Tuesday, February 26, 2008

LAPC Main Event Hands

Throughout the tournament I open-raised between 2.5 and 3x the BB, never more or less.

20,000
25-50

I arrive just in time to see a lady dust off 19k (400 big blinds) with AA on a board of J739 rainbow.

Table:
1 Daniel Quach
2 Vince Procopio
3 Bad young Asian player
4 Tight older guy, turned out to be pretty solid
5 That terrible lady, replaced by a weakish local cash player
6 Older guy who looks and acts like a complete fish but turned out to be tricky and aggressive. I never quite figured him out.
7 Mediocre local cash player
8 Older fellow, used his tight image pretty well but nothing scary
9 Me

Raise button with AQ. Vince calls in BB. Flop 863 check-check turn 3 he bets 200 I call river 4 he bets 350 I fold he shows an 8.

Limp 87s EP button calls blinds call. Flop J83 with a flush draw checked to me I bet 125 SB (6) calls. Turn T check check river J he bets 200 I call he shows J2.

Two players limp I complete with J7cc in the SB. Flop 752 two spades I bet 125 (6) calls. Turn 7 I bet 300 he folds.

Fold J8s EP.

Limp JTo cutoff SB limps BB raises 250 more I fold.

Raise 66 Quach calls board of 872KT is checked down I win.

Fold 53s UTG.

Vince raises EP (3) calls I casually call in BB with AQ. Flop Q96 with flush draw I check VP bets 300 (3) folds I call. Turn 4 check-check. River 4 I bet 825 he folds reluctantly.

Fold K8o button.

Limp 97s cutoff BB (3) checks. Flop 543 one of my suit he bets 100 I think about it but fold.

Fold A8o MP.

UTG limps I limp A6s BB raises 400 more UTG folds I fold.

Guy limps I limp 95s button VP checks. Flop Q53 they check to me I bet 100 VP calls. Turn 7 check-check. River A check-check amazingly I win VP says he has 62 which he obviously must have to be able to lose that pot to me.

Limp QTo hijack blinds check flop 852 with a flush draw checked around turn 4 SB fires we fold.

20,075.

50-100

Couple of limps I fold Q9o hijack.

Two guys limp I check 96o BB. Board of 85444 is checked all the way down I should have picked this one up on the turn or river.

(3) raises UTG to 300 both old guys call I call on button with 32s VP calls in BB. Flop 9d8d2 checked around. Turn 3 UTG bets 700 old guys fold I make it 2000 he calls. River 7d he checks I bet 3000 he calls I confidently table the winner and he mucks. This theme of thin value betting would be a major one in this tournament, with less success than I had in this gorgeous hand.

Raise KQs LP win blinds.

Three guys limp I make it 550 on button with AK they all call. Flop A32 they check to me I bet 1200 they all fold and I show it.

UTG limps I limp K4cc late position the blinds check. Flop AsQsJc checked around. Turn comes gin the Tc. They check to me I bet 250 SB calls. This would have been fun if someone had raised, I would have moved all in for over 20,000! River 3h he check-folds to my 600 bet then depressingly tells me he had clubs.

Limp JTo blinds call. Flop Jh5h5d checked around. Turn 6d SB fires 300 BB folds I call. River Ad he bets big and I fold.

UTG limps I limp 55 next position one more limper and the blinds are in. Flop AK5 two spades they check to me I bet and all fold.

Folds to button who methodically puts 1300 (13x BB) in the pot. This guy is a fairly experienced player, maybe a pro. Obviously the bet seems like a misclick but the way he put the chips in it seemed like he did it on purpose. The SB very reluctantly folds and now I look down at AKo in the BB. What a weird spot. I would happily lose up to 10k in this spot but he has twice that. I really don’t know what to do, consider everything, and finally, at this easy table, I decide to just fold.

(6) raises (7) calls I call As9s in SB BB calls. Flop QQ7 I check-fold to a bet and a call.

(6) raises (7) calls I call with 88 the BB (3) calls. Flop 442 rainbow they check to me I make a dorky 200 bet into the 1450 pot only the BB calls. Turn A check-check river 2 check-check he wins with A3.

Fold ATo EP.

Old guy in SB raises to 350 I call with QhJ. Flop JT4 all hearts he bets 500 I call. Turn 5 he bets 1k confidently I don’t like it much but peel again. River 4 he bets 1k again now I shake my head and fold faceup. He doesn’t show but says “nice fold.” I befriended this guy throughout the day and he insisted he had me beat there.

Guy limps (8) goes to 400 I call with QJs all fold. Flop QQJ check-check. Turn 8 he checks I bet 600 he folds I show it.

Limp J7s cutoff blinds call board of A5342 is checked down we all split VP has KQhh in SB.

26,125

100-200

Three guys limp I limp 43cc button flop J74r no clubs all check to me I think about firing but check. Turn 5 is bet and raised I fold.

