Bond18 – Around the World in 90 Days: Day 38

Posted by Bond18 | Filed under Bond18

I have a choice between playing the WSOP $5,000 shoot out event and the Bellagio $2,000 deep stacked event today. Since I don’t really feel at the top of my game lately (and I don’t remember much about SNG strategy), I’ve decided to go play the easier event at the Bellagio, since all the good players should be over at the series.

The Bellagio event also allows the opportunity to sleep in a little since it starts at 2pm. I get a ride over around 1:30pm and find Grafyx in the poker room. It takes a little time to convert his Rio chips into Bellagio cash so I enter the tournament about 10 minutes late. The tournament starts us with 20,000 in chips at 25/50 blinds with 40 minute levels, which is about as good as you’re going to find for $2,000 in a daily tournament.

I’m unfortunately jammed into the 10 seat (or as it happens today, the 11 seat) yet again and not long after my backer Stevepa is seated over in the 1 seat, after also showing up late. The early action is incredibly spewy and loose, especially considering how deep stacked we are. A number of players implode in the first couple of levels, shoving massively over pot on several occasions. The first couple of levels are fairly quiet for me, although I find some spots to see flops I don’t connect and considering how many players are in each pot it’s normally an easy check/fold after the flop.

My first interesting hand comes up at the 100/200 level:

My stack: ~20,000, button: ~3,5000, blinds 100/200. I hold 6h6c UTG+1.

Preflop: 1 fold, I raise to 600, folds to the HJ, HJ calls, cutoff folds, button calls, blinds fold.

Flop: 6d 6s 3d

Uh, just a bit of a connection there, but how the hell do I get any value on that texture from live players? I decide to check, HJ checks, button bets 1,100, I call, HJ folds.

Turn: 2d

I think it over then lead 1800, button calls.

River: Ad

I bet 5,000 (this should probably be a bit bigger, since he either has a hand he can call a large bet with or a hand that can call almost nothing) and he stares me down then folds.

I lean behind the dealer and say to Stevepa:

“I took a pretty weird line there huh?”

“Yeah”

“Care to guess what I had?”

He pauses about 3 seconds, then looks over at me and says “Quads?”

“Sick soul read, sir.”

A few orbits later I’m involved again:

My stack: ~25,000, SB: ~25,000, blinds 100/200 with 25 ante. I hold KsQh in MP2.

Preflop: Folds to me, I raise to 600, folds to the SB, SB calls, BB folds.

Flop: 4d Jd 2s

SB checks, I bet 800. SB attempts to check-raise to 2,000 but the Bellagio has a very strict betting line rule. He throws out two ‘1,000’ chips but only one passes the line, with the other falling slightly short. The result is his action is declared a call instead.

Turn: Ks

Now the SB leads out 1,700. This is so weird, he tries to check-raise me, now leads the scare card. I decide to call since he might feel some weird obligation to bet after having attempted to check-raise, but I’m going to continue very cautiously. I call.

River: 7c

SB bets 2,500, and after thinking it over a little bit and mumbling about what a strange hand it is, I fold.

A few hands later a new player is seated at our table. He folds his first hand in the BB and on his second hand we get involved:

My stack: ~22,000, SB: 20,000. Blinds 100/200 with 25 ante. I hold KcKh in the BB.

Preflop: UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, folds to MP3, MP3 raises to 800, folds to the SB, SB re-raises to 3,000. I think it over for a little when, then re-raise to 8,500. UTG+1 folds, MP3 folds, then SB thinks for quite a while (in a way that is clearly not acting) looks over at me a little, then declares all in. I quickly call and he tables QQ.

Flop: A J 7

Turn: 4

River: 9

The SB busts having paid $1,000 per hand of poker. I’m suddenly one of the bigger stacks on the table with my ~44,000.

Over the next couple orbits I begin to feel the pain of having Stevepa on my left. In one hand the HJ limps and I raise to 800 on the CO with AQ. With about 22,000 in his stack Steve re-raises to 2,800 and when it folds back to me I’m left in a very awkward spot. Shoving sucks, folding is too weak against someone as aggressive as Steve, and calling out of position also sucks, but it sucks a bit less than the others. I call and have to fold a 56J flop to Steve, who tells me he had 97o.

An orbit later I isolate a limper again with 45o, and Steve yet again 3 bets me, resulting in my having to fold preflop.

I lose a couple small pots at the 150/300 level and little interesting happens. My next relevant hand doesn’t come up until 200/400:

My stack: 38,000, HJ: ~50,000, blinds 200/400 with 50 ante. I hold TT UTG+1.

Preflop: UTG folds, I raise to 1,100, folds to the HJ, HJ calls, CO calls, button folds, SB calls, BB folds.

Flop: 7 7 5 rainbow

BB checks, I bet 2,800, the HJ quickly raises to 7,000. It folds back to me and I think it over. The HJ so far as been a major nit who has never shown any aggression without a serious hand. I decide it’s unlikely he’s raising 88/99 here and fold my hand.

A few orbits later the blinds go up to 300/600 and I’m involved yet again:

My stack: ~34,000, UTG+1: ~33,000, blinds 300/600 with 75 ante. I hold AKo in the BB.

