Bond18 – Around the World in 90 Days: Day 43

Posted by Bond18 | Filed under Bond18

Somewhere around 11:30 in the morning Watts and I realize that nobody with a car is going to play the $5,000 No-Limit event today. We don’t have enough time to call a cab and get there anywhere close on time, so we’re forced to be dicks to Tom (LearnedfromTV) and wake him several hours before he needs to be up. Tom agrees to help us out and sleep walks his way to the car.

Fifteen minutes later we’re walking through the Rio just in time for the tournament. Watts has already bought in so I grab a copy of ‘Bluff’ and get in line at the cage to get access to my box. I’m standing behind my Australian friend Emad Tahtou and chatting about the event while WPT winner Shawn Buchanon is behind the curtain (which does not cover the entrance very well at all) getting access to his box. The line is perhaps 10 people long with Emad and me at the front. As we’re chatting Full Tilt Poker pro Greg Mueller walks into the curtained area and begins chatting with his friend Shawn. Emad (who’s friends with Greg) starts playing around and giving him shit about cutting in line. A minute or so into this banter a guy further back in the line speaks up towards Greg:

“Hey man! You can’t just cut in, there’s a whole line back here, you gotta wait!”

“Hey fucking blow me man!!” snaps Mueller confrontationally.

“Oh yeah, that’s real classy” returns the guy in the line.

“Whatever, I’m just talking to my friend in here.”

I take out my pen and paper and write down Mueller’s wording of his insult since incidents like this have the tendency to get their validity questioned. After Mueller walks out of the curtained area with a large wad of cash which Buchanon has given him he approaches Emad:

“Hey Emad, you know I wouldn’t disrespect you like that, I wouldn’t just cut in line like that you know.”

“Yeah man, no worries” says Emad.

“Okay see ya, good luck today.”

After Mueller walks off Emad turns to me:

“That’s like the fourth time I’ve seen him do that this series.”

After I grab the money out of my box I find an even longer line waiting for me at the registration booth. As a result I’m about eight minutes late showing up to the table. I’m seated on the direct left of a very hung over looking Gavin Smith and across the table from a moderately hung over looking Jeff Madsen. About a half hour into the round Theo Tran also shows up to the table and he’s still drunk. The three of them talk about their clubbing last night and how Gavin and Theo were out till 10am still drinking. They begin discussing potential prop bets on the chances Theo vomits on the table.

There’s also a young player across the table I seem to remember reading got second in EPT Warsaw this year, and in an early pot he makes a nice thin value bet against me on the river that I pay off.

My first hand of interest goes down against Gavin:

My stack: ~8,200, Gavin: ~12,000, blinds 50/100. I hold TsTc in MP1.

Preflop: Two folds, Gavin calls UTG+2, I raise to 400, folds back to Gavin, Gavin calls.

Flop: K 2 4 rainbow

Gavin checks, I check behind.

Turn: 5

Gavin checks, I bet 600, Gavin calls.

River: A

Gavin checks, I check back. I table TT and Gavin mucks.

Gavin is playing surprisingly sound considering how hung over he seems. He begins asking me about the notes I’m taking and my blogging. He asks my online name which he doesn’t recognize. He shouts down the table at Theo and Jeff:

“Either of you guys ever heard of ‘Bond18’?”

They both have no idea who I am. It’s about this time I remember that I once wrote one of my “creative” stories about JJprodigy that featured a portion where I ripped on the PokerRoad radio show and instigated that Gavin gave JJ an on air blowjob, which can be read here.

I tell Gavin I once wrote about him and his radio interview.

“Were you one of the guys who called for my head in an article?” he asks

“Well, yeah kind of. It wasn’t quite an article though, more a kind of mock story.”

“Yeah, I never quite meant for things to come out like that. If there’s one show I could take back and do over, that’d be the one.”

As talkative and hung over as Gavin is, he’s surprisingly thoughtful and playing quite well. I wonder if he’ll ever look over that story and come kill me.

With some small pots I increase my stack a bit then get involved in another big hand:

My stack: ~9,300, MP2: ~12,000, blinds 50/100. I hold 5c3c on the button. MP2 is the young European guy who is playing a good aggressive game.

