This past Friday we started a game with 60 minute blinds and starting stacks of 250,000. The action pre-flop was Pot-Limit while the post flop play reverted to our normal No-Limit game.
Originally, the idea was to get 10 players to play and have a $1000 first place prize, but we never quite got there. We did have 9 at one point but a Fleetwood Mac concert commitment and a late dropout put us at 7 players.
Simon, Grant, Bill, John, Kent, Michael and Bob all ponied up $200 for the game. We planned on playing 5 levels during the first day of play and next week we will pick up action 6 handed (yes, we lost one player). If all goes according to plan we will have a third day of playing on May 15th where we should be able to declare a winner.
2 payouts of $900 and $470 for this game.
Starting at 100-200 and 60 minute blinds there would obviously be many players seeing as many flops as possible. Who is going to fold to a raise to 800 with 250k in front of him??
Here is what happened to me during "day 1":
Got off to a good start stealing a few pots, making a few hands when i got tangled up with Bill. This was my biggest bluff of the day...
I raised with 8h9h from EP and Bill called from the BB with some kind of Bill hand.
The flop came out K x x. Bill checked so i made a bet and of course Bill called after hitting second pair.
Turn was something that didn't help me at all, Bill check-called me again. i remember thinking he either had a 4-flush or a weak pair. If he had a King i knew he was going to call me down.
River bricked for me again and Bill checked. I usually will check here if i think he is going to call but if he had 2nd pair i was done. A busted draw probably had me beat so i bet out 50,000 into the pot of about 30,000. He folded after flashing 2nd pair.
Because it was Bill i showed the table my bluff. Bill is fun to bluff but it's a dangerous play to make too because of his ability to think his hand is always good and call. Hence, the nickname "Caller Bill"
Scoreboard, Simon: 1 - Bill: 0
Later, I lost a pretty massive hand given the blinds (200-400) to Kent...
I call a raise to 1,200 from the button with 66. Kent, Michael, John and I see a flop of 3-T-6.
It checks to Kent who fires out 3,000, I call and I think John calls too
Turn is a 2 or 3 and puts 3 hearts out there. Kent bets 6,000 and I pump it up to 26,000, John folds.
The interesting part of this hand starts because i figured that Kent had an overpair and if he had KK or AA or QQ he could have the heart. When he looked at his cards and called it kinda reassured me this is what he had.
Now, the river brings a black brick and Kent now comes out betting 50,000. WTF is this!?!? Helllooooooo Kent, i have a set fag! You have an overpair and i know you are bluffing me you retard. But wait, maybe Kent is trying to push me out with his overpair and missed flush draw. The only hand i can think of that beats me here is the flush but i have already discounted that on the turn when he acted the way he did. I think he played this hand extremely well because if he had a flush he would have re-raise me on the turn, right? That's what he usually would do. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Well, I called and he turned over his cards one by one and the first one he turned over was the Ace of hearts and I knew he had me. He had Ah5h.
This is when John starts berating me, "What the fuck did you think he had? He cant have any other hand there!" blah blah blah. I suppose I could have folded but i'm not that good i guess. Sets look too sexy to fold to Kent, if i fold that then he knows he can bluff me and i have too much pride for that. BLUFF AWAY EVERYONE I WILL CALL YOU DOWN! I am the King of hero-calls so watch out when you play vs me!!!
That lost hand took me from ~300k to under a starting stack, close to 200,000. And worse, I had the feeling that this was the hand that would make me play looser, crazier and of course, worse. That's what usually happens when i lose a big hand like this in big tournies, I kinda lose concentration and try to win a big pot right away to right the ship. It isn't a very good strategy to take, believe me.
It wasn't long after that Kent made another good play.
On a flop of 4-7-8 Bill called a bet from Kent and we saw a turn J. Kent fires again but now Bill raises it up. After some considerable time thinking Kent folds 56 face up. Bill gives Kent some kudos and shows T9 for the turned nutzzzzzz! uh-oh, Kent found his 'A' game and looks to be playing well...who is this new guy?
When my stack dropped to somewhere around 150k i looked down at KK either in the cutoff or the button and I re-raised from 1,200 to 8,000. Michael called as did 1 or 2 others.
The flop came out 4-7-Q and Michael checked from the BB. I bet 25,000, John folded but now Michael jacks it up 40,000 more...fcuk! now I am pretty much faced with a fold or shove situation because with ~75,000 behind after i call the raise i expect he will call if I jam it. So, i start to think about wtf he could have. There are two diamonds out there so 56dd is the only draw he could have. He could have played AA weird but it's probably not what he has. 44 or 77 seem to be glaring at me given the way the hand was played. I don't think AQ or any other 1 pair hand goes crazy like this so I'm kinda stuck on the set thing. He did check-raise me after all!
So i folded.
Later I find out he had AQ...fcuk! I'm short stacked even worse now but i still have ~115,000.
We get into the final level of the night (500 -1,000) and i get a preeeeeemium hand in the BB. I look at pocket 7s and called a raise from Bob in the SB.
Flop is 3-7-3...ka-ching!
I almost bet out here thinking if anyone came in with a 3 i can double up but chose to check.
The turn brought a card i thought i could get paid a bit with..Ac
Bob fires out 12,000 and i call because if he has AK or AQ i can get paid more later. it was nice to see Bill also call from UTG
The river delivered a 3rd club for a board of 3-7-3-A-x.
Now i bet 25,000 and Bill called, Bob folded kinda quick so if he had an Ace he didn't want to get involved with it. I showed my boat and Bill had river a flush with the T2 of clubs. Again, John uses this opportunity to vent at Bill for:
1. limping UTG with T2
2. calling a raise with T2
3. chasing a flush with T2 on a paired board
4. paying me off with T2
5. being a calling station with T2
Standard John commentary when he isn't on the losing end of the pot. "you play goot!" he says.
John would get his later!
As we neared the end of the level and the end of day 1, Bill, John, Grant and I were all under the starting stack of 250k. Michael was well over and Kent was hovering around even. That was about to change when the final hand of the night came...
I believe John raised from MP and Kent called from the SB or BB. Grant came along for the party too.
3 players saw a Q-T-2 flop. Kent checked, Grant bet 6,000 and John raised to about 26,000. Kent re-raised to 50,000 and Grant hit the eject button and flew away.
John was clearly not himself when he muttered something to the effect we were all fishcakes, retards and idiots and Phil Hellmuthed his stack into the center. Kent called and showed bottom set. John had KQ and was left with runner runner to win. he did pick up a gutterball on the turn but it missed and that was it for Johnnie boy.
Chip counts at the end of Day 1:
Michael: 438,800
Kent: 388,400
Bob: 362,500
Grant: 210,900
Simon: 186,500
Bill: 163,900
Day 2 is next week at 7:05pm. You are welcome to come and watch the exciting action!
A $40 tourney will be going on at table 2 next week for those who want to get their fix.
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