Shipping Chops at Turning Stone

I have not blogged a tourney or trip in a long time. I think I should do this more because I love reading these later to see where my head was at when I won something big.

I went to Turning Stone on Thursday night after work with Marco, Bruno, and Mark. Myst and Mona joined us on Friday night. The main purpose for our trip was to go to the Miami vs. Buffalo game as Marco is a big Dolphins fan. We also went to play 2 tourneys at Turning Stone on the way. The structure for these changed a few times and in the end they turned out to be called turbo deepstacks which is basically 20 minute blinds with 30k in starting chips. These structures I feel are really good for my game and I feel like I have an edge over most of the field because many live players do not understand shortstack strategy and they misplay 10-20 bbs stacks.

The first tourney on Friday was a $200+30+10 buy-in with 179 players. I had such a great table draw but I ended up playing 5 hours and never getting above starting stack too. I ran KK into AA on a 5 high flop and somehow didn't go broke. I built back up after losing half my stack and ran AQ into 99 on an A9355 board. I then got into a series of all-ins AK vs. A2 and lose, TT vs. 66 and win, AsKs vs. A8 and QJ and lose after flop comes TsJsTx, then busted with A8 vs. AJs vs. QQ. Well you get the idea, there are several all-ins in this structure but I still felt I could do well in one of these if I could get my money in good.

After busting from the tourney I played some cash but couldn't really get anywhere, I finished up about $90 even though I lost a $250 pot with AQ vs. A6 on an AA336 board vs. a guy who didn't even know he won.

Saturday morning I made it into the $300+40+10 buy-in. My table draw was tougher than Friday and there were only 91 entrants. I did not have many interesting hands early as the blinds were so low; it is tough to make a lot of chips because most of the players are so nitty.

I got to about 33k and opened to 950 with 5d5s in EP. I got one caller and the flop was Q32 all clubs. I checked and villain checks. Turn 8s, I check again, villain looks at his cards again like he is checking for clubs and he bets 3k. I decided just to flat and revaluate river. The river was 4h so I check again and villain bets 2k. Obviously I call and he had 4d4c.

I was down to about 26k and blinds are 300/600/25 and Myst the donkey opens to 1500. An older player insta raises to 6k UTG +1. I looked down at AKo and turbo shipped. It folded back to older player who auto open mucks JJ and says "he's played so tight he has to have aces or kings". (lol live poker)

Marc busted shortly after and the table slowed down a bit as the internet kid Marc played every hand with also busted.

The blinds were up now to 600/1200 and I had around 40k. The 2 players to my left were older inexperienced live players so I decided to exploit my image and raise the button to 2850 with 9s2s. The SB called and the BB folded. The flop was 37J with one spade. The SB led out 3k and I instantly raised to 10200. He didn't even think long and called. At this point I'm done with the hand but the dealer flips the Qs as the turn. The SB then checks to me and I shipped my stack. The SB did not think long and he folded. I decided to show because I figured I would be able to really exploit the image later.

The very next hand blinds are now 800/1600 and there are 2 limpers and I am in the cutoff spot and I look down at AK. Obviously I see little elves dancing on the table saying ship it. I raised to 5100 and the UTG limper called. The hijack limper to my right who was beyond nitty (he tanked calling marc's all-in with QQ when it was the simplest auto call ever). He also talked about playing 10k buy-ins and even argued with me for a bit that Marc won WPT Niagara 3 years ago because he came 24th that year. (Marc came 6th) This guy had the look of someone who just started playing who didn't want to just fold to my raise that looked like a squeeze. He finally called the raise.

The flop was ATT with 2 hearts. I was pretty sure I had the Kh, but it was checked to me and I decided to check. The turn was 4h and it checked to me again. I checked my cards and realized I had the KD, so I bet 10600 and the UTG limper folded. The cutoff player took some time and called and I was certain he had a pair with a heart in it and I have bells going off in my head because I'm planning to bet 20-25k on the river if no heart hits. The river is 9h and he checked to me again. I really wanted to ship here and turn my hand into a bluff but I had to realize I set up an image so I could get paid when I had it and I thought this guy was going to call super light on the river so I think he's calling with any heart. I decided to check and he showed 5h5d so my read was perfect but I felt like I lost so much value plus the chips that were in the middle.

A few minutes later I won an all-in vs. a shortstack with AQ vs. KQ and I went for break with around 58k. Mona and I talked at break and right when we were walking back in, Mona said, I have such a good feeling you are going to go on a sick run and I'm going to bust this orbit. After 5 minutes back at the table Mona came over to me and said she had ran AJ into AA blind vs. blind and she was done. As soon as she leaves, our table is playing 7 handed and blinds are 1500/3000, the hijack limps and I look down at AK. I decided just to ship and the bb who barely had me covered called which wasn't necessarily good because he was pretty tight. The hijack folded and the bb turned over QQ. Flop was 4K6 and my day of racing well started. I was up over 110k after I held.

