the first min-raise. The first player had KK and the 2nd player had AA and the flop came jack high and they got it all-in.

That was all the hands I played until break. I had around 5900. One of the first hands after break at the 40/80 level. There were 2 limpers in front of me and I limped with QJo. The button made it 250 to go and the bb called as well as the other 2 limpers. Getting a bazillion to one, I call looking for a good flop. The flop came AKT rainbow, gin. It checked all the way to the button who bet 400. The BB called and much to my delight one of the limpers pushed for 4200. I really wanted a set to fold so I did not think at all and got all my chips in. I thought we were possibly chopping but he turned over AT. I dodged the 4 outer and just like that I had over 12k.

Then things got a little ugly for me. UTG opens for 300 at the 50/100 level. I am UTG+1, and I just flatted with JJ. I figured I would play it hard post flop depending on the action but didn't want to re-raise right there. 2 other callers and the flop comes KJT with 2 clubs. If you are going to hit a set, that is a terrible board to hit a set with. UTG checks which sets off all kinds of alarm bells. So many players flop big and check and they give so much information away on their hand. I bet 900 to see what would happen. UTG player flat calls with little thought, even more alarm bells go off. The turn is the 8h which now puts 2 hearts and 2 clubs on the board but it was KhJcTc8h so basically it was very easy for someone to be holding KcQc. The utg player checked again which basically for me turned off the alarm bells. There over 3k in the pot and he only had 3k. There were so many draws on the board I couldn't see anyone checking KK or AQ here. Especially AQ since if the board pairs or a heart or club hits you basically have to check/fold the river. If you shove the turn, you probably are not getting called but you double your stack and if you do get called you are all-in on the turn with the nuts. I went all-in and he insta-called with AQ. I missed my 10 outer on the river. I got really upset after this but now that I sit back and blog this I realize that my opponent played this hand very well because I probably fold if he shoves the turn and because he did something I didn't expect he ended up raking in a huge pot. I still had around 7k in chips and wasn't that worried as there was lots of play left.

On the next orbit I raised to 250 with Ad3d in late position. Both blinds called and the flop came 2d4d9x again I hit a monster flop and I get it all-in vs the bb who has 22. I hit the nut flush on the river which is usually good unless you are up against god who boats up on the turn. NH god.

So now down to 1500, blinds 70/140 I am in a bad spot needed to double up just to stay afloat. I am now in the BB, there is a late position limper and the SB raises to 450. I look down at 33 and shove looking to race. Limper folds and SB calls. He had JJ and I won the race and hit my set first on the river. :)

Now I have over 3k and I can wait for a better spot. We get down to 2 tables and we are now a full table. I do not play a hand until the 150/300 level. UTG raises to 800 and the cutoff calls. Before I look at my cards I start thinking I can almost double up with a shove here if I can take it down preflop. I am ready to shove with almost anything. So I look at my cards and they seem ok to shove with AcAs. I really thought about flatting to make absolutely certain I doubled up but then I realized it was only 2300 to call and there was already 2850 in the pot. Unless the cutoff flatted with suited connecters he pretty much was committed to call. Turns out UTG called with TT and cutoff folded AQ. The flop came A high and just like that I was over 7k. I ran my 7k to around 10k mostly raising preflop or hitting hands in the blinds.

The most interesting hand of the night was a strange one. I had around 11k and the blinds were 300/600. It folded to me on the button and I thought to myself this is a terrible spot to try to steal the blinds. I look down at my cards and I have 57o, I immediately raise to 1600 and regret doing so. I have been trying to remove this leak from my game but the more I think of it as a leak, the more it seems to work out for me. The SB folded and the BB called my raise. The flop came 589 rainbow and I feel pretty good right away until the BB checks which is always a sign that I am out of position and I hit that flop so I am going to check/raise you. I never bet in this spot because I am getting a free card. I check and the turn is a 7. I feel pretty good about this card and even better when the BB leads out for 1200. I am certain he does not have a 6 here, so I make it 3800 to go and he shoves. Without thought I am certain he does not have a 6 and I call. I was right and feel like the greatest player in the world until he tables 89 for top 2. YUCK!!!!!!! How many bad spots can I get myself into in one night? I knew I had 8 outs, 4 to chop and 4 to win. The river was a 7 and I win a crazy huge pot and I am over 22k. Collective groans hit the table as everyone knows what is about to happen now that I have a stack.

Before the final table hits, I get over 42k raising nearly every single hand. 2 players decided to push into my raises and I think it was the only time I had hands and called with AQ and A9 (they had KQ and A7). I felt really good about the final table as the blinds were still pretty low for my stack (400/800). I knew that with top 5 paying there would be a lot of tight play which really suits my game well when I have a stack.

