euphoria

just won the 160 for 1500

what a great feeling, will post more later
last 3 with having only 2 showdowns TT vs AJ and AJ vs Q3

saw gus hansen
weasal left
poker pros tournament

aq vs kj value betting the river

aj vs q3
can't win a showdown!

finally win a showdown final table TT vs AJ

Because I was playing til last night (or the night before last for you), I missed the 12o clock at Ceasers this morning or afternoon (or yesterday afternoon even, I havent a clue what day it is?!?) so thought I would try out a different tourny to mix it up a bit.

Sooooooooooooooo I stumbled down to the Harriahs casino (p.s. they have mr cashman) where i know there is a 60+40 bucker game, its a bit turbo-esk but not toooo bad (4500 starting chips, 20 minute blinds). I played really well, but didn't get rewarded for my efforts :( - here are some of the interesting hands I remember:

Not long into the game I'm already up to about 7.5k from value betting a AK with a K on the board, the guy called the flop and turn, then we both checked the river (I thought he was slow playing a monster!) and he showed 22...lol 5 overcards madmad!

Anyway the blinds are 50-100, and under the gun, who is pretty loose, raises to 300. He has 2 callers behind - both whom are also loose...i figure here i want a fishy hand to call on big blind and expect a big payoff if i hit (like a small pair) - i have around 7.5k chips.

Check my cards, pocket aces premiummmm - can't slow play, I'm here out of position with a small pot and there are already 3 oppenants in the hand, not the scenario I want; so I raise it up to 1400. Pretty good bet, I'm hoping for 1 caller but not really expecting any; I have a pretty tight image and although the table is a very poor standard they should have noticed that.

The original raiser and first caller fold, the last player calls for another 1100 - he only has 2300 behind after the call (i got around 6k) so I already know I'm putting him all in on the flop regardless, I'm not going to waste time thinking about his possible holdings at this point...can't slow play vs donks out of position, just gotta value bet. And with so much in the pot already (and him having so few chips relatively behind) there is no flop that can't justify all in bet with AA.

The flop brings J42 all spades, I can't remember if I have the ace of spades but who cares, stick to the plan! I put him all in for 2.3k and he instantly calls with A3 spades lol, he flopped the nuts, classic. down to 4k odd chips.

A6 vs 59 suited:
The very next hand, blinds still 50-100, one guy limps in a late position - he's pretty loose and limps a lot (has about 4k chips same as me), it folds round to me on the small blind with A6 off suit, I elect to just call and not try anything tricky especially seeing as I just lost with aces (my raise will look tilty) and the big blind checks.

The flop brings J88 and I check, so does the small blind and limper (pot 300)

Turn is another 8, i check and so does the big blind. The limper asks "is that a 9?"...

"no its an 8"

"oh ok...i bet 300"

Pretty obvious tell really that he has a 9 in his hand and thought he hit but bet anyway when he realised he missed...lol, from what i've seen he is too simple to induce a double bluff of some sort, so i figure my ace high is good here. No point raising because i dont want to give him an opportunity to bluff again and battle for a big pot out of position, and also he already bet 300 into a 300 pot (another sign he is bluffing) which means the pot is already getting bigger than I'd plan for with ace high.

At this point I figure him for 9T and he is chasing the straight (aligns with the "is that a 9" also), although there is 2 clubs on the board so he could be flushing. There's a possibility he has an 8 or jack but I think he would have bet less if he had a Jack or 8 (donkeys minds work in reverse, bet more when u miss and less when u hit...?)

The big blind folds, and the river brings off suit K(J888) pot 900

I check again, no point betting here as I won't be able to make him fold a stronger hand and he won't call with a weaker hand...but checking does give him the opportunity to bluff and keeps the pot small.

He bets 900 which is another pot size bet. If this was the 160$ game, or I figured him for a more experienced player I would assume this was a great value bet intended to look like a bluff with a jack or an 8 or a king

However as he is obviously not a very good player it can be easily decyphered as a bluff, so I flat call and he shows 95 suited (missed flush) and I take down the pot with A high. Relatively big pot to my stack - puts me back up to around 5.5k

67 vs 22 (dead pot abuse)
Very shortly after I get moved table, and we are now on 100-200. I hate moving table, it means all the information I have stored in the last couple of hours on my oppenants has to be disregarded and I'm back into unknown terroritory. I especially hate moving tables when I have just had my big/small blind and lose the button (which is the best position!)

