BACK ON TRACK, PART 2/2

When I left off in my previous blog, I had just doubled my extreme short-stack, when K7 held up against 98 of clubs. Blinds at 300/600/a50 with a stack of 7400. Ready to fight it out.


Hand #150
I was once again bleeding chips and when I did get them all in the pot with AJ, the BB called with AJ and we split it. This hand shows how desperate I was. I’m in the SB with 2d6d (stack 6812) and blinds at 400/800/a75. It folds to me and I push all-in. The BB thought – for like FOREVER! – but finally folded his hand and I was back to a 10BB stack.


Hand #151
This very next hand I folded pockets 4s. One of the big stacks (well, everyone had a big stack compared to me) raised it up to 1900 and I just had a bad feeling, even holding a pair. Perhaps I thought I was “due” for a big hand or something, or maybe it was just the old maxim of “being the first in the pot” that made me lay it down – I don’t know. We’ll never know what the big stack had.


Sidenote. We reach the money exactly with hand number 154. I remember it so clearly, because the shortest stack at our table (and 2nd shortest of the field) was in the BB with 3116 chips to his name. It folds to the SB who pushes all-in for 20 thousand and change. You can see the clock winding down on the BB. He then requests ‘TIME’ and lets that run down as well. FINALLY, he decides to call and shows KINGS! LOL… Somebody REALLY wanted to cash! He was WAY ahead of the SB who had 9s5s and never posed a threat. LOL.


Hand #158
I finally pick up a big hand, when AsQs lands in front of me in the BB. My stack is still embarrassingly small at 7687 and blinds remain at 400/800/a75. It folds to the CO, whose stack is even smaller and he pushes in for 4610 total. Folds to me, I call and knock him out when his AT fails to improve.


Hand #159
Finally it would seem my prayers for decent starting hands have been answered. In the SB I pick up AdKd (stack 13297) and manage to get my money in against villain (stack 40746) in the CO. A bit peculiar though or at least, I thought so. Blinds now 500/1000/a100.

Folds to the CO who raises to 2385. Fold to me and I cram my stack in there. Fold back to the CO, who elects to call almost 11K more with 5h8d. Huh??

He almost gets away with it too! The flop is fine when it comes Kh 9d 8s, but when the 5d hit on the turn I almost punched the screen. Fortunately one of my 800 outs came in on the river and I move up to a playable stack.


Hand #160
Having put myself back in decent shape, I wasn’t going to let my stack erode like that again and As8s on the button was therefore too good an opportunity to pass up. My stack is 28194, it folds to the CO who raises to 3000, fold to me – I call and the blinds fold.

(Pot 8400) FLOP: 4s 8d Jc
Villain checks to me and that’s all she wrote. I instantly bet 4900 and he folds.


Hand #164
All of a sudden I realize that I’m now the biggest stack at the table – although far from being one of the chip leaders of the tournament. With my tight image, I take advantage and raise 5d6d from UTG+1 to take down the blinds and antes.

All the while – in fact during the past 10-15 hands – there’s been a lively discussion in the table chat about a hand that I wasn’t involved in. In the end, they’re all daring each other to look up each other’s OPR stats, as if that would settle anything. Basically a dick-measuring contest in cyberspace which I’m an unwilling observer of! I do however take a few of them up on it and check their latest cashes, overall profit etc. It’s something I do occasionally and might do a bit more. Although rather ambiguous for most players, for some there’s a definite correlation between “overall profit” and “skill to be expected”.


Hand #171
I get a little out of line at this point when I pick up 6c9c in the HJ (stack 33294) and elect to raise to 2450. We’re 8-handed at this point and blinds are still 500/1000/a100. The BB (stack 13139) calls.

(Pot 6200) FLOP: 3h Tc 5d
The BB checks to me and I decide to bet at the rather innocent looking flop. I put out 3600. Immediately, the BB check-raises all-in and I fold like the dope I am. With his stack, the preflop flatcall should have made my internal alarm go off.


Hand #174
I’m UTG+1 with AcKc (stack 26944) and villain is UTG (stack 13493). Villain minraises to 2000, I make it 6100 – it folds back to villain, he shoves, I call and I outrun his 22. I really don’t love his play there – he could have found a better spot.


Hand #176
I figure it’s about time I start using my chip-advantage a little bit and start putting some people under pressure. When UTG (stack 24844) opens the pot to 3000 and it folds around to me in the SB (stack 41537), I consider 3-betting my 6h6c but don’t want to have to call an all-in yet. I elect to call. BB folds.

(Pot 7900) FLOP: 8h 2c Th
I check to villain and figure I’ll find out pretty quickly, whether my 6’s are any good. He bets 3000. Well, ok then – I guess they are. Let’s just end the hand here, shall we. I raise to 9400 and he mucks instantly. This game is so easy sometimes.


Hand #177
I’m feeling very confident all of a sudden and have a firm understanding of who the bad players at the table are (OPR stats actually helped there, confirmed a few suspicions I had). When one of the bad players limps UTG+1 (stack 19389), I’m thrilled to have a playable hand on the button. With Ac6c (stack 49237) I elect to just call, the SB completes and the BB checks.

In hindsight, I obviously should’ve raised and don’t know now why I didn’t. There might have been a reason or perhaps I just felt my image wouldn’t be able to ‘take it’. Anyway.

(Pot 4900) FLOP: 6s 9d 4s
They both check to the bad player, who bets 2800. I call of course with my 6’s and so does the BB.

(Pot 13300) TURN: Ad
I’m first to act and with two flush-draws out there, I almost move all-in. I take time to reconsider though and instead size up a bet of 8000 – pure value. Unfortunately, I forget how scared bad players become, when an ace pops up and they all fold.


