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Vegas Day 9 - That's all folks

Date: Sun, Jun 15, 2008 Professional

It's been a long 10 days at the tables. I just busted out of the Caesar's $500 deepstack on level 8. I made a good start when someone decided to call my all in with KK when they had AJ, but then busted out when I shoved over the top of someone with AA and they called with AQ, and it didn't hold up.

I also won $600 on the cash game last night, but I becoming increasingly grumpy at the tables now, and am not really enjoying the game after over-exposure. I have found myself becoming increasingly aggressive and moody towards young american players, and I guess that means it's time for a break.

Give it a few days and I'm sure I'll be back, but tomorrow I am going to go back to the spa and have a few nice meals out I think.

Next game for me will be back at Loose Cannon, my home ground as it were. I'll probably do some Vegas observations later on as well, because the style of play over here is completely different to England, both in terms of bet sizes, pre and post flop play.

VEGAS MINI P&L (FINAL) (USD)
Big Ticket Events +3165
Crapshoots (315)
Cash Games (200)
Total +2650

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Vegas Day 8 - Pokered Out

Date: Sat, Jun 14, 2008 Professional

I am knackered from playing too much poker now. I was scheduled to play Binnions short handed, but I taking the day off and going to the spa for a massage. I might play a crapshoot or two tonight with the guys, if I feel up to it.

I've also decided not to play the WSOP $3k. I just think it's a bad value tournament when you only get 6k in starting chips. The only upside is the press coverage and the chance to play some big name players, but when you can get a 15k starting stack at Caesars on the same day for $500, it's clear where the best tournament is (although admittedly lower prize pool). I think Jalfont is playing it though.

I think next year I am going to come to Vegas during the main event. It's a $10k entry, but at least you get a 20k starting stack with a 2 hour clock. If I bust out of that I can play Caesars and the Venetian.

My player profile is up on hendon mob now, but alarmingly I seem to have a large American flag fluttering above my photo and be born in "Douglasville". I think there is another player who goes by my name who once cashed in a small circuit event, and they are getting us mixed up. I'll write in to get them to correct it I guess.

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Vegas Day 7 - Venetian $2.5k - El River Blufferino

Date: Sat, Jun 14, 2008 Professional

I played the Venetian 2.5k today, but played poorly after a drunken late night (morning?) cash session with Volcano, Deven, Fluke and Jalfont. 20k starting stack, but the starting table contained 3 Equadorian riverboat gamblers, and I didn't win any of the gambles.

Incredibly, in 7 hours play, I got AQ in the hole once..............and that's it. Nothing else. Everything was literally K2, Q5, T4 etc etc. Hugely frustrating especially with Aces and Kings getting shown down left right and centre around me. I managed to get my stack back up to 22k, by blind agression, and hitting a flop here and there. Unfortunately I lost 12k of my chips running a huge river bluff with 2h5d. Hand was as follows:

He raises to 600. I call on the button with 2h5d. I decide I am going to play this hand like a monster, if the right scare cards come along.

Flop is 3d, 6s, Qd

He only bets 900 so I call, as I actually have a gutshot here and want to represent the diamond draw.

Turn is 10c

He bets 1500 and I call.

River is a diamond. The perfect scare card.

He bets 2k and re-raise to 8k with my 5 high. He thinks for ages, and muses out loud "got the flush huh?". He finally calls and I muck without even looking at his cards. Guy next to me says he showed KK.

After that I anted down for a while before shoving over an early raiser and 3 callers with 5d7h. Many players never seem to understand this move, but when you are 20k below stack average and have 12 big blinds, you might as well generate a huge pot with live cards to try and get back in the tournament. I get called in 2 spots, so there is tons of dead money in the pot, but unfortunately I don't connect and I am bust.


VEGAS MINI P&L (USD)
Big Ticket Events +3665
Crapshoots (215)
Cash Games (800)
Total +2550

Jimbo happiness level = + 2

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Vegas Day 6 - $5k NLHE - Hands

Date: Sat, Jun 14, 2008 Professional

120 players left, 72 of us get paid. I have a couple of big stacks on my table, so I decide if I don't get cards I am going to put the medium stacks to decisions, to call off most of their chips short of the money.

