Gearing up...

Played the 11:30am Hollywood Park Casino Sunday 10K yesterday, aka "Re-buy Madness" and managed to play well and only add-on before busting, spending a mere $80 for what typically can play as a $250+ event.

I was happy enough to get unlucky about 3 hours in; with 8 bigs when my first in shove of AJ ran into AQ (who had the courtesy to delay turning his hand over after I fast rolled mine).   No major mistakes in the tournament save for one -  about an hour earlier, sitting on about 30 bigs (well above average for this  fast tournament)  I got impatient and opened a pot in middle position with a 2.5x raise when all I had was Kh9h.   I know by now that in this situation (with these players) this is a muck, even with an incredibly soft and passive table which this was.

A monster stack button flatted and the big blind took his discount.   The flop came all black AK7 with two spades.  A perfect flop for a c-bet from someone like me to represent a big ace or even AK. Up until this open raise I had been very patient and probably had a VPIP around 10%.

But the big blind donked, which always tilts me a bit, and of course it was some stupidly small amount -  probably less than a quarter of the pot.

I called because of the price, and waited to see if the monster stacken behind would go away, which of course he didn't.

Up until this point, my only mistake (playing K9 soooted) was minor and forgivable.  It was when the BB checked the 8 of clubs turn and I then fired a big ass chunky bet (almost a quarter of my stack and well over half the pot) that a second and much larger mistake reared it's ugly head.

The big ass stack on the button of course called - and then the big blind check raised!

I was done with the hand, but I was a bit steamed - remarking out loud at how I "don't understand this advanced poker shit..."

The largely stacked button called after I folded.   I had him on a stupid (baby or middling) ace, likely a spade ace - but I figured the big blind had gotten lucky and hit 2 pair with his A8 or something similar.

The river was a low spade, so I guessed that the button got there or could very easily represent getting there and figured the big blind for a check call as long as big stack bet thin like he had been doing all morning.

Nope.  Big blind led out a bit less than half the pot.  A blocking bet?   The button pondered for a moment and then paid him off with a fucking red A3!

Even sweeter, the big blind also had a fucking red Ace and a fucking red 10!  10 plays, ship it!

I should have known better.

The table was super soft, and I had gotten impatient and clumsy (I won't even give myself credit and say I was being tricky.)   ABC was big time +EV at this table, and I had let my dearth of cards push me into getting frisky for no reason.  So instead of having 30 bigs by releasing my Kh9h like I should have, I was down to a bit over 22.

Idiot.


Anyway, it wasn't that big of a deal, but it is illustrative how playing emotionally (ie, tired and tilted from shit cards) can do a surprising amount of damage to the precious meter of one's tournament life.


So after busting I was looking to kill time before 4pm, which is when my friend Dog from my home game was scheduled to start day 2 of Hollywood Park Casino's Winter Series event.  This was an impressive feat on his part, besting nearly 2000 other players to finish in the top 1% and get a guaranteed $500 on his $150 investment with a shot at 50K for first place.

But it was only 2:30 and I still wanted to play.  I put my name in for $100 NL, but then noticed there was a $60 Sit-N-Go forming.

It was a stupid turbo, 1500 chips with 10 minute levels, but I enjoy tournament style so much more than cash, it was an easy decision.

It was after 3 when we finally had enough players to start.   The table went apeshit early on with pushes, two players busted on the very first hand!   A couple more quickly followed and before I knew it we were 5 handed.

When we were 7 handed I managed to bust a player when I limped in early position with AK and got the shove I was looking for, he had A10.  Easy game, when one pays attention to how people are betting.

I also busted player number 5 when he defended his big blind to my 2.5x raise and decided that middle pair was good enough to shove when I c-bet my top pair.

I was almost chip leader at 4 handed, then slipped a bit when I released top pair middle kicker on a chunky turn bet from the guy on my right.   He had been pretty darn tight up until then, and it wasn't till an orbit or two later that I realized he had shifted gears.

