The Long Version
They had a $80 11:15am tournament and a 1pm $160 tournament. I opted for the
I play maybe 15% of the hands in the beginning. Only premium raising hands. And raise I did. No limping for me. For the first time evar, I brought my mp3 player with me and listened to music for most of the tourney. I think this really helped me have more patience than usual.
I won a couple of small pots and was doing fine when I got A-J hearts. Liver Lips limped and I raised to 500, knowing that he could have anything. He called. Flop was low but 2 hearts. I bet and he called. Turn was an ace. Not bad. I made a big bet thinking Liver Lips would call and thinking I had the best hand. He called. I just knew he tried to limp in with an ace again. River was a beeeooootiful heart.
The question was, what is the maximum I can bet that will elicit a call and not a fold. I mean I did have the nuts. I decided 1,600. I put him on a big ace and since he was a calling station I thought 1,600 was the most I'd get.
But he raised.
He made it 3,200. Hmmmm.......God did I want to jam all in, but I didn't want him to fold! I feigned contemplating folding, while I was contemplating my reraise. I raised 3K more on top and he instacalled. I said "Flush!" and he said "Me too!". I flipped over my nut flush. He had the 10-9 of hearts. I totally didn't put him on a flush or he wouldn't still have chips.
I got a bunch of chips a little while later from another nice man, who was unlucky enough to get trip aces (2 were on the board) when I flopped crub flush. Flop was ace high all crubs and I had the 3-4 of clubs in the BB. Since my flush was so little I bet big to get rid of anyone with a big club. He called with his pair of aces. Ace on the turn. Shit. I bet big and he raises. I call and pray for no club on the river. River was not a club but there's still a pair on the board and I know that means he could have a full house.
I check.
He makes a huge bet that leaves him with about 2k. There's a ton of chips in the pot and the guy is staring me down. He is one mean, ugly mo fo. So I tell him this. Well what I actually say is "The way you're staring at me is scaring me!" So he stares more. I'm thinking about raising him all in, but if I lose to a bigger flush or boat, why be down another 2K. I really take the time to think this out and just call.
I show my flush and he shows trip aces, crappy kicker. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
I'm easily the chip leader as we head to the final table. Final table lasted almost 3 hours btw. Anyway first hand at the final table is K-K. Bitching!
I raise to 3x BB and get one caller. A guy with NO FRONT TEETH. I shiat you not. I'm not talking about missing the front two. This guy was missing the at least 8 of his front teeth. He was sitting directly across from me the whole time so I had the ultimate view.
Anyway, he and I are heads up and the flop is A-x-x. I put out a little feeler bet and he's kinda shortstacked so he jams all in. Great hand one of the final table! I say to him (and I NEVER do this) if I fold, will you show me your cards? He says he'll show one card (which tells me he has an ace with a shitty kicker). That's all I needed to know.
I promptly fold my KK face up. I wanted my cards shown even more than his. I wanted the table to know I was not bullying with my big stack. If I was raising, I had it, and I'm able to fold KK.
Anyway, he shows his one card, the ace, and I tell him he's only showing one because he ain't so proud of his shitty kicker. He starts laughing and flips over the 3. Then he says,"I showed you. That means you owe me a show!"
I say "I'm kinda busy right now, but maybe after the game!".
Everyone cracks up laughing and we continue to play.
So I lost with my KK. Next hand I play is A-K. I raise and a kinda small but not too small stack jams all in. My gut told me to fold, that I didn't need to gamble my big stack. Yet I called.
He had A-Q and there was a queen on the flop, and I doubled him up. Fucccccck.
Then I lose with AA. I shiat you not. I go into the first break with half of the stack that I had. Don't get me wrong, I'm not shortstacked, but I have shared the wealth and that ain't good.
All those losses took place in maybe less than the first 20 minutes of the final table. I didn't play another hand until the break, and even afterwards I was treading very carefully.
A guy at the table jammed all in with 9-7 and ended up with a full house. So everyone started talking about the great virtues of 9-7. "It's a playing hand." "It's a cracking hand." blah, blah, blah. And then, funny enough, it won again! Whatev. I couldn't fucking care less about how great it is, because it's shit.
A few hands later, I get 9-7 sooted. I'm losing with KK, AA & AK so I am not playing that crap. But I'm in the 10 seat, sitting next to the dealer, so as I fold it to him I say "It's a cracking hand but I fold." He peeks and smiles at my 9-7 of hearts.
Flop is Jack high, ALL HEARTS. Damn! I could use some chips. Dealer knows what I tossed so he turns to me and smiles. I haul back and smack him on the arm HARD, like it had a loud noise. Yes, this was while people were in a hand. I apologized though. :) He didn't seem to mind, but he did tell all the other dealers that I hit him. I heard about it for hours afterwards.
Anyway, when a dealer gives you shitty cards, just smack him! You're cards with change immediately!
Two hands later I get a biggie. A lucky hand, which was a welcomed change at the time. I had A-J, made a raise and got a call. Flop was J-J-A. Bingo!
I checked and this dude goes all in. Yay!!! I call! He flipped over A-Q vs my A-J and I was free rolling! Then I got a jack on the turn. I said to the dealer "Please, no more jacks. 4 is enough!"
I rubbed the sore spot on his arm for him and everything! Alas, dealers changed and my boy left. As the new guy sat down, every guy at the table warned him about me.
We kept playing and I took a few guys out and I once again was the HUGE stack. When we were down to 5 peeps I suggested we take $80 off first and $80 off second and pay 4th and 5th as there were only 3 peeps ITM. Everyone readily agreed and we congratulated each other for being itm.
So originally it was $700 for first place, and this made it $620 for first. Toothless really wanted to split and I didn't. He told me that once his offer is rejected it's off the table. My answer was "Thank you! I don't wanna keep talking about it either. I agree, let's take it off the table." He didn't like that.
When we were down to 3 peeps, Gary showed up. Blinds were 2000/4000 and I had a ton of chips. I made the offer. I told them we could split if I got an extra $100. So instead of getting $620 I would get $515 for first. They both jumped at the offer and game over. gg
Gary and I played the next tournament but at different tables. He was out early when he lost with AA. I played for fricking hours and was out 7th. 4 itm for this one. I jammed all in with 66 cuz I was a little short (but not desperate) and got called by 99. I really wanted a double win, but that is poker.
Um, did I mention that Gary lost? :P I did buy him dinner with my winnings though. I'm a good friend.
Play smart.
Josie
Comments
Wolfie, I am not "everyone". Grrrr