Blinds start at 800/1600 with a running ante of 200 (4.2k per round)
My stack is 39k

Hand1
UTG raises to 5k. I am next to act and have pocket 9s. I decide I don't want to flat call here as 9s don't play well post flop. I decide to fold. Perhaps I could have pushed here, but an UTG raise generally is a strong hand, although watching this guy's play later he could easily have had nothing here.

Hand2
Medium stack raises my BB from the button to 5k. I shove with K8 offsuit and he folds.

Hand3
Big stack raises from early position, and I shove over the top of him with AK. He passes.

General observations - Americans play weird sometimes. Even with blinds of 1k/2k and running ante of 300 (i.e. nearly 6k per orbit) a stack of 30k will open raise to 5k (i.e. only 2.5 times the big blind and not taking into account the antes). I think this comes from watching Negreanu on TV too much, but of course he knows how to play flops better than them.

Hand4
Medium stack raises my BB to 5k. I shove with KQ and he folds.

90 players remain, 72 get paid - my stack = 45k.

I now don't play a hand for 2 orbits and go down to 33k.

Hand5
Big stack opens to 5k, medium stack flat calls. I shove with 4h6h. Open raiser folds, but the other guy stares at me without saying a word for ages. I stare at the felt in front of me and make sure I don't swallow. He passes.

We are now playing hand for hand with 73 players remaining. This goes on for about 90 minutes and we play one hand every 5 minutes. Everyone is stalking the tables, looking for the short stacks. I have about 42k so not in immediate danger, but the longer hand for hand goes on, the worse position I am in when the tournament "re-starts". During this period, the big stacks are correctly on the rampage, raising and re-raising most pots. I fold JJ and TT during this period. Whenever a short stack goes in, the always show down AA and KK.

BUBBLE BURSTS - medium stack shoves with AK and gets called by big stack with AQ. AQ gets a straight. Brutal.

The payout structure is very shallow - the prizes only begin going up significantly at 20th spot. Result = gamble time.

Hand6
First hand after bubble, I shove with Jd5s. All fold.

Hand7
Medium stack raises to 6k and I shove with KhQh in the BB. I calls with AQ and a King on the turn sorts me out;) Up to 90k. Volcano annoys the bloke even more from the rail, by shouting "Good crack of the AQ Jimbo".

Hand8
Blinds are now 1.5k/3k with a 500 running ante. It costs 9k a round. I have about 70k, so effectively 7 big blinds. I shove UTG with AhTh and all fold.

I don't play 2 orbits and dribble down to 60k. In the emergency ward now.

Hand9
I am in the BB and a guy who has been raising many pots raises as usual to 10k. I decide I am going to push on him no matter what I have. I look down at KdJd, which is useful if he has a small pair so at least I'll be racing, rather than having to shove with 2s5h or something. Anyhow, he calls and has AK and there is no miracle this time, and I am bust in 44th place. I think I was unlucky there - the amount of pots he was opening KJ is going to be stronger than his holding quite a bit there. Bad timing I guess.

My payout is $12,712 - not too shabby.

VEGAS MINI P&L (USD)
Big Ticket Events +6165
Crapshoots (215)
Cash Games (800)
Total +5050

Jimbo happiness level = +4

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Vegas Day 6 - Made The Cash

Date: Thu, Jun 12, 2008 Professional

I busted today in 42nd place, good for nearly $13k. I'm off out now so I'll blog the hands tomorrow, although most of it consisted of oriental guys staring me down after I had shoved over the top of their raises with 4h6h and the like, before finally deciding their AJ/KQ was no good.

The hand by hand on the bubble went on for about 90 mins, and of course this is when I got my best cards of JJ and TT and had to fold them, as the big stacks were on a bullying rampage.

Until tomorrow - off for drinks with Volcano, Fluke, Shazbo, Deven and Professor Jalfont.

