Dead Money Poker Tour
08/26/07 23:43 Filed in: Poker
Wow.
What a rush.
I have played a number of these tournaments. I have now made or 4 final tables. And tonight was magic.
Early on, there were three tables. I and getting good cards and hitting on some nice hands. But, instead of playing overly conservative, as I usually do, I started playing crazy hands. The first point I realized I might be able to get some pots was a K8 of Spades call. A lot of players called and I hit the K-high flush. Brandon, who has won twice and had been bullying the table early, was bashing people left and right. He would raise, re-raise and bluff his way into wins.
Now, it was my turn. I flop the flush and I bet 2000 chips into a pot with about 3000. He calls. I bet 4000 chips and he calls. I bet 8000 chips on the river, he calls. Turns out, he had pocket 5s, making trips on the flop. He chased, chased and chased. And lost a chunk of chips.
I then knocked him out later when he thought his hand was good.
Our table knocked out the majority of the players. We had a lot of chasers on our table. And sometimes they were making hands. I was also playing hands I would never otherwise play, such as 23 offsuit in a raised pot. I would catch and the board would be a rainbow. The player, with say AK, would bet and bet. I would call and re-raise. And knock one or more out.
My favorite hands were big hands. I would have AK vs AQ. Or, when I picked up AA with 11 players. I was on the button. A player two behind me raises to 4000. I look at his stack, look at mine, and tell him I will put him all in. He insta-calls. He had AQ of diamonds. He never caught up and I busted him giving me another final table appearance.
At the final table, I was the big stack. There were two other sizable stacks. I doubled up two small stacks on bad calls, but it was close to pot odds to call.
But, invariably, I would get good hands. Like 6 handed, I catch JJ. I am on the button. The player in front of me would raise to 15,000. I offered to put her all in. I had her covered, but she had enough chips for a good second place. She couldn’t call without risking a moneyless finish. Turns out, she had AJ. We ran the flop for grins and I would have crushed her.
Or the KQos. I was getting a good chance to call, but Daniel had been really quiet for a long time. Suddenly, he goes all in. I am thinking I am in trouble, so I decide to fold just sacrificing my blind. We run the cards and he would have hit a Jack, giving him Trips to my K high. A very good fold indeed.
I knocked out the final two players. I picked up A8, calling my small blind. I catch an 8 on the flop with 10, 8, and 7 on the flop. I bet big, the smaller stack goes all in. I call for just a bit more. Turns out he had 55. I knocked him out after knocking out his wife earlier.
Now, heads up, I have significant lead. I catch Q10 diamonds. I bet 30,000. She goes all in. I look and call. The flop comes up A 10 8. Two diamonds. Her Ace-Five has caught. Then the turn, 5 of diamonds. I hit my flush. If an Ace or 5 comes, I lose. A helpless 8 falls and I win.
It’s nice to have an aggressive, semi-bluff game pay off. I had a blast.
I have played a number of these tournaments. I have now made or 4 final tables. And tonight was magic.
Early on, there were three tables. I and getting good cards and hitting on some nice hands. But, instead of playing overly conservative, as I usually do, I started playing crazy hands. The first point I realized I might be able to get some pots was a K8 of Spades call. A lot of players called and I hit the K-high flush. Brandon, who has won twice and had been bullying the table early, was bashing people left and right. He would raise, re-raise and bluff his way into wins.
Now, it was my turn. I flop the flush and I bet 2000 chips into a pot with about 3000. He calls. I bet 4000 chips and he calls. I bet 8000 chips on the river, he calls. Turns out, he had pocket 5s, making trips on the flop. He chased, chased and chased. And lost a chunk of chips.
I then knocked him out later when he thought his hand was good.
Our table knocked out the majority of the players. We had a lot of chasers on our table. And sometimes they were making hands. I was also playing hands I would never otherwise play, such as 23 offsuit in a raised pot. I would catch and the board would be a rainbow. The player, with say AK, would bet and bet. I would call and re-raise. And knock one or more out.
My favorite hands were big hands. I would have AK vs AQ. Or, when I picked up AA with 11 players. I was on the button. A player two behind me raises to 4000. I look at his stack, look at mine, and tell him I will put him all in. He insta-calls. He had AQ of diamonds. He never caught up and I busted him giving me another final table appearance.
At the final table, I was the big stack. There were two other sizable stacks. I doubled up two small stacks on bad calls, but it was close to pot odds to call.
But, invariably, I would get good hands. Like 6 handed, I catch JJ. I am on the button. The player in front of me would raise to 15,000. I offered to put her all in. I had her covered, but she had enough chips for a good second place. She couldn’t call without risking a moneyless finish. Turns out, she had AJ. We ran the flop for grins and I would have crushed her.
Or the KQos. I was getting a good chance to call, but Daniel had been really quiet for a long time. Suddenly, he goes all in. I am thinking I am in trouble, so I decide to fold just sacrificing my blind. We run the cards and he would have hit a Jack, giving him Trips to my K high. A very good fold indeed.
I knocked out the final two players. I picked up A8, calling my small blind. I catch an 8 on the flop with 10, 8, and 7 on the flop. I bet big, the smaller stack goes all in. I call for just a bit more. Turns out he had 55. I knocked him out after knocking out his wife earlier.
Now, heads up, I have significant lead. I catch Q10 diamonds. I bet 30,000. She goes all in. I look and call. The flop comes up A 10 8. Two diamonds. Her Ace-Five has caught. Then the turn, 5 of diamonds. I hit my flush. If an Ace or 5 comes, I lose. A helpless 8 falls and I win.
It’s nice to have an aggressive, semi-bluff game pay off. I had a blast.