(7) limps I limp A4s Quach finally makes a raise first guy folds I fold.

(6) raises to 450 only I call with 64cc board of 993KA is checked to river he bets 500 I fold.

(6) raises to 650 I call in BB with 85s. Board of 9428Q is checked all the way I beat his A5o.

Two guys limp I complete from SB with 6h4s BB checks. Flop Q65 all hearts checked around turn 3 I bet 550 they all fold.

(5) limps I limp As7s button Quach folds SB VP checks in BB. Flop Q95 two spades VP checks (5) bets 400 I think about raising but just call and then VP calls in the BB. Turn 8 checked around. River 8 VP bets 1k we fold and he shows a queen.

Two guys limp I am thinking about bludgeoning from the button and of course I wake up with KK so I make it 850 only (5) calls. Flop KJ3 two hearts he check-calls 1200. Turn 5 he check-calls 2000. I have no idea what he has but I have the nuts. River Q he bets 5k I say “I have to call” and do he says “I have to muck” and does I show the KK.

Raise AK win blinds.

Raise QdQs to 525 (4) puts in 500 then very slowly the additional 25. It turned out he didn’t see me raise but I didn’t pick up on this. Flop 992 two diamonds I check-call 1k. Turn 5d I check-call 2k not really liking it. River 3 I check-fold to a 3k bet he shows me (but not the whole table) KTdd.

Fold 87o cutoff.

Limp 55 LP SB calls BB checks. Flop J86 SB bets we fold.

Fold A8o MP. Table is falling asleep.

Fold 85s UTG.

(5) raises to 700 I call in BB with jacks. Flop 8d6h5h I check he bets 800 I call. Turn T I check he shoves for 8k I think about it and fold.

(4) raises to 800 I call with JTdd on button. Flop K9d5 he checks I bet 1k he folds I lie and say I had KQs.

Limp QTs blinds call flop J88 they check to me I bet 350 BB calls. Turn 7 BB bets 500 I fold.

Limp ATs 6 way pot flop KKQ checked to VP he bets we all fold he shows KJ. This would have been an easy check-fold of AA vs VP.

Seat 4 limps I check 93o. Flop 432 I bet 300 he folds.

Couple guys limp the older guy on my right makes it 1k on the button I fold QJcc in the SB.

Guy raises I fold A9o.

29,575.

100-200-25

(8) limps I limp K7s five of us take the flop of TT3 SB bets out fold.

Limp 55 EP no interest in AQJ six-way pot.

VP limps (5) makes it 1200 I flatcall TT in BB VP folds. Flop K53 I check he bets 1200 I decide to fold.

(4) raises to 800 I call with AQ on the button. Flop 977 he bets 1k I call. Turn Q he bets 1k I call. River 5 he bets 1k I raise to 3500 he calls with KK I lose.

21,300 at dinner.

Fold 95s UTG felt nitty doing it.

A few guys limp I bump it to 1300 in the BB with AQo all fold.

Limp QJs in SB DQ checks. Flop AJ6 all hearts check-check. Turn x I bet 400 he folds.

(6) raises UTG I call with KTo BB calls. Flop AJ7 with flush draw BB checks UTG fires we fold.

Raise J9o DQ reraises big I fold quickly.

Raise A8s 2nd pos win blinds.

Fold 95s UTG.

(3) raises to 500 I defend in BB with A2o. Flop AJT I check-call 1k turn 8 and river 7 are checked down I win.

Raise K5s hijack DQ calls on button. Flop T43 check-check turn 9 I check he bets 800 I fold.

Limp 66 UTG two others limp blinds complete. Flop KK5 blinds check I bet a miniscule 325 all fold.

Raise to 700 from SB DQ defends in BB. Board of A32TK is checked the whole way I win.

Fold K3s cutoff.

Raise A7s HJ BB (4) reraises 2k more I fold.

Fold A8o UTG.

Fold 54o cutoff.

Fold KTo to a raise.

22,525

150-300-50

Raise QJo 2nd pos nemesis (4) calls. Flop Jd8d8 I check he bets 1200 I call. Turn 6d check-check. River A I check he bets 2500 I quickly call – I mean I really figure to have the best hand here most of the time I think – but he has AJ.

Nemesis 4 limps I check BB with K7s. Flop Qh9h7s check-check. Turn Ks I check he bets 1500 (overpot) I am confused and think a while before calling. River 8h I hesitate a bit and then check. He checks and turns over KcTc, I win.

Limped pot I have K3s in SB flop 732 checked around. Turn 2 I maybe should fire but don’t – checked around. River 4 check-fold to a bet and raise.