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Vegas Day 6 - Preview - $5k Day 2

Date: Thu, Jun 12, 2008 Professional

Just checked my table draw - perhaps I am not in as bad a position as I thought, and the tournament average has been distorted by the few huge big stacks. I am on table 7, Seat 4, and 4th chip stack at my table. I'll update when I can.

(Table 7)
Seat 1: Thanhdat Tran -- 164,700
Seat 2: Huck Seed -- 20,500
Seat 3: Manelic Minaya -- 37,900
Seat 4: James Hart -- 38,700
Seat 5: Eric Lynch -- 38,100
Seat 6: Zachary King -- 15,600
Seat 7: Jon Van Fleet -- 18,900
Seat 8: Adrian Velasquez -- 71,800
Seat 9: Claudio Pagano -- 39,300

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Vegas Day 5 - $5k WSOP Day 1

Date: Thu, Jun 12, 2008 Professional

Made it through to day 2 with 39k in chips, average is 59k. 120 players left, 72 get paid so I lot of work to do early tomorrow.

Starting table was tough - 3 young internet pros including Steve Billirakis. John Murphy, WSOP main event finalist 4 years ago. Phil Galfond, one of the "Ship it Hola Ballas", plus directly to my right the legendary Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. 720 entrants...............10k in starting chips, 1 hour blinds...............from the top:

Hand1
Early position raiser and 4 callers, so I make up the big blind with 2h3h.
Flop J, 7, 6 (no hearts)
Checked around
Turn Q
No one seemed interested so I bet 70% of the pot and took down a nice opener with my 3 high :)

Hand2
Murphy limps into my BB. I raise it to 300 with KK.
Flop 2, 8, 9
I check raise him and take it down.

Hand3/4
I raise with AQ and AJ and contination bet after missing. I am check raised both times and have to lay down.

Hand5
Murphy raises to 600 and I flat call in mid position with KK. Jesus Feguson makes it 2200. Murphy folds, I raise to 6600 and Ferguson pushes for 9k total. I snap call and it holds up against Jesus' AK. Coverage of this hand is on pokernews. The flat call of Murphy's raise was enough deception to get all of the legend's chips there.

Hand6
Brazilian youngster raises to 600 and I call in BB with QJ.
Flop Q, 5, 6
He bets 800 and I check raise him to 1800 and take it down. I am now on 28k.

Hand7
Phil Galfond pushes over a Murphy raise for 4k total and I shove over the top of him with QQ. It holds over JJ. I am up to 35k after this hand.

Hand8
Crazy hand. 2 limpers and I make it 1k to play with QQ. I get two callers, but have the button.
Flop is Jack high, but all clubs.
Both check to me, and I am worried of the young internet guy using the clubs to check raise (he has a huge stack) so I check.
Turn is a brick
We all check, and I plan to call down the imminent river bluff.
River is another club (I have QsQd).
Internet dude bets the pot and the other person calls. I figure one of them must have a club so I pass. They have 22 and middle pair, no clubs. I could call one, but not both. I go for a cigarette to avoid tilt. I am down to 32k after this hand.

Hands9-12
The internet guys only raise 2.5 times the blind, because they are cash players and love playing flops. I try to play them at their own game, but it doesn't work and I end up burning about 9k learning this lesson. Down to 21k in a sequence of missed flops, with suited connectors/suited gappers.

Hand13
Older guy raises to 600 and I decide to take a flop with 4h6h, as he is only playing high cards, and if I hit hard, I will stack him.
Flop Ah, 4s, 6c
Looks perfect, but when I check raise I lose my customer. Back up to 23k.

Don't play many hands, but pretty much hold my own for a few levels.

Hand14
I raise to 3k with 5d7d from mid position. BB with massive stack calls me - oops.
Flop 6d8cJh
I lead for 5k with my open ended straight draw and he passes. Up to 25k.

I move tables twice now, and end up at the end of a table with 3 internet geeks (IG). They are very annoying. The talk about other players, particularly the older ones, as if they are not there. They incessantly tell stories of $250k pots they have played, of $50k river bluffs they have run, and use words such as "sick", "good sweat" and "ship the pot".

