EdmondDantes says

The KJs call isn't horrible, but it's not my favorite. Yes, you're short, but you're CALLING and only 47/53 to the range you put him on. I'd rather open shove with any two than call with KJ here, but that's me. You're real mis-step in the hand was not flopping a J and turning another. Focus!

Edmond

06/20/07

lakong says

I don't hate the call, but I do agree that I would have been much better to fold and push with any two on the next hand UTG. I still had 2k and I would probably have 20-30% chance of all folding and if I do get a call I'm in about the same shape as I am now.

My real mistake wasn't really discussed in the blog -- I just called it a bad steal blind match up. What really happened was this... it's folded to me in the SB and I just called. I then missed the flop and led out, the BB called and I check folded the turn to his bet. Really bad, I know. What I needed to do with 3.2k in chips, blinds at 300/600 and only a few hands left at this level was to push any two cards when folded to me. I had something like J5. I could have folded too which would have been weak, but still better than what I did.

- S

06/20/07

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I get into town this evening after a 6 hour drive. Fairly uneventful, but I did get a later start then I wanted and hit quite a bit of traffic while heading out of Los Angeles. After checking into my hotel I head over the. It’s now 9:30ish. It was pretty empty at this time and I quickly got my player card and looked around the Amazon room. It was a little different from previous years. The final table is still in the back but now off to the right. The sat area is now in the font near the registration booths. They were seating for the $325 so I took a seat. Unlike last year, you pay at the registration desk before taking a seat. It went very smoothly – at least it did at this time of night.

The $325 gets you 1500 chips with 15 min levels. I’m in mid position on the first hand and it’s folded to me. I look down at two red Aces. Welcome to the WSOP! I raise to 100 (25/25 level) and only the SB calls. The flop comes 458r and he checks so I make it 200. SB calls. The turn is a 9 – yuck. It’s checked to me again so I bet 400 this time and take it down. That could have been unpleasant.

I take down two more hands in this level and get my stack up to 2500 or so when the following hand comes up at the 25/50 level. Two limpers to me, I make it 150 from LP with AKo. The button calls as do the limpers. The flop comes AJ6r. Checked to me and I make it 400. The button calls. I don’t like this much and something about his quick call tells me he has AJ or a set. The turn was a blank. I have talked to him a bit and he’s a young online pro from Canada and has already won a bunch of seats to the main event online. However he’s having a bad series so far being 0-7 in events with no cashes. He hasn’t been playing many hands yet, and I have pegged him as very solid. Now I have two options, but both suck based on my read. If I bet I pretty much have to call any raise. He only has 1000 or so left – I have about 2000. I figure all of his money will go in either way, so if I check perhaps I can induce him to bet if he doesn’t have what I think he has. Sure I can check/fold but that doesn’t seem to be an option given that this is a single table sat and I will still have 1k in chips. I decide to check, he pushes, I call and he turns over AJ. I don’t improve.

I see a flop with 66 and fold and now an orbit or two later I get AQ in mid position. One limper to me. I decide to limp hoping for a check raise. Sure enough the SB bets 300, I push my 800, he calls with A8 and I’m back in it when my hand holds up.

Fast forward to the 300-600 level. At this point there were 5 people left and we all had about the same # of chips. I proposed that we chop evenly and each walk away with $300. I’m usually not a big fan of chopping, especially at this point, but the blinds were so high and we didn’t have many hands left until it went to 400/800. Everyone wanted to do it but one guy so we kept on playing.

There are now 4 left with the blinds at 400/800. In a blind vs. blind matchup I make a steal that goes bad so I’m now down to 2100 when I leave the blinds. I’m looking to take a stand before the blinds hit me again, because once I’m in the BB again I’ll pretty much be forced to call with any two cards, especially if it’s against only one player. The UTG player goes all in and I look down at KJs on the button. The guy was pretty straightforward, but had gone all-in with 77 and A8 several hands before. I put his range on any pair, any A and big cards. I felt it was likely that I was 50/50 and with the 1200 in the pot for blinds I’m getting about 3/2 on my money. I didn’t feel I could wait given that I’ll need to put all my money in over the next few hands and this could likely be as good as it gets. I call and the guy behind me calls too. I’m crushed when the first guy turns over QQ and the 2nd guy shows AK. Oh, well. I don’t really regret the call, but perhaps I could have waited and pushed any two cards on the next hand to survive and buy some time. That probably would have been a better play given that I would have been the one putting the other 3 guys to the test. Any thoughts on this?

I’ll be playing the deep stack tournament tomorrow at the Venetian. Stay tuned.