Results from my weekend play

I played live for charity on Saturday night. There were only 40 players with the top 8 getting some type of prize. The guy running the tournament was definitely a bit odd. He read all of his rules line by line and then some. He talked about all the tournaments he has played in and run, to make sure everyone was comfortable with him running it, but it came across as bragging. Quite frankly, there were no major arguments, but he could have done so much better.

First of all, the blinds were insane. We started with 2000 in chips and the first 3 blinds were 25/50, 50/100 then 75/150 at 20 minutes each. I started as the big blind and was the first big blind at the 2nd level. 20 minutes to get around the table once.

There was also no consideration for position when moving or after someone was knocked out. No ghost blinds, skipped Small blinds or anything. Sometimes people would be set to be BB and then do just SB because someone went out. We argued our point to the TD but his response was "I know what you are saying, but we are not doing that here. " If he has soooooooo much experience, I would think he would know how unfair it is to move someone from one table in the BB and be the BB again right away. It's not that hard to ask people to scoot around.

OK, so enough bitching from me, let's get to some hands. We are seated 8 to a table and pick our own seats. I don't know that this was an advantage at all, since I really didn't know the other players. I quickly learned that I picked poorly. To my immediate left was "Maniac" old guy. After him was the only other good player at our table (Steve).

The very first hand, I am in the BB with 33. Maniac UTG raises 2x BB. One player calls and I call to see a flop. 2 clubs come on the flop with 9 high. I c-bet 1/2 the pot. Maniac calls. MP folds. Turn is a blank and we go check-check. River brings the 3rd club, still all little cards on the board. I look at the maniac and he is reaching for his chips. Twice he starts to grab his chips, then stops. I figure he is itching to get his money in so I check. He bets 1/4 pot and I fold.

So my ability to steal blinds was severely crippled when the maniac would call with anything and the good player would read my steals as what they were and pick his spots to fire back at me. The rest of the table was pure calling stations. Any Ace was playing. Any two paints was playing. The maniac at my table took down a few pots with 3rd or 4th pair.

At 50/100 I get AdKd from the CO and raise 4x BB after 2 limped in. 1 limper calls (UTG) and we are heads up. Flop comes 9c8h6h, UTG checks and I insta-shove. My thinking here is that he played his "any Ace". I have 1050 behind and he has 350, so I know this is not putting my tournament on the line. I put the pressure on him to decide and since he checked, he surely missed the flop. He tanks and asks if I hit the straight. Then he says, you probably played pocket sixes, but I'll call. He flips over Ad9h and I don't improve. With 700 left and 75/150 blinds coming, I am feeling pressure to make a move.

I am completely card dead. I lose a few blinds as I can't call raises with junk. Finally I get a hand where everyone folds around to my SB of 75. I have Q7 off and 375 left in front of me. The chip leader at our table is the maniac, so I just smooth call my monster hand. He checks behind me and we see a flop of 986 rainbow. I go all in for another 300 and he calls with K5off. Queen on the river doubles me up. Suckout is nice.

A few hands later I get AdJd in the BB. 4 limpers to me and I go all in for 900. Maniac UTG calls (everyone else folds) and he shows 7c8c. Ace on the turn seals it and the maniac has doubled me up again!

I have a little breathing room now. The Maniac is still chip leader having hit a couple of 4 card flushes and bullying everyone he can.

The very next orbit I get Ac9c in the BB. Maniac UTG calls and everyone else folds to me. I think seriously about raising him, but I know he will call and if I hit, I know I'll easily be able to trap him. I check and flop comes 3 clubs giving me the nut flush. My trap is perfect, check-calling to the river where I check re-raise all in and he calls. Maniac tables 22. Pair of 2's. Deuces. Ducks. Da-looosers. Doh! He is crippled but not out. A few hands later he is gone.

Down to two tables. Blinds are 1k/2k. I have 7k and I sit in the Button seat. First hand I have A2sooooooted and attempt a steal all in. SB calls with K10 and hits a K on the flop. Ace on the river and I get suckout #2. Double up.

Then A7 off from the BB and have 2 limpers ahead of me. I shove (again on a steal attempt) and get called by one player. He tables 22 -Da-looosers no good again and I double up when an Ace hits. I am now the chip leader at the table.

People are dropping fast with the blinds so high, so we only play a few hands at 2 tables then go to final 8. I am probably right in the middle of the pack. A steal attempt now costs 6k to win 3k. I steal one from the CO with KQspades but don't see much other action.

Player to my immediate right has 2k left so is all-in when the BB comes to her. I minraise from UTG with J9sooooted to try to isolate just the two of us. Everyone folds. She flips over Q8off. Jack on the flop, 9 on the turn........... and she completes her straight on the river. (She would have been out 7th but comes back to take 2nd place- very nice run of cards).

I go card dead again and am getting KILLED by the blinds. Of course, so are other players and the field is dropping players fast. I am sitting 4th out of 4 with around 7k in front of me when I get 910off in the BB. UTG is our chip leader and he calls the 4k BB. Everyone else folds and I check. Flop comes 910J rainbow. I shove my remaining 3k into the 10K pot. UTG thinks about it and finally says "I gotta call". He Flips over AQ and a King on the turn sends me home in 4th place.

I missed the cash prizes by one spot. I won a couple rounds of golf and some golf balls. I also won the raffle for Cardinals Opening Day tickets. I am so lucky! I won another set of Cardinals tickets and sold them and donated the money back to the charity. The other good player there, Steve, finished 5th. It was really a push fest and somehow I got lucky. Congratulations to my buddy GOFF for taking down 1st. You can find him on FTP under FFOG.

There are pictures here if you are interested.