Over .... For now
Well, it ended for me last night. A quest for a 3rd straight FPN Fall Championship. In 2005 and in 2006 I was League Champion and had a bye straight to State. This year, the road was considerably more difficult this time, as it led through regionals at which they only advanced 10% of the field.
On top of that, I barely made it this far. I played league at Old Broadway this year, as did many of the others that I know. Of course, this makes the league more difficult in my mind - but this had been the case in the past 2 instances at the VFW in West Fargo and at JT Cigarro's. On paper, it looked good, making points 7 of the 14 (16 possible) weeks I played. But the problem was, I didn't go deep in the tournaments I pointed in, except the last two, which were the least attended. Therefore, I actually only made the regionals because of a double qualifier at the site.
That brings me to last night. I'd been playing pretty well lately and cards had been falling fairly well for me as well, so I was pretty confident coming in. My plan was to try to double up early to get myself safe from the jump from 100/200 to 200/400 that occurs right after the first break. First step towards that was this following hand. I have 32c UTG and limp for 100, the guy to my left makes it 400 and it's folded to me. I have to admit that this is probably not a play that normally should be made, however ... I decide to call 300 of my remaining 2900. Couple reasons: Flop hits me hard, it will be well disguised; second, I don't believe the kid necessarily had a great hand; third, he was invading - literally - my personal space at the table and I wasn't liking it (not a good reason obviously). Flop came out Kc5c3d and I checked to him. He bet 500 and I immediately but calmly said all-in. He proceeded to table ATo and said my K is good - as I show my hand. He was a bit upset that I called 400 preflop with that hand to say the least, but I was happy.
Next hand was the big one. AQs UTG, I limp for 150. Same kid makes it 500 to go, and the BB calls, and I call. Flop is 5s4s3h. First off, when I see this flop, I KNOW I will NOT be folding to any bet on the flop. BB leads for 700, I call (because of action behind) and raiser goes all-in for another 1,450. BB calls, I have around 3,200 total and decide to just call, leaving myself with enough chips if I don't hit. Ad comes on turn, and she checks. At this point there is 8,000 in the pot, and I really saw no point in putting the last 1,000 at risk if need be although I was 99% I was ahead - reasons for this have more to do with the player who checked. River is a blank and I scoop the pot against the BB KK as the raiser mucks (a pocket pair)
From this point though, thing got rough. I struggled to stay around 8,000 for much of the rest of the tournament, getting QQ once and stealing at 300/600, stealing with 45 at 300/600, all just to stay afloat. Then this hand that haunts me. Based on a personal read from a very recent hand, after the kid on the button made it 1800 total to go on my SB, I had A9c. Here's the mistake: Based on my read, I either move all-in here or fold. I call and the flop is KK5. Here's the problem with the flop: If I am to lead out, he most likely will not believe me and put pressure on me, if he bets, I have to put the rest of my chips at risk with a check-raise and be 100% right, but even if he has 33 he could call. Check-check on the flop, so when a 7 comes on the turn, I bet 1,500 but he min raises to 3000. I decide to fold, still feeling he's making a move, but I could still be behind. I leave myself with 3,800. Very next hand it's folded to me on the button and I move in with AJ, turns out it was a good time to look like I was steaming as I get called by AT out of the BB and I make a better 2 pair and move to 8,000. I steal from UTG with A9 and that sets this play up from the SB. UTG raises from 400/800 to 1800 and I have 33 in the SB. I decide to call and put pressure on him on the flop. Flop is K57 and I bet 1800, he deliberates but eventually moves in for another 1400 at which point I fold, knowing I'm beat leaving me with 4400. I really though he'd deliberate about the K (I hoped for an A actually) but still decided to move with his mid pocket pair.
We color up and move to another table with 24 left. I steal once with 78s to move to 6000 (blinds 500/1000) and then the final hand. After going through the BB, I am in the SB and it's folded to me. I have Q8d and I move in for 5,000 total, knowing the lady who has about 7500 total in the BB, has to have a great hand to call. Unfortunately she wakes up with AKd and I fail to improve.
The only hand I really regret how I played is the A9. I think the play in that situation was to fold, I lost 3,300 that I could have really used on the following hand! LOL - hindsight is always 20/20.
