Back Home From Borgata
by Doylestown on 01/23/08
The Borgata is a first class establishment. Their accommodations are superb, they have a great poker room and of course their tournaments are among the best in the world. Their tournament director Tab is as good as it gets.
All in all it was a trip of good fun, good food, good friends and good poker.
Cash Games
I spent my time playing the $5 $10 NL game at Borgata when I wasn’t in a tournament. There are always a good number of tables at this limit compared to the $10 $20 NL game where at times there weren’t any games running. I had a really good run at the cash games this trip, the action was outstanding and because the WPT was in town the regulars weren’t as heavily stacked per table with so many extra tables running.
WPT Tournaments
I passed on the $300 opening event which drew an astounding 1650 players. I played the $500 on Wednesday and had a pathetic run of cards. Bluffs and steals kept me alive into the 5th hour of play. With blinds at 200/400 a25 with 11 big blinds I open shoved with K10 from mp and got called by an 8 big blind stack in mp holding QJo, huh? Of course he spiked a Q and on the next hand my measly all in with Q5s couldn’t overcome a call from pocket KK’s. GG me.
After an early cash session on Thursday morning I headed to the tournament room to play the $750. A couple of minutes before the event started I ran into my friend Eric “Rick” Bankoff.. Rick and I decided to swap a piece of each other for the event. I steadily chipped up through the early levels. Late in hour 4 our table broke. This was the first of 3 breaks I would face in less than an hours time which really sucks. My first 2 new tables were soft and I continued to build my stack. I took a stack of @ 20K to my 3rd new table at the 200/400 a25 level. I was avg or slightly above with @ 2/3rds of the field gone. About 4 hands after sitting down at the new table I’m dealt pocket 10’s in the sb. The bb is immediately poised to muck. A young internet looking kid open raises to 1150 from mp and I assume he sees the bb’s intentions. The action folds to me and I decide to take an unusual line against this unknown and raise it to 6150. I assume his range is enormous and want him to think I’m making a play and have him think he has fold equity against me if he shoves. He obliges, immediately moving all in, he has me covered by a bit. I snap call hoping to see an under pair or suited connector which I thought he might do this with. Unfortunately it was a race as he tabled AK. Trip K’s are good and I’m gone in a flash, meh. Obviously didn’t like losing but I really have no regrets. The chance to be double average, 100 big blinds deep and table chip leader as we approach the bubble is exactly where I want to be.
After cooling off in the room for an hour (very necessary for me after busting a tournament) I return downstairs and check in on Rick who early on had been down to less than 2500 chips. Somehow he’s now sitting a 60K+ and we’re going to have a long night ahead of us. I hang on the rail until the dinner break and then head to Bobby Flay’s with Rick where we meet my partner and another poker playing friend. After a great dinner Ricky heads back to the tournament room. I decide to squeeze in a quick cash session with my partner. A couple of hours later I’m up nearly 2 buy ins and decide to cash out and head back to the rail to find Ricky. He’s still healthy chip wise but now has Hevad Khan sitting to his direct left with mountains of chips. To shorten a really long story I rail Ricky until 2AM when they halt play for the night with 31 players remaining. Ricky had been over 120K not long before but ends the day at 80K+. Hevad is the chip leader with over 300K.
I buy into the $1000 the next morning and don’t get any real momentum going for hours. Nice guy sitting to my direct left winds up cold decking me every time I pick up a hand. It was so sick. I made so many big laydowns that would’ve busted me out. Here was the sickest. With 6500 chips at the 100/200 level I open in middle position w AQ to 550. Same villain of course finds a hand and calls. We’re heads up to the flop of AJ3 rainbow. I lead for 750 and get called. The turn is another A and I get an awful feeling that I’m about to get cold decked for the umpteenth time. I check and villain fires out 1500. After a little chatter on my part and a long study I decide to muck leaving myself with a little over 5K. Nice guy that he was showed me pocket 3’s for an under full, wow.
By this time play has resumed for the final 31 in the $750 and as luck would have it I am sitting with my back to the rail with Ricky right behind me. We’re chatting constantly in between hands. After falling to about 3K I manage to chip up to nearly 8K and then 3-bet shove against what I feel is a weak raiser in front of me holding AQ. Wouldn’t you know the same villain on my left looks down and insta shoves, yuck. We’re heads up and I’m up against KK. This is the same exact scenario I doubled with at the WSOP at Harrah’s last month and I did it again with an A on the flop and another on the turn for good measure. Now I had the chip lead at my table and was above average for the first time all day. Less than an hour later right after posting the blinds we break. Right before this happens, Ricky with 14 players left in the $750 standard raises from the button w red AQ. The big blind a known aggressive internet player jams for 120K and Ricky snap calls. Ricky has 160K to start the hand and has the kids As10c dominated. The flop is Axx 2 clubs. The turn is the Q clubs giving Ricky 2-pair. The river club falls and Ricky is the new short stack, gross. He busts soon after that for a tidy but unspectacular profit and plenty of what could’ve been thoughts. Incidentally the kid (who happens to be a really nice guy) goes on to chop the tournament, taking a lot of chips from Hevad along the way.
