Tuesday night 100+10

Last night was our Tuesday night 100+10 buy-in NLHE tournament. Going to try to take a stab at a story; so please excuse a lame first attempt ;)

With only 23 people entering tonight, I got stuck short-handed at a table with a local maniac Matt (while he doesn't necessarily raise with any two cards {ATC} he does play and bet ATC). One hand he won after betting a flop of JJ4, the dealer hit his cards as they were headed toward the muck, and Q6s flipped up, lol.

Matt started off with a big chip lead, as he hit a few times with those crazy cards and got paid off the whole way. I mostly stayed out of the way after winning a good pot where the guy to my right slow played KK, letting me see an un-raised pot w/ 88, which I hit.

After our first break, I was down a little. A few steals here and there kept me alive and onto the final table. Then, two good hands brought me lots of chips. Someone to my right at the final table tried a steal with a minimum raise. I looked down to see KK and shoved all in. I guess the guy felt since he had to put half his stack in the pot, he was committed, and called with his A8s. He got no help, I dragged the pot, and we were down one more player.

The next big hand came when two people had limped in and I found JJ in the hole. I quickly shoved in, knowing that if they couldn't raise, I had the best hand. I got surprised when a new guy to my left also went all-in (I thought I was dead). A local on the button hemmed and hawed and finally mucked. The first limper, an older guy, Tom I believe, with a large stack from the previous table, called; 2nd limper, a local who goes by JJ, folded (he knows me). Tom shows KTs, I flipped up my JJ, and the new guy turned up 66, groaning after seeing my cards. No help to them, and I am now the chip lead. JJ lamented that he would have won when an ace hit the turn. I asked him what he had and he stated A4. I asked when he would play A4 anyway: "it was suited and there was no raise!" lol

I sat on my chips for a hand or two; saw another local, Carl, try a steal with A4 on the button. Tom, the previous chip lead, called w/ 77 in the BB. He still had enough chips to cover Carl, and he was out after no help.

Now we were short-handed and I found QJs UTG. Hoping my tight image would allow me a steal, I raised. Folded around to the BB, another local "little Gene", he made a slight jump in his seat and said, "I call"; I knew I needed to flop good. AK hit the flop and Gene goes "what's the minimum I can bet?" I knew I was dead so I just mucked and said, "if you could call my raise, you had a better ace" (no need to let him know I was speeding). He smiled as he said he had AK, and with his jump pre-flop, I believe him.

So, I played a little tighter after that. Gene ended up getting trapped one hand, not raising out JJ from the BB. Gene completed the SB w/ KTo and JJ checked, to see a flop of K66. Gene started to squirm in his seat and seemed to reluctantly check; he hit the flop and he was scared of that 66. JJ said, "What's the minimum I can bet?" lol, and like a fish on a hook, Gene was pulled along. Only having 3 bets left, JJ bet the min on the flop, turn and river, until he was all-in for the final bet. Yes, JJ had the 6. Gene was now the short stack and JJ just doubled through.

Now that JJ had chips and was to my right, he stole my blind at just the right times. Half the time he showed me pairs and good aces. One time he made a really weird raise of just the min. I looked down to see 66. JJ has shoved all-in before w/ 22, so why the min raise this time? I figured he might be trying to trap and folded. I had enough chips to wait for better hands. He said, "good lay down", but I'll never know; this is poker after all ;)

Now remember, it takes better cards to call a raise then to make one. I stole a hand or two from the new guy, Tom, with hands like the 66 I mucked to a raiser.

Gene tried to hold onto his last couple chips. I had KQs UTG and made a min raise with Gene in the BB. The raise would have put Gene all-in; he mucked. He liked his cards better in the SB, as he threw in his last couple chips and flipped up KQo. JJ in the BB flipped up AK. Gene was out 4th.

We talked. JJ and I each had slightly over T8000, and the new guy Tom had about T6500. Blinds were just about to go up to 500/1000 and we decided to chop. We each got $515. The new guy Tom had a fun time and thanked us for a fun final table.

Posted by Glenn