River Palms ... Walking Back to Texas

OK, last week I was able to report that I finally cashed in one of the local tournaments for the first time in a while. Last night, we played the $40 tourney again, this time I didn't cash... but some interesting stuff happened, so I'm blogging about it anyway :-D

As an aside, I got 2nd in one of those freerolls that I play on Intertops--just $15 since it was the $100 prize pool, but out of a large field--so that made me feel good. Of course, the same day, I made the money a 2nd time--for pennies in another $100, lol--but was out very quickly in the $10,000 prize pool freeroll they offered! Ouch! I laid down top two in a big pot after a large raise, thinking the other guy turned a straight. Later in chat, he says "two pair", ugh!! I ended up all-in w/ TT or JJ on a low board, and someone chased and got their overcard :p

Since in the Palms tournament, we start w/ 3K in chips (after the dealer add-on), I thought I'd play some more hands like I do in the freerolls that I'm always cashing in. I kept getting suited connectors to limp with (I was at a nice passive table without much raising) but never got any flop. In the BB during the 50/100 level, this kid makes it 200 to go after a few limpers. He successfully knocks out people behind him, but I knew all the limpers would call one more BB raise...so with T9o in the BB I called. Flop is 9-high rainbow, and it gets checked to the kid. He chucks in another 200. I'm thinking, OK, he's got AK or AQ and missed but is shooting anyway. So I check-raise to get out the others in between to 600. I got everyone out, then the kid looks at his cards again and calls. On the turn is another little card and I lead out for 1000 (this is leaving me with only another 1K and change, but I'm not expecting a call. Kid looks at his hand again and he doesn't seem happy. Suddenly, he shoves all-in. Oh, boy...did I step into it? I call "time" and start to think. I don't want to give up the pot, that will really leave me short and I don't want to have to do my one rebuy already. Remembering how he didn't seem happy on the turn, I stated that I was going to make a loose call and put in my stack. Kid turns over T9o! LOL! Same hand. River is inconsequential, and we split the pot. Made a couple hundred, and saved myself almost 2K...whew!

I end up getting moved before it's my BB to another table, to take the BB, missing a hand (ugh). I get moved to a table with Pat to my direct right, a local whom we've played with many times before. Good player, can be aggressive, doesn't need to have hit the flop to bet it. Right away she raises from the SB with KQs. I muck my junk, but she gets several calls from the many limpers. ATx on the flop, two spades (her suit), so she bets--less than what she raised, can you say "missed?"--and she gets a couple callers. J on the turn gives her the nut straight and she goes all-in. She gets called by another local who knows how she plays and shows AQ for TPEK (top pair, excellent kicker). K on the river makes it a split pot. Pat was not happy, lol.

When it got to my button, again there were several limpers, Pat was one, and I found AKs. I was debating how much to raise and thinking about I'd probably get callers either way, so I shoved. One of the early limpers, I'm going to call "Sly-older-guy" or SOG, for reasons you'll find later, says "all-in, 'eh?". I replied, "the pot's big enough", and smiled. All fold to Pat, who thought about it and called. I thought for sure she must have a pair. Instead, so turned over ATo! I've played with her enough times that she should have known that no matter what I had, I dominated her hand! She says "you got me", after seeing my hand, like she went all-in and I called with the better hand. Weird. No help to on the board for her and I double up with AK-high.

Break hits, I take the optional $40 rebuy/add-on for 5K chips, bringing me up to 10,500.

During the now 200/400 level, Pat open-raises in late position and I find KK. Not wanting her to call, having an Ace flop and have her outplay me, I just shoved in. All fold to Pat and she's acting like she's having a minor fit. I say to her "I have much better than last time", and she goes "so do I". She was having such a fit and didn't seem like she was going to call, so I guess that's why I said that. Plus, I guess I didn't want to get sucked out on by an Ace. She flashes me 99 and folds. I do a courtesy show of the KK.

Later in the same level, Pat limps in early position and I find AQs. Trying to narrow the field, I make it 1600 to go. Loose guy to my left is reaching to call, just as the guy to his left shoves in! Shover notices he acted too early, and takes his chips back. Now, the guy in between knows Shover wants to go all-in, but puts out the chips to call anyway...? Shover shoves. Dude in sunglasses down-table puts all his chips in. The blinds fold, Pat folds. I find that it would be another 6K to me, so I fold, knowing there's already a call and someone else that will probably call too (I don't want to take my chances with AQ, suited or not, in a four way pot!). As expected, Loose-guy to my left calls.

Shover: A7s .. say what?
Sunglasses: KK .. figured as much
Loose guy: Q8s .. asssphinctersayswhat?

