Day 3, 9/23:

Sunday was pretty light with the whip cream on the Irish coffee being the AVP Tourney at TI

I ended up finally getting some decent sleep before venturing out for various items I needed for the work week. Remind me to NEVER step foot again in ANY wal-mart EVER AGAIN....'nuff said

Next was lunch and back to Pop's I went for yet another philly steak...very nice people and another good opportunity for people watching. The weather is absolutely fantastic!

I just basically killed time before heading down to TI for the tourney. I got there around 6 or so, registered, then headed over to Canters Deli for a quick bite. What a buzz killer that was....nice enough service but SLOW AS HELL

I headed back to TI to meet some fellow AVPers and photos, not too sure I wanna see how they turned out, but what the hell, it was a good time. It seemed our table was having more fun than the other 2, as evidenced by getting a round of yager (?sp) bombs during level 1... 35 players ended up buying in for $70 ($2450) and payouts would be $712, $356, $224 and $143 ($1435). Thanks to LVM we eventually had pizza delivered and it was simply amazing to watch so many pies being DEVOURED so rapidly I got to meet several posters like Photoc, Rakewell, ILikeCheese, Joel1968, JohnDZ, Talon, Michelle, Doug, Frank, Terrence and others. As well as hanging out with familiar faces like Motorcyle John, Cindy, Scott, YappyDave, OD, LVM and my rum runner buddy, Mrs Lederer! I have a pretty good memory but if I'm leaving anyone out, I'm sorry. It's most likely because you thought I was being too off-the-wall. But like I said last nite, f'them :)

Like I mentioned previously, I wasn’t there to take the tournament as seriously as others, but we all had our reasons for attending. Nonetheless, I do recall some hands played

Early on I played a hand against Joel1968 from my bb, I’d called his raise with 98o. I’d paired my 9 on a safe, rainbow rags board. I check called all the way down, putting him on a big ace or paint, my first pot. We then had a hand, which was sequentially min-raised around the board, until it was discovered there was a 4 bet cap, and since no distinction was made between games, it was applied correctly here. The next had I played was pocket aces and was hoping for another round of mini-pops after my min-raise but was only greeted with 2 callers. I checked behind a semi-coordinated board looking to get in a check-raise which is exactly what happened, I showed, then scooped. I don’t recall the level but I think the next big hand I played was when I open-pushed my “compared to the blinds” short stack 54s. I got insta-called by OD with AKo. He’d chipped up very early on to over 20k, cards were slapping him silly, either connecting with the board or drawing out on the end. At any rate, we exchanged words from across the table, jokingly of course, but in the end, it was my paired 5 that scooped up the chips.

I think by now, we’d formed up the final table, but with only 4 players getting paid out of the 61% returned prize pool, cash was a long ways off. Even after doubling through earlier, the blinds were stack eaters and when I spied a lone king from mid-position, I decided to push. When I got overcalls by not one, but 2 other players, I knew I was in trouble and I could only hope my other card was a good one. It was, I held AKo and was up against QQ and some other hand I don’t recall. I spike a king, turned a queen and was sitting in decent position to make a money run. Players were dropping fast and before I knew it, we were down to the final 4. OD was making an AMAZING come back, eventually taking down 2nd place, what a work of art that was to watch! I was the short stack of the remaining 4 and had just donked off another 10k when I open raised from utg. OD pushed and I had to muck my rags. With 175k chips in play, I held roughly 26k or so and since blinds were at 2k/4k, I needed chips, and needed them BADLY!

I posted the bb and ILikeCheese (Mike) completed from the sb. I took a peak at my cards and in all honesty, it didn’t matter what I had, I pushed. I did this because any “normal” raise woulda been more than half my stack and good tourney strategy says to put ‘em all-in, if you’re going to raise. Now I coulda played the hand differently but I didn’t think Mike was trying to get tricky with a made hand, so adding the additional 20% to my stack was well worth it. Mike says something along the lines of, “I don’t know why but I’m going to call…” I certainly didn’t like it but I knew I wasn’t in bad shape, most likely 60-40 dog, meh. I’m still not sure if I like the call from Mike’s standpoint, but he felt the raise was too much and he was better than average considering we were 4 handed. If I recall correctly, he held K9o and I had something like T7s. I don’t know if he hit his card or not, but I do know I didn’t get any help, so it’s moot. I went out in 4th for a net profit of $73. No hard feelings of course, but I would’ve liked it much better if he could’ve found a fold. I said it last nite though, nice call and way to take it down I think Chris was calling the hand, and by the time the river had fell, he said I looked liked I wanted to stab someone. I guess I need to work on that

Thanks again to LVM for putting it all together, Doug for supplying us all with AVP.com in the first place, the ENTIRE TI staff and all those who could make it out….what a blast!

