I've been kind of lazy with my updates lately, so I'm going to catch you guys up on my continueinug MSOP tournament schedule. I think the 3 events we're missing are the $20 NL, the $15 6 Max NL, and the $15 limit hold'em/ I'm basically going to break down a few key hands in each and that's about it. Nothing like the previous update blogs I have written.
$20 No Limit Hold'em event: I never really got anything going. I don't think I ever got above 3500 chips in the event. I'd win a pot, I'd lose a pot. I'd win a pot, I'd lose a pot. My stack was yo-yoing from the original starting stack and I didn't get anything going. During the 50/100 level a guy utg raise to 300 I have QQ and 3 bet to 925 he shoves I call the rest of my 3k stack and he has KK and I bust. Nice cooler to end the tournament.
$15 6 max No Limit Hold'em Event: I really didn't get anything going. Everyone at my table basically outplayed me the first hour and I couldn't connect to the flop. I doubled up with T9s on a T886 board when a guy called me with AQ. Later I got back to 2k and double with KK versus JJ and got up to 4k. When this hand happened.
An active played raise it up. I re-raise 45% of my stack with AQo. Long story short we got all the chips in preflop with me holding AQo and I was facing KK and AA. To say I was dominated was an understatement. KT7 flop. O hi der J on turn, blank on river and I tripled up. I won another big hand when I had TT on a 678 two club board guy shoved on me. If it was rainbow I fold but he's line screams flush draw. He had 888, I turned a ten and got basically doubled again.
After that hand I got moved to a new table and basically started to play some of the best poker I have ever played. I basically chipped up from 24k to 110k without showing down except for a few smallish blind versus blind hands. A couple keys hands to this.
I have 49k; villian has 33k. Blinds: 600/1200 ante 125. I raised to 2925 with K6o from the button. Villian calls. Flop: 753 two spades. He check-calls my bet of 3650. Turn: J of diamonds. He check-calls again my bet of 8345. River: The 8 of spades. He checks I shove all-in and he basically insta-folds. So my king high took that hand. I 3 bet a guys button raise with J7o @ 600/1200 he raised to 3.6k I re-raised to 13k and he fold. This hand was the 2nd biggest hand of the tournament for me:
My stack: 69k Villian's stack: 62k Blinds: 800/1600 ante 200. Villian raises to 4.6k from the cutoff, the button flat calls and I flat from the big blind with AJo. Flop: Q52 two clubs. I check, villian bets 7k, button folds and I raise with air to 19.2k. Villian calls. Turn: king of diamonds. I check, villian checks. River: Q of diamonds. I bet 24.5k which leaves him with about 12k if he calls. He tanks it for a little bit and fold and my ace high rakes in the pot.
This hand is what gave me a huge stack. My stack: 109k Villian's Stack: 43k. Blinds: 1500/3k ante 400. I raise from the cutoff with A5 of diamonds to 7250. The big blind (who is the same guy I just played that big pot with) calls. Flop: AK6 two hearts. BB checks I bet 9k, villian minraises to 18k which is over half his stack. I didn't think he had an ace so I shove. He tanks forever and eventually calls with KQo. Turn: 2 hearts River: 9 hearts. Nobody has hearts and I win the pot and I'm up to 155k. The following hand hearts me inside. This pot would ahve put me in the chip with like 80 people (dont remember the exact number). My stack: 155k Villian's stack: 100k Blinds: 1500/3k ante 400. Info on the villian: He just check-called a short stack shove with J9s, he seem very spewing and liked to make moves. I raise from utg with 77 to 7250. Villian calls from the small blind. Flop: 654 rainbow. Villian checks, I bet 9k, villian then re-raises the pot which is 33k. At this point he could have anything overs, maybe 67, and a set. He has about 60 behind, so I think I have a little equity to shove with an over pair to the baord and an open-ended straight draw and if I shove he can fold the overs. Folding is an option, flat is an option but not one I'm going to take. I shove for 60k more he calls with 44 with bottom set. Turn: 5 of clubs pairing the board. River: 8 of clubs giving me my straight but not enough. So a pot of 205k s raked to the villian. After the hand I still had 55k. and basically went card dead I double at the 2500/5k level when I pushed with QJo and won a 60/40 versus ATo. I gave a little back and finally I shoved like 88k at 4k/8k with Q7s when I was the tournament short stack got called by AQ and I was done. Finishing in 25th place out of like 1900 for somehting like $150.