River brings Loose-guy a straight with the Q, but then the dealer calls out "flush"; that last card brought the A-high, nut flush for Shover. Pat remarks that she folded QTs and would have made the straight, too. I chuckled and told her I had AQs (partly to let them know that I wasn't raising with "nothing"). Too funny, 3 of us in a row would have made a straight, and lost to a flush had the all-in-fest not occurred.

During Pat's BB, someone down table decides they need to get some chips and shoves with A6o. Pat called from her BB...with J9s. I really don't understand this call, just like with the ATo. Next hand it gets folded to her in the SB and she goes all-in for her last 2K. I find A7o and ask her if she's gambling again. In the recesses of my mind was trying to get thru and say that if she says "yes", she means "no"! But the monkey brain said, "ok, I got an Ace, I call". She flips over KK and I tell her "nice hand". No Ace, flop, turn, river. Dealer says, "3, 4, 5, 6, 7..straight". I didn't even see it. Patty gets up and told her that I was sorry, but she stalked away. I know the feeling.

Then, I lost a large chunk of change. At this point, I had a fairly good stack, still a little ahead of the 10K mark, when Loose-guy to my left desides to go all-in 2 hands in a row (the 2nd being my BB). I could see people being tentative about limping, wondering if Loose-guy will just shove when it's his BB. I find KQs and complete the SB, wondering the same thing, but unable to fold the hand. BB checks, and we see a flop of 522, two diamonds, my suit. I check (probably first mistake). Loose guy fires a min bet of 400 into the pot. Sly-old-guy looks at his cards and calls. I'm wondering what to put him on. I saw him look at Loose-guy before limping. I was thinking that he had an over pair and was trying to trap. Looking at his cards, I'm also thinking that he might also have the diamond draw..AJ or AT diamonds? Lady in between calls, and I call too, wondering if I'm drawing dead.

Turn is no help to my draw, an offsuit J, and I check again. This time Loose-guy puts the rest of his chips in, about 2400. SOG calls, still looking at his cards, and the lady inbetween calls. I ask for time. I'm still wondering if SOG or the lady are also on the flush draw, but I feel that's just playing scared. Plus, if I win this pot, I'll have a ton of chips, and I'm getting my odds. I call.

Diamond on the river. Wondering if I really wanted a diamond verses a K or Q, I checked. Sure enough, SOG bets 2K, just enough to make me call (which I do) to see what I feared (and half expected), the nut flush.

I got moved to another table, this time SOG on my direct left. Blinds go from to 300/600, probably the only time they don't double.

I get AA, try to figure out how much to raise and end up just plunking a bunch in the center. I get no call, of course. Once someone limped in my BB, I find JJ and again shove, and again no call. I probably should have played the AA differently. I needed chips.

In my SB, I have KTo and complete after a couple limpers. Someone should have raised out the BB, but no one did. Then, the BB (SOG) throws his cards forward, remembers its his blind, and takes them back! The dealer doesn't say squat, but some of the players look at each other and don't say anything. I'm going to be working there, so, not wanting to look like I'm taking a shot, I don't say anything either. Flop is K-high, and I check, thinking that someone might have limped with KQ or KJ and I don't want to call if someone else fires. I gets checked around. I bet out on the turn and SOG anounces "raise". He doesn't raise unless he's got the goods, so I muck my top pair/straight draw to a big raise. He tells me he had two pair.

Then, 2 or three people are going at it: "his hand should have been killed", "he threw it forward". They get a ruling, after the fact, that yes, it should have been killed. Thanks guys, too late now! Nice to hear that while seeing him rake in chips that should have been mine.

Later, Felicia gets knocked out when SOG traps her. It's folded to him in the cutoff and he looks and sees Felicia in the BB and another woman in the SB. He's debating what to raise. Then puts in double the BB, 2K. Oh boy, I'm thinking, that's just begging for a call. JJ, a local on the button, flat calls the 2K. SB folds, and Felicia goes all-in. I'm thinking, OK, if she has AA, what's the other guy got? SOG calls, JJ folds. Felicia turns up AK, and SOG .. AA. Felicia put him on a steal and shoved. Felicia gets no help and she's out. :(

After paying blinds and the KT debacle, I'm down to 6K at 1K/2K blinds. In my BB, lady that was the SB above goes all-in, and gets called in TWO places; one being the SB, who I noticed folding and folding. I find 23s in the BB, laugh and fold. Of course, I would have made another straight :p

SB, gets folded to me and I find AKs. "Thank you", I said, and follow with: "All-in!". SOG goes, "all-in? Oh, it's only 2000 more?". I said, "that's all, you can call and double me up or," at this point I flip up my cards as he put in the call, "I'm walking back to Texas!"

SOG turns up Q9s, diamonds again; again, getting the flush.

Indeed, I'm walking home -grin-

Glenn

Posted by Glenn