Preflop: Folds to MP2, MP2 raises to 350, MP3 calls, HJ folds, CO calls, I call on the button (after discussion with a number of other players I’ve come to understand this is bad, 45s is fine, 64s is probably fine, but 53s is not), the SB folds, BB calls.

Flop: 2c 2d Ac

Checks around to me, I fire 850, folds to MP2, MP2 calls, everyone else folds.

Turn: 6c

MP2 leads 1,200. Wow, that is really weird. Why would he lead into the flush card? I think he’s either got a monster or a hand just trying to get to showdown cheaply. I think raising here is a mistake, so I call.

River: Kh

Not a great card. MP2 bets 3500 and I call. He tables AA and I tap the table feeling like a moron for calling preflop.

A round later I’m involved yet again, this time against Jeff Madsen:

My stack: 3,200, Madsen: 2,100, blinds 50/100. I hold J5o in the BB.

Preflop: Folds to Madsen in MP1, Madsen calls, MP2 folds, HJ calls, CO folds, button calls, SB completes, I check.

Flop: Q J 2 rainbow

Everyone checks.

Turn: 5

I fire 500, Madsen moves all-in, it folds to me, I call. Madsen tables 55 and I’m about to be crippled.

River: K

Gavin turns to me and says “I think you can write down that you’re running bad today.”

“Yeah, just a little.”

After paying the SB the next hand I’m down to 1,050 chips from a start bank of 10,000. This is not going well at all.

An orbit later I find QQ in MP1 and shove. It folds to Marco Traniello on the button, Marco calls, both blinds fold. Marco tables AJo and I need to dodge.

Flop: K T 8 rainbow

Turn: 2

River: 9

Back to 2,200, I think we can make this happen.

During the break I tell everyone I run into I’m down to 2,200, which is actually up from 1050. After the break I win a small pot pre flop where I open shove AQ with 10 BB’s then find myself in another hand in the BB:

My stack: 2,400, HJ: Much more. HJ is the young aggressive Euro. Blinds 100/200, I hold A5o in the BB.

Preflop: Two folds, UTG+2 calls, 2 folds, HJ calls, folds to the SB, SB completes, I check.

Flop: As Kd Td

SB checks, I check (?), UTG+2 checks, HJ bets 550, SB folds, I shove, UTG+2 folds, HJ calls and shows KTo. Shit.

Turn: 5s

Okay then.

River: 9

I sit back down and find myself back over 5,000.

A round later I’m involved again, this time versus Jeff Madsen. Madsen has been pretty aggressive and spewy, and has gotten so short stacked that I think he might be gambling to get a stack or go home early:

My stack: ~5,500, Madsen: ~2,600, blinds 100/200. I hold ATo on the HJ.

Preflop: Folds to me, I raise to 550, folds to Madsen in the SB, Madsen shoves, BB folds, I call. Madsen shows AdJd. Oops.

Flop: A T 8 rainbow

Turn: 2

River: T

An orbit later I’m involved yet again, this time with Marco Traniello:

My stack: ~8,200, Marco: ~7,500, blinds 100/200. I hold QdQs on the button.

Preflop: Marco limps UTG, folds to me on the button, I raise to 800, folds back to Marco, Marco calls.

Flop: Ks 9s 5h

Marco checks, I check behind.

Turn: 9h

Marco bets 1200, I call.

River: Kc

Marco bets 3,000, I call. Marco instantly taps the table and mucks. I’m not sure why he’d try and bluff there, it’s a bad board to represent and I’ve done nothing but say ‘call’ at this table all day long. Suddenly I’m way back over my starting stack of 10,000.

A bit after the last hand I’m moved to a new table to a seat that has me sandwiched with Huck Seed on my right and Men ‘the Master’ Nguyen on my left. Across the table online player Stevie444 introduces himself to me. It doesn’t take long for Huck to start chatting with me as well. He seems like a really easy going and nice guy, and we discuss various prop bets we could get into. The blinds have gone up to 100/200 with a 25 ante when my next hand comes up:

My stack: ~13,000, MP3: ~30,000, blinds 100/200 with 25 ante. I hold KcTc in the BB.

Preflop: Folds to MP3, MP3 raises to 600, folds to me in the BB, I call.