Hand15
I re-raise Canadian IG with AK he folds.

Hand16
I raise with AT and get re-raised by American IG. I fold.

Hand17
I raise with 66 and get re-raised by American IG. I fold.

Hand18
I am now down at 19k after suffering geek ownage. I raise with 77 to 3.5k on the button. IG re-raises to 14k from the BB, effectively putting me all in as I have no fold equity. I have had enough of this, and I decide I don't want to come back tomorrow with only 10BB. I put him on K10, QJ, KQ type of hand, as they have been re-raising light for the last few hours. I shove and he calls the last 2k. He has QJ.
Flop: Q, J, 5 (great).
Turn: SEVEN (woo!)
River: blank
I double up to nearly 40k. "Sick" mumble the IGs. Tough sonny - if you guys re-raise all the time, sooner or later someone is going to look you up.
One final hand worth mentioning - 5 minutes before the end of the day a hand develops and one of the internet guys takes FIFTEEN minutes deciding whether to call an all in on the turn. We can't put the clock on him as it's the end of the day. He eventually folds................King high. Thanks for wasting 15 minutes of my life.
Hopefully I can get off to a fast start tomorrow..............

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Vegas Day 5 - $5k WSOP NLHE

Date: Thu, Jun 12, 2008 Professional

Quick update - will blog all the hands tomorrow. I made it through to day 2 of the event with just under 40k in chips (starting stack 10k). The average is about 60k, so I'm behind the pack, but still have a playable stack as blinds are 800-1600 tomorrow. 750 players began the event and we have 120 players left, with 70 getting paid. Hugely likely to be a bubble type scenario, but hopefully I can pick up some hands early tomorrow.

The tables have been a nightmare - very very agressive, and about 30% of flops have raises and re-raises pre-flop (often with junk). After playing a lot of hands early on, I had to revert to rock like tendancies, as I had a lot of young internet pros on my tables, who love to be agressive pre and post flop, and I didn't really fancy getting cute with QJ and the like.

One very notable scalp - I busted Chris "Jesus" Ferguson early on in a 20k pot. I flat called an early limper with KK, and that flummoxed Chris enough into getting it all in pre-flop with AK. Cue the reporters coming over to get my details, so I imagine that will be in the updates somewhere.

I also busted Phil Galfond, one of the "Ship it Hola Ballas", and Full Tilt pro.


Will put some hands down tomorrow morning if I wake up in time.

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Vegas Day 5 - Preview

Date: Wed, Jun 11, 2008 Professional

I just had 12 hours sleep, and 36 hours of detox. For once, I am in sound mind for the tournament today - it's a big one as well - $5k WSOP. I imagine the table is going to be tough though, as the average poker tourist is unlikely to pony up the entry fee, but we shall see.

Shazbo and Deven both busted from the Venetian deep stack tournament yesterday in the midfield, but I think Sir Mike was still going strong, although since I slept early last night I am not sure if he cashed or not.

Shazbo's exit hand was slightly bizarre. She hasn't played a hand for 4 orbits and has a 20k stack. UTG limps for 1.6k as do 6 (six) others. Shazbo is in the big blind with pocket 8s and executes the semi bluff squeeze play by shoving for 20k, to try and win the 10k in the pot. All fold upto the last limper who snap calls. It transpires this rocket scientist had been happy to play KK against 7 players, and off course his hand buried the pocket 8s.

Meanwhile, a big event is about to happen. The Clark County Detention Centre is awaiting a potential new guest..................The Volcano lands in 3 hours :)

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Vegas Day 4 - Venetian $500

Date: Tue, Jun 10, 2008 Professional

Another frustrating tournament. I just busted after 5 hours of play - I had literally NO starting hands - I think pocket tens was the best, but I had to fold that pre-flop after some heavy action, and I think I got AQ once. I hope I run better tomorrow - the tournament structure was excellent as expected - 15k in starting chips and a 45 minute clock.

Chip counts of our players still in:
Shazbo - 35k
Deven - 25k
Sir Mike - 27k
Professor Jalfont incredibly burned through his chip stack during the first level (he ran a set into a straight).

