A couple hours after we finished playing Day 2 the chip counts and tables were posted for the remaining 86 players. I was surprisingly 14th in chips even though I was up to 175k at one point on Day 2. I was entering Day 3 with 126k in chips. The top 45 players would make the money, so today was a very important day. We were playing down to 36 players and that is when the tournament goes to 6-max for the duration of play. When I received the seating assignments, I immediately wrote down all the names at my table. I recognized one name who was sitting in the eight seat, Phil Hellmuth. My seat was the nine seat and I had position on him. I was excited about having Phil at my table because I think he creates a lot of interesting table dynamics. He might keep players tight and in line which would work out in my favor. I researched the other players at my table that night and went to bed, ready to make a run to make it to Day 4.

I arrived at the table and un-bagged my chips. My seat at the table was great. I had position on the other two players that had big stacks. I told myself that I wouldn’t let Hellmuth’s antics get to me and I wouldn’t try to abuse him too much unless I knew I could get away with it. So many people go after Hellmuth and I knew that wouldn’t be smart. He only had about 30 big blinds so he wasn’t a huge threat. The first pot I played actually was against Phil.

He opened the cutoff for a raise to 5k. The blinds were 800/1600 (200 ante). His raise was a little more than 3x and I looked down at QJo on the button. I feel like I know a lot about Phil’s game, so I decided with a playable hand and position, as well as him having a shorter stack, I could call here profitably. I called his raise and the blinds folded. The flop came Q J 7 and he checked to me. I bet 7,300 and he called. When he checked the flop to me he tapped his fingers on the table three to four times. When the T fell on the turn he tapped his fingers about seven to eight times. I was a little worried to be honest. I wasn’t sure if that was a tell. AK got there and that could definitely be his exact hand since he raised a little more than 3x preflop and just check called the flop. I have never personally played with him but I’ve definitely seen enough coverage of his play and one of his books was the first poker book I read. Phil had a pot-sized bet behind and I decided the best play was to move all-in on the turn.

When Phil didn’t snap-call I was pretty happy to know he didn’t have AK. He started looking around the room for the camera crew while peering back down at his hand. I asked him “Do you want the cameras to come Phil?” and then I hollered to the camera crew “Come over here! Phil Hellmuth has a big decision and wants the cameras here!” I know Phil doesn’t like to call off his chips in a tournament so I figured he was most likely folding, but I tried to mess with him anyways. He made a couple comments about me being a bigger camera hog than him ha-ha (I’m pretty sure that’s impossible) and he decided to fold what he said was K 8. It was nice to win my first pot, especially off of Phil and my stack had grown to 140k.

The button opened for a raise. I played with him for a couple hours on Day 2 and I played really solid while he was at the table. He was really active in late position so when I looked at A8o in the big blind I thought a 3-bet was the right play. He instantly folded and I won another pot.

Under the gun I was dealt 99 and made it 3,900. The 2nd position player called as well as a player in middle position and Hellmuth in the big blind. The flop came 2-7-4 rainbow and I bet 7,800. I didn’t love my position in this hand in a 4-way pot. It was still relatively early in the day and I didn’t have too much information about the players yet. I was hoping everyone would fold so I wouldn’t get in a tough spot. The 2nd position player folded but the player in middle position called. The turn came the J and we both checked. When we both checked the turn, I felt the player had a pair like 55/66/88/TT. He would have bet a set on the turn along with over pairs. The river was the A and I bet 11,600. This might have been a bad bet since he probably won’t hero call me too often. I should have check-called and gotten more value if he decided to bluff because I think the only hand in his range I couldn’t beat was TT. I was now up to roughly 175k.

Eric basebaldy Baldwin had arrived at the table about 5-8 hands prior. He was three seats to my left and would have position on me for the majority of the orbit. During this time, Hellmuth was complaining about me being in every pot and how he should have called me because I was so aggressive. This wasn’t what I wanted from Phil and his table talk. I wanted him to keep the table tight, not chatter about how many pots I was playing. I opened the cutoff with A 8 to 3,800. Eric was in the small blind with a big stack. He had about 160k in chips.

Since we both were probably top 10 in chips and he would have position on me in a lot of pots throughout the day, I thought he would often 3-bet me light. He 3bet me from the small blind to 10,200. I already assumed that Eric would put me to the test in a lot of pots and I thought this was one of those times. We are the two big stacks at the table and there are plenty other weak spots in the tournament. In my mind, I thought he was 3-betting out of position lighter because it would look stronger to me. I decided to 4-bet to 23,800.

