Saturday, July 9, 2011

Aces vs. aces vs. MOJO


Above: The shot clock at the tournament today after five hours play.

One hundred and eleven runners paid $160 to play in the Saturday poker tournament at the Horseshoe Casino. I busted out in twenty-second place. My downfall was calling a three-times the big blind raise (12,000) with Q J. A guy behind me moved all in for another 18,000 and the original raiser called. It would cost me 18,000 to win a 101,000 pot (there were 6,000 in blinds and 5000 in antes), so I called. The original raised turned over A A. The all-in guy showed A A!

The flop had a jack and the turn had a queen -- I'm ahead! But the river put a fourth spade on the board giving the all-in guy a flush.

I started the hand with 35,000 in chips where the average stack was 55,000. Should I have called. I think I shouldn't have called the original 12,000 bet, but once I did, the pot was too big to give it up. If I got lucky, that would have given me the chips I needed to win the tournament.

Tomorrow's another day.

Photo by MOJO with my P&S.

4 comments:

  1. Wow, nice going on the deep run. Funny how it only takes one hand to undo 5 hours of play.

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  2. You had less than nine big blinds. Committing over 1/3 of your stack by calling to aggression (don't know how that player was playing, however) with Q-J sooted with action behind sounds more like a lightning-type play!

    A better option, imo, would have been to wait for a better time -- different cards, unraised pot.

    Once you called and the action continued the way it did, you were placed in a bad position -- priced in, but obviously behind at least one and probably both players.

    Of course, things are so much easier in retrospect and when not in the moment.

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  3. As Sparky pointed out, ~9 BB. To carry it farther M < 5. I have no problem with your play. I think moving in would have been the better option but the way the cards broke that wouldn't have made any difference this time.

    QJs wasn't a bad hand at the point -- where any two cards can be played without much retrospective. Although, I'll return to moving in with the thought you were already pot committing and could hope to at least isolate with the move.

    Isn't the description one we've all experienced repeatedly? The story really isn't about the cards at such points. You need a pivot point and range of hands is more like our standup act. We can look like bad comedians. Comedy they say is based on anguish and sorrow.

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  4. Along those comedy lines, let me describe a memorable one ... for me at least.

    Same kind of situation. I got KK. Ends up three way all in -- just how is a bit hazy. Other guys have KK and AA. The board didn't come close to four-flushing.

    If their had been a band, I am sure the drummer would have found the appropriate point for a rim shot with, as someone loves to say, "Laughter ensued." But, I was the punch line. Happens to all of us.

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