Day 9: Short Life in the Venetian
I didn’t spend much time at the Venetian today, busted in the 3rd hour and what is now my quickest bust yet. I had several interesting hands though, much different from my other tourneys before the first break. Unfortunately my day off resting yesterday did nothing to help my sickness as I felt queezy the entire time again as soon as I sat down. I had to send back my diet Pepsi because I just couldn’t drink it; the waitress brought me a soda w/alka seltzer which tasted bad but she assured me it would work. Well, I didn’t get to finish it in time before I busted so I guess we wont know until later lol.
The very first hand of the tournament I pick up AA and squeeze two opponents, both of which fold. Blinds are 50/100 and we’re all 15,000 chips deep and it was a good start to the day. Meanwhile, an aggressive asian had been raising nearly 30-40% of hands and folding when played back at, so he’s not doing it with too strong of a range (keep this in mind for later). Eight hands later I’m in the BB and squeeze the asian and a donk cold-caller to my right (he was very bad) with AKo and they both fold.
I get AA again in EP with blinds of 50/100 so I open to t300, I get reraised by the aggressive asian so I call knowing he’s at the top of his range and not wanting him to fold QQ/AK to my 4bet. My plan was to c/r any non-Q flop and build the pot that way; unfortunately for me I flop top set with the flush redraw so I practically have the nuts (and changes the way I play the hand. I am trying to do as much acting as possible to make it seem weak and I did get my opponent to cbet the Ace. I called and the turn brought a blank and it went check/check. The river brought another blank and I tried to represent a missed Flush Draw somehow by betting nearly full pot, hoping for a hero call. It didn’t work out and he folded so I’m assuming he had QQ-KK and played it bad on that flop. I’m up to 17,000 chips and feeling good.
Blinds go up to 75/150 and I pick up K7s in the SB. It is 5 way limped so I complete and the flop comes K93 rainbow; I check to pot control my hand and see where the action goes. UTG, who had been fairly weak/tight so far, bets t700 into the t900 pot and I wanted to fold but couldn’t help but feel exploitable if I just c/f TP everytime there. If someone else had come along then I throw it into the muck and not feel too bad about it. I call and the turn gives me two pair and completing the rainbow with the 7. So now the board reads: K937; I’ve got this guy covered probably 2-1 so I was up in the air on whether I wanted to c/r or just c/c down. The pot is t2300 and he bets 1500 into it; he could have a wide range in that position: 33, 99, K9, KQ+ and maybe even KK+ depending if he was going for a limp/reraise preflop. Using those calculations I’m not liking my equity when my shove gets called so I again c/c. The river is a blank and I check to him and he bets t5000 into the t5300 pot and I don’t think he’s bluffing; I have a hard time folding two pair so I call and hope to see AA but my read was right: he had 99 for middle set. It was kind of a cooler and I don’t know if I can fold two pair there given I’m representing a weak King and can beat AA which is still in his range.
That takes me down to t10,000 chips and I get AK in the big blind with blinds of 100/200. I’m not feeling very well and at the same time I’m having a conversation with the noob to my right about how he cheated once in online poker. There was an EP raise to t550 and the donk to my right called and I make a horrible reraise to only t1200 for some reason. I totally forgot about the person I raised and as soon as I made the raise I was like ‘fuck me’ because I new I made a mistake. I was then hoping that I would induce a light shove or something but that wasn’t going to happen; both players call and I’m facing a 3 way pot of t3900. The flop comes 953r and even though I can’t represent anything than a monster pair I decide to cbet it to t2300. It was an OK cbet since my reraise size was so small I know the guy to my right never has a hand and the original PFRer might fold a small pair although it is unlikely. The original raiser called though and we both check the turn, then he puts a small 1/2 pot river bet out there and I’m forced to fold. I’m down to 6500 chips.
I pick up 22 UTG and raise it up to t600; not the greatest raise and probably is a fold given my stack size. I get cold called by asian girl to my left but I’m not too worried because she’s a huge station preflop but has played well postflop. The flop comes A96 rainbow and is the textbook board for me to cbet my crappy pair on and hope to get 33-88 to let it go. I cbet to 1000 and she looks at my stack then calls. The turn brings another ace and I just check/fold; I’ve got a little over 5000 left going into the first break.
At this point I text Adil saying I’m playing like shit, he just texted me back saying “stop it” and I lol. Anyway, blinds are now 100/200/25 and I pick up JJ UTG+1 and raise it up to 600. The aggressive asian looks at my stack and then calls, the pot is 1700 and the flop comes Q92 rainbow. I check to him and he bets t700 and I call. The turn brings the 8d which puts the flush draw out there; I check him again and he bets 3000–nearly full pot. I really want to call here as he could have a lot of hands; his weak flop bet followed up by a big turn bet with little to no money behind doesn’t make too much sense for value. I also had the thought in my head where if I fold I can keep playing but with only 3700 chips; I didn’t like that idea and he was aggressive so I stick in my remaining 700 chips and go all in. He calls quickly and for a second there I thought I was behind, but when I flipped up my JJ he had the Ad4d for the flush draw and I hold. I’m up to t10,000 chips and feeling like I’m finally playing well again.
The very next hand I get KK UTG and I’m not even done stacking my chips yet. I raise it to 600 again and get FIVE CALLERS and I’m like ‘Oh shit.’ With an SPR of 3 I’m going to need to play this hand correctly or risk getting owned hard core by a nut camper. The flop comes Q55 with a pot of t3900; I think the best way to play my hand right now is to NOT continuation bet. If I check I get to see what the action is and if I bet I’m representing a monster hand. With only the Ace that I’m afraid of coming on the turn there aren’t many collective cards out there to hurt me if I am ahead. So I check and the very first cold caller, two my right asks how much is in the pot but before he can count it he throws a t5000 chip out there. I’m fairly confident that I have this guy crushed as it makes no sense for this guy to bet a 5 this way; also, if someone comes in and calls that big ass bet (t5000 into a t3900 pot) then I can fold my hand. Everyone folded though so I check/raise all in, knowing he’s committed himself with all his Qx hands. He instantly calls (this was the same guy who open limped the 99 and flopped the set vs me above) and he shows QQ, for the flopped boat. GG. I’m not folding there to the first guy who cold called and vs his massive overbet it would make no sense to.
I might play tomorrow if I’m feeling well enough; I realized today that I was not fit for playing but not until after I sat down. I know if I feel the same way tomorrow as I did this morning (I thought I would be OK) then I will know to not play.