I then called an all-in with JJ vs. a shortstacks AQ and won another race up to 140k. With blinds 2500/5000 I was in the bb with KsQc and there were 3 limpers. I decided to check and play a flop. The flop was 9d2dTc and I checked. It checked to the button who was a tricky player who really seemed to be taking stabs at pots. He bet 15k and I shipped and everyone including button folded.

By this time we are down to 3 tables and I get moved. Players are busting quick and I don't play a hand from 29 players to 20 when we get to 2 tables. By this time everyone is down in the room railing me. At the 3000/6000 level I raised to 14k with 22 and got 2 callers. Both players only had between 40-50k back. The flop was J66r and it was checked to me so I went all-in and they folded. We were down to 15 and we took a 45 minute dinner break which was really good for me because I was able to get really focused and talk about the game with everyone. Just before dinner I shipped Ad3d into a button raise and then got QQ vs. the same player who limped. On dinner break, Novice (Mark) was so excited for me, it made feel really good that he was there when I was deep.

I really wanted to ITM this thing and decided I was going to really tighten up to get there. The play really tightened up as well and slowed down which meant blinds were getting big. At the 5k/10k level I had the weirdest 3 hands in a row. First a player who Mark told me was very solid opened to 25k and left himself around 65k, someone with 300k shipped and I look down at 7c7s. I folded but that hand was in my range to ship on solid player. The solid player had AKo and the shipper had AA so it worked out. The next hand the same guy who just had AA opened from cutoff and I was in SB with 7c7s and I wanted to ship but just wasn't sure and decided to fold.

The very next hand a young internet kid who was very good and very polite opened to 25k. He had been opening frequently and I was on the button but the blinds were very short and basically folding anything to ITM. I looked down at 7c7s for the 3rd hand in a row and decided to 3 bet. The internet kid didn't think long and he was all-in. I was getting 2/1 but I just couldn't pull the trigger and I folded. I looked around for my rail and they were nowhere to be found deep in a Chinese Poker game taking Marc’s money.

Top 12 paid and once the bubble broke things went quickly. As we were final tabling I picked up AA on the button with internet kid in the bb but he just folded. The final table was crazy because I was 3rd in chips and only had 14bbs. There were a ton of shortstacks. There was another young kid at the table who had a big stack. I really wanted to move up some money spots before playing any big hands. The young kid raised and he had around 600k. I was in bb with around 280k I looked down at KK and was trying to figure out a way to get his chips in. My rail was back because casino security broke up the Chinese Poker game.

I asked for a count of his stack however it was really clear that he had me covered so everyone around me is saying don't worry he has you covered. I said to the dealer I am entitled to a count right? The dealer said yes, so I said please count his stack. Now he had a lot of chips about 6-8 big stacks and the dealer chopped down each one and said he had 608k. As soon as he finished I said I am all-in. This kid went nuts and said I know what you have etc etc. I thought I might get the lightest call ever but the kid took forever to make every decision and he folded.

There was several shortstack busts including Al Krux who came in 6th in the 2004 WSOPME when Greg Raymer won (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Krux). I did not play a hand until we were 6 handed and I shipped J7o UTG with about 240k and the blinds 15/30k.

When I was in the SB the internet kid who had around 800k was on the button and he went all-in. The bb was very tight and was basically blinding away. I looked down at 7d7h and snap called. The villain had K2o and I held. I was now around 650k and I picked up some blinds and got over 800k. Blinds were up again to 20/40k and the internet kid shoved about 380k from the button and I looked at 7d7h and called again and the kid had ATs. It was really exciting to hear the rail going crazy for a 7 which hit the river even though I didn't need it. Now at 1.2 million and 4 handed we took a break to colour up.

During the break we started to talk taxes and chops. The TD told me that as a Canadian I was going to get taxed for every dollar I made if my prize was over 5350. The problem was 1st place paid 8200 so if I got 1st I was looking at only getting around 5900. If I got 2nd place I would get 6200 minus 28% so I would lose money.

After a long discussion between Bruno, Marco and Marc they told me to just go ask for 5350 so I did and the other players were fine with giving me that except the kid was trying to screw them in the chop and take 7k for himself. Marc finally said to me tell them you don't want to chop and go play. So I walked over to the discussion and said I don't want to chop let's play.