From the top:

LEVEL1
I am so hungover after last night, that I have to spend most of the first level concentrating on keeping my breakfast down. I play a large majority of the hands, as is wise in these deepstacked tournaments, due to the large implied odds if you hit a disguised monster. I win some, lose some and finish the level on 15k.

LEVEL2
A damaging hand occurs soon into the new level.
I raise a few limpers to 500 with KdQd and get 2 callers.
Flop Js, 5s, 5d
I continuation bet the flop for 1200 and both players call. I am about to give the hand up but the turn brings 10h giving me open ended straight draw.
I bet almost the pot for 4k and both call.
The turn is a brick and every one checks. Despite my sizable bet on the turn, both players were calling on the spade flush draw, and of course one of them has the Ace so his Ace high wins the huge pot.

I win a few pots to get my stack back up to 10k.

LEVEL3
I raise preflop with AQ and AJ, but get check raised on a missed flop. Getting frustrated and I go into the break with only 7k in chips.

LEVEL4
Totally card dead, and I can't even steal as there are always early position raisers, and I don't think my numerous 72 offsuits will cut the mustard. Finish level on 6k in chips.

LEVEL5
Card dead once again, and I eventually snap and shove over the top of a loose raiser with KJ which I would never normally do. However, due to my table image he folds KQ. Phew! I also manage to steal a fair few blinds and antes and get back up to 11k.

LEVEL6
Exit hand - Early position raiser to 2k gets one caller. I have KdJd in the BB so decide to see a flop and try and get things going.
Flop 10d, 6d, 4s
I don't really have a big enough stack to call the imminent continuation bet for my flush draw, so I shove first to act for 9k. First player folds, but the other guy thinks for ages and then calls with 10c9h.
I have two overcards and of course the flush draw, but he fades the outs and I am bust.

Another pot where I had a fifty fifty shot to get up to a reasonable chip stack, but it's just not happening at the moment.

It's the WSOP $5k tomorrow, so I guess that would be a good place to start running good. We shall see.........

VEGAS MINI P&L (USD)
Big Ticket Events (1550)
Crapshoots (215)
Cash Games (500)
Total (2265)

Jimbo happiness level = minus 1

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Vegas Day 3 - Jimbo's Happy Hour

Date: Tue, Jun 10, 2008 Professional

So it's time to be star attraction. I set up Jimbo's Happy Hour in The Venetian. This involves me going all in blind for $500 pre flop in a cash game 3 hands in a row, every half an hour- needless to say there are numerous customers. At one point I am up at least $1k, but unfortunately Deven ruins it by calling with JJ - what a fish ;)

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Vegas Day 3 - Binnions $500

Date: Mon, Jun 9, 2008 Professional

Downtown Vegas is amazing - it's the first time I've been there. It's like a place stuck in time - the feel of the architecture and lights is 1970's. Fremont Street know they can't compete with the new strip on over the top glamour, so they play on their heritage, all the way down to the 70's music playing in the street and the casinos. It's retro done in the best possible way.

Inside Binnion's poker room, you can almost feel the echoes of the past. Nguyen winning with house over house, Ungar's first two wins and Moneymaker creating the poker volcano. Today we played a $500 freezeout with 10k in starting chips. Unfortunately the tournament was a complete non-event for me - I never got going. Not sure if it was the jetlag or the table, but I never imposed myself.

LEVEL 1
I see a fair few flops, win some and lose some.
Finishing stack = 10k

LEVEL2
I am card dead, but steal on the button and cutoff a lot.
Finishing stack = 10k

LEVEL3
I play very few hands, and then raise with KK and AK and get folds everywhere.
Finishing stack = 10k

LEVEL4
Just got seriously distracted by an advert on Amercian TV while I am blogging. "LEVITRA - the ideal treatment for erectile disfunction. Please consult your doctor to ensure you are fit for sexual activity. May cause relaxation of the anus. Please call your doctor if erection lasts for more than four hours" WTF? It's 6pm.

