Above: Welcome to my poker tournament. (Entrance to Harrah's Casino)
I finished 20th or 21st in the tournament. I lost a race early: An aggressive player raised to 30,000 and another moved all in for 70,000. The blinds were 3000/6000 with a 1000 ante. I peeked at my cards and saw: ♥A ♦K. My stack was 185,000. What would you do?
I reraised all in. The first guy thought and thought, showed A-J offsuit and folded. A-J off, really? The other guy turned over ♦6 ♣6. It was a race, but excellent for me. There was 18,000 in blinds and antes and the 30,000 from the first bozo who raised with A-J, so this is very +EV for me. Unfortunately, the board bricked out and instead of having 300,000 in chips, I had around 120,000.
Then this hand: There was one limper to me in the small blind. I completed holding ♦Q ♥3 and the big blind checked. The flop was ♥Q ♠J ♣9. I bet 20,000 and the big blind moved all in for 40,000 more. I finally called and he showed ♣10 ♦2 for an OESD. The river was an 8, giving him the straight and crippling my stack.
I built back up to 150,000 when the bust out hand came: The blinds were 4000/8000 with 1000 ante. That means there was 21,000 in the pot preflop. It folded to an aggressive guy on the button who had raised the button almost everytime it was folded to him. He made a predictable 30,000 bet and I was in the small blind with ♠A ♠K. The pot was too big to mess around, so I moved all in. The BB folded and the button thought a little while and called with ♣A ♥J. Players really overvalue a hand like that. I don't mind the bet, but to call an all-in? I guess he hoped I had pocket deuces, lol.
This was so sweet -- if my hand held, I would move well past 300,000 in chip$ and be in position to win the tournament. The flop was X-X-X, the turn was another rag, but the river was a jack. That was so disheartening. Coming on the river only made it hurt worse. I know everybody hates to hear bad beat stories, but I can't help myself.
Anyway, it was certainly exciting, although the conclusion was not what I had hoped. But, hey, that's poker.
Image by MOJO and taken with my P&S.
Very nicely done. Jack on the river. That's just not right.
ReplyDeleteDon't know what you are talking about, but that's OK. Heck, I don't know what a lot of people are talking about!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the photo - maybe it made you dizzy before you got into the tournament?
Re: B&N...I never buy a mocha, but almost always buy a book. I think you're the wise one! I should buy a mocha, then sit down and read a book!
Sounds like you made a lot of correct decisions and the cards just didn't fall in your favour. A shame about the eventual outcome, but you have to be satisfied about how well you played, I'd say.
ReplyDelete-PL
Hi, Baggs. How's your money.
ReplyDeleteCongrats. Done good.
Congrats on the cash! I know it sucks to lose those key hands, but you played your best.
ReplyDeleteI hate AK. Tough luck, but that's poker. Phil Ivey got knocked out of the WSOP final table with AK by Darvin Moon's AQ.
ReplyDeleteGreat photo.
The luck factor is what sucks but also keeps us addicted to the game. Good job!
ReplyDeleteThe Jack on the river was a heartbreaker, Mojo..but congrats on playing so well and cashing! That's awesome!!
ReplyDeleteI did not realize (a) you were at Harrah's playing a live tournament and (b) they have such juicy tournaments. I gotta get me some of that - are we talking Las Vegas Dave or some other city of iniquity?
ReplyDeleteAlso, congrats on a cool cash - ending day one with over $201,000 shows serious mojo
The key hands suck, but after a while we almost expect them - it's rare we get beaten out "fair and square"
Though last night I was beaten fairly when my big semi bluff got called by the nuts and I was drawing dead - there I was just out pokered
BTW my email is rosstaylor999@hotmail.com - please send me one
My poker stars account is blondeandbad (zero rating - I have never played there except for play money)