Poker Articles

Watching my games on Poker Tracker can be a real wake-up call and it’s shocking watching some of the plays I make sometimes. I know you lose some of the context when you’re just skimming your stats but I don’t know why I risked my entire stack with AK in the next massive hand. With blinds 8500/1700-2125, UTG raises to 51k, I shove (it might be that I’d pegged him as one of these players who likes the voguish new “steal from UTG” crap) and I push with big slick. I was probably trigger happy by now as I’d been winning big pots every time I played a hand. But I think the size of the raise convinced me he didn’t have AA or KK so I was flipping or up against a worse ace.

So anyway, everyone else gets out the way, he calls with AQ (mind you, if I think my play was loose, his was off the scale) and the board blanks out nicely. He had me covered and I double up to 667k. It’s 12.50am with school tomorrow but I’m getting a good feeling about this. I continue running good, and win a 725k pot with KJ (What? That crazy ol’ hand never wins nothing) when I raise on a jack-high flop, bet again on the turn and check the river. Villain shows QJ.

A big pot for just top pair; in fact, I think that even since playing this tourney three weeks ago I’ve become more wary of playing big pots with top pair or two pair, having been wiped out by sets so many times. But as he was in late position and had had it folded to him pre-flop, I assumed he was on a steal and probably didn’t have a pair. It was quite a timid table, perhaps they were all hoping for the double up that would take them to the final table, and I pick up lots of pots without showing.

Not sure if I was moved table at this point but either the table gets tougher or more likely I just decide to tighten up as I’m fine for chips. I win a few pots with C-bets and one with a raggy ace on an ace-high flop. Apart from that I’m just sitting there being patient, which is often all you need to do well in the small Stars rebuys.

Not sure how many are left by this stage but blinds are a tasty 40/80k-10k and I have 737k when I get KK and shove when the hijack raises. He folds and I take down 383k. next hand I get TT and shove for $1.1m after UTG+2’s raise to 240k. I think I’d been reading a lot of pro tourney players’ articles and blogs about small edges and had vowed to be a bit bolder with pairs, which might account for me putting my life on the line here. I run into AQ and thankfully neither of his overs hit. I’m up to 2.4m. And I accumulate 1.5m over three consecutive hands when I win pots with tens again and QJ, both without showing, and then pocket sixes which morph nicely into a full house. Poker so easy when the cards come.

And they keep coming – and we must be down to the last two tables by now, definitely the last three – when I get AQ twice and A9. I then go through a dry patch – or at least a cautious one – and wait for good hands again, which I kind of think is an okay strategy in the rebuys because someone usually pays you off when you get something.

The next thing to report is from the final table (always such sweaty work getting there – waiting to lose that tenth guy because you so want to say you made the final table; it was also gone 3am, I had no food in the house and no booze so I couldn’t even reward myself with some alcohol to take the edge off my caffeine mania).

We were down to five when the chip leader said in the chatbox that the blinds are huge, guys. I thought he was trash talking, suggesting me and another guy were folding too much. Then he said something about let’s talk numbers and I realised he was mooting a deal. Oh daddy, my first deal! We agreed to make one.

He called the moderator, who paused the tournament, something I’d not seen before and thought was cool. I don’t know why I’m including the next bit, just because I found it exciting, I guess, and for my own record, so if you’ve made a deal before or just have better things to do with your life, scroll to the end of this exchange. I’ve added some comments in red, like a director’s commentary. As you can see, the support guy took ages to get the figures because of softare problems - just what you want at 3.30am - so we were sitting there for about 15 minutes. 

