Running Hot
Been running pretty good recently. Will have to check the poker archives to see if this is my best heater. Anyway, I've chopped another tournament, this time six split up the pool at the Harrahs Saturday Weekly. Blinds were about to jump to 10k 20k. Total chips were a little under 450k. Young kid didn't want to chop at first, his buddy was telling him he was the best player at the table, he might have been. I'd like to think I was, but one or two other guys might have also felt the same. Once he lost the chip lead he was willing to negotiate.
One of the others that probably thought he was the best was a guy named Mac from Baton Rouge. He's a very good player and I enjoyed talking to him quite a bit. He refused any kind of equity chop (to my advantage as I was the short stack through out the discussions) because the blinds were too big. Good point to remember in that format for future discussions.
Eventually, after I doubled up, the kid capitulated. Pretty nice chop. This calender year, I've been on a bit of heater. Split up some nightlys at the Beau Rivage (the format was a chop at 10% left in the field though usually we chopped with a couple of extra players). One time I had enough chips to demand more and the short stacks paid it. I never had to take less than the field to receive the chop, though at times people got more than most of us. This is my second chop at Harrahs too.
This weekly involed some good fortune on my part. I was getting short with maybe four or five tables left and Melvin moved me when I hit the big blind (which would have been a big chunk of my stack and I was considering if I would have to play ATC for everything I had left). At my new table, the empty seat was just behind the button so suddenly I had more hands. A couple of hands later I looked at AA after a shorter stack had shoved. Lots of big stacks and I wanted action.
Still, I didn't want to just call, so I went over the top and everybody folded. With the blinds and antes almost a full double up. Then, Melvin broke that table and tried to apologize to me for moving me so quickly. I told him not to, just the opposite it was a very good move.
At my new table, again I slotted in just behind the button, and dragged a couple of blinds and antes to get somewhat respectable. Then, I found myself in the big blind with a big stack in the small. A couple of times he'd just complete. I'd see the flop and hit something and bet him off. A couple of other times he gave me a walk. That's fortunate.
Still, being card dead all tournament long except for the AA hand, I managed to get short as the blinds continued to escalate and we got to two tables. I shoved with QJ suited and the big blind woke up with A5 and had to call me as I barely had 3x the blind. Flop came out 996. Turn was a 6. I called out for a six and instead hit a Jack.
BB was at my table and asked if I still got the pot since I asked for a six. I'll take a 6 outer to win the hand on the river, though I had four outs to chop. Later my good fortune was simply a matter of my better hands holding. Dodging flush draws and not getting three outed when facing weaker aces is fun when you can do it.
One hand of note, is one I played pretty bad in one perspective, but not so bad from another one, considering I play these things to chop. This kid was getting three betted left and right by olding tighter guys preflop and folding every time. I could read his frustration from across the table. Looked like he was about at his breaking point, and I decided I wasn't going to try and three bet steal from him, and I wasn't coming over the top unless I was going to play for all my chips.
Under the Gun I look at Ak suited, with the cards I had been getting that day it looked like the nuts. I put out a bet and action folded to him. He asked me how many chips I had. I showed and he bet just under half my stack. Folded back to me and I was confused.
I didn't think he left me any fold equity at all if I went over the top. The bet was either weakness or real strength because from my perspective he can't fold if I go over the top, not with what the pot is laying him. Course, if he was stealing he could fold and move on content I defined my hand.
It's also AK suited... pretty standard to just shove here regardless. I took my time and I just had a bad feeling about it. I asked him some questions and couldn't get a solid read one way or the other. He seemed pretty strong and not like he was representing strength--like it was natural, but there were a couple of other things that made me fearful that he was actually weak.
Tough part was I think he was married to the hand. It might not have been AA or KK but he was locked in, and that resolve could have been responsible for strength as I tanked. Eventually, I folded, I had chips and I didn't have to win that pot, but in that format you really can't lay down in that spot too often. I concluded he definitely had a big pair, two of which decimate me, and the other one or two I was coin flipping with. Therefore, calling or shoving (pretty confident he insta-calls) At best I only had a 25% chance to win the hand. I mucked.
