Dinger Does It.
At the Dead Money Tournament in Houma, I was glad to see Dinger take it down. He's a great guy and likes to mix it up. It was the first time me and him weren't playing a side tournament after getting knocked out early. As Ruttley mentioned, I got over my "final table" hump (with 17 players that's not saying much) but I could never get started.
Have to give some respect to Parfait and Davey (that f'ing smartass :) )who were at my and Gene D's table. I felt like they were able to capitalize on the table's tightness the best. I didn't like my spot at all. If Gene D didn't lead out, Parfait usually would, since they were both on my right I had to muck a lot of betting hands that didn't qualify as calling hands and were borderline enough I didn't want to resteal when I felt like they stealing. My tightness was my own best enemy.
Early on I bumped multi-limped pots with legit hands in the blinds or on the button. Would have liked at least a one caller when I had position. Not to be. My next plan was to open it up and play lose, which I'm not very good at--right when I wanted to switch gear was when Gene, and more often Parfait, entered the pot with bets and not limps. Sweet.
Ken of SUBMAR was on my left, who is a very good tight player. That also meant my bets wouldn't have to go far for me to know I was in trouble. In one hand, I forget what I had, we did battle in the blinds. I bet the flop, he called. A king came on the turn. That seemed to be his neighborhood, but I had a feeling he already had a piece. I checked saying, "I don't have a king.' Predictably, he bet like I would have in the face of weakness. Preparing to fold I said "What if I was lying?" He did a borderline doubletake and from that reaction I knew I could bet him out. I raised, he folded. Maybe we both had air. Sorry, Ken I stole one from you but I'd have to say I probably pushed more chips to him than he to me. Felt some empathy for him, as he also turned over some big hands that he couldn't get an opponent to catch anything on him.
Another interesting hand came up, when I had 5-2 suited. It was unopened past Gene and Parfait, so I decided to take a flyer as I wasn't getting any other chances. Davey on the button called. I hoped to hit the flop solid and surprise him with my low cards, plus I thought he'd give me credit if big cards hit so I could win a few ways. It came King, 10, 9 with two clubs, I believe, my suit was red. Something weirded me out as the texture of the flop could have matched his strong (or so I thought) holdings in a couple of ways. I didn't pull the trigger and decided I would check fold thinking I had to be behind. When he checked behind, I wish I had sold the king. It also suprised me, maybe he had a AQ or AJ for a draw he rather see cheaply then disguise. The next card was a baby and I checked feeling he wouldn't buy the king even if I did bet. When he checked behind I really regreted not betting, he had air too.
The river brought a club. I checked, he bet. Now, I was convinced he had nothing post flop and turn, so I mulled over pushing on him. His bet size was just right too. Ultimately, I figured I'd get out of this hand cheaply. He could have walked into a flush. I really hadn't see him check with position so I pondered some more. Something told me had something and I couldn't see a valid reason to push in that pot. No need to outplay myself. He showed 5-4 of clubs for the flush. I said, "I let you get there," and laughed to myself imagining our mutual suprise if we both hit say the two other 5s on the flop. I didn't put him on low cards and he probably didn't put me on my holding.
I limped into the final table. Thinking about the blind schedule I think we should adjust it in the future. We follow the Beau's tournament structure and it works from a time perspective, not taking all night, but I think as other players mentioned that it leaves us a little short on chips. That structure is designed for a tournament where for the first 6 or 7 rounds tables are mostly 10 or 9 handed, so the blinds really don't eat you up. Considering we started shorthanded on each, the blinds were hitting us 33% to 50% faster. So there really wasn't much room for error. Plus, these tables seemed tighter than the last tournament and we played 6 and 5 handed forever. Thus, in that window if the short stacks couldn't get a pushing hand they were crippled.
That's why I respect the players who loosened up early, they had the foresight to to realize it was kind of a short stacked short handed tournament. A thousand or two more to start would have alleviated some of that early pressure and might have encouraged people to mix it up a litle more. For the last chance and final table I'll definitely stack people a little deeper. My thanks to Gene D and Dinger for getting everything together and helping to put on a great tournament. See everybody Friday.