Preflop: UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, folds to the CO, CO calls, folds to me in the BB, I raise to 3,000, UTG+1 quickly and confidently declares all in, CO folds. God damn it! I lean over in my chair and for the first time in a long time give my opponent a bit of a stare down. He looks really comfortable with himself, and he hasn’t pulled any moves like these at all. God I hate these limp shoving bastards. I think it over for a while, but decide I get shown big pairs here too often and that I need to stop calling live players aggression. I fold my hand then afterwards lean over and ask Steve what he’d do. He tells me he agrees with the fold.

A round later I’m given a perfect spot to squeeze against an aggressive MP3 raiser and a weak loose CO caller. I make the original 1600 to 5600 with 9To and when it folds back to MP3 he instantly shoves. The CO folds and I pause briefly before folding. The CO tells us he that he “of course” folded QQ because he went out of his last few tournaments with QQ. In front of his stack rests his card protector, a gold 2007 WSOP bracelet.

We go on break and my once 44,000 stack has been decimated down to the low twenties. I tell Steve “Fuck this, today is my day. I’m getting all the chips. I’m normally just ‘man I can’t wait to see how I busto today’ but this time I’m calling my fucking shot. I’m feeling it.”

“Eh, whatever. I just wanna bust and get dinner.”

When I peek down at my first hand after the break I’m staring into an ace and a king. I like where this is going:

My stack: ~23,000, BB: ~21,000, blinds 400/800 with 100 ante. I hold AKo on the HJ.

Preflop: UTG calls 800, folds to me on the HJ, I raise to 3,200, folds to the BB, BB declares all in, UTG folds, I call. UTG tables Ad9d and says “I thought you were stealing.”

Flop: 4c 3s Kc

Turn: Td

I don’t even watch the river since he’s drawing dead.

The very next hand I’m involved again:

My stack: ~48,000, UTG+1: ~40,000, blinds 400/800 with 100 ante. I hold 88 in MP2.

Preflop: UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to 2200, folds to me in MP2, I call, folds to the button, button calls, both blinds fold.

Flop: 9c 8c 6h

UTG+1 checks, I bet 5,600, button folds, UTG+1 stares me down then raises to 12,600, I stare at him a little when, then move all-in (nothing else is appropriate here.) UTG+1 sighs loudly, then folds his hand. Not a good board to bluff.

I find AA not much longer and manage to make about 8,000 with it after a couple players limp, I raise, and one calls then check folds the flop. My declining stack has now soared to well over 60,000.

The tournament unfortunately does not have a 500/1000 level so the blinds then increase to 600/1200 with a 100 ante. My next hand comes up against a very nity player across the table from me:

My stack: ~58000, BB: ~80000, blinds 600/1200 with 100 ante. I hold JJ in MP2.

Preflop: UTG calls, folds to me in MP2, I raise to 6,500, folds to the BB, the BB announces raise then makes it 15,000 after considering his bet size, UTG folds. Shit, the BB is a huge nit, I don’t think I can ever get it in here profitably. I fold my hand (this seems weird to guys who only play online, but versus this guy it was pretty standard) and the BB asks me what I’m writing. I tell him it’s a blog/trip report type thing and he says he’ll tell me what he had later for the blog.

As players drop off the tables become more short-handed from the ridiculous 11-handed we began with. Our table has dropped down to eight players when the following hand comes up:

My stack: ~52,000, button: ~90,000, blinds 800/1600 with 200 ante. I hold Jh9h UTG.

Preflop: I raise to 4,200 (I have a pretty tight image), folds to the button, button calls, both blinds fold.

Flop: J 7 5 rainbow

I check, button checks behind.

Turn: 3c

I bet 5,600, button calls.

River: Jd

I bet 13,000, the button thinks it over for a while then folds.

A few hands later I’m involved with the fairly nity player that I’ve made big folds to:

My stack: ~62,000, UTG+1 ~90,000, blinds 800/1600 with 200 ante. I hold 8h8c on the button.

Preflop: UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to 4,200, folds to me on the button, I call, SB calls, BB calls.

Flop: Kc 8s 9c

SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 bets 10,000, I raise to 25,000 (yes, that’s the most obvious value raise ever), SB folds, BB thinks it over, stares me down, then folds, UTG+1 quickly calls.

Turn: 2h

UTG+1 leads out 25,000, I think a couple seconds then announce all in for 32,500 total, UTG+1 calls and tables KQo, which is drawing dead.

River: 3h

I double up to near 130,000, making me one of the chip leaders of the tournament.

Our table breaks and I’m moved to a new short-handed table. On one of my first hands I raise 88 on the CO and the button shoves for only 3,000 more. I call and he shows TT, which I immediately suck out on by hitting an 8 on the flop to bust him. 88 is very friendly today.

For quite some time very little happens. The blinds have escalated to the point that most of the action is preflop, and I play a pretty aggressive style and take down some blinds, but mostly very little changes. I’m moved to a new table yet again and I notice the young guy in seat 1 talking to some online players, which allows me to assume he’s online. It’s with that knowledge the following hand comes up:

My stack: ~135,000, button: ~50,000, blinds 1500/3000 with 500 ante. I hold 66 in the BB.