$15 Limit Hold'em Event: I consider my limit hold'em game to be better than my No Limit game. I just liek limit a lot better. I won one big pot when I had KK and had the betting capped 4 ways @ 25/50 and got one player to call me down to the river with AK high. And raked a big pot. I lost a big pot with AK to KQ when the guy got all-in on the flop with KQ and turned a queen. I lsoe a pot against the same guy after spewing away some of my chips I had AT against his Q2 and he hit a queen. I on a big pot @ 100/200 with AK against a guys stone bluff with 64 on a KQT52 board. He raised my bet on the turn and I check called his bet on the river. And I won a big pot. This hand shows some of my limit skills. My stack: 6k Villian Stack: 7k. Blinds: 100/200. I raise utg with TT. Get a middle position caller and the villian calls on the button. Flop: AAK 2 diamonds. I bet, he calls. Turn: 3 of spades. I bet, he raise, I put in a 3rd bet and he calls. He puts in a 4th bet, I can check fold. I know he doesn't have an ace and most likely not a king. River: 7 of spades. I bet, he folds. I basically chipped up to 11k when I lost AA to KJ when he rivered a 3rd jack and I lost 35% of my chips. I lost some more chips blind versus blind I had 64 of diamonds on an A25 board with 2 diamonds against a guy with KT no diamonds. I basically had 18 outs twice and bricked out and lose about a 6k pot. I eventually got all-in with AK versus QQ on the flop and lost that last and busted liked 90 from the money. This one was disappointing because I earned every chip I got and lost basically every big showdown I was end. A lot fo people made a ton of mistakes but just run like a god and suck out or whatever.
The MSOP is going really well for me. I've cashed twice finished 82nd, and 25th in 5500 and 2k person fields and cahsed for about $200 between those so I have some money to play more events and hopefully get a big score. I've bubbled a pot limit and limit hold'em tournaments, and got coolered in the other event I entered. I've played 5 Hold'em events which wasn't the plan, but I skipped the Omaha 8 or better event because I didn't feel like playing and the Omaha 8/ Stud 8 Mixed Event I wanted to concentrate on the 6 max event because I was deep and skipped that event as well. I'm really going to play more mixed games events because those are a strength of mine. I think I'm better than the average player in every event I enter, but the average player in a no limit hold'em (or hold'em in gerneral) is a lot better than the average player in an omaha 8 or stud 8 event. So I think my edge over the average player is greater in the mixed games than the hold'em but we will see.
So this coming week my schedule looks like this (tentative of course).
Sunday: $10 NL Hold'em F/o and $20 Limit Omaha 8 or better F/o
Monday: $15 NL Hold'em Shootout
Tuesday: $15 PL Omaha and $20 Limit Hold'em
Wednesday: $30 HORSE (pending satelites)
Thursday: $20 NL Hold'em F/o and $25 HA (PL Hold'em/Omaha)
Friday: $100 NL Hold'em Heads-Up (pending satelites) and $15 Razz
Saturday: $15 NL Hold'em F/o
I'm probably not going to play all of these events. I left a few out because of cost. I really want to play the HORSE and Heads-up events but we will see how those go. Anyways, come rail me but keep the attention off of me please. One good luck is enough. I want to be under the radar. I love the railers though. Stay tuned because I should be deep in many more tournaments!
MSOP Event #3.... POP!!!!