I pestered him for his hand and he said "hooks," I told him he wouldn't believe what I folded, AK suited. He seemed to believe it. I didn't really care what he had since I had folded, but I didn't want to hear AK or AQ.
By the way next time I'll talk about the cashier ridiculing my tip...
One of the others that probably thought he was the best was a guy named Mac from Baton Rouge. He's a very good player and I enjoyed talking to him quite a bit. He refused any kind of equity chop (to my advantage as I was the short stack through out the discussions) because the blinds were too big. Good point to remember in that format for future discussions.
Eventually, after I doubled up, the kid capitulated. Pretty nice chop. This calender year, I've been on a bit of heater. Split up some nightlys at the Beau Rivage (the format was a chop at 10% left in the field though usually we chopped with a couple of extra players). One time I had enough chips to demand more and the short stacks paid it. I never had to take less than the field to receive the chop, though at times people got more than most of us. This is my second chop at Harrahs too.
This weekly involed some good fortune on my part. I was getting short with maybe four or five tables left and Melvin moved me when I hit the big blind (which would have been a big chunk of my stack and I was considering if I would have to play ATC for everything I had left). At my new table, the empty seat was just behind the button so suddenly I had more hands. A couple of hands later I looked at AA after a shorter stack had shoved. Lots of big stacks and I wanted action.
Still, I didn't want to just call, so I went over the top and everybody folded. With the blinds and antes almost a full double up. Then, Melvin broke that table and tried to apologize to me for moving me so quickly. I told him not to, just the opposite it was a very good move.
At my new table, again I slotted in just behind the button, and dragged a couple of blinds and antes to get somewhat respectable. Then, I found myself in the big blind with a big stack in the small. A couple of times he'd just complete. I'd see the flop and hit something and bet him off. A couple of other times he gave me a walk. That's fortunate.
Still, being card dead all tournament long except for the AA hand, I managed to get short as the blinds continued to escalate and we got to two tables. I shoved with QJ suited and the big blind woke up with A5 and had to call me as I barely had 3x the blind. Flop came out 996. Turn was a 6. I called out for a six and instead hit a Jack.
BB was at my table and asked if I still got the pot since I asked for a six. I'll take a 6 outer to win the hand on the river, though I had four outs to chop. Later my good fortune was simply a matter of my better hands holding. Dodging flush draws and not getting three outed when facing weaker aces is fun when you can do it.
One hand of note, is one I played pretty bad in one perspective, but not so bad from another one, considering I play these things to chop. This kid was getting three betted left and right by olding tighter guys preflop and folding every time. I could read his frustration from across the table. Looked like he was about at his breaking point, and I decided I wasn't going to try and three bet steal from him, and I wasn't coming over the top unless I was going to play for all my chips.
Under the Gun I look at Ak suited, with the cards I had been getting that day it looked like the nuts. I put out a bet and action folded to him. He asked me how many chips I had. I showed and he bet just under half my stack. Folded back to me and I was confused.
I didn't think he left me any fold equity at all if I went over the top. The bet was either weakness or real strength because from my perspective he can't fold if I go over the top, not with what the pot is laying him. Course, if he was stealing he could fold and move on content I defined my hand.
It's also AK suited... pretty standard to just shove here regardless. I took my time and I just had a bad feeling about it. I asked him some questions and couldn't get a solid read one way or the other. He seemed pretty strong and not like he was representing strength--like it was natural, but there were a couple of other things that made me fearful that he was actually weak.
Tough part was I think he was married to the hand. It might not have been AA or KK but he was locked in, and that resolve could have been responsible for strength as I tanked. Eventually, I folded, I had chips and I didn't have to win that pot, but in that format you really can't lay down in that spot too often. I concluded he definitely had a big pair, two of which decimate me, and the other one or two I was coin flipping with. Therefore, calling or shoving (pretty confident he insta-calls) At best I only had a 25% chance to win the hand. I mucked.
I pestered him for his hand and he said "hooks," I told him he wouldn't believe what I folded, AK suited. He seemed to believe it. I didn't really care what he had since I had folded, but I didn't want to hear AK or AQ.
By the way next time I'll talk about the cashier ridiculing my tip...
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