Spur of the Moment

I didn't plan on it, but this turned into a live tourney blog. I wasn't drinking, though, so it's not stupidfunny. Enjoy.

We have a pandemic, people. Prepare the vaccines. Stockpile the penicillin. Yes, of course, I'm talking about slow-playing big pocket pairs.

After last night's limping Jacks fiasco, I have seen limping Kings (in a 5-way pot) and Aces simply call a min. raise (at Level 2) pre-flop, in a 4-way pot. In the former, in which I was not involved, all the money went in on a KTx flop with two spades, but no thanks to the flopped set. He simply called a half-pot bet and saw a push behind, some jackass with 8s6s. The other guy called, too, with Ts2s. The Set dodged the remaining spades to triple up.

I WAS involved in the AA hand, calling the small raise with 66 from the BB. The flop was a ragged 8-high with two spades and I fired at it. Only AA called. The turn was another non-spade rag and I bet the pot, more than half my stack. He raised and I had to call. I spiked a 6. Then the fun began.

Dummy: I hope you rot in hell, you @$%^$%&&%
Me: keep slow-playing, @#$%head
Dummy: I've lost with aces six times tonight
Observer: maybe you should fold 'em
Me: or bet 'em
Observer: there's that

Of course, that was the only highlight of early the poker play. The flop avoided me like the plague in a 180-person tourney, despite having some excellent starting hands. When I had Jacks (twice) and 9s, the flop came all overcards and I had to drop. When I got AK (once) and AJ (once), I missed. Went out after pushing with tens at Level 4 and losing to AQ.

Fortunately, I was playing the $20 MTT at the same time, where I hit my Antichrist. I was up to 2800 at Level Two and got QQ twice inside of 12 hands. Got short stacks in both times. One had AA. One had KK.

Good shit.

Of course, I just snapped off KK with A8o, so things even out. Sorta. Back up to 2700.

I almost forgot. That other day when I lost with AA v. KK on the bubble, I also had KK once and ran into AA. He slow-played 'em, or I woulda gone broke. I raised in the CO and he called from the SB, as did the BB. Flop came AQx and they both checked. I smelled a rat and checked behind. The Q on the turn really put me on the defensive and when the SB bet a grand (into a 4800 pot), I dropped. The BB called, but folded to the pot bet on the River. SB showed. I typed in "nice play," because all the money goes in if he re-raises pre-flop. Much appreciated.

Wow. I just got QQ again and re-raised the open-raiser. He popped me back and I folded. He showed KK. Clutch.

Holy fuck. Very next hand it all goes in pre-flop and it's QQ v. AA.

THERE IS A GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM!

It is suggested to the last guy who had QQ that it's no good at this table and he's shocked by the suggestion that he would lay down QQ pre-flop to an all-in. Uh, I just did. He then goes on to say the all-in guy might have had JJ, arousing a chuckle and the quote of the evening,

"I'd bet my car on Jacks, but not my house."

Well played, sir. Well played.

K6 in the BB is gold. I flop trips, check-raise a limper who calls. I bet 3/4 pot on the turn 8 and he pushes. I have a momentary pause, case king with better kicker? a tiny set? Visions of last night swimming in my head. I cast them aside. Punk thinks I'm playing at him and he's playing back. Yep. Pocket ducks. I win.

To sum up: T4265 at the break. 73 of 265 left. QQ no good.

The Big Blind been beddy, beddy good to me. Flop trip 9s this time, though I only get an extra 300 out of the SB, the only other player in the hand.

I have some very solid players at my table, but a couple of them are easily readable. Just took a pot from one because he advertised weakness. He min. raised and I called in position with 77. Flop of 998 and I smooth-called his 300 bet (same as the min. raise), looking to make a pressure bet on the turn if the card was ragged. Turn Jack. Not great, but he checked. My 3/4 pot bet took it down.

One of those players is not so readable. It's gank, Brett Jungblut. I'm getting a contact high from his avatar.

Big Blind again: AQo. Folded to short stack who pushes (for the third consecutive orbit). His A9o (probably the best hand he's had the entire time) is no g00t. T6610

Haha.

QQ wins a pot. SB raises 3x and BB calls. Flop is J86 and SB bets the pot, BB calls. Turn Ace and SB bets 2/3rd pot. BB says, "damn JT. shoulda raised the flop" and folds. SB shows his QQ. Damn ace killed his action. And, uh, nice read BB.