Back to me in the $1000. For the first time all day I find myself at a new table and wouldn’t you know I sit down to the BB after just posting both blinds on my original table. Not a good sign. This table has a bunch of healthy stacks. We’re at 300/600 and I’m sitting on at least 20K. First hand there’s a limp and a raise to 2600 and I look down to see the A5 hearts and decide to muck as does the limper. Very next hand I’m in the SB. UTG raises to 2K. UTG+1 calls as do 2 players in middle position, what does everybody have? I look down to find AKs, wow. With nearly 10K in the pot I feel my only play is to jam. UTG painfully folds which was good as he was my main concern. Surprisingly UTG+1 moves his chips to the middle with no hesitation, really? The other 2 players get out of the way and I’m up against KK again, unreal. No A to be found this time and I bust as we approach the money bubble yet again. Dammit.
Cool off in the room again then meet Ricky and my partner for dinner at Sea Blue, another fine establishment. We have a great relaxing dinner and then head back upstairs to the tournament room to watch the end of the $750. Hevad had just went out in 4th place and we get to see a long 3-handed battle. Hang for an hour or two with some great people who I had never met before face to face but are well known in the poker community such as JoeytheB and gboro (another Giants fan see below). Also meet ShankingYou who had busted me a couple of weeks prior in a $100 deep stacked Stars tournament. He is friends with Jamie the kid who beat Ricky with the A10 hand. It was good people and good times.
The New York Football Giants
My original plan was to play the $1500 on Saturday but after getting some sound advice from gboro I do as he does and skip the $1500 in case I make Day 2 and then have a terrible conflict with the Giants game on Sunday. So staying true to Big Blue as I had all year I play an early morning cash session on Saturday, win another buy in and pack up the car and head home. I don’t need to tell you what a great day Sunday was. OMG OMG OMG. We’re going to the Super Bowl, what a season.
All in all it was a profitable and fun trip. Was poised to make good runs in 2 of the 3 tourneys but it wasn’t meant to be. Was hoping to head back to Borgata this week for the bigger events but am completely swamped at work after being gone all last week so it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. Guess its back to the online grind for the time being.
-Doyle-
All in all it was a trip of good fun, good food, good friends and good poker.
Cash Games
I spent my time playing the $5 $10 NL game at Borgata when I wasn’t in a tournament. There are always a good number of tables at this limit compared to the $10 $20 NL game where at times there weren’t any games running. I had a really good run at the cash games this trip, the action was outstanding and because the WPT was in town the regulars weren’t as heavily stacked per table with so many extra tables running.
WPT Tournaments
I passed on the $300 opening event which drew an astounding 1650 players. I played the $500 on Wednesday and had a pathetic run of cards. Bluffs and steals kept me alive into the 5th hour of play. With blinds at 200/400 a25 with 11 big blinds I open shoved with K10 from mp and got called by an 8 big blind stack in mp holding QJo, huh? Of course he spiked a Q and on the next hand my measly all in with Q5s couldn’t overcome a call from pocket KK’s. GG me.
After an early cash session on Thursday morning I headed to the tournament room to play the $750. A couple of minutes before the event started I ran into my friend Eric “Rick” Bankoff.. Rick and I decided to swap a piece of each other for the event. I steadily chipped up through the early levels. Late in hour 4 our table broke. This was the first of 3 breaks I would face in less than an hours time which really sucks. My first 2 new tables were soft and I continued to build my stack. I took a stack of @ 20K to my 3rd new table at the 200/400 a25 level. I was avg or slightly above with @ 2/3rds of the field gone. About 4 hands after sitting down at the new table I’m dealt pocket 10’s in the sb. The bb is immediately poised to muck. A young internet looking kid open raises to 1150 from mp and I assume he sees the bb’s intentions. The action folds to me and I decide to take an unusual line against this unknown and raise it to 6150. I assume his range is enormous and want him to think I’m making a play and have him think he has fold equity against me if he shoves. He obliges, immediately moving all in, he has me covered by a bit. I snap call hoping to see an under pair or suited connector which I thought he might do this with. Unfortunately it was a race as he tabled AK. Trip K’s are good and I’m gone in a flash, meh. Obviously didn’t like losing but I really have no regrets. The chance to be double average, 100 big blinds deep and table chip leader as we approach the bubble is exactly where I want to be.
