Seabrook Tournament March 28, 2010
Boy, are you guys prognosticators or something? :)
A little information first: (this is more for my own recordkeeping than your storytelling pleasure) Saturday 4pm tournament, $70 buyin, no re-buys with 6,000 in chips.
First of all, it was a helluva fun day. Usually when I go to Seabrook I go alone. It was very nice to go there with a wingman and have a friend in the place.
Second of all, as nice as it was to have Gary there, we never played at the same table, so we didn't actually interact much.
Third of all, on the way up I proposed that we give each other 10% of our winnings with a cap $70. I like the idea of doubled my odds of re-couping my buy in. And Gary is a horse I like betting on. I mean he was the only one I couldn't get out of last week's tourney.
On to the tournament!
Remember, when I start a tourney I am very quiet and observant. I'm sizing up play, taking careful notice of betting patterns, checking eye blink patterns, watching people's facial reactions and pretty much laying low. That being said, laying low for "Very Josie" means stealing blinds if no one else is in the pot. I only do it with a decent hand and if a blind should call, and I don't hit the flop, I fold.
Doing that, I had picked up a couple of small pots early. I REALLY like to get a bit of a chip stack early. At this table, you'll see that I got a BIG chip stack early.
10 minutes into it, I get KK. Guy in first position smooth calls, then everyone folds. When it's to me, it's 5 times the big blind (250 chips). The blinds fold and the guy in first position calls me. We're heads up. Flop is A-rag-rag. I check and he bets pot (650 chips). I don't like that ace and he does. Dammit.
I fold my kings face up and say I know you have an ace. He very proudly shows TWO aces. Damn! KK against AA.
I say WOW I got lucky. If there wasn't an ace on the flop I would've lost a ton of chips. Whew.
Couple hands later I'm on the button with A-3 hearts. Everyone's folded before me so I call (yeah I know I hate ace rag). The big blind checks.
Flop has two hearts so I make a small bet and the big blind calls. Turn is a heart!
I've got the nut flush so I promptly check.
There's about 400 in chips in the pot and my opponent goes all in! Huh? I can't see WHAT he has except maybe trips. And why go all in when there's only 400 in the pot?
I call and he turns over KK. He's dead regardless of that last card.
Funny thing is he didn't play a hand until that one but I had more chips than him. I take him out and double up. This is while the blinds are still 25-50.
After that I become dangerous. Don't give it chips! I bet my hands hard and keep picking up small pots.
Almost time for the first break 4 minutes left. I have about 19k in chips and decide to take a walk see how Jew Boy is faring.
He has a decent stack in front of him, certainly more than the 6k we started with, maybe more than 10K. We rock!
I go back to my table, play another hand. Now it's less than a minute till the break. I leave to find Jew Boy - figure we can chat during the break.
I get to his table and he's heads up in a hand - other players are gone on break. On the flop is Q-K-rag. I see a ton of chips in the pot and Gary makes a big raise. Other guy goes all in. Gary's in the tank. I wish him luck and have no idea what he has. He calls the all in and turns over Q-10. The other guys has K-something. Gary's hand doesn't improve and now he's shortstacked as we leave.
He tells me he was up to maybe 20K or something! Maybe Gary can comment on his thought process here!
I remind him that he was short stacked last week and went on to win the tourney with me, so I'm not too concerned. He knows how to play short stacked.
That being said he was out of the tourney probably a half hour later. He says he had Q-7 suited hearts, and the flop was 3 hearts. He went all in and got called by K-something, also both hearts, and he was out.
Poor Jew Boy - He probably played 1 1/2 hrs and had to wait about 3 more hours for me.
I am really happy with my play on Saturday. I made smart calls, smart folds and smart reads.
I bluffed ONCE. I knew this guy had a certain smirk when he didn't have a great hand and didn't want to call. So I pushed all in on the river WITH NOTHING. Of course he folded, so my tell was correct. He asked to see my hand so I showed him my nine high. (prior to that I showed 2 hands that were 10, 10 and AA)
I did not bluff before or after that hand, and I wasn't getting much action and thought showing that might get me some in the future.