So the the MSOP $16 Pot Limit Hold'em tournament was today. The field wasn't as big as event 2 but still had 1700 people in the field and a prize pool of almost 26k with 5.3k going to 1st place. This was basically my first pot limit hold'em tournament I had ever played, so it was interesting to say the less. The biggest thing is pot limit awards patience because there are no antes so there is less of an incentive to steal blinds inless the people in the blinds are complete nits.3k starting stack and 12 minute levels equals an amazing structure. There are a lot more hands than event 2 just because there more interesting than event 2 where I basically had chips handed to me. Today was totally opposite. I basically earned everything.
This first hand was really the only big hand I won the whole tournament. Blinds are 20/40. I raise utg to 110 with KQs, a player in middle position 3 bets to 240 (basically a min raise) and the player on the button flat calls the 3 bet. Here there is no way I'm good but I call just because I have huge implied odds in the hand. The flop come K82 two diamonds. Surprisingly, it checks around. The turn is the J of clubs. I check, MP checks, and the button bets 500. Now i just flat call cuse I'm almost certain they would bet a king on the flop. MP folds. The river is the T of diamonds putting a straight and flush on the board. I check and the button bets pot! Now I think he would bet a little less with a flush or straight so he's either bluffing with air or he's bluffing with a weird played AA or AK. I tanked for about half my time bank and ultimately called. And to my surprise he flip of the monster that is 66 and I dragged in a good pot. Basically I went completely dead after that and I went into turbo nitzilla mode. Fold, fold, fold, raise weeeeee blinds, fold, fold, fold! Intill this hand way at 100/200!
I have 4800 at 100/200 and get AKo utg+2. I raise it up to 500 and get a call from the button who has about 4100. Flop comes 763 2 diamonds. I lead for 775 and the button calls. The turn is the 6 of hearts. I read have no idea what he has, so when in doubt bet(not really but when youhave an extrememly nitty image it might be the smart thing to do). I lead for pot which is 2850 basically putting him all in. He tanks for a few and folds. Bluffing with the best hand, I love it!
It folds to me on the button with the blinds at 120/240 and I have 6k in my stack. I riase it to 575 with 98s,the big blind calls and we see a flop. FLop comes 987 rainbow. Big blind checks and I bet 675. Big blind min raises me. Now here he could have a whole bunch of hands. JT, 65s for the straight, a naked ten for a straight draw, maybe even a nine, and of course air. There is no way I'm folding and I think flat calling is terrible. So i repot to like 5k which is probably too much but any raise is committing my whole stack. He insta-folded. Oh! missed oppurtunities.
I had a little Sowers in me in this hand. 150/300 blinds folds to the button who limps.Small blind folds and I check 49o. Flop comes 355 two spades. I check button bets 300, I raise to 900, button folds. Weeeeeeee. I can bluff! Thank you Mr. Mike Sowers you are a hero!
Basically after this hand I couldn't find anything any essentially got down to where if I raised I was playing my whole stack. So basically for an hour I just bet pot stole the blinds and never had any trouble intill my bust out had. At this point we are about 10 from the bubble, but I'm not one to try and sneak into the money. Blinds are 500/1k and I have like 9-10k (dont remember). I have KK and pot it to 3.5k.Fols around to the big blind who re-pops it to put me all-in. I insta call and he has 77. Finally the double hand that I was looking for for 2 and a half hours. I dont remember the board. All blanks on the flop, the turn gave him a gutterball straight draw, and the river said gg Mr. Baseball Tim when the 7 spiked on the river! So i busted like 8 from the money. Weeeeeee another bubble for me!
I'm not really sure how much I like pot limit holdem. Basically once I got down to 12 big blinds I didn't know what to do. So basically I think I did the right which was bet pot to maximize my fold equity. Anyways bubbling really sucks, but folding KK to make the money is terrible tournament stragety. I double up right there I have room to play some poker and make it deep. Bubbling sucks ass but I tihnk I played really well. How I even made it that far in the first place, I will never know. I had one big pair which was my bust out had, AK once, and AQ a shit load of times with 10 big blinds which never got any action. Anyways, I'm probably playing the $16 Omaha 8 or better tomorrow, so stay tuned for my updates from that tournament!
