The table looked like this:
1 Me
2 Weak loose passive do not bluff donkey
3 Mads Andersen (very good Danish player)
4 Tight-aggressive good player
5 A young kid who busted pretty fast, followed by David Sonelin
6 Guy wearing a Pokerstars shirt who played really well
7 Obvious noob who opened pots for 8x BB, played extremely tight and poorly if he got to the flop
8 Loose-aggressive Scandinavian
9 Old man who didn’t seem to know how to play
10,000 chips to start
25-50
I showed up a few minutes late, which I kind of like to do on the first day of a big event. Very first hand I find TT and raise in second position. The Scandinavian calls in the BB. Flop A77 we both check turn Q he fires 200 I felt like there was a good chance I was ahead but folded, guess I didn’t want to fool around the first hand.
The very next hand I raise AK UTG and the same player calls in the SB. Flop 884 we both check turn 7 he fires 225 I fold again yes it is my goal to play as weakly as possible.
Fold 64s UTG.
Two guys limp and Scandi makes it 200 on button, SB calls, I see Q5s in BB and it felt like a good time for a move but I pass.
Raise AA from the hijack Mads calls on the button, both blinds call. Flop 5d4h2s blinds check I bet 400 only the BB calls. Turn 4c he checks I don’t like that card and check – this is kind of my standard play in this spot, it does give them a free river card but it keeps the pot small and they bluff the river if they were drawing and miss and they call a bet if they had a piece cause now they think you have nothing. River 9c he bets 800 I instacall he mucks and a commotion erupts about whether or not I have to show my cards. Just when the floor is being summoned I kill the drama and show everyone my rockets.
Fold T7s MP
Several limps to me I check KQ in BB and jettison on a bad flop.
Raise KJo to 150 in SB, BB calls. Board of 86354 is checked down he wins with K4o.
Raise 99 donkey calls flop QT8 I check-fold to a 300 bet. Huge pattern of me checking and folding when I miss the flop that I will have to use to my advantage later.
9 limps I fold KTo MP.
Fold JTo UTG.
10,750 to end level. This is interesting because I won just one pot during the level yet my stack went up. Paul and I have talked about this some, about how you can win a small percentage of the hands in poker tournaments yet increase your stack if you selectively pick the pots you want to win and minimize losses in other hands.
50-100
Scandi accidentally min raises I call on button with 74s Mads calls in BB. Flop J99 I fold to a bet.
6 raises UTG I fold ATs
Three guys limp on my BB I check 6s7s flop comes Jh7c2h I check-fold to a large bet and a call.
Two guys limp I limp A7s on button flop comes AAh6h checked to me I bet 300 Mads checkraises to 900 from the blind. Kind of a valueless spot I decide to call turn 3 we both check river 8 the flush draw missed he checks I think and check and I win – any value to a bet here?
Limp 33 2 limps 4 makes it 600 I fold. I should stop limping or grow some balls and outplay this obvious AK.
Fold A6s UTG
Limps to me I check KJs in BB. Flop K33 checked around turn T I fire 300 and take it dunno if I took the right line here.
Almost no reraising going on I like that.
UTG raises Scandi calls I call with 44 BB calls flop K82 two diamonds checked to Scandi he bets 1k this felt like a spot for a move maybe but I fold.
Scandi raises the button I am expecting him to do this with any two cards – SB calls and I fold my trash in the BB.
6 raises I call 55 in the SB Flop 864 check check turn 9 I fire 425 he folds I think he played this hand well putting me on a middle pair which liked the flop.
11,875
75-150
Scandi raises the button again, SB calls, I fold K9o in BB like a non-Annette_15 little girl.
Scandi raises, but bigger than normal which felt strong to me, I fold A9s in position.
7 (weak player) min raises I call with QJo flop comes A64 he overbets I fold.
9 raises UTG I think about calling with T4s to try to bust him but I fold.
After a couple limps, Scandi raises to 625 on the button I fold 98s in BB – I admit it, I am playing very weak against this bully but he is one of the better players at the table and I’m looking for other spots.
Limp K2o in SB BB raises I fold.
Raise to 425 with TT from middle position seat two calls then Mads makes i
t 1925. Had a lot to digest here. I really didn’t think he had AA or KK based on the huge reraise. He has not reraised once before this but it felt like he might be squeezing. There is little chance seat two has a big hand and Mads knows this. Also I have a tight image. My gut said I had the best hand but the math was really terrible any way you looked at it. Calling was a pretty bad choice out of position against a good player like Mads. Reraising was an even worse choice as I would only get action from a better hand and be risking my whole tournament on pocket tens in the third level. I folded, seat two called, the flop came QQ4, seat two checked and instafolded after Mads bet 2400. I ended up talking to Mads after the day was over and he said he had jacks.
