The Donkley Update

Played the Harrahs Donkley and finished 16th just out of the money. Traded 10% with AT&T as Ray calls him, so need for the moniker I gave him All Day Alex, and really wanted to pull at least a cash as the last two times we've traded equity he's given me a rebate on my entry fee. Plus, he doesn't like to chop so with him I always have a chance at getting more than my buy-in back.

Anyway, I didn't get it done.

I got short and battled and battled and shove the first open pot when blinds were eating everybody up. There was a kid who happened to be in the big blind when I shoved with almost a third of the chips in play. His run seemed to be like Darvin Moon's (the guy pictured with almost all the chips at the Main Event). To meet Davin go here. AA, KK, QQ, flopping a set to best an overpair, 1010, no matter what he held it either held or hit. The board paired he had a card that matched it. I don't think he was even aware of how good he was running, as usual people were bitching about the deck slapping him in the face, but it usually does that to somebody, all you can do is hope it's you the next time.

Now, why would I shove an unopened pot against him. Because like Moon's is reputed to have done, he only played premium hands. Anything but he relase his big blind. So, when it was folded to me I determined to shove any two cards. I believe it was K8. He called I had one over as he got 1010.

It was a weird tournament as usual. Early on, I got almost a full double up, when a guy kept pricing me in on a draw. I raised with A10 suited preflop. He called. Flop brought two of my suit, a gutshot and all undercards. Today I checked it rather then bet it. He thinned the field to just me.

I turned my 10. I check. He bet again. I called.

On the river, before I could check, he fired out all 90% of our stacks out of turn. I went over the top and he folded (?!?!?!). I said nothing about the out of turn move and raked a huge pot. I watched AT&T get a similar gift and thought Wednesday would be our day.

Not to be as I started to spew and my c-bets met nothing but resistance. One of those days where I started with good hands but didn't finish with the best hand. Of note was when I shoved with KK in the middle of the tournament over a raise preflop. I got called by AQsooted and my opponent promptly flopped two of his suit. I turned a set... which did nothing for me. Odd. I rivered quads (seeing a lot of quads recently after seeing few of them for months). Weird, to be in a hand where you make quads but still were in jeopardy of losing with one card to come. That hand kept me around.

Next time I'll take about calling all in with no pair, and just 34 o/s in my hand on the turn, for my tournament life and winning. If that's not some deep level poker strategy I don't know what is. Told you it was another odd day at Harrahs.

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