Anyway so I've watched a few hands at the table and its pretty weak, most people fold to a continuation bet or check down AK post river if they miss after a preflop raise, and I just saw a guy lose nearly all his chips on middle pair vs top pair lol, he has 125 left now.

....

A lady to my right limps under the gun for 200, she has around 9k behind, and I raise after her to 800 with 56 off suit, figuring I'll be able to outplay her on the flop if she does elect to call - she calls/folds consistently from what I've seen. I haven't played a hand yet at the table so can represent a tight image.

The first player behind me calls..thats worrying, I have to put him on a strong hand because he is a tight player and he has around 10k behind (I figure AQ or equivilant strength) and the guy who just lost all his chips puts 125 in.
This is awesome news. Its 10x easier to bluff when there is a dead pot because your oppenants know they will get to see your cards anyway and figure you wont bet unless you have a hand because of the dead pot...I figure I could potentially use this to my advantage later in the hand.

Everyone else folds and the flop brings 8s8c9c. (pot 2825)

The lady checks and I bet 1000, its a small continuation bet but these players are too basic to realise pot odds unless you go all in; so I can achieve the same results with a 1000 bet as a 2000 bet that I might do against a stronger oppenant. The man behind me sighs and folds (definately AQ, he told me in the break he had AK - what a mug) and the lady thinks about it, then calls...worrying. I figure her for TJ, a small pair or a flush draw (remember she limped then just called pre flop). - I already seen that she raises when she hits (and raises big) and calls when she is fishing, so this is good news for me, I don't think she has hit any of the flop.

The next card is 4h (8s8c9c) pot 4825

The lady checks and I fire again, 2000 this time - this leaves me 2500 behind which I'm hoping will be enough to push her off a weak holding on the river if she calls again. She thinks about it and calls, this is not good news - but I still figure her for the same holding. I'm pretty convinced she believes that I have a good hand aswell because of the dead pot (and I will have to show my hand) although I've given up on that pot lol and am just hoping to bluff her out of the main one...or hit the idiot end of the straight on the river.

Last card is 3D (4h8s8c9c) pot 8825
She checks again and I confidently say "Guess I'll just go all in!" and throw in my last 2500...she thinks about it for ages, shows her 22 and folds.

hahaha silly moo, anyway I swiftly scoop the side pot of around 11k and the other guy shows 64 (lol I had him dominated preflop but he hit the 4 on the turn). I muck my cards so noone see's them, how very noble of me, and he takes the meaningless 600 or whatever chips, then donks them away next hand.

The woman is obviously irritated, she's smiling and laughing but repeatedly asks what I had "what could you muck?!?!" - I say I can't remember mina mina mina.

Later on I'm short stack due to the ridicolous blinds and have to push all in vs medium stacks with K7 on the button, we're down to the last 5 and only top 4 get paid - this is actually good time for me to get some chips fast and give myself a good shot at first place, because my oppenants only want to play premium as they are scared to bubble (not me i love bubbling...) unfortunately the small blind did have premium - JJ and called :( no chance of me winning a showdown lol, and i did bubble 5th/40 rubbish. 6 hours well spent.

Fortunately the next game (7pm at Ceasers) started in 30 mins so I wondered over and signed up, I know a few of the people there now and it's good to discuss hands with them and chat in general.

I played awesome in the tourny and finished 5th out of 70 for 710 nugs (awesome reads throughout - 0 for 3 showdowns at final table damnit). Didn't have any good hands the whole game lol (not one pair of aces or kings in the hole!) Will try and post more on this later, I still need to finish my last post (above!!) and book my hotel for next week, if I decide to stay! (my flight wud be weds)

Gotta go now anyway, next tournament starts in 45 mins and its a 30 min walk, will update soon!