After cooling off in the room for an hour (very necessary for me after busting a tournament) I return downstairs and check in on Rick who early on had been down to less than 2500 chips. Somehow he’s now sitting a 60K+ and we’re going to have a long night ahead of us. I hang on the rail until the dinner break and then head to Bobby Flay’s with Rick where we meet my partner and another poker playing friend. After a great dinner Ricky heads back to the tournament room. I decide to squeeze in a quick cash session with my partner. A couple of hours later I’m up nearly 2 buy ins and decide to cash out and head back to the rail to find Ricky. He’s still healthy chip wise but now has Hevad Khan sitting to his direct left with mountains of chips. To shorten a really long story I rail Ricky until 2AM when they halt play for the night with 31 players remaining. Ricky had been over 120K not long before but ends the day at 80K+. Hevad is the chip leader with over 300K.
I buy into the $1000 the next morning and don’t get any real momentum going for hours. Nice guy sitting to my direct left winds up cold decking me every time I pick up a hand. It was so sick. I made so many big laydowns that would’ve busted me out. Here was the sickest. With 6500 chips at the 100/200 level I open in middle position w AQ to 550. Same villain of course finds a hand and calls. We’re heads up to the flop of AJ3 rainbow. I lead for 750 and get called. The turn is another A and I get an awful feeling that I’m about to get cold decked for the umpteenth time. I check and villain fires out 1500. After a little chatter on my part and a long study I decide to muck leaving myself with a little over 5K. Nice guy that he was showed me pocket 3’s for an under full, wow.
By this time play has resumed for the final 31 in the $750 and as luck would have it I am sitting with my back to the rail with Ricky right behind me. We’re chatting constantly in between hands. After falling to about 3K I manage to chip up to nearly 8K and then 3-bet shove against what I feel is a weak raiser in front of me holding AQ. Wouldn’t you know the same villain on my left looks down and insta shoves, yuck. We’re heads up and I’m up against KK. This is the same exact scenario I doubled with at the WSOP at Harrah’s last month and I did it again with an A on the flop and another on the turn for good measure. Now I had the chip lead at my table and was above average for the first time all day. Less than an hour later right after posting the blinds we break. Right before this happens, Ricky with 14 players left in the $750 standard raises from the button w red AQ. The big blind a known aggressive internet player jams for 120K and Ricky snap calls. Ricky has 160K to start the hand and has the kids As10c dominated. The flop is Axx 2 clubs. The turn is the Q clubs giving Ricky 2-pair. The river club falls and Ricky is the new short stack, gross. He busts soon after that for a tidy but unspectacular profit and plenty of what could’ve been thoughts. Incidentally the kid (who happens to be a really nice guy) goes on to chop the tournament, taking a lot of chips from Hevad along the way.
Back to me in the $1000. For the first time all day I find myself at a new table and wouldn’t you know I sit down to the BB after just posting both blinds on my original table. Not a good sign. This table has a bunch of healthy stacks. We’re at 300/600 and I’m sitting on at least 20K. First hand there’s a limp and a raise to 2600 and I look down to see the A5 hearts and decide to muck as does the limper. Very next hand I’m in the SB. UTG raises to 2K. UTG+1 calls as do 2 players in middle position, what does everybody have? I look down to find AKs, wow. With nearly 10K in the pot I feel my only play is to jam. UTG painfully folds which was good as he was my main concern. Surprisingly UTG+1 moves his chips to the middle with no hesitation, really? The other 2 players get out of the way and I’m up against KK again, unreal. No A to be found this time and I bust as we approach the money bubble yet again. Dammit.
Cool off in the room again then meet Ricky and my partner for dinner at Sea Blue, another fine establishment. We have a great relaxing dinner and then head back upstairs to the tournament room to watch the end of the $750. Hevad had just went out in 4th place and we get to see a long 3-handed battle. Hang for an hour or two with some great people who I had never met before face to face but are well known in the poker community such as JoeytheB and gboro (another Giants fan see below). Also meet ShankingYou who had busted me a couple of weeks prior in a $100 deep stacked Stars tournament. He is friends with Jamie the kid who beat Ricky with the A10 hand. It was good people and good times.
The New York Football Giants
My original plan was to play the $1500 on Saturday but after getting some sound advice from gboro I do as he does and skip the $1500 in case I make Day 2 and then have a terrible conflict with the Giants game on Sunday. So staying true to Big Blue as I had all year I play an early morning cash session on Saturday, win another buy in and pack up the car and head home. I don’t need to tell you what a great day Sunday was. OMG OMG OMG. We’re going to the Super Bowl, what a season.
All in all it was a profitable and fun trip. Was poised to make good runs in 2 of the 3 tourneys but it wasn’t meant to be. Was hoping to head back to Borgata this week for the bigger events but am completely swamped at work after being gone all last week so it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. Guess its back to the online grind for the time being.
-Doyle-
Comments
EdmondDantes says
Nice post and congrats on the Giants. Have to admit, I was a naysayer...01/23/08
TwoRagsStaff says
DT, the photos you sent look great. Right click and copy the image location if you want to post them somewhere else. Thanks!Poker Lounge
Poker Room entrance
WPT event
Steak house
Wolfgang Puck's
01/23/08
Anonymous says
weak I don't arrive till tonite/tom morning going to miss some waffelcrushing01/24/08
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