Preflop: Folds to the button, button moves all in, SB folds. I look over at his stack, then announce call (I actually thought he had more like 40,000, but I’d still call since no online player open shoves a hand there that is better for raise/calling.) The button tables J9o and the guy on my left remarks “You’re both crazy.”

Flop: 4 7 8

Turn: A

River: 2

Yet again our table breaks and we’re down to 27 players with 18 paying. I’m seated at a table with both Stevepa and 2+2’er CkingUSC. In one of our first hands on the table I open raise AQ to 7,500 and the SB moves all in for 11,000 total. I call and my AQ holds up against his KJ to push my stack to around 190,000.

Our table gets short-handed and a few away from the money the following hand comes up:

My stack: ~190k, CO: ~200k UTG: ~150k. Blinds 2000/4000 with 500 ante. I hold Jc4c in the SB.

UTG is very loose and constantly limps. He plays very straight forward and if he makes a big hand he lets you know about it. The CO is an older guy who is surprisingly aggressive and just plays weird. He changes his bet and raise sizes a lot, and I haven’t seen enough of his hands to really know where he’s at.

Preflop: UTG limps, folds to the CO, CO limps, button folds, I complete, BB checks.

Flop: Kc Td 6c

I bet 12,000, BB folds, UTG calls, CO calls.

Turn: Tc

I bet 30,000, UTG calls, CO min raises to 60,000. Jesus, what the hell is this? I have no idea where my hand is against his and I don’t really know if he could think a ten is the nuts here. I call and the UTG player calls as well. What?

River: 6s

Fuck! I check, UTG checks, CO instantly shoves. I look over at Steve and shake my head in annoyance, then fold. UTG folds and the CO shows us his T9. I ask UTG what he had and he tells me “Just a king.”

That big pot knocks me down a bit and makes me vulnerable to getting busted on the bubble. We’re down to 20 players when the next hand comes up:

My stack: ~90,000 Stevepa: ~140k, blinds 2000/4000 with 500 ante. I hold 99 in the SB.

Preflop: 1 fold, Stevepa raises to 10,500, folds to me in the SB, I move all-in, BB folds, Stevepa gives me a sad look then quickly calls. Shit. Much to my relief, he shows me AKo.

Flop:n 2 A T

God this is such fucking bullshit, busted by my own backer having one of the biggest stacks going towards the bubble. God, every time. Just every time. It never ends.

Turn: K

Oh that’s cute.

River: 9h

Whoa. Just…whoa. Steve remarks “Too bad, that would have been by far your best bubbling story yet.”

“God that’s so sick, like, I can’t believe I actually did that.”

I sit back down and let it sink in. I actually sucked out in dramatic fashion on the bubble of a tournament. Too bad it had to be against someone who provides the money.

When we reach the exact bubble I try to re-steal a button raiser (I actually had 66 but 3 betting was clearly the best option) and he instantly 4 bet shoves. I fold and he tells me he had TT. Not long after the bubble breaks and Stevepa, Cking and myself have all made it into the money. The tables are redrawn and I’m moved away from both of them.

One of the first hands in the money a very short stack shoves (who had shoved K4o earlier) and I call in the SB with JTo. He tables 9To and I manage to hold up.

I play a few small pots and increase my stack a little as players drop off all around. With 11 left I raise A9o in LP and both the cut off and BB call. The flop comes K T 8 rainbow and we all check. The turn pairs the K and when I fire a small half pot bet both fold.

It only takes an orbit or so afterwards to reach the final table. I enter the final table with a medium sized stack and spend the next 80 minutes folding (seriously.) My only interesting hand comes near the end of that, where it’s folded to me on the button with AA and 10 BB’s. I raise small and both blinds fold. It’s the only hand I play during the whole period. The player on my right is ultra loose and raises so huge he’s impossible to re-steal from, and the table over all is quite active. I am incredibly card dead and with Shaundeeb and Thayer’s brother watching I can only sit and joke around with them on the rail.

About 90 minutes into the final table the blinds and antes have reached 8,000/16,000 and the average stack is around 15 BB’s. My 205,000 puts me in the bottom two or three stacks. One chip leader has about ~750,000 and everyone else is in the area of 200-350,000. The player in seat 4 suggests a deal, the chip leader gets second place money, and everyone else gets an equal share (about $24,300.) Third place gets $28,000 and eighth is $5100. I consult with Deeb and he confirms that this over is considerably over my equity. Everyone agrees to the deal and the tournament ends.

Wow, that has to be my happiest live poker result ever. Nothing bad happened, I got more money than I should have, and I played very well. After the tournament Deeb and Augie take me over to their place to chill out. Sometimes you play poker and you can feel that the guys you’re playing are out of your league. Tonight, I could feel that Deeb and Augie were significantly out of my league. By the time we arrive at Korean BBQ at 4am I am high out of my mind and paranoid that I’m babbling like a maniac at the waitress. I think I manage to pull everything off quite well, but I can’t be certain.

I don’t end up getting to sleep until 5am. I slept like a baby though.

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