Raise button with AdQd both blinds call. Flop Ac6c4d SB checks Mads bets 925 I think a while and call. SB gets out of the way. Turn 9s Mads checks I think a long time afraid of a checkraise but I have shown I will check behind with good hands so I bet 1625 and Mads calls quickly. River offsuit 3 he checks I bet 3000 he instafolds.
Reraise the Scandi with AJs he folds.
Raise AsKs BB (good player) calls. Flop J87 one spade he checks I felt like this was a good spot to pretend to have a hand based on my precedent so I bet 725 he calls. Turn 5 he checks I decide to blow him off his one pair hand and bet 1650 really repping a good hand here but he makes it 4k quickly. I REALLY wanted to make a move here. I mean how can he raise me on the turn and not the flop? What can he have here – T9 and 96 are the only hands that made any sense I felt. Maybe 85 or 75. Compound this with the fact I thought he might look weak. But what a crazy time for a move, no reason for him to do this against the guy who has been tight and checking behind. I fold.
9 limps early, I make it 600 behind him with KsQs, 2 calls, 9 calls. Flop KT2 all hearts everyone checks. Turn Td 9 checks I bet 1125 2 calls 9 folds. River 6d I think a long time, eye his stack, then bet 1625 for value. He quickly makes it 3800 leaving himself with just a few chips and I almost instantly muck in disgust. Checking river is probably the better play but this guy was so weak. I thought I could sneak some value in there. He shows the Ah like it was a bluff, I sure doubt it, but I should probably have check-called the river.
9 raises my BB from the SB to 475 I call with 64o. Flop 874 check check turn 9 he fires 1k I call river 9 check check I win vs his AJs.
9800
100-200
Raise KQ take blinds
Fold KJo UTG waiting for antes
Scandi raises button again I fold 82o
Fold KJo UTG again
9 limps I check Q4o flop AKQ he overbets pot I fold
I reraise the Scandi with KQo all fold
Fold T9o hijack T9o has been bad to me the last few months
Fold A6s EP
Fold A5s EP
Scandi makes a crazy call here with 22 on a board of 97543 we will not be bluffing him today.
Raise JJ good player calls in BB flop Ac5c2 check check turn 7c I have Jc we both check again river Ts he checks I bet 650 he reluctantly calls JJ is good I cannot believe he paid this off.
Fold T8s UTG
Scandi raises hijack I felt he was weak 9 calls leaving himself with 1800 pretty sure he is not folding preflop I decide to fold A7o in SB.
Again here I only played two pots in the hour and both were small but I increased my stack because I won both.
11025
150-300
Still no ante.
BB is gone 1st hand folds to me on button this is probably criminally wrong but I fold 75o SB shows AK.
Raise AJo BB calls with short stack. Flop Q97 with a flush draw I have no piece whatsoever he bets out 800 with about 4k behind. I think about raising, think about floating, think about shoving but I fold like a wuss.
Felt this guy might be ready to go home and didn’t care anymore.
Fold A8s EP.
6 raises to 825 I’m in the SB with AKo which is a nice spot for lilholdem but a tricky one for me I make it 2700 with no idea what I will do postflop or if he shoves but he folds.
Mads has accumulated a stack thru good play and good luck which sucks for me.
Scandi raises EP I decide to just call this time with AhJh flop comes QJ3 all clubs he quickly bets 1500 he seemed confident I tanked it for quite a while and folded, he just seemed comfortable and even if he wasn’t I thought I might get bluffed on the turn.
9 limps I check 7d5d flop TTd3d he checks fast I decide to check turn Ks he pots it for 600 he has 2400 behind and zero chance of folding a king, and will stack off on a diamond river if he has a ten or king. I call. River is the Kd check check I win.
UTG limps I fold A8o hijack.
Fold A8o MP next hand.
Raise AJo MP win blinds.
Fold A8o yet again next hand.
Mads raises UTG gets three callers so I call with Ac4c in BB. Flop A76 rainbow all check. Turn Kh second heart I bet a mere 1300 and all fold amazingly. Crucial pot there.
Raise QJs last hand of level which is sad to raise the last hand before antes hit. No one calls.
15,450
150-300-25
Raise 95s from the CO BB calls flop As9d5d he checks I bet it hard he folds.
Raise A6s MP win uncontested.
I am the single BB Mads raises EP to 900 everyone folds to my AA in the BB. Easy spot to casually call but we are too deep and Mads is too dangerous so I make it 3100 he says that I have a big hand and folds.
Raise QJo EP Mads reraises I fold.
Mads limps UTG Sonelin limps I complete SB with A5 flop AJd6d I hesitantly check everyone else checks. Turn 2c I bet small they fold.
16,575 to end day 1.