All day I've been very aggressive, but only when I had something good. I wasn't playing mediocre hands or shitty ones. If I was in I was betting hard and had a hand every time. One guy kept saying he wanted to play at a different table.
When our table broke we got moved to a new table and as he sat down he looked at his buddy and said she's dangerous and aggressive, watch out. I gave him a look.
Then I said to the table. He chases straights and flushes - Bet big and he'll pay you. (I got alot of chips that way. Good hands and big bets against draw chasers).
He later apologized to me when we headed to the final table. I explained to him that I never talk about anyone at the table, but whenever I'm there I always hear "she's aggressive, did you just come from vegas, watch out for her, I remember you" over and over. And I think it's because I have a vagina. I mean, because I'm a woman, but whatever.
Okay 6 places are in the money, and I make it to the final table. When we're down to 8 we make a deal: $100 off of first, $50 off of second, and we'll pay 7th and 8th $75 each.
Everyone at the table's now in the money!
We keep playing and playing. I have 36K in chips and the blinds are 3,000 & 6,000. I have 99. Guy in first position limps, everyone folds and I raise to 20K. Blinds fold and the guy in first calls.
Flop is 2-3-4.
He checks and I (stupidly?) go all in. He insta-calls and shows K-K.
Turn is a 6. I now pray for a 5 and split, but it doesn't happen.
I'm out in 7th place and win $75.
Don't forget that I owe Jew Boy 10% of my winnings!
So I pretty much broke even, but man, I played great till that last hand.
Do we see a pattern here? I keep getting to the final table and then I donk off my chips! Any ideas on how to play a final table better? I think it's because after so many hours I get tired and lose patience.
Another thing to note: I'm still on that damn cleansing/detox diet, so I had NO alcohol yesterday and I can't remember playing better or being as sharp! I'll definitely go sans alcohol next time too. I don't drink much, but in the space of 6 hrs I could have 2 or 3 drinks. It doesn't take much for me to feel it though.
Then I came home, and backed a cake for my friend's son b-day. Got up early sunday to decorate it (pictures to come), went to the party, got back and am soon going out for my cash game with the brothers. Take about no extra time! Sheesh!
Cake came out okay - not enough time for greatness but they like it. I actually made two, one a basketball and one a basketball shirt.
I've got mad skills.
Anyway gotta fly. I have to find something clean and lowcut to wear tonight. I better not net $5 tonight!
Play smart.
Josie
A little information first: (this is more for my own recordkeeping than your storytelling pleasure) Saturday 4pm tournament, $70 buyin, no re-buys with 6,000 in chips.
First of all, it was a helluva fun day. Usually when I go to Seabrook I go alone. It was very nice to go there with a wingman and have a friend in the place.
Second of all, as nice as it was to have Gary there, we never played at the same table, so we didn't actually interact much.
Third of all, on the way up I proposed that we give each other 10% of our winnings with a cap $70. I like the idea of doubled my odds of re-couping my buy in. And Gary is a horse I like betting on. I mean he was the only one I couldn't get out of last week's tourney.
On to the tournament!
Remember, when I start a tourney I am very quiet and observant. I'm sizing up play, taking careful notice of betting patterns, checking eye blink patterns, watching people's facial reactions and pretty much laying low. That being said, laying low for "Very Josie" means stealing blinds if no one else is in the pot. I only do it with a decent hand and if a blind should call, and I don't hit the flop, I fold.
Doing that, I had picked up a couple of small pots early. I REALLY like to get a bit of a chip stack early. At this table, you'll see that I got a BIG chip stack early.
10 minutes into it, I get KK. Guy in first position smooth calls, then everyone folds. When it's to me, it's 5 times the big blind (250 chips). The blinds fold and the guy in first position calls me. We're heads up. Flop is A-rag-rag. I check and he bets pot (650 chips). I don't like that ace and he does. Dammit.