Flop: 7s Kd 3c

I check, MP3 bets 800, I call.

Turn: Ts

I think MP3 will check back a lot here and I’m all for creating a big pot if he has something like AK. I lead 2,000; MP3 thinks it over a while and calls. He doesn’t seem so sure about the strength of his hand.

River: 9h

I think it over, then bet 3,600. MP3 tanks for quite a while, then folds.

Two hands later I’m involved again against a guy I know from Melbourne, Jimmy Sach:

My stack: ~16000, Jimmy: ~8000, blinds 100/200 with 25 ante. I hold 4s4c on the button.

Preflop: UTG limps, Jimmy limps UTG+1, UTG+2 folds, MP1 limps, folds to me on the button, I limp, Men completes the SB, BB checks.

Flop: A 8 4 rainbow

SB checks, BB bets 1,100, folds to Jimmy, Jimmy calls, MP1 folds, I call, SB folds.

Turn: Jd

BB checks, Jimmy checks, I think it over and bet 2,700, BB folds, Jimmy goes into the tank. He stares me down and asks some questions, but I say nothing. After a while he declares all-in and I instantly call. He tables AQo and he’s drawing dead.

River: 3

Just a few hands later I’m involved yet again, this time against Men:

My stack: ~25,000, Men: ~18,000, blinds 100/200 with 25 ante. I hold QdQc in MP2.

Preflop: Folds to me in MP2, I raise to 600, Men calls on the HJ, the rest fold.

Flop: 5h 6h 7s

I bet 800, Men raises to 2,000, I call.

Turn: 9d

I check, Men thinks it over and checks back.

River: 3c

I check, Men bets 5,000. I think it over for quite a while because I think Men could absolutely be bluffing a board this scary with a missed draw. I mean if he hit the straight or something why not bet the turn? Could he be pot controlling the turn with a hand like a set or two pair then on the river decides I must have an over pair and goes for value? I think it over a while then decide to fold, since I think most telling is the strange, value seeming sized bet of his flop raise. It seems very close though.

Not long after I get moved tables yet again, finding myself to the left of online player ‘BadcardsAA’ and right of ‘PBdrunks’. Across the table is ‘Bakes’, who looks kind of pissed off. I start chatting with ‘Badcards’ and ‘Drunks’ a ton and the table becomes very social. During the break ‘Bakes’ tells me the guy in seat 8 is a massive spew station guy who has played almost every hand. A few hands after the break I get a chance to put this knowledge to use after having watched him play a ton of hands:

My stack: ~19,000, Spew: ~50,000, blinds 150/300 with 25 ante. I hold Ah8h on the button.

Preflop: Folds to Spew in MP3, Spew raises to 1,000, folds to me on the button, I call (I don’t do this against the majority of players), both blinds fold.

Flop: As Th 4c

Spew fires 1,500, I call.

Turn: 7h

Spew fires 5,000, I call. This might look like a great card for some to raise, but really against someone who is liable to bluff you should continue calling and let him do his job. Also, the only hands that can really give you a ton of action at this point are mostly better hands (yes there are some that will keep going.)

River: Ks

Spew fires out 10,000. I stare at him briefly then look down at my stack. I have about 1,000 more than that. I toss in my two ‘5,000’ chips and he instantly taps the table. I turn over my hand and a number of people on the table compliment the call.

A round later I get involved again:

My stack: ~38,000, button: ~8,500, blinds 150/300 with 25 ante. I hold AdAs in MP2.

Preflop: Folds to me, I raise to 900, two folds, button calls, both blinds fold.

Flop: Kh Js 4h

I bet 1,300, button thinks it over a while then shoves, I call. Button tables KQo and I’m way in front.

Turn: 2c

River: Jh

I play some small pots for the rest of 150/300 and keep finding good hands pre flop. A little while through 200/400 I find myself in another hand with the spew:

My stack: ~53,000, Spew: ~70,000, blinds 200/400 with 50 ante. I hold 8h8s UTG.

Preflop: I raise to 1,100, folds to MP2, MP2 calls, folds to the button, button calls, both blinds fold.

Flop: 2d 3d 5h

I bet 2,400, MP2 folds, button calls.