Venetian Tourney Hands:

I have so many titles for this post:

I Sure Got My Moneys Worth, One Bad-Beat Deserves Another, That was a $6,000 Dollar Hand, FARK YOU, How Could You Make That Play?, I Played the Best Poker of My Life and all I got was a $10 Comp?!, and the list goes on and on and on….

L1-3, 25/50, 50/100, 100/200:

It didn’t take long to get a fix on the players at the table and I was determined to play the best I could! I’d already noted the player in this hand as someone who was going to be a thorn in my side, and since he had position on me, my accumulating job wasn’t going to be easy! I open-raise to T125 from late position with pocket 7s. Villain min-raised from the bb and I called. The board was rainbow rags and he leads out for T600. I min-raise him back and take it down. During the next orbit, against the same opponent I call his early position raise from the bb with pocket 6s. I flop the miracle 6 for sneaky set and since there’s one face included on the flop, I may stand to rake a nice pot. Normally I’d lead out here to build a pot, but since I’ve pegged this player, I’m going to let him do the betting, and he obliges. I check-call his flop and turn bets but we both slow down on the river. I did this mainly to get to see his cards which were napkins, he had complete air and as suspected, I take down another nice pot. I get AKo more than my fair share but continuation bets take ‘em down each and every time, image established. Going into the first break after 2 hours of play, I’m sitting on nearly 18k chips and we’re down to 3 tables from our original 4!

L4-6, 100/200/25, 200/400/25, 300/600/50:

Taking note that I need to use my established image, I make a raise from utg with complete trash, getting no callers. This little devilish trick emboldens my action and I take down a few pots by open raising and targeting a couple of players’ blinds. Even playing as I did, I was still aware that I had a tight image, at least to those who were paying attention to the table and not just the cards in their hands. The next hand I play was a pure attempt at picking up a pot as I hadn’t played a hand in a bit. Turns out it was against my nemesis from earlier. I open-raise pocket 3s from early position and of course he calls from his bb. Flop comes down TT8, 2 suited. He checks and I bet about half the pot. He thinks it over like EPSN is filming the final table but finally mucks his hand, face up. As the dealer is pushing me the pot, I decide to reciprocate and table my 3s, shooting him a glance…I can play cards too Homer Maybe not the best play on my part and I realize what it could mean to those paying attention, but I’ll take it and use it the best I can! 200/400 and 300/600 are my downfall. I’m not able to make many moves due to the table dynamics changing as players are moved in to balance things out. Most of the chuck lost though comes against a player who early on had flopped quads then an orbit later turned a straight flush. I got a laugh when I broke out the line asking, “If you wipe off when you pull it out, can I borrow it?” In the hand, I tried to take the pot away from him when the board delivered not only an ace but a king as well. He’d limped with QQ and called all the way. I’d seen him make lay-downs but I knew he had a greater propensity for calling….shoulda known better! We’re down to 2 tables and I’m down to about 11k chips.

L7-9, 400/800/75, 600/1200/100, 800/1600/200:

Our table now contains new players, with about 3 from the original. I’m joking it up with the 2 new players (Mike and Ben) on my right, who both have decent stacks. Mike’s been asking players periodically where they’re from, just creating small talk and picking up information as any good local pro would do. After I bit I say, “Man, you’ve asked everyone else where they’re from, I fell a little left out.” When he tells me he didn’t ask ‘cause he thought I was a local, I realize I either need to work on that image or cultivate it…not really sure which, but I’m still interestingly surprised by the observation. With as short as I am at this point, I know I’m in trouble unless I can chip up, which takes place tout suite. At 400/800 Mike starts contemplating a bet. I normally wait to look at my cards until the action is on me, but for some reason (maybe length of time) I peek early and spy pocket kings. I hold my cards like I’m going to muck, awaiting his action. He finally bets out for 2k chips. I’m in early position so any raise it going to tie me to the pot, and I don’t mind taking it down right here, so all-in it is Table folds around to one of the new players who takes no time at all in pushing in his all his chips…I know I’m crushed! Mike folds and you can guess what I’m up against, pocket aces, mike had folded AKo. I’m drawing to a lone out, save some miracle straight. But low and behold the flop delivers and I’m back in good shape. New player is EXTREMELY pissed!