Dealer: Devil'sChips, it's your turn. You have 14 seconds to act
Devil'sChips: numbers
RunIt2wice: can we pleease the numbers
Dealer: Regular time for player Devil'sChips has expired, TIME BANK has been activated
hurryuuup: ok what do i do
RunIt2wice: and pause the game
RunIt2wice: sit out time 1admiraldonk [observer]: they want a chip chop numbers NICE PHRASE, QUITE POETIC
Dealer: The break will start when the current hand finishes
HostEstebanD [Host]: Just a moment please Devil'sChips: i'll show
Dealer: hurryuuup, it's your turn. You have 14 seconds to act
RunIt2wice: i should shove hurryuuup: do i fold or what THE OTHERS WEREN’T PLAYING THEIR HAND, I WASN’T SURE WHAT TO DO AND DIDN’T WANT TO GET STITCHED UP. I FOLDED.
Dealer: Regular time for player hurryuuup has expired, TIME BANK has been activated
RunIt2wice: play ur hand
RunIt2wice: this hand
Dealer: Game #28321800730: Devil'sChips wins pot (1200000)
Administrator: The tournament has been manually paused COOL.
HostEstebanD [Host]: OK. I will do the calculations and be right back with you.
RunIt2wice: %chop numbers please
1admiraldonk [observer]: i told the host mate
RunIt2wice: ty
Spok69Royal: ng guys
hurryuuup: u2
hurryuuup: it's late here, 3.30, work tomorrow lol, gonna bea good day
1admiraldonk [observer]: hopefully i would be here some day too
RunIt2wice: ya Devil'sChips: me too
RunIt2wice: ull wake up with a smile hurryuuup: i'm in walthamstow, not so far from u HE WAS IN FINCHLEY
Spok69Royal: :) RunIt2wice: im hoping for a repeat perfomance in the other 3 dollar rebuy lol
Devil'sChips: not far at all
hurryuuup: when??
Mattman1969 [observer]: lol good luck
RunIt2wice: still 1200 out
RunIt2wice: it was at 5pm pacific time
catescoop [observer]: HOLA
1admiraldonk [observer]: 8 pm eastern time other 3 + re-buys start
hurryuuup: cool. I came 18th in this one on friday night, good weekend YES, IT’S COCKS OUT TIME
RunIt2wice: ya i took 8th in it yesterday OH, HIS IS BIGGER
RunIt2wice: brutal beats at the end hurryuuup: it is soft if u can stay awake...
1admiraldonk [observer]: i only did minimum cash inthis tourny but was only in for $6 RunIt2wice: similar to the one u just laid ;)
HostEstebanD [Host]: I pologize for the delay. I will be right with you
RunIt2wice: np Spok69Royal: take your time, i opened wine..
hurryuuup: wish i had some, damn
catescoop [observer]: YYYYYYY WHY DO PEOPLE WRITE STUFF LIKE THIS EXACTLY? WHAT DOES IT MEAN AND DOESN’T HE HAVE ANY BIGGER TOURNEYS TO WATCH OR A DURRR GAME? MAYBE SOME PEOPLE JUST LOVE WATCHING FINAL TABLES
1admiraldonk [observer]: when i hit a finaltable like thise i opend annoter bottle of chivas regal 18 years :-)) BASTARD! I WAS DYING FOR A DRINK. BOURBON WOULD HAVE BEEN SWEET
HostEstebanD [Host]: Sorry. A bit of software problems. Numbers are comming up.
Devil'sChips: I've got me a jack daniels
hurryuuup: stop it, all i've got is fcking peppermint tea 1
admiraldonk [observer]: lol
Mattman1969 [observer]: lol
1admiraldonk [observer]: you can take a walk down to the pub after work 2 morrow :-)) hurryuuup: how do u open chat as a separate window? I KEEP ASKING THIS BUT NO-ONE KNEW OR THE ANSWER WAS THAT YOU CAN’T. IT’S MAYBE THE ONLY THING I PREFER ABOUT FULL TILT.
crackingout [observer]: or have a bottle delivered
Spok69Royal: 6127.2875$ HostEstebanD [Host]: Sorry guys. The system is really slow. IT WAS A SUNDAY SO THEY HAD THE MAJORS GOING ON, MAYBE THAT WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT.
1admiraldonk [observer]: you have 4 obptions chat notes stats and info
hurryuuup: can i open it up like on FT though?
1admiraldonk [observer]: i'm not sure what you mean sir
hurryuuup: doesnt matter, thx anyway
1admiraldonk [observer]: yw catescoop [observer]: YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY HE DID IT AGAIN. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
1admiraldonk [observer]: totally $ 24508 to chop
catescoop [observer]: WAI THE GAME!!!!
Spok69Royal: so , we are here for 9h hours ...;P
1admiraldonk [observer]: hope i will be here to soon
Spok69Royal: I m hungry!! RunIt2wice: worth it tho
RunIt2wice: i have been home RunIt2wice: then sbucks
RunIt2wice: wireless card is key
hurryuuup: all i've had is a walk round a cold dark garden
1admiraldonk [observer]: yup minum pay out for 4th should be minimum 4k
TMgrind [observer]: how many times did u guys suck out this tourney to get to this point?
RunIt2wice: easily
RunIt2wice: i dont know if i did
RunIt2wice: i dont think i was ever all in after rebuy
Spok69Royal: I'll ddo
TMgrind [observer]: i got busted out of this tourney with aces
TMgrind [observer]: like usual
hurryuuup: this is my least sucky outy but thats not saying much
Devil'sChips: it needs to be more than 4000 or i'm mcarrying on
RunIt2wice: nver happend to me
HostEstebanD [Host]: The numbers by chip count chop would be RunIt2wice $7,243.64 , Spok69Royal $5,981.86 , hurryuuup $5,966.33 , Devil'sChips $5,317.32. If you all wish to proceed, please type "I agree"
RunIt2wice: its way more
RunIt2wice: ;(
RunIt2wice: ill agree
HostEstebanD [Host]: What do you mean?
RunIt2wice: thats fine RunIt2wice: ill be nice
Spok69Royal: i agree
hurryuuup: I agree
RunIt2wice: dev?
RunIt2wice: well over ur reques
RunIt2wice: t Devil'sChips: ok i agree
RunIt2wice: dev
RunIt2wice: ty
HostEstebanD [Host]: Great, we have a deal. Please finish the tournament and once done, I will update the accounts accordingly.
RunIt2wice: gg guys
RunIt2wice: playin for pts now hurryuuup: gl and gg
HostEstebanD [Host]: I apologize for the delay guys. have a good one
Spok69Royal: ty
1admiraldonk [observer]: gl guys
Mattman1969 [observer]: grats u guys