Anyway......

LEVEL4
I check raise a flopped straight, everyone folds. I check raise a flopped flush, everyone folds. Sigh.
Finishing stack = 10k

LEVEL5
I get moved to the famous "Mad Marty" Wilson's table. He has about 80k in chips. He is insane. With blinds of 200-400 with running antes he still raises most hands to 850. He loves playing flops, and the big blind has to call every hand. He calls an allin with 77 and flops quads. Nice!
Finishing stack = 10k

LEVEL6
I bust someone making a tough call with AK on a low flop. He has nothing and I take the small stack's chips. I soon give some away, making position raises and ill advised big blind calls.
Finishing stack = 11k - PROGRESS?

LEVEL7
I win a few pots raising from position, but the blinds are eating me away.
Finishing stack = 10k

LEVEL8
Blinds are big now - 400-800 with a running ante of 50. I move over the top of someone to get some chips, but the cost of an orbit is huge now compared to my stack. There is a limper in early position and one caller - I push for 9k with AT and I am busted as the limper has AK and it holds.
I finish in 45th spot out of 112.

Tournament was a complete non event - not enjoyable at all, despite the historic setting.

Venetian deep stack tomorrow. Until then......

VEGAS MINI P&L (USD)
Big Ticket Events (1050)
Crapshoots (215)
Cash Games 0
Total (1265)

Jimbo happiness level +1

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Vegas Day 2 - Miscellaneous

Date: Mon, Jun 9, 2008 Professional

A few things to blog which are unrelated to the Caesar's tournie:

1) Shazbo busted out of WSOP ladies' event after 2 hours. She ran a straight into a higher straight and a straight into a flush. With only 2k in starting chips, that pretty much means you are out of the door.

2) While winning back to back SNGs at Caesars, Shazbo also made a great laydown pre-flop. Early raiser, Shazbo re-raises with QQ. Someone else re-raises and the initial raiser calls. Shazbo folds and the other guys have AA and KK. Juiced hand.

3) An american guy thought Geoffroy's name was "Jalfont", after having problems with the french accent. I hope the "Professor Jalfont" name sticks when we get back.

4)Professor Jalfont was still going at Caesar's when I busted at about 8pm, although he was short stacked on 22k. I hope he made it to day 2, not least for my 10% share ;)

5) I have been asked by three different people now if I play in the Aussie Millions, and one guy asked me if I was from Jo'burg or Cape Town. I think this happens because english people portrayed on TV in the US are either posh (eg The Royals) or cockneys (eg any one of Guy Ritchie's identical films). As a result, when the americans hear a middle of the road accent they think it's Aussie.

6) I was refused a drink at Treasure Island last night on the basis that I was under 21, and didn't have any ID. Go the boyband haircut! Takes 15 years off you apparently :)

7) After grumbling about my poor hole cards last night, I got the other side of the story at Treasure Island's $65 tournament. In the first hour I was dealt Aces twice, Kings once, Queens twice and Jacks once. However, I think I set a new world record by being LOWER than starting stack at the break. Figure that one out.......

8) Shazbo won $1k on Wheel of Fortune. Perhaps poker is the wrong pursuit......

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Vegas Day 2 - Caesars $550 - Deepstacking

Date: Mon, Jun 9, 2008 Professional

The opening levels of a deepstack tournament such as this one, (15k starting stack, 280 runners, 50 minute blinds) have a strange dynamic. The value of pocket Aces/Kings actually go DOWN due to the amount of money it can cost you if the other guy hits a disguised hand. Suited connectors and small pocket pairs go up, due to the fact that there are generally 4+ players in every pot. I saw numerous players who were not used to this phenomenon and gave away huge amounts of chips when they only had top pair.