That BB is the Big Stack at the table and he's not so hot. He HAS pulled himself to over 15K from a short stack (he was the QQ guy who thought AA might have Jacks), but he's done it by playing marginal hands and flopping big. He just knocked out a much better player in a kicker battle. Two Kings on the board and K9 beat K8, the latter being in the big blind.

We pause in this tourney report to nominate me for Parent of the Year. AJ is an extremely picky eater and getting him to finish his dinner is often a massive chore. Tonight was even worse thanks to the mounds of candy and Halloween cookies in the house. At one point, the dear and patient wife and I were finished and just hanging out at the table tryin' to cajole him into some Hamburger Helper. He flopped on the floor in Full Tantrum Mode, screaming, "I want a cookie." We let him go, as we are wont to do, when inspiration struck. I, too, flopped on the floor, screaming, "I want AJ to eat his dinner," mimicking his fist-pounding and kicking. The Mrs. broke up and, after a time, so did AJ, perhaps making the connection that such antics are ridiculous. He finished his food.

Yes, I'd been doing a lot of folding during that tale. Can't beat anyone into the pot, nothing to defend. Not a problem.

I get a chance to open in MP with QJs. Only the BB calls. Flop is 882 with two clubs (not my suit) and he checks. I make the standard Harrington continuation bet of 1200 and he calls. Ugh. Turn is a lovely queen and he checks again. I like my spot. I bet half the pot. And he pushes. Easy call to my mind, he's not shown any ability to conceal a big hand (like an 8 or overpair) and so it is. Uh...42o.

Dear people, keep check-calling when you catch a piece of a ragged flop. Let me hang around and catch my card. Queen river is the final nail and I double up.

The little stacks are gettin' antsy. Lost three of them in the last 3 hands. I didn't get any of 'em. As a result, we've got quite a few healthy stacks at this table. Five of eight over 12K. I'm fourth of those five.

Got caught in a semi-steal with JTo in the CO. Turned Broadway, but with three diamonds (I did have the Royal/Nut Flush draw with the Jd), but couldn't bet out QJ and ended up with a chop. Not sure how that affects my chances for steals.

To sum up: T12307. 28 of 83 remaining. 63 paid.

Probably gonna lay low until the money, blinds/antes at 300/600/50 so my Harrington Factor is fine. Hopefully in the cash within two levels and I can get a steal or two in as it tightens up.

Or I'll just take a walk in the BB with my suited Jackhammer. A very short-stack to my right who has yet to raise me when on the button or CO. Trying to fold to the money or so tight her ass squeaks. The player to HER right is a Big Stack who is also extremely tight. Came to the table an hour ago with 24K and has 28K now. He's played like 3 hands, all with pre-flop raises. I will be avoiding him.

Called a raise with AKo in the BB and whiffed. Both players in the hand flopped sets. Ugly. Glad there was no A or K on that flop. Down to T9857.

Guy played great poker for nearly two and a half hours and got busted with a flopped set in 67th, four from the money. Painful.

Got the blinds and antes with A3s from the CO. We are hand for hand.

In the money. That's what avoiding gank for 75 minutes will do for a guy.

Another walk in my BB. I love this girl, in a purely platonic poker way. I've had hardly anything to play. Folded 77 to a UTG raise from a short stack. If I didn't have five players to act behind me, I'd have probably played. No consolation that they all folded.

People are willing to gamble at this point. One hand and I could very well double up, though I still have enough chips to force a tough decision from big stacks.

The SB finally bets me off my BB. It was, uh, 62o. Good for her. Flopped two pair in the SB right after, so it's a blind push again.

Big Slick of Spades wins the race against a short-stack pair of deuces. Made me sweat it though. I flopped two spades to take the lead, but the third didn't fall until the River.

T16400. Harrington Factor of 10. I'm willing to gamble now that we're in the cash, try to build a stack to get me deep.

Heh.

Famous last words. AKo in the BB. Button, tight big stack, raises 4x, which is bigger than his previous raises. I sense I've got a race and I decide to take the all-in shot, maybe even getting him to fold 66 or so. I'm right, though he doesn't drop his pocket 9s. Flop gives me a gutshot and backdoor flush draw. Turn gives me the flush draw and 17 bloody outs. None of 'em fall. Out in 51st.

Yet, I am at peace.