My next hand comes against the player who’d flopped quads early and who I tried to represent an ace in an earlier hand. He’d made lay-downs as mentioned but he’d be more likely to call if he had a piece or draw. I was able to pick up on his betting patterns early on; I’m starting to really believe in these more than physical tells. If you can marry up the betting patterns with the hands they show down, that’s some really POWERFUL knowledge! Onto the hand….At 600/1200, the villain min-raises from early position and it’s folded around to me in the bb. I have 67o and decide to make the call. It’s going to be VERY easy to get away from if I miss. If I hit the board, I’m likely to get paid off and if he misses, there’s a good chance I can take it down with air, at least that’s the plan. Flop comes down 48T, 2-suited. From his earlier patterns I know he’s limped with big pairs, min-raised with big aces and made a normal raise with all other hands he wanted to play. So on this hand, I put him squarely on a big ace, which missed the board entirely. Heads-up, I’m not going to put much stock in a flush draw, although the possibility exists. I decide to check my double gut-shot draw, knowing he’ll most likely bet out, but I have enough chips behind for plenty of folding equity when I put the plan to check-raise into action. He leads out for T4k and I promptly push all-in for about T16k more. We’re essentially even so there’s no way in the world he can make the call unless I’ve TOTALLY misread the situation. To my complete and utter shock, he makes the call without taking any time at all, guess I fouled up! I turn over my cards over and wait for the atrocity that will surely spell my demise. He tables AcJc and I’m in absolute total shock; as is the rest of the table when the most beautiful card in the world floats down from the deck on the turn. It’s the 5 of diamonds, completing my straight draw and making me a lock in the hand. I’m now sitting on top of nearly 45k in chips and in a great position to make a deep run!

L10, 1k/2k/300:

11 players left and 5 get paid, ALL the money is in first and second, nothing new! My buddy Mike makes a raise to 12k in early position and when I start thinking he starts talking. He tells me that he’s got a big hand, just lay it down, on and on…You’ll have to trust me here but based on what’s happened previously, he’s not lying. But he also doesn’t have aces or kings. I’m not sure he’d do it with jacks but it’s possible. I put him on a big ace (because of his talk and bet size) and since I have pocket queens, I’m in a real mess. Months ago, I wouldn’t have even thought about the hand, just push all-in, I have queens, right?! But here, and now, it’s a different ball game. I could push all-in but I have a gut feeling he’ll call and I don’t’ see any need to flip for chips at this point. I could fold, but that seems weak, although raising or folding are most often the best courses of action. I decide on the flat-call, looking to take it down on a “safe flop” or mucking if an ace or king drops. Right in the window, my hopes are dashed and I when he bets out, I muck the queens face up. He does the only thing he knows how at this point, and flashes me the ace of spades…well played or donked up?

When a player busts on the other table, we’re down to 10 and we form up the final table. I land in the bb and have to let go with action ahead of me. From the sb, I steal the bb when it’s open-folded to me, thankfully I’d had a read on the gentleman on my left and knew he was tighter than a frogs arse We lose a player and with 9 left, the money spots are even closer, although I’m not at all concerned with 5th place as it’s little more than double the entry fee. A few hands pass and from utg, I look down to find pocket kings. I make a bet to T5k, the table standard at this point. It’s folded to the button, who pushes in the last of stack, about T20k or so. I’ll be more than happy to make this call heads-up and am just waiting for the blinds to fold out. But much to my surprise, the bb goes into the tank. Well, that’s one good thing, he doesn’t have aces. He’s also new to me and the pusher, we haven’t played with him all tournament. He and I have about the same stack and he’s really taking his time. As long as it takes, I’m pretty sure he’s going to make what I would consider the right move, folding. If he has a big ace, how can he stake the tourney on that? If he has queens, he knows he has to be flipping and why do it when you’re in such good shape? Even if he thinks I’m going to fold, why? He finally makes his decision, he pushes.

I sure as hell am not folding in this spot, but I’m open to hear any competing thoughts! The original all-in DOES NOT have aces, of course there’s no real way I can know, but it just doesn’t smell right, even with his stack. It’s possible, but I just don’t see it. I don’t see how I can fold here but like I said, I’m open to thoughts! I make what I think is the correct call. I’m up against AKo and QQ, in that order. If my hand holds, I’m sitting on 1/3rd of the chips in play, easily covering my opponents. But it’s all for naught when a queen falls right in the window and I’m drawing to a single out that never materializes. I’m summarily bounced in spot 7 and all I have to show for it is a $10 comp to Lux….

You have to get lucky along the way to win these things, no matter HOW GOOD you are. And I realize I got very lucky twice to keep my arse in the game. I guess this was just his time to get lucky. See ya on the felt!