Turn: Jc

I check, button bets 5,000, I call.

River: Qh

I check, button bets 8,000. Shit. Shit! This is such a weird spot. I just made a big call down on this guy, would he really try it again? The annoying part here is if he peeled the flop with over cards, or a flush draw with face cards he’s gotten there on me. His bet size looks like he really wants a call. So I guess I should fold? I think it over and lay down my hand.

An orbit later I decide to try my first light 3 bet of the tournament:

My stack: ~42,000, MP2: ~18,000, blinds 200/400 with 50 ante. I hold Qh9h on the HJ.

Preflop: Folds to MP2, MP2 raises to 1200, I reraise to 3400 (this should be a bit bigger), folds back to MP2, MP2 thinks it over a while and calls.

Flop: 3 6 9 rainbow

MP2 checks. Against this particular player I think betting here is a total bluff because he’s fairly straight forward post flop. I decide to check back and call down on a number of turn cards to illicit bluffs.

Turn: T

MP2 bets 5,000, I call.

River: A

MP2 nearly leaps out of his seat in excitement then declares all-in. God damn fucking piece of shit river. Damn it! I fold and hate myself for not betting the flop.

Then for a very long time I play almost zero important pots. I go pretty card dead and my stack doesn’t really change. It’s not until 400/800 that I find myself involved again. The player in the hand is the Euro player who during the $1,000 rebuy tournament made the big squeeze with 98s which I called with AJo.

My stack: ~36,400, Euro: ~120k, blinds 400/800 with 100 ante. I hold QdQc in the BB.

Preflop: Folds to the HJ, HJ raises to 2,800, folds to me in the BB, I re-raise to 9,000, HJ declares all-in, I call. HJ shows AKo and we’re off to the races.

Flop: K 8 4 rainbow

God damn it. Not again. I get out of my chair and start putting my jacket on.

Turn: Qs

Never mind. I take my jacket back off and start counting out my chips.

River: Jd

With that I become one of the larger stacks in the tournament.

I play a few more small pots in the 400/800 level and get my stack over 80,000. There’s a new player on the table who’s an older guy but surprisingly aggressive. He seems to open quite a few pots, often a little bigger than he should. With that history the next hand comes up:

My stack: ~80,000, MP1: ~25,000, blinds 500/1000 with 100 ante. I hold AdJc in the BB.

Preflop: Folds to MP1, MP1 raises to 3,500, folds to me in the BB, I call.

Flop: Jh 8h 4h

I check, MP1 goes all-in. Well, I guess he has a draw. I call and he tables AsQh.

Turn: Th

“Oh man, I folded two hearts” says ‘BadcardsAA’ on my right.

River: 3h

How amusing.

A bit later the aggressive Euro player raises it up and I flat call with AsTs. The flop comes A high and he gets two streets of value from me with AQ, and my once massive stack has dwindled back in the area of 45,000. Not long after Dmitri Nobles gets moved to the table, and he’s considerably tighter than I thought he’d be from the 2006 WSOP coverage. He’s also a real friendly and fun guy to have on the table, and as the day unwinds our table gets very recreational.

I hit a small preflop rush where I win some pots by taking the blinds and re-steal an aggressive player out of the SB with Ts8s. Near the end of the day I find myself in a hand with Dmitri:

My stack: ~52,000, Dmitri: ~110k, blinds 600/1200 with 100 ante. I hold AsQs on the CO.

Preflop: Folds to Dmitri in MP1, MP1 raises to 3,300, folds to me on the CO, I call, the rest fold.

Flop: Qd Ad Kc

Dmitri bets 5,000, I raise to 16,500. Dmitri leans back and goes into the tank. He sits there thinking, tanking, then thinking some more. He starts talking to me and asking about my hand. He tanks for several minutes, then looks up at the clock as it runs out of time for the day. He flashes me a king and folds

“I just didn’t want to pay my BB man, I wasn’t gonna do anything.”

“Heh, sick, I thought you were gonna put on this big show with the speech and everything and tank forever then shove with top set or something.”

“Hell no, I wouldn’t do you like that.”

The day ends and I find myself with 67,900, good for a little above average. It sure as hell beats 1,050.

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