Hopefully, for me, things will still run even keel this weekend at Dirty River, after those 2 tournaments I'll decide about playing the Dead Money Open.
Good luck at the tables ... except against me!
On top of that, I barely made it this far. I played league at Old Broadway this year, as did many of the others that I know. Of course, this makes the league more difficult in my mind - but this had been the case in the past 2 instances at the VFW in West Fargo and at JT Cigarro's. On paper, it looked good, making points 7 of the 14 (16 possible) weeks I played. But the problem was, I didn't go deep in the tournaments I pointed in, except the last two, which were the least attended. Therefore, I actually only made the regionals because of a double qualifier at the site.
That brings me to last night. I'd been playing pretty well lately and cards had been falling fairly well for me as well, so I was pretty confident coming in. My plan was to try to double up early to get myself safe from the jump from 100/200 to 200/400 that occurs right after the first break. First step towards that was this following hand. I have 32c UTG and limp for 100, the guy to my left makes it 400 and it's folded to me. I have to admit that this is probably not a play that normally should be made, however ... I decide to call 300 of my remaining 2900. Couple reasons: Flop hits me hard, it will be well disguised; second, I don't believe the kid necessarily had a great hand; third, he was invading - literally - my personal space at the table and I wasn't liking it (not a good reason obviously). Flop came out Kc5c3d and I checked to him. He bet 500 and I immediately but calmly said all-in. He proceeded to table ATo and said my K is good - as I show my hand. He was a bit upset that I called 400 preflop with that hand to say the least, but I was happy.
Next hand was the big one. AQs UTG, I limp for 150. Same kid makes it 500 to go, and the BB calls, and I call. Flop is 5s4s3h. First off, when I see this flop, I KNOW I will NOT be folding to any bet on the flop. BB leads for 700, I call (because of action behind) and raiser goes all-in for another 1,450. BB calls, I have around 3,200 total and decide to just call, leaving myself with enough chips if I don't hit. Ad comes on turn, and she checks. At this point there is 8,000 in the pot, and I really saw no point in putting the last 1,000 at risk if need be although I was 99% I was ahead - reasons for this have more to do with the player who checked. River is a blank and I scoop the pot against the BB KK as the raiser mucks (a pocket pair)
From this point though, thing got rough. I struggled to stay around 8,000 for much of the rest of the tournament, getting QQ once and stealing at 300/600, stealing with 45 at 300/600, all just to stay afloat. Then this hand that haunts me. Based on a personal read from a very recent hand, after the kid on the button made it 1800 total to go on my SB, I had A9c. Here's the mistake: Based on my read, I either move all-in here or fold. I call and the flop is KK5. Here's the problem with the flop: If I am to lead out, he most likely will not believe me and put pressure on me, if he bets, I have to put the rest of my chips at risk with a check-raise and be 100% right, but even if he has 33 he could call. Check-check on the flop, so when a 7 comes on the turn, I bet 1,500 but he min raises to 3000. I decide to fold, still feeling he's making a move, but I could still be behind. I leave myself with 3,800. Very next hand it's folded to me on the button and I move in with AJ, turns out it was a good time to look like I was steaming as I get called by AT out of the BB and I make a better 2 pair and move to 8,000. I steal from UTG with A9 and that sets this play up from the SB. UTG raises from 400/800 to 1800 and I have 33 in the SB. I decide to call and put pressure on him on the flop. Flop is K57 and I bet 1800, he deliberates but eventually moves in for another 1400 at which point I fold, knowing I'm beat leaving me with 4400. I really though he'd deliberate about the K (I hoped for an A actually) but still decided to move with his mid pocket pair.
We color up and move to another table with 24 left. I steal once with 78s to move to 6000 (blinds 500/1000) and then the final hand. After going through the BB, I am in the SB and it's folded to me. I have Q8d and I move in for 5,000 total, knowing the lady who has about 7500 total in the BB, has to have a great hand to call. Unfortunately she wakes up with AKd and I fail to improve.
The only hand I really regret how I played is the A9. I think the play in that situation was to fold, I lost 3,300 that I could have really used on the following hand! LOL - hindsight is always 20/20.
Hopefully, for me, things will still run even keel this weekend at Dirty River, after those 2 tournaments I'll decide about playing the Dead Money Open.
Good luck at the tables ... except against me!
posted by Corey Eslinger at 9:02 AM
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