Hand #184
I stay active and in the hand that precedes this one, I raise A9 offsuit only to have the player on my immediate left cram all-in with about 18BBs. I fold. The very next hand however I pick up 2c4d (stack 53687) and decide to raise it. It’s the same principal I discussed in “Part1” and it works astonishingly well. Folds all around and I pick up blinds and antes.


Hand #217
I have to wait quite a bit before I get involved again. In the meantime I’ve only had one playable hand – QQ – which I raised and picked up blinds/antes with. In this hand I’ve got TdTc (stack 46437) in the SB. Blinds are now 1000/2000/a200 and villain is on the button (stack 46580). Folds to the button and he raises to 4475. Players who just call here are committing a crime in my opinion – you’re just setting yourselves up for failure! I raise it up and make it 11290. He considers briefly, but folds.


Hand #223
I find AcQd in UTG+1 (stack 53512) and raise to 4800. It folds around to the button who shoves for a total of 21014. I do a quick calculation, but already know I’m priced in. I call.

FLOP: Qh Ts 7c
TURN: Jd
RIVER: 2c

I outsmart his 9’s and pad my stack a little bit.


Hand #227
The guy immediately to my right has been very active for the past 20 hands or so. It’s the same guy I 3-bet with TT a little while back and once again I decide to get involved with him. 8-handed and with blinds still at 1000/2000/a200, I hold JhTs (stack 75526) on the button. Villain is in the CO (stack 42002). It folds to him and he raises to 5000. I actually want to 3-bet him, but have a vague suspicion he might see it as a move (too soon after my last 3-bet) and re-shove. I therefore, controversially, elect to just call. The blinds both fold.
(Pot 14600) FLOP: 2c 8s 3d
He sits there for a while (probably a little confused by my flatcall) and then checks. All the encouragement I need. I bet 8000 and he insta-mucks.


Hand # 237
Twiddle-dee, twiddle-dum and twiddle-dumbER are seated next to each other at the bottom of the screen. We’re 8-handed and the remaining five (yours truly included) are playing pretty solid, whereas these 3 morons are making every mistake there is. I’m not sure if the other good players have noticed this quite as much as I have, but I’m currently using every excuse to get involved with one of them.

I’m in the HJ with JdTd (stack 80026) and blinds have now moved up to 1250/2500/a250. UTG (twiddle-dee) limps and it folds around to me. I raise to 7850 total. Folds back to twiddle-dee who calls.

(Pot 21450) FLOP: 6c Qc 2c
He checks to me and I bet 11500 to take it down. Low risk, high reward.


Hand #244
In the CO with the blinds the same, I pick up AdKh (stack 88126). Twiddle-dum (stack 78092) starts the party off by limping (!) UTG+1. Folds to me and I make it 8750 (bad – should be consistent with my raise sizes). Folds back and twiddle-dum calls.

(Pot 23250) FLOP: Ac 7h 6d
Twiddle-dum checks and I decide I’m ok with giving this player a free card at this point. He was that bad and I figured I’d lose him, if I just c-bet the flop like I normally would. I checked behind.

(Pot 23250) TURN: 9h
Not a great card, but I suppose I only had myself to blame. Twiddle-dum bets 7500. I make a mistake at this point by just calling that bet. I remember thinking “Oh no, he’s got A9” which is just stupid. I wasn’t supposed to play the entire hand passively – just the flop, to get him to come along.

(Pot 38250) RIVER: 8h
Well, that’s just about the worst card isn’t it? Fuck me. Villain bets 12500 and I make a crying call only to have him show me As5c.

Talk about bad play. I was absolutely furious with myself and actually exploded out of my seat, huffing and puffing. Twiddle-dum hadn’t done anything wrong except for the UTG+1 limp with A5 offsuit (LOL). My stack wasn’t decimated, so there was nothing else for me to do, but just keep it together and forget about the hand.


Hand #245
I would have LOVED it if the next few hands were insta-folds. It’s just easier to calm yourself, if you don’t have to play at the same time. No such luck. I pick up AsQd in MP2 position (stack 59126) and once again twiddle-dum limps, this time from UTG. Once again, I raise it up – again to 8750, folds back to him and he calls.

(Pot 23250) FLOP: 9d 4h 7d
Twiddle-dum shoves for a little more than 100K and I have an easy fold. Still, I was so tempted to call there. Steaming? Oh yeah… ever so slightly!


Hand #253
I find the spot I’m looking for an orbit later. We’re still 8-handed and in MP2 position I once again find a decent hand. 9c9s with a stack of 44626 and blinds at 1250/2500/a250. PREPOSTOROUSLY, twiddle-dum decides to limp once again from UTG. I don’t really care what he does, as I’m getting ready to raise, but I do make a mental note that I’ll probably have to fold if he re-raises all-in. I make it 8500. The player right after me (stack 116090) calls this time and when it gets to twiddle-dum, he just calls.

(Pot 31250) FLOP: 9h 2s 6s
I feel slightly aroused when I see the flop. Twiddle-dum leads for 15000 and I have a simple all-in, shoving my remaining chips – 35876 in total – into the pot. The 3rd player folds and twiddle-dum ponders briefly before he makes the call.

I’m kind of expecting a flush-draw and my elation is therefore considerable when he flips over JhJc.

(Pot 103002) TURN: Js
(Pot 103002) RIVER: Kc


Twiddle-dum outsmarted me in two key pots. One (AK vs A5) I had the right idea, but didn’t pull the trigger on the turn and in the second/last one, I clearly should’ve seen it coming. You’ve gotta be careful out there boys and girls – when you get your money in as a clear favorite, make sure you win!

;-)

I went out in 48th place. Ah well, there’s always next time.


Thanks for reading.


Bankroll: USD 5,881.05
Days left until Aussie Millions 2010: 253