Any change? (Tournament report incl'ed)

Never understand why anyone would want to take my picture. I don't change! Check this out, taken yesterday:

So? Do I look any different from the picture that I have at the top of the page that was taken years ago? No, at least I can't tell. -grin-

This was taken during the tournament PokerClan put on at the Plaza in Vegas yesterday. I was very glad to be able to participate and had a great time meeting with everyone and playing some fun poker.

Felicia and I debated on the way back: it's not exactly positive EV to play against other good poker players, is it? At the same time, we had a lot of fun. If we dropped some cash along the way (during the ring games that followed) it could be considered entertainment for the night. Either that, or we're just trying to justify losses, lol.

We got there a little early; I think Felicia got us out of the house early, knowing that if we tried to get to Plaza more "on time" for the tournament, that we'd hit rush hour traffic. I put my name on lists. Felicia gave me a hard time, as always, "can't be out of the action for one minute, can you? You just have to play!" OK, I admit it, I'm a poker-holic. I got into a 1-4 spread-limit stud game. I was able to finally play some stud! I mostly folded, as there are no antes in this game, so tight play is rewarded. I got checked into KKs-up once, and AAs-up another. As the tournament was almost starting was when I was pulling in my winnings for the AAs-up and I remarked, "hey, I got my money back, ohh, plus $1." Next hand, I get 2c for the bring-in, there goes my profit!! LOL. After that hand, I cashed out the same $40 I started with and headed to the tournament table.

We ended up playing 11-handed, and I got the 11th seat. Normally, I won't play local tournaments, as the structure is usually terrible. However, since this was a tournament put on by poker players, they had a pretty good structure, starting with 25/25 blinds, 20 minute levels, and T1000 of chips. Not bad, and the levels did NOT double every time. I would have a chance! So I ponied up the $100+10 and got settled to play :)

I never got AK or AA, but I did get AJs and AJo and raise-opened each time. Once, winning the blinds, no contest. Another, I got called, spiked an Ace on the flop, bet out and the only pre-flop caller folded.

Interesting hand came up where Felicia limped opened, the one player in between us folded, and I looked down to see KQs. I noticed Felicia limp once or twice before, and at least once fold to a raise. I know she doesn't slow play, so I couldn't put her on AA or KK. I always watch the action to my left as well, and saw at least one person with chips and figured others would come into the pot if I just limped behind. Not wanting the blinds to get a free shot to spike trip deuces, bottom two, or some-such, and to try to limit the field, I raised. The potential callers folded, as did the blinds, as did Felicia! That surprised me. Then she further surprised me by showing me KQs as her hand! I showed mine and asked why she didn't raise? She said she was hoping to make a big hand and bust someone. With my raising everyone out, and her feeling that she was dominated, she folded. One of the players to my left also stated he folded AQ to my raise. Wow, tight table.

After a while, with the blinds every increasing, I only really managed to stay about even in chips. Pokerclan Founder, Jon, would raise occationally in late position with weak hands, so once when he raised and Felicia went all-in (short-stacked at this point) and I was getting something like 3-1 on my call from the BB. I did call with A2s. After talking about this on the way home, Felicia said that it was pretty marginal; better if I had more chips. I'll have to admit that she was right.

Finally I got a great break when Tanya, a very aggressive player to my left, went all-in UTG. It got folded to me in the BB and I found KK. I said, "oh, yeah, I call." Tanya ended up having 33, got no help, and I doubled through. Was Tanya's play bad? Well, if I can fold an early position caller and a late position player, both with group II hands, then you'll realize that everyone was playing pretty tight and definitely going by the adage that it takes a much better hand to call a raise, than to make one. She was looking to buy her blind money, but just got caught versus a group I.

Later on after more players had been knocked out, I went all-in with AQ and bought my blinds for that round.

Felicia got knocked out when she called all-in with KK. Raiser had A4o and spiked that ever present Ace.

We got to the bubble-time and out, and then I was in the money! The group had decided to pay the top 3. Third place would get 20%, which would get Felicia's and my buy-in's back, at least, if that's what I got.

That's what I got! Blaize, the player to my immediate right, knocked out so many players that he had a huge stack. Biggest hand was his AK, vs 22, vs JJ. KKx on the flop, and the other pairs didn't get any help.

Once we were 3 handed I tried to work on my tight image and raised with QJo. Blaize called. I was hoping that he was only calling due to his stack and hoping to bust me if it came little, litlle. So, although leary of the over card on the flop of KQx, I still bet out anyway. I just made sure that I bet enough to fold him if he didn't hit, and low enough to get away if he did. He check-raised me all-in and I reluctantly folded. I kinda had a bad feeling from the way he reacted to the flop. But I needed chips to have any chance of winning. He folded his KdTd face up; giving him top pair and second-nut flush draw. Dang, talk about hitting! No wonder I had a bad feeling.

Then, Blaize doubled up the other short stack. She only completed the SB, so Blaize set her all-in, thinking that she'd fold. She quickly called with ATo and, Blaize, chuckling, turned up his "Big Lick", 69o, which fell to a final board showing two Tens.

Since I was now the short stack, I called all-in when Blaize raised my blind. He had K9o and I had A8o. A 9 on the turn with no 3-outer Ace on the river, sent me to the rail with third place earnings.

After that, we all had a blast playing mixed games at a limit of 2/4. Felicia and I still managed to drop too much in the game, but it was wild and crazy. Knowing this, is why I raised and then called a reraise with the 2nd nut flush during an Omaha high hand. I was hoping that the other was betting two pair or a set on the flop. No he was betting the K-high flush draw. When the Ace of suit came on the turn and he still bet, I raised him, only to get raised back. Then he goes, "don't pair the board", and that even more made me think he was on a set! Instead, when he bet the river, he did in fact have the KJs for the nut flush. Ahh, well.

Sucked in the cash games, but at least I placed in the tournament!

Thanks again to the Pokerclan crew for a fun evening! :)

Posted by Glenn