Limp button 9s8s DQ calls VP raises 1k more in BB I call and DQ folds. Flop JJT VP bets 1500 not sure what my plan is I call. Turn Q check-check. River Q check-check he says “I play the board” so I win. This hand tilted him into raising with Q2s and then making a great call on a board of T762A when a flush draw missed and his pair of deuces was good.

Limp QTo Nemesis checks. Flop Axx two spades he checks hesitantly which goads me into a check. Turn and river are low cards we check it down he wins with Ks2s.

Raise 76s EP DQ reraises 4x I fold instantly.

Next hand fold 54s EP.

Two guys limp I limp K9o SB board of AKxxx checked down and I win.

Limp 33 button DQ and VP call in blinds. Flop 755 they check I bet 300 they fold.

MP limps I fold A3o hijack.

Fold K9o 2nd pos.

Looking for an excuse to raise but keep getting unsuited unconnecting unpainted 5-gappers.

Limp 33 SB DQ checks. Flop K88 I bet 325 he folds.

22,225 to end day one.

Day two the table looked like this:

1 Thomas Fuller 22,225
2 Michael Binger 12,750
3 David Levi 23,950
4 Henryk Leszkiewicz 8700
5 Patrick Sullivan 59,700
6 Matthew Max??? 13,700
7 Brian McCann 15,775
8 Ray Coburn 65,675
9 Emmanuelle Christian Choi 20,000

200-400-50

Sullivan is seat six from the day before. I really never figured him out.

I expected things to change around quickly and they did – Binger went broke pretty fast, Levi got ahold of some chips, and other guys’ stacks were swinging big.

Raise 88 2nd pos on the second hand of the day get three callers. Flop KT8 with a flush draw I fire 2600 all fold immediately. Wanted the double up but still a nice pot to start the day.

Fold K5s MP in a good steal position.

Raise AA BB calls. Flop 752 he check-calls my 1325. Turn 6 check-check. River 9 he checks I bet 2k he calls with 65s and wins. Just a terrible bet by me there on the end. The biggest mistake I have made in a long time.

Raise 86s MP win blinds and antes.

Rold A8o next hand.

Fold J9s next hand.

(5) limps I fold 94o in SB.

Limp ATo cutoff blinds call. Flop AdJd9s they check to me I bet 800 BB calls. Turn 9s he checks I think for about 40 seconds and then bet 2k he calls. River 5s he bets 2k I call he says “good call” and mucks.

Johnny Chan sits down in the 6 seat.

Couple guys limp and Coburn makes it 2k which could totally be a move – I fold QJo button. This is one of those spots where I feel a player like Negreanu might make a call and a player like David Pham might make a reraise or a call. I am getting better and better after the flop and looser before it but I’m not yet comfortable enough to make these calls with QJo profitable.

Fold 87o in position to a new stack’s 4x raise.

UTG limps I limp JTo it gets raised then UTG reraises. I now go all in – just kidding I fold.

Evelyn Ng sits down in the 4 seat.

Raise AJ UTG Sullivan calls and the BB calls. Flop AJ7 checked around. Turn 5d BB checks and I check again, but Sullivan checks again. Like I said I never figured him out. River Q BB checks I bet 2k both fold immediately, and the BB shows Td8d so I feel like a fool.

Fold A5s button to Chan’s EP raise.

26,100

300-600-75

Raise JTo LP to 1600. Chan calls in the BB. Flop A98 with two diamonds he checks I bet 2300 and he makes it 3500 more. I had it in my head that he might be on a complete bluff because it’s Johnny Chan and he can see through my soul and all that. I resist the temptation to pot-commit reraise, remembering it’s Chan and he’s actually quite tight. I decide he has a monster and I have odds or he has a bluff and I will win it later so I flat-call. Turn Qd completing a possible flush and my straight. He bets 10k and I really don’t think he has a flush, the small raise on the flop and big bet on the turn doesn’t really fit a flush profile. I move in for 8k more and Chan calls with 99. River Q and I’m out.

This was the only big pot I played the whole tournament so I was very disappointed to bust. I came in with a plan of playing a lot of small pots, playing conservatively but giving myself a chance to hit hands and outplay people postflop. I executed that gameplan, it basically worked and I was doing fine despite making a lot of second best hands and having all my big pairs lose. Then I get it in good in the first big pot and get sucked out on, so overall I’m pretty disappointed but happy with my play.

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow, pretty tough table to finish on...

10:55 AM  
Blogger TheGraveWolf said...

The old man you "befriended"...If he didn't tell you exactly what he had, just that he had you then he didn't have you. IMO.

1:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am just an idiot accountant working in a cube who plays poker as seriously as one who works in a cube could play...but I started reading your blog a while back and going through your tournament hands analysis. I have started adopting your style and it has worked extremely well for me, so I just wanted to say thanks for writing these types of blogs and putting in some analysis on the questionable hands. It's really helped me develop from an overly loose/aggressive player to a much tighter player.

10:50 AM  

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