I expected this raise to take down the pot a high percentage of time. He called my raise. At this point I had his range at TT-AA and AQ. I felt like he would move in with AK preflop and just call with AQ as well as trap with AA/KK and play out of position with TT-QQ since he was getting a decent price. The flop came Q J 3. He thought for a little bit and checked to me. At this point I felt like his 3-bet/call range was very polarized to the range above and that flop hit his range pretty hard. I was ready to give up on the pot and I checked the flop as well. On the turn came the 3. He checked to me again. I was a little confused by his check this time and I decided to see how he would react to a bet of 24,600.

I thought this would help me eliminate some hands from his range. He thought and called. At this point, I was pretty positive he didn’t have QQ or JJ. I think he would almost always bet the turn or check-raise the turn and try to play for stacks. I felt like his range on the river was TT with the Ts or KK with no spade I didn’t really consider AA because I had an Ace. The river came the 9, putting four spades on board. He checked again. This time he checked quicker and I could tell from his facial expression and body language that he was a little nervous. I thought for a while. There was about 95k in the pot. I had 120-125k behind and he had 110k behind. I thought about moving all-in but decided that a bet of 55k would look stronger to him. I slid the chips out and Eric went into the tank.

The first thing Eric said to me after I bet was “I don’t think I can fold with your image.” I didn’t move. “I don’t think you check queens or jacks on the flop. You could have AK with the A or K. If you’re bluffing, you look good doing it.” He was trying to get information from me. He had a tough decision and I didn’t want to give him anything extra. In my mind, I also didn’t want him to take my strength for weakness and I decided to give him a couple fake tells. I smirked at him and about 15 seconds later looked back at my hand. He thought for another minute or so and called. I tabled my bluff (A 8) and he showed A A. Amazing call Eric.

* Editor's Note: To listen to Eric basebaldy Baldwin's recount of this hand, tune-in to this week's PocketFives Podcast.

I normally forget about hands the day after, but this hand still haunts me a week later. I really wish I moved all-in on the river instead of betting 55k. He might have called me because of the smirk and looking back at my hand. I’m not sure. He had my range only on A or K and made a great call. I still had 65k in chips and wasn’t about to give up on this tournament yet!

The cutoff raised to 4k at 800/1600 (200 ante). Hellmuth was now down to 16k in the small blind and contemplated calling before declaring “I don’t have enough chips to just call. I’m all in!” I looked down at K Q in the big blind and re-shoved all in. The cutoff folded and Hellmuth turned over JJ. I lost the coin flip and was down to 50k.

My bust out hand was pretty brutal. An Internet player in 2nd position made it 3,500 and I called in middle position with 77. This player had commented earlier about me having position/stack on him and I felt like he would play a little passively against me. The flop came Q 8 2 and he bet 5,500. I thought he would give up on a lot of turns if I floated so I decided to float. The turn was the 7 and he checked to me. I turned my set and bet 7,700. He raised to 30k total and I moved all-in for my last 40k. He turned over QQ and I was eliminated when I missed the last 7 in the deck.

I had a great time in Aruba and felt like I played some amazing poker for three days. I wish I would have done better, but I am still learning and trying to implement new thoughts and ideas into my game. Day 3 didn’t go my way and I was pretty disappointed in my showing. I will do my best to continue to improve my game and hopefully next time when I’m in a good position deep in a big tournament I can make it to the end and be victorious. Good luck at the tables everyone.

— Aruba Poker Classic Trip Report – Part 1

— Aruba Poker Classic Trip Report – Part 2

*Tristan "Cre8ive" Wade is a professional poker player and instructor from the state of Florida who has over ten Top 3 finishes in high-stakes online tournaments so far in 2009.

Recent Scores for Cre8ive

$46,115.00

$1000 buy-in, $1K Monday on FullTiltPoker. 07/27/2009, 3 place for 46,115.00

$14,938.20

$109 buy-in, $109 NL Hold'em [1R1A, turbo, $25,000 guaranteed]on PokerStars. 08/29/2009, 1 place for 14,938.20

$13,375.00

$100 buy-in, $33,000 Guarantee (1r+1a) on FullTiltPoker. 08/04/2009, 1 place for 13,375.00

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