I then got lucky and got into the money when the same guy on my right and the other chip leader busted the 4th player by checking it down, one of them binking bottom pair on the river.   I was guaranteed $90.


I offered a 3 way chop, as I was sitting on about 5K, the other guys on 4 and 6 respectively.  The 6K refused, despite my mentioning that we all had less than 10 bigs and were essentially flipping coins.

No worries - it was his right to think that he had an enormous chip and skill lead over us.

The very next hand he limped from the small blind and I checked my 82.  If I'd had heart, I would've shoved, but I'm chicken shit so what can you do.

The flop came a delightful 82x.  He donked, I flatted.   The turn brought a third diamond, a ten, but I didn't care.  He checked, I checked behind hoping to get it in on the river.  Probably a mistake, but I had very little to lose as whatever bet came would be stack altering.

The river was an ace and he checked.  The best card I could have seen - I bet 1500, half of my remaining stack and a devastating amount for him.  I figured if he had hit the ace (not likely since he didn't bet pre) a pair of 8's or a medium pocket pair (also unlikely, but possible) he might pay me off.   He also might have a bluff catcher.  He folded.

I had chipped up another 2K.  Now he was the short stack, though only by a couple K.

"$180 apiece for a three way chop..."   I piped in again.  He agreed.  Easy game.

Nice to be up $40 for a full day of playing - I enjoyed railing Dog, which you can read some account of on @PepperStChrisM on twitter.

I will mention that he busted in 36th place, the day starting with 7 tables.  He got all his chips (about 8 blinds I'm guessing) in the middle pre-flop with kings and yes, ran into aces.  Unavoidable in most situations, let alone a short stacked one.   He took home $990, which he happily plans to parlay into a seat in the senior's event (he just turned 50) at the WSOP.

As for me, also flush with cash (well maybe not, but at least I'm happy about my game) I'm planning to hit the WSOP as well, but first I'm gearing up for a short blast of poker in Vegas this weekend.   Thursday through Saturday I'll be in Phoenix watching the boys of summer (that would be the Oakland A's) get ready for the new season.  But on my way back on Saturday night instead of coming home like I should, I'll be taking a detour to hit up some donkaments with some good ol' boys.

That's right, it's NASCAR weekend in Vegas; last time I played during this time frame (2 years ago) in Sin City I had my biggest weekend ever, almost 2K in profits.  Here's hoping for a repeat!

I do recognize that everyone who plays poker, even those who spit into a dixie up, has improved greatly even in the space of 24 months - so I'm not expecting the world; but I do feel pretty confident that if I can fade 2 outers and such, I'll be a shoo-in for some monies.

On Saturday night when I arrive I'm planning to hit the 7pm Venetian and maybe a late night donkament (where I got all my profits last time) if I don't go deep.

The next day I'll of course hit my early Sunday morning tradition - the 9am Monte Carlo, which likely will be rife with some hungover (or maybe still drunk) rubes.

Then if I bust early and have time to kill I'll splash around with the tourists (who won't be NASCAR, they'll be at the race) at the Mirage at 11am.

I should be busted by the time 2pm rolls around, and that's where I'm going to go super negative EV and play in my first ever Bellagio tournament.  They've dropped the buy in just enough to where I feel comfortable now - it's a fantastic weekend major, and though I'll likely be outclassed, I just can't resist playing in such a bad ass tournament.

In the evening I'll try not to exhaust myself, but I can't resist to win some of my money back at the newest hot spot in poker tournaments (which again, should have a lot of that down home flavor that I'm looking for, since the race will be over) - the MGM.

Last year they overhauled their tournament structure, and I've read nothing but good things about it since.  Reasonable juice, and a good amount of chips in a structure that isn't completely shit.  For $80 and loaded with rednecks?  Big time +EV!

No late night turbos after that, I'm afraid I depart at the crack of "holy shit it's early" - and from there drive straight to work.   But it should be a grand old time!

Can't wait!