I fold my kings face up and say I know you have an ace. He very proudly shows TWO aces. Damn! KK against AA.
I say WOW I got lucky. If there wasn't an ace on the flop I would've lost a ton of chips. Whew.
Couple hands later I'm on the button with A-3 hearts. Everyone's folded before me so I call (yeah I know I hate ace rag). The big blind checks.
Flop has two hearts so I make a small bet and the big blind calls. Turn is a heart!
I've got the nut flush so I promptly check.
There's about 400 in chips in the pot and my opponent goes all in! Huh? I can't see WHAT he has except maybe trips. And why go all in when there's only 400 in the pot?
I call and he turns over KK. He's dead regardless of that last card.
Funny thing is he didn't play a hand until that one but I had more chips than him. I take him out and double up. This is while the blinds are still 25-50.
After that I become dangerous. Don't give it chips! I bet my hands hard and keep picking up small pots.
Almost time for the first break 4 minutes left. I have about 19k in chips and decide to take a walk see how Jew Boy is faring.
He has a decent stack in front of him, certainly more than the 6k we started with, maybe more than 10K. We rock!
I go back to my table, play another hand. Now it's less than a minute till the break. I leave to find Jew Boy - figure we can chat during the break.
I get to his table and he's heads up in a hand - other players are gone on break. On the flop is Q-K-rag. I see a ton of chips in the pot and Gary makes a big raise. Other guy goes all in. Gary's in the tank. I wish him luck and have no idea what he has. He calls the all in and turns over Q-10. The other guys has K-something. Gary's hand doesn't improve and now he's shortstacked as we leave.
He tells me he was up to maybe 20K or something! Maybe Gary can comment on his thought process here!
I remind him that he was short stacked last week and went on to win the tourney with me, so I'm not too concerned. He knows how to play short stacked.
That being said he was out of the tourney probably a half hour later. He says he had Q-7 suited hearts, and the flop was 3 hearts. He went all in and got called by K-something, also both hearts, and he was out.
Poor Jew Boy - He probably played 1 1/2 hrs and had to wait about 3 more hours for me.
I am really happy with my play on Saturday. I made smart calls, smart folds and smart reads.
I bluffed ONCE. I knew this guy had a certain smirk when he didn't have a great hand and didn't want to call. So I pushed all in on the river WITH NOTHING. Of course he folded, so my tell was correct. He asked to see my hand so I showed him my nine high. (prior to that I showed 2 hands that were 10, 10 and AA)
I did not bluff before or after that hand, and I wasn't getting much action and thought showing that might get me some in the future.
All day I've been very aggressive, but only when I had something good. I wasn't playing mediocre hands or shitty ones. If I was in I was betting hard and had a hand every time. One guy kept saying he wanted to play at a different table.
When our table broke we got moved to a new table and as he sat down he looked at his buddy and said she's dangerous and aggressive, watch out. I gave him a look.
Then I said to the table. He chases straights and flushes - Bet big and he'll pay you. (I got alot of chips that way. Good hands and big bets against draw chasers).
He later apologized to me when we headed to the final table. I explained to him that I never talk about anyone at the table, but whenever I'm there I always hear "she's aggressive, did you just come from vegas, watch out for her, I remember you" over and over. And I think it's because I have a vagina. I mean, because I'm a woman, but whatever.
Okay 6 places are in the money, and I make it to the final table. When we're down to 8 we make a deal: $100 off of first, $50 off of second, and we'll pay 7th and 8th $75 each.
Everyone at the table's now in the money!
We keep playing and playing. I have 36K in chips and the blinds are 3,000 & 6,000. I have 99. Guy in first position limps, everyone folds and I raise to 20K. Blinds fold and the guy in first calls.
Flop is 2-3-4.
He checks and I (stupidly?) go all in. He insta-calls and shows K-K.
Turn is a 6. I now pray for a 5 and split, but it doesn't happen.
I'm out in 7th place and win $75.
