After yesterdays debacle at the $300K guaranteed, I was absolutely determined to be more controlled this time. No overplaying hands in the middle part of the tourney like yesterday. That was the plan. But history repeated itself.
Level 1 (20/40)
- QQ : I wanted a quiet start, but dealt the ladies UTG, second hand of the tourney. I raise 3BB. Folds all the way round to the SB who goes all in. Unbelievable, 20 seconds in and already a massive decision to make. I figure he had to not want a call with that sort of bet, so I called. He shows 88, doesnt improve. I double to 6K. What the hell was he thinking, I said I wanted a quiet start.
- QQ : About 10 hands later, I get dealt the ladies again. I raise 4BB this time, expecting a little respect. I got none. An all-in from another player with 1.5K stack gives me another decision. I wanted a slow start. Having him well covered, I call, and he shows KK. Oh well. The flop and turn are no help, but a miracle Q on the river hands him a bad beat, amd gives me his 1500 chips. Stack now at 7.7K
- No playable hands. A nice quiet 15 minutes
- AK : I raise 4BB, and it is called by one player. Flop comes AK10. Top two pair, nice. I check, and he raises 500 into me, I check-raise 1500, he calls. He must have something he likes. Turn is a rag, I bet 1500 he flat calls. River is another rag. I go all in and he calls instantly to show a matching AK - split pot.
- A8s : Get this hand on the button, make a 2.5BB raise and take the blinds
- QQ : My third set of ladies, and on the button. Played them very badly. A raiser in front of me with a 7K stack makes it 500 to go. I raise to 1000, but the small blind goes all-in with his 3K stack. The first raiser calls, I think long and hard and call too (bad move). The flop comes K-rag-rag. This has to be bad news for me. Have to figure one of them has AA, KK, or AK, and has me beat. Brain freezes a little though, still in love with the ladies in my hand. I make a small 1K raise, and the other guy folds, so its showdown with the all in guy, who shows aces, and takes down the pot. I lost 3K on that play, leaving my stack at 4.2K
- AK : Raised 3BB, everyone folded
- 99 : A raiser in front of me raises 400, I call. Flop comes A-9-rag, giving me a set. He bets 1000 of his remaining 3.5K stack, i reraise, he goes all in, I call. He shows Q6 suited I think. Madness, but i gain 4K, giving me a 8.5K stack
Chip Stack : 8270 (34% above the average)
Players left : 68 of the original 140
Reasonably happy with my play -I have been disciplined in the hands I have played, although playing with the QQs, as ever is playing with fire, I have lived to tell the tale. Its looking good, really hoping I can stay on this table for a while longer. I have a good table image - every hand I have shown has been good, and I have always bet them strong, so that I should start getting some respect as blind-stealing becomes more important.
Level 5 (150/300)
- AJ : One limper into me on the button. I raise it to 3BB (900), folds back round to him, and he goes all in for 7K. Muppet. I fold. I lose 900, stack at 6.8K
- KQ : I make a min-raise of 600 from MP . BB calls. Flop comes Q-J-rag , giving me top pair with a good kicker. BB checks, I make a minimum raise, but he folds. I gain 750, stack up to 7.6K
Doing OK with the hands I am playing, but the blinds rising fast and I am now about 10% behind the chip average. Still , happy with my position, I have lost very few hands that I have got involved with, but my table image is good and in a good spot to start taking advantage as th blinds hit 200/400.
At which point I am moved to a new table. Very frustrating when that happens. Sometimes the move is welcome when your table image is a liability, but on this occasion it was not to my benefit. A new table where I would not get any respect until I had earned it.
Level 6 (200/400)
- AJ : Opponent raises 1000 from the button, suspect a steal, although being a new table, I have no evidence for this. I flat call, the flop comes K-J-Rag. I check, and he raises 1000. I decide its a continuation bet, and check-raise him 2000. About half my stack is now in the pot. He re-raises me all in, having me well covered. Do I believe he has a king? There are 2 spades on board. Is he chasing a flush ? I decide 3K is not enough of a stack to come back from if I fold. I call, and he shows a K6, and no miracle turn/river means I am out.
Analysis of my bust-out hand is welcome from any third parties. Should I have re-raised his original bet, rather than flat calling? He was on a steal with K6, so with hindsight I probably could have got him off it with a strong reraise/all in.
But out of position in the small blind, and new to the table, I was wary of just raising, and decided that an all-in push would be a bad move. Opinions? I had a 6K stack before the hand was played (about 12 big blinds). Should that be an all-in, rather than a call? Should that have been the point to make a stand?
So the same outcome as the last tourney - good discipline in the hands I played, a bit of luck here and there when I needed it, but then overplaying a hand post-flop in the middle part of the tourney for all of my chips, and bye bye.
Comments/criticisms/advice welcome.