This first hand was really the only big hand I won the whole tournament. Blinds are 20/40. I raise utg to 110 with KQs, a player in middle position 3 bets to 240 (basically a min raise) and the player on the button flat calls the 3 bet. Here there is no way I'm good but I call just because I have huge implied odds in the hand. The flop come K82 two diamonds. Surprisingly, it checks around. The turn is the J of clubs. I check, MP checks, and the button bets 500. Now i just flat call cuse I'm almost certain they would bet a king on the flop. MP folds. The river is the T of diamonds putting a straight and flush on the board. I check and the button bets pot! Now I think he would bet a little less with a flush or straight so he's either bluffing with air or he's bluffing with a weird played AA or AK. I tanked for about half my time bank and ultimately called. And to my surprise he flip of the monster that is 66 and I dragged in a good pot. Basically I went completely dead after that and I went into turbo nitzilla mode. Fold, fold, fold, raise weeeeee blinds, fold, fold, fold! Intill this hand way at 100/200!
I have 4800 at 100/200 and get AKo utg+2. I raise it up to 500 and get a call from the button who has about 4100. Flop comes 763 2 diamonds. I lead for 775 and the button calls. The turn is the 6 of hearts. I read have no idea what he has, so when in doubt bet(not really but when youhave an extrememly nitty image it might be the smart thing to do). I lead for pot which is 2850 basically putting him all in. He tanks for a few and folds. Bluffing with the best hand, I love it!
It folds to me on the button with the blinds at 120/240 and I have 6k in my stack. I riase it to 575 with 98s,the big blind calls and we see a flop. FLop comes 987 rainbow. Big blind checks and I bet 675. Big blind min raises me. Now here he could have a whole bunch of hands. JT, 65s for the straight, a naked ten for a straight draw, maybe even a nine, and of course air. There is no way I'm folding and I think flat calling is terrible. So i repot to like 5k which is probably too much but any raise is committing my whole stack. He insta-folded. Oh! missed oppurtunities.
I had a little Sowers in me in this hand. 150/300 blinds folds to the button who limps.Small blind folds and I check 49o. Flop comes 355 two spades. I check button bets 300, I raise to 900, button folds. Weeeeeeee. I can bluff! Thank you Mr. Mike Sowers you are a hero!
Basically after this hand I couldn't find anything any essentially got down to where if I raised I was playing my whole stack. So basically for an hour I just bet pot stole the blinds and never had any trouble intill my bust out had. At this point we are about 10 from the bubble, but I'm not one to try and sneak into the money. Blinds are 500/1k and I have like 9-10k (dont remember). I have KK and pot it to 3.5k.Fols around to the big blind who re-pops it to put me all-in. I insta call and he has 77. Finally the double hand that I was looking for for 2 and a half hours. I dont remember the board. All blanks on the flop, the turn gave him a gutterball straight draw, and the river said gg Mr. Baseball Tim when the 7 spiked on the river! So i busted like 8 from the money. Weeeeeee another bubble for me!
I'm not really sure how much I like pot limit holdem. Basically once I got down to 12 big blinds I didn't know what to do. So basically I think I did the right which was bet pot to maximize my fold equity. Anyways bubbling really sucks, but folding KK to make the money is terrible tournament stragety. I double up right there I have room to play some poker and make it deep. Bubbling sucks ass but I tihnk I played really well. How I even made it that far in the first place, I will never know. I had one big pair which was my bust out had, AK once, and AQ a shit load of times with 10 big blinds which never got any action. Anyways, I'm probably playing the $16 Omaha 8 or better tomorrow, so stay tuned for my updates from that tournament!
