Walking back to Houston

They say that AK is also known as "walking back to Houston".

I played two freerolls last night: A $30k WSOP freeroll at Titan, and a $5k freeroll at Pacific. I did well early on Titan, doubling up with KK and winning a few small pots. But the cards dried up approaching first break, and I busted out in 122nd (out of 270) with an AK coinflip vs 66.

On Pacific I fared better, making it to the last 28 with an above average stack (about 7k). With the blinds at 200/400 and two limpers, I raised to 1000 with the magic AK again. All fold to UTG who pushes all-in. I put it down to a bit of a tilty push as a result of a pot I pushed him off a few hands earlier. I call, and he shows KJ. Naturally the J shows up on the flop, I fail to improve, and exit in 28th.

Had I won the pot, I would have been roughly tournament leader and in with a good shot at the $1500 first place. Oh well, I'm saving all my luck for the $100k event next weekend anyway..

The roll that keeps rolling

Two tourneys tonight:

1st in a $5 SNG and 1st in a 93 player freeroll. Can't complain about my run just at the moment.

On a roll!

Had a huge night on Pacific on Saturday. Starting with $20, I played for a while at a 0.5/1 limit table with a couple of out and out calling stations. This lifted me quickly up to around $55. Feeling confident, I entered a shorthanded $10 MTT.

I played pretty well and ended up with 2nd place, for a cool $212. Once again I wasn't without my share of good fortune. I played pretty well to get myself into an early strong stack. I then played a stupid hand, where I managed to lose almost all of it playing A6 on an ace high flop (the other guy had AA). After that bruising, I was nearly busted. But I caught a few cards and doubled through two or three times. Before I knew it I was tournament leader, and pushing my table around a bit. Down to the last two tables, I played pretty tight and watched as the other players knocked each other out. At the last three, I was a big underdog, but found the 2nd stack busting himself to the big stack. Heads up I was about a 5-1 dog, but I played well to get myself into a 3-1 lead at one stage. The big hand was when I was leading about 55-45, and made a straight with A9 on a T876 board. I was just congratulating myself for slow playing the other guy into it when he truned over J9 :(

Oh well, I can hardly complain about my run. I think I have gone top 20% or better in all my non-freeroll tournaments so far.

Tournament report

I played a $5 buyin tournament yesterday - only me second MTT (in the first I finished top 50 in a ~1000 player $1 buyin). Here is the blow-by-blow.

1500 chips, rebuys, addons, 474 players.. $5 fee, $7500 prizes

Made my initial big stack mainly by calling an all-in bet w AK (I had
previously raised). Another guy calls, both have small pairs, i hit
my king and then the ace flush.

Hmm... Lost a chunk with JJ to a smaller stack all in w AQ - Ace hit
the river..

Scammed a lucky break - limped in w J9s on SB. Flop is 234 w 2
spades. I bet the pot, get minraised - forced to call for the odds.
Q hits, I gambool all-in - muppet has A4, but I hit a 9 on the river..
Odds wise, the all-in was ok, since I probably have odds to call any
bet (15 outs to any sensible hand). Tournament wise it's probably a
dumb thing to do when you have a good stack..

Been playing nearly 2 hours. 149/474 left. Top 50 pay. Haven't had
to start stealing pots yet, but blinds are climbing and i may need to
start soon. Also haven't seen a premium hand bar the JJ loser, and a
99 that won the blinds.

Just got lucky again.. Raise w KQs, one smallish stack caller.. flop
is JJ6, ripe for a steal. I raise him all in, he call w 99. turn and
river are 10 and A!

Hmm... Just hit AA late position. two callers to me, i raise 4BB, all
fold. Too big a raise? Maybe 3BB is more tempting - I can't just
call with two limpers..

Monsta!! Two hands later JJ.. Two smaller stacks all in to me - I
call.. A9 and Q10. The 9 and 10 hit, but thankfully no A or Q.. JJ
redeems itself!

Lots of bad players here.. All in preflop with really ordinary hands
and huge stacks. A few times BB is enough to steal usually..

AA gets busted.. Two microstacks call, and 87 hits a str8.

Brain fart nearly kills me.. Raise late pos K2s, one caller. Flop is
rags, I bet, call. Both check turn. Check to me on river, i go all
in for a lot. Other guy covers me (just), but fortunately folds. It
worked out this time, but really I gotta stay cool or a move like that
will blow me away..

Lo and behold just after saying that, i go and blow 1/3 of my stack.
Call on button w K9s (one limper). Flop is Q1010 with a four flush
for me. Pot is bet to me, i reraise him all in. He call w KJ, and my
outs (12 of them) don't show..

77 left.. Bubble is soon. I have nearly 30k, which is a middling stack.

Been lucky w the blinds. They seem to move up just after they pass me
every time..

I'm in the money now.. Been hanging tight and folding ok hands.
50th pays $33.75 :/ Time to step it up.. Playing tight won't win me
anything decent..

I have to say, tourney poker is a bit dull, especially late in the
event. Fold, fold, fold, steal, fold, fold, fold.. Very little
postflop play at all.

Getting a bit short stacked here by attrition. Going to have to start
early position bluffs..

Woohoo!! Tripled up in a fluke shot. Had A10 on BB, 40 left but
still a long way to go to big bux. Two all-in bets to me, I call..
Coz i am short. 77 and AK. My 10 makes a str8 :)

And we are bussssted in 26th ($56.25) ... Not too shabby. I had AJ in the SB.
One limper, I raise to 3BB. BB calls, limper folds. Flop is J1010.
Eureka I think. Bet most of my stack, reraised all-in. Villain shows
KK :( I don't improve :(

If the BB holds KK when you move, it's a tough situation. When you then hit the flop, you're pretty much a goner.

I feel like I played ok, although I obviously got lucky a few times.



Here endeth the lesson.