I got my stack all the way up to 72k with the blinds 600/1200 when the cutoff pushed allin for 15k and I was in the BB with AhKh. Obviously I insta-called here. He showed 44 and he yelled for a 4. The first card on the flop was a 4 and I end up with tptk and nut flush draw on the turn but brick the river. By the time the bubble breaks I back down around 45k when an interesting hand came up.

We were 5 handed and the SB and BB were pretty short. I raised from the cutoff with A5os. The button called and both blinds folded. This is pretty much worst case scenario but there is not much I can do now since we are seeing a flop. The flop came KT4 rainbow. I checked and the button checked. When the button checked, I thought he was a little worried at this board that he had some kind of pp under the T. So I decided to bet 4k on the turn. There was about 6k in the pot. The turn was an 8. I figured if he had 99 or any other pp that didnt hit a set it would be tough for him to call. He called the 6k which really confused me but I was ready to check/fold the river and just save my chips. The river paired my 5 which really did not do much for my hand except now I beat 33 or 22. I checked the river and he immediately starting getting out chips and he bet 15k. While he was trying to decide how much to bet, I took a good look at the board. There was no flush, no straight and he had no reason to bet anything there except QJ. I immediately decided he had QJ and I was calling any bet. I insta-called and said "you have QJ". He was a little miffed as he threw down QJ and said "how did you know that?". I have a lot of trouble explaining these reads. I wish I could explain it but I was just certain he had QJ. I always get bugged that I tell people their cards after they show them but for the people who were there they can tell you I said exactly "you have QJ, I call". It was such a great feeling and a nice pot which put me back up around 70k.

I then called one of the shortstacks all-ins for 7k with A2. He had been shoving a lot and I told him when I have an Ace you are getting action. He had K7 and only 6 bbs so he had to be happy with action. This would be the one and only 60/40 I won no matter what side I was on at the entire final table. I also did not win a single race.

Down to 4 handed, 2 of the players got it all-in with AK vs TT. The TT held and the AK player was essentially out next hand (he did not have enough to post the sb). This brought us down to 3 handed where I just simply could not bust anyone. K9 vs JT, I lose, KT vs AJ, I lose. AQ vs 99, I lose. Over and over like that. I had been very conservative pre-flop, raising alot but folding to re-raises and 3 betting when I needed to just to maintain my stack. Finally as so often happens with me, I waited for the other 2 players to get into a big hand with each other and they did. (God hits a lot of 6 outers).

So now its past 2:00am and we settle in for heads up. I have 54k vs God's 85k and blinds are only 1k/2k. Really I should have played a patient game and waited for a some good spots. That was my plan going in and we played 3 to 4 hands without much happening. I am known actually as a pretty conservative heads up player who folds a lot to raises. I called a raise with 6c4c thinking I could never be put on that hand if it hit. I was out of position though and generally you need a lot of things to go right to get paid on this kind of hand heads up. So mistake number one, I call preflop. The flop comes Ac5hQc. I check planning to check/raise and he checked. Well this set off all kinds off the same alarm bells and I was pretty much looking to see a cheap river. Then the turn is an 8. Well this puts me in an interesting spot because I still think there is no way he puts me on 64 so I am thinking if a 7 hits and he is as huge as I think he is, he wont fold if I hit on the river. Plus the club draw which he may or may not pay me if it hits. So I decide to lead out which seems like a crazy play but my thoughts are basically I want the pot big enough so folding is not an option for him on the river. I bet 6k into 10k and he makes it 9k more. Well obviously I am not folding here as its 9k to win 32k plus a river bet when I hit. So really its 9k into to win over 60k and likely win the whole tournament. I was certain he was not going to fold whatever he had. The river bricks out another 5 (thanks Deadraw!!!!!!!!!). I cannot possibly see a worse card. There is no chance in his mind I have a 5 (nor should there be). I look at the 40k pot and I think man I really want those chips and I get a total brainfart and say all-in. The only logic I had was maybe he folds a weak ace but looking back on it, I was certain he wasnt folding the river thats why I called the turn raise. Also I dont think he folds a weak ace there either on a AQ55 board. He called with AQ and the game was over. That was really a terrible play on my part and it cost me first place. I was bad lucked and good lucked all night long but this was just a bad play. I was upset for shoving with 6 high and losing but as God pointed out to me the next day I actually shoved with 8 high because the board was AQ558. Still not a good play!!!!!!