So that was that. Now we’re down to five, chip leader has 20m, the rest of us have effectively identical stacks – me with 7m, the other two with 5m. I must have been hellbent on knocking someone out because I raise with QT in the SB, BB shoves on me and I call. God knows why, he has A8, hits an 8 and I lose 5m chips. O-U-C-H.

Luckily this story has a happy ending because the very next hand, readers, I win back just over half of that with a pair of lowly fives. AJ and KQ follow shortly after and now the stacks among the remaining four are much more even: 15m, 10m, 10m and 7m, with me on one of the 10s. Having said in the chat that I haven’t sucked out much, I now call an all-in from the short stack. I’m in the BB with 6.1m, he’s in the SB with 3m and I figure I’m way ahead of his range with my AJd, given that he’s probably on a steal. Unfortunately he does have a hand, AK, but somehow I suck out with a flush on the turn and we’re down to four, and then when someone’s QJ sucks out with trip jacks after calling the short stack’s QQ all-in, it’s time for a red-hot threesome.

Of course it’s purely for the bragging rights now as the money is locked up. After coming down in the world, the big stack is now big again with 23m vs the other guy’s 12m and my 8m. Ironically, just two hands before I bust out I get AA on the button, raise to 3x (too big, I know), SB folds, BB completes. We check a flop which has three hearts – not that I’m scared of them, I’m going all the way with this hand but I don’t want to scare off my opponent either if he doesn’t have a heart – then on the turn I min-raise his 1.5m bet, then go all in on the river, which goes uncalled.

I now have 19m to their 12m and 11m but I’m not really concentrating very much at all now, I kind of lose my stamina at the end of these things, and with the money already agreed I really want bed. Anyway, I lose 3m with king high when villain and I check hand down and his Q8 rivers an eight; should have bet, grrr. We’re both now on 16m, the third guy on 11m. Something very, very strange has happened to my Poker Tracker, which now jumps to a hand when I’ve got just 700k. The hands inbetween are missing, so tragically I can’t tell you how I – oops – lost 15m chips; rest asured it was probably something very donkish like calling off all my stack with a gutshot and two undercards... So that was that, 3/6633 for $5,966. Thanks for reading.