Have to give some respect to Parfait and Davey (that f'ing smartass :) )who were at my and Gene D's table. I felt like they were able to capitalize on the table's tightness the best. I didn't like my spot at all. If Gene D didn't lead out, Parfait usually would, since they were both on my right I had to muck a lot of betting hands that didn't qualify as calling hands and were borderline enough I didn't want to resteal when I felt like they stealing. My tightness was my own best enemy.
Early on I bumped multi-limped pots with legit hands in the blinds or on the button. Would have liked at least a one caller when I had position. Not to be. My next plan was to open it up and play lose, which I'm not very good at--right when I wanted to switch gear was when Gene, and more often Parfait, entered the pot with bets and not limps. Sweet.
Ken of SUBMAR was on my left, who is a very good tight player. That also meant my bets wouldn't have to go far for me to know I was in trouble. In one hand, I forget what I had, we did battle in the blinds. I bet the flop, he called. A king came on the turn. That seemed to be his neighborhood, but I had a feeling he already had a piece. I checked saying, "I don't have a king.' Predictably, he bet like I would have in the face of weakness. Preparing to fold I said "What if I was lying?" He did a borderline doubletake and from that reaction I knew I could bet him out. I raised, he folded. Maybe we both had air. Sorry, Ken I stole one from you but I'd have to say I probably pushed more chips to him than he to me. Felt some empathy for him, as he also turned over some big hands that he couldn't get an opponent to catch anything on him.
Another interesting hand came up, when I had 5-2 suited. It was unopened past Gene and Parfait, so I decided to take a flyer as I wasn't getting any other chances. Davey on the button called. I hoped to hit the flop solid and surprise him with my low cards, plus I thought he'd give me credit if big cards hit so I could win a few ways. It came King, 10, 9 with two clubs, I believe, my suit was red. Something weirded me out as the texture of the flop could have matched his strong (or so I thought) holdings in a couple of ways. I didn't pull the trigger and decided I would check fold thinking I had to be behind. When he checked behind, I wish I had sold the king. It also suprised me, maybe he had a AQ or AJ for a draw he rather see cheaply then disguise. The next card was a baby and I checked feeling he wouldn't buy the king even if I did bet. When he checked behind I really regreted not betting, he had air too.
The river brought a club. I checked, he bet. Now, I was convinced he had nothing post flop and turn, so I mulled over pushing on him. His bet size was just right too. Ultimately, I figured I'd get out of this hand cheaply. He could have walked into a flush. I really hadn't see him check with position so I pondered some more. Something told me had something and I couldn't see a valid reason to push in that pot. No need to outplay myself. He showed 5-4 of clubs for the flush. I said, "I let you get there," and laughed to myself imagining our mutual suprise if we both hit say the two other 5s on the flop. I didn't put him on low cards and he probably didn't put me on my holding.
I limped into the final table. Thinking about the blind schedule I think we should adjust it in the future. We follow the Beau's tournament structure and it works from a time perspective, not taking all night, but I think as other players mentioned that it leaves us a little short on chips. That structure is designed for a tournament where for the first 6 or 7 rounds tables are mostly 10 or 9 handed, so the blinds really don't eat you up. Considering we started shorthanded on each, the blinds were hitting us 33% to 50% faster. So there really wasn't much room for error. Plus, these tables seemed tighter than the last tournament and we played 6 and 5 handed forever. Thus, in that window if the short stacks couldn't get a pushing hand they were crippled.
That's why I respect the players who loosened up early, they had the foresight to to realize it was kind of a short stacked short handed tournament. A thousand or two more to start would have alleviated some of that early pressure and might have encouraged people to mix it up a litle more. For the last chance and final table I'll definitely stack people a little deeper. My thanks to Gene D and Dinger for getting everything together and helping to put on a great tournament. See everybody Friday.
Comments
I really thought you were acting after me. Hmm. Don't know why. I trust your memory over mine.
That makes a little more sense with your holding. I thought you were maybe playing low cards at me hoping to hit like I was and utilizing position. Defending your bb makes more sense.
I will say something weirded me about the river so I'm not sure I would have crying called with anything but top pair. Nonetheless, I guess I officially let you get there, so bad weak play on my part.