By this time the blinds are 25k/50k. We get back from break and the first hand the kid min raises from the button and only has 700k back, I look down at AdQd and I'm still not sure this is right but I ship on him thinking he is folding anything and he snap calls with KK. I brick the board and ship most of my stack to him.

I had around 350k but I felt like I basically burned 3k. I also knew the young kid was going to call me really light. I shipped A5o and they all folded. I had 390k and QJo UTG and I was not really sure if this was the correct ship as the 2 other shortstacks had less than I did even though I did not even have 8 bbs. In the end I was getting really worried about getting to 200k because I knew the kid would then call me really light. At 390k, I would still hurt him so I decided to shove again. The kid took forever to call and I was very worried as it seemed like he had KJ or KQ, something marginal but still has me crushed. After a lot of thought he made what I thought was an insta call and he said I hope you have A7. I showed my hand and he tabled A9 and said if I knew you had that I would have folded. The flop was QT9 and my rail was pretty happy especially with the Q door card. Marco made the most obvious statement on the turn which was an 8 and said "that’s a good card for you".

At this point I was around 850k and I felt like I won the 3k back that I lost. I went back over to Myst and said I think I should chop now and Myst no no wait until one more person busts. I chipped up to about 1 million shoving AK into the BB when he folded. The next hand it folds to me on the button and I have KhQh. Again this is a terrible spot because this is not a hand I fold 4 handed with 20 bbs especially raising on the button. The SB had around 400k and the kid had about 900k. I decided I did not want to shove, I would raise/call to the SB and raise/fold to the kid even though it would be painful. I raised to 120k and the SB flat called which was weird. I was sure he was going to stop n go as he was a tricky player like that. Again the door card was a K and bells were going off in my head. The board read KJ4 rainbow and as planned the SB shipped his stack. All I remember hearing is Mona saying "yesssss!!!" when I snap called and I went to flip over my cards and only the Q flipped at first lol. I turned over the K and the SB turned over TJo. I held after a weird sweat card, the Ah on turn.

Now is when the tourney gets really strange. I have around 1.6 million, the kid has 750k and the older gentleman has around 450k. I really wanted to play for the win but the only way I could make more than 5350 was by getting first and I would get around 5900 but there was still an outside shot I could finish 3rd and only get 3300 and if I got 2nd, I also lost money. Marc told me to go back and tell them I would chop if they paid me 1k cash but they both balked at the idea. It was then that the TD stepped in and said you can all take the same amount, let’s say 5300 and play for the rest which was around 1200. We agreed to this and I thought it would be 2 separate prizes but after long discussion again the TD told us that whoever got 1200 would pay tax on 6500 and not just the 1200 so at this point winning meant losing and my head was spinning after 11 hours of poker and eating very little all day.

A long discussion ensued on what to do with the 1200, the older guy wanted to give the money to the dealers; the kid did not like that idea. In the end we agreed to give the kid the 1200 and he was convinced he would not pay tax on it. It was weird giving the guy 2nd in chips the most money but the tax thing really screwed me up. I know a few years ago it was easy to get this money back but I have heard lately it was almost impossible. Taking the 5300 seemed like the best thing to do at the time. Even though I had a big chiplead, I only had around 25 bbs and I only know how to play 3 handed one way so I was sure I was going to get it in vs. the kid again and if I did there was a chance the older guy could wait me out. Having said all that if there were no tax implications, I would have never considered a chop because I felt like I had an edge especially with my stack.

On the way to the poker room to pick up the winnings I had a talk with the kid who came across as very strange to everyone there. He was a really nice guy away from the table and I found out he came 2nd in the Friday event which is pretty sick. He asked me what I had early at the final table when I shoved on him from the BB and I told him kings and he said wow that was the most amazing play ever. He said he was so convinced by the way I was acting that I was so weak but he could not do much because he had K4o. He said he would have called very wide though which is what I was hoping for. He said he was going to incorporate that into his game asking the big stack how much he has.

After the game my blackberry was completely dead to the point where it would not even turn it on so I made Marco give me his battery and I was able to call Ange who was getting updates from Marco. We then went to Rodizzio which was closing any minute and had a huge meat BBQ dinner. I promised if I shipped this tourney I would play Bonus Holdem and I did and promptly lost my $200 and went to bed. No matter how good I am running, I never run good at that game.

On Sunday we got up early and went the Bills vs. Miami game. Obv we waited for Myst and we were late for the game but only missed a few minutes. It was a great game but Marco is a Miami fan and they lost. The drive home took forever and by the time I got home it was 2a.m. which made for a late night which I am pretty used to by now.

I was very happy with how this weekend went and for all the running bad I have done at Turning Stone, I got one to go my way and I flipped so good but I also feel I made a lot of really tight folds and loose shoves that help get me to the end.