Don't forget that I owe Jew Boy 10% of my winnings!
So I pretty much broke even, but man, I played great till that last hand.
Do we see a pattern here? I keep getting to the final table and then I donk off my chips! Any ideas on how to play a final table better? I think it's because after so many hours I get tired and lose patience.
Another thing to note: I'm still on that damn cleansing/detox diet, so I had NO alcohol yesterday and I can't remember playing better or being as sharp! I'll definitely go sans alcohol next time too. I don't drink much, but in the space of 6 hrs I could have 2 or 3 drinks. It doesn't take much for me to feel it though.
Then I came home, and backed a cake for my friend's son b-day. Got up early sunday to decorate it (pictures to come), went to the party, got back and am soon going out for my cash game with the brothers. Take about no extra time! Sheesh!
Cake came out okay - not enough time for greatness but they like it. I actually made two, one a basketball and one a basketball shirt.
I've got mad skills.
Anyway gotta fly. I have to find something clean and lowcut to wear tonight. I better not net $5 tonight!
Play smart.
Josie
Comments
It was a good move to me and Here's why: My biggest Problem in these Tournaments is that you have to play nearly perfectly and even get lucky at times to make it to the final table. Then because of the speed and the anount of the blinds going up so high and fast that you feel like you have to take a shot when you can or risk getting blinded to death. So unless your the chip leader going in you have to pick your moment and make a move. Almost like playing short stacked. If you ever watch some of the interviews on the WPT after someone gets knocked out, they say it all the time. With the Network watching the clock the tourny has to be over at a certain time. You watch a few hours of good play turn into a crap shoot at the end because of the size of the blinds. It's a little discouraging. Skill at that point gets thrown out the window. So I would say you should measure your success by the way you played up to the final table and the fact that you got there an cashed is a good day.
Coop, I was watching him and before he called he really hesitated and took a long time to come up with his call bet. I didn't know if his hand was marginal or big. If only the flop had an over card, I would've laid it down.
evp, I'm just thinking that maybe i need to do NOTHING until I'm up $100 bucks - maybe passive is the best move at that point? I just duno! And yeah, after hours of great playing it DOES come down to luck and a crap shoot - thanks for saying that and justifying my decisions - makes me feel a little better.
1. Josie was a MACHINE. She had the eye of the Tigress on her; she was there to play poker and she obviously meant business.
2. The hand that Josie described was the result of a bad decision, once again based on an overreliance on pot odds. I knew I was beat but I couldn't resist getting almost 5:1 for my money (with the final bet there was ~12500 in the pot and I was being asked to call 2400 for a crack at it) and I figured I was only 3:1 against. I'll call it a teachable moment and move on.
3. The hand that killed me was pure awfulness. As BB I looked down at Q7d and knocked the table. The flush came all diamonds - I had flopped the third nuts. I cautiously started the dance and was pleased to see him calling the flop, and betting at the turn and riv (no diamonds there btw). He shoved at the river and I called with triumph to reveal my queen flush only to see he had the K-something low of diamonds for the second nuts and out out out I went. Lemme tell you: Getting sucked out on is nothing compared to KNOWING you had best hand and being wrong about it from jump street.
I felt the blood rush to my head and felt a ringing in my ears. Everything else seemed kinda hazy - I barely remember dropping Josie off and driving home. What a night. But we'll be back god dammit!
gary, it's the pot odds thing we disagree with. you know my opinion...pot odds don't change a losing hand into a winning one.
btw - no cash game last night. I remain even steven, like Jerry Sienfeld.
You can hang around and hope people drop off to move up but then again it's a crap shoot. A pocket pair in that situation is hard to throw away. Also, there's a good chance that you won't get better cards to play either. It's all about Luck at that point.
JB- The chances that someone else had a higher flush when no other diamonds came up is remote. Not much you can do about it.
Nope, the big money is at the top. You have to go for it. I see players going passive all the time -- at this point in the tournament, that's real bad strategy.
1st place was $1,000
2nd place $650