With this in mind I decided to see nearly every flop in the first level, unless the action was raised and re-raised before it got to me, or if I had a very poor holding in early position. Unfortunately, I didn't hit a single flop hard in the first level, and am soon down to 13k with the table image of a passive fish. Then, in level 2, it finally kicks off:

Hand1
Early position raiser to 300, I call with Jd9d as do 3 others.
Flop Js, 6d, 2d
I lead for 600 and get one caller
Turn is offsuit 9
My hand is massive - top 2 pair + flush draw backup
I lead for 600, but am checkraised to 1500. I re-raise to 3500. He calls and I am now worried he has a set.
River is a brick
Oppenent leads for 3500. I think now he either has a set or busted flush. He doesn't look too happy so I decide to call and my hand is good. Massive hand - up to 22k.

Hand2
Same dude as hand above raises a few limpers to 600, and I call with AQ in the big blind as do the 3 limpers.
Flop A, Q, 3 (2 hearts)
I lead for 3k, as the pot is big already and I want to get rid of the flush draws. UTG thinks for ages and then folds, but initial raiser pushes for 8k total. I snap call and bust his AJ.
UTG grumbles that he would have won it all on the river with a heart flush. I point out that I would have bet him into next week on the turn, so he wouldn't have got there anyway unless he made a terrible call.

Hand3
I flat call an early raiser to 600 with JJ and one other player comes along.
Flop 4, 5, 9
I bet 1k and get one caller
Turn King
I bet 2k and guy folds TT face up - surprised not to get raised on the flop there.

Hand4
I flop set of 2s, lead and all fold.

Hand5
I flop set of 8s, lead and all fold. Up to about 35k now and one of the early pace-setters.

The blinds go up again and I now become quiet at the table. This is due to a mixture of not seeing cheap flops, people raising before it reaches me, and the garbage hole cards I get. About 40 mins later comes the hand that puts me on tilt for about an hour.

Hand6
There is a raiser to 600 and 3 callers and I look down at AsKd in the big blind. I raise to make it 2.5k to go. I get one caller.

Flop Jc, 8d, 3c

The caller goes to check, but then changes his mind and shoves for his last 6k. I put him on the club flush and call with my Ace high. However, it turns out he has called my raise with J9. I mean what is he doing? I haven't played a hand for 45 minutes and am the big stack who can bust him?

Despite still sitting on 25k and well above average, I spend about 90 minutes on tilt raising/re-raising with air and suddenly find myself on a new table with only 8k. We are down to about 150 players, and I refocus in the break and decide to make a fist of a comeback.

Hand7
Blinds are now 400-800 with a 100 running ante. Mid position raises to 3k and I look down in the big blind to two Aces (my first of the trip). I push for 8k total and he pretty much has to call with pocket 6s. Back up to 16k.

I then steal my way up to 20k when this hand occurs:

Hand8
Same guy as above raises to 3k, but then looks up and I sense his dismay when he realises it's my big blind. It's the golden rule never to raise a short stack with a bad hand, due to their tendancy to have a wide re-shove range. I think he has just done this with a hand like suited connectors which don't play well in this spot, and just realised that the big blind is short. I go with my read and shove for 20k with T4 and he insta folds.

Hand9
Despite being the table shorty, I am still one of the most active at the table, but I can't get my stack above 25k, as I win a few steals, but get re-popped occasionally to fall back again. The American two to my left, who is primary target, comments on my European style. "You just love those raises from the button and the cutoff dude". This is a hidden warning that my strategy has been picked up on, so I better have the goods next time I go on a steal. This plays a part in my exit hand:

Hand10
70 players remain, 30 spots get paid, blinds 600, 1200 with 200 running ante.
Folded to me on the button and I limp with JsTs (normally I'd raise here but I think big stack is itching to re-raise me and I've not comfortable calling a shove with JT)
Flop is a massive QsKs7d
SB checks, BB bets 6k.
I shove for 22k total, and SB shoves over the top of me!
BB folds.
I have open ended straight flush draw (49%) and SB has Q7 for two pair (51%). Not the best cards for him to have, but this is still a great chance to get back in the tournament and up to an above average stack of 50k. Alas, I miss all my outs and I'm busted in about 70th place.

All in all, not a bad showing, apart from the hour of tilt. Today we are off to Fremont Street. Runners are myself, Professor Geoff, Shazbo and Deven........time for Binnions.

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