Just played the $30R WSOP sat on PS. 202 entries 1 seat for $12,500 and 2nd-19th get $215.
Not going to get into the individuals hands that got me to heads up, but I played very well, was agressive and caught some good flops.

I got to heads up with $610K to his $670K with blinds at 10k/20k with 2k ante. a couple of minor hands and then this hand #6:


PokerStars Game #16354783701: Tournament #81803617, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level XXIII (10000/20000) - 2025/03/30 - 03:35:07 (ET)
Table '81803617 9' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 2: fourply1 (685058 in chips)
Seat 7: Podiman (594942 in chips)
fourply1: posts the ante 2000
Podiman: posts the ante 2000
Podiman: posts small blind 10000
fourply1: posts big blind 20000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Podiman [Qd 3d]
Podiman: calls 10000
fourply1: raises 60000 to 80000
Podiman: calls 60000

Before we get to the rest of the hand, was this a bad call?? The stacks were deep, if I hit it good I can get paid. THoughts???




*** FLOP *** [7c 2s Qh]
fourply1: bets 603058 and is all-in

I used my whole time clock on this. I hit the Q and thought WHY would he be pushing so hard if he hit? I know he raised pre-flop, but if he had AA, KK, AQ, QQ, KQ, why would he go all in??? Wouldn't he bet and try to get me to put chips in while behind? Why all-in??? I'm thinking he missed the flop or has AK, AJ, AT, JJ-99 and was firing hoping I missed. SO I called.


Podiman: calls 512942 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [7c 2s Qh] [2d]
*** RIVER *** [7c 2s Qh 2d] [6h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
fourply1: shows [Qs Ac] (two pair, Queens and Deuces)
Podiman: shows [Qd 3d] (two pair, Queens and Deuces - lower kicker)
fourply1 collected 1189884 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1189884 | Rake 0
Board [7c 2s Qh 2d 6h]
Seat 2: fourply1 (big blind) showed [Qs Ac] and won (1189884) with two pair, Queens and Deuces
Seat 7: Podiman (button) (small blind) showed [Qd 3d] and lost with two pair, Queens and Deuces


Looking back I am kicking myself for calling. If I fold I still have $512K in chips and can wait for a better place to stick them in.

Please let me know what you think, what you would have done/thought in this spot.

So if you read my last post.. this next hand happened the following week. First some set up.. The hand was being discussed quite a bit, so 72 was def on peoples minds.

I got 72 in the BB. UTG raises to $15. This is a new player to the group but I have figured him out a bit. He loves to slow play his big hands. I have seen him limp in any position with AA, KK, AK, to which several people chastise him for not protecting his hand (he lost AA to 8T when he didnt raise pre-flop). So now his raise lets me know he has a big hand. 2 people call and I ask him, do you have AA again? He says yes. Then he says, "nah.. I only have 1 Ace". the way he said it, i beleived him. He has AK, AQ, AJ and maybe AT. I decide to just call and see the flop.

Flop is 972 and I check. He bets $20 into a pot of $62, smells weak to me! I know he could have AA, though I just don't think he does. I decide to call and make sure the turn isn't a scare card for me before deciding what to do.

Turn is a T, mayyyybe could have hit him, but I really think he has 2 big cards. I check. If he checks, I know my 7 is good, but he goes all in for $82. I think for a bit, and someone says "hes all-in, you can show" which is how we play.. so i turn over my cards and everyone stars laughing.

The last thing I thought of was.. if he had AA, no way he goes all in here, he would make a value bet and try to get me to committ more $$. The all-in looks to me like a bluff and he is trying to scare me away. Its $82 to me to win $184, but! its actually $82 to win $219 with 9 players each paying me $5 each. I am getting almost 3-1 and I think I am ahead. If he does have AT or AA (or KK, QQ, JJ) i still have a few outs. I call and he turns over AJ. :-)

Just to be safe, we run it 3 times and he doesn't hit any. Another big pot for me cuase of 72. :-)

And the kicker???? Poor sap has to reach in his pocket to get me his $5, LOL!!

We added the "72 (seven duece)" to our home game the same way they do on HSP, except we only pay $5 (2/5 game). We have seen our fair share or winners and losers, but I have been waiting patiently to make this play. Let me start by saying that all the 72s that have won, were on big pre-flop raises or big flop bets/raises. So....

I get dealt AA in the SB (BINGO!) and knew immediately what I was going to do, as I have been waiting for months to make this play. UTG limps in, as do 4 others putting the pot at $32. I raise to $45, UTG folds and next person who had limped eyes me funny. I KNOW he thiks I have 72, which is why i raised the way I did, just to make it look that way. He calls as does 1 other. Now.. this guy that called me loves to play back at me, cause I have pulled some big bluffs on him and shown it. Plus, he has adopted a new style of being very aggressive, betting at everything to test you, but he doesn't know when to back off (does it get any better than this??)

The flop comes 944 rainbow (sweeet!). I decide that there is no that either of these guys calls pre-flop with a 4 in their hand (34, 45 or A4 suited) and if they did, well heres my money....

The pot is $167 and I bet $130, he thinks and thinks and thinks. He asks me if I have 72 and i purposely hold my breath and freeze perfectly still (i know he read Navarros book on tells...) Finally someone calls time, and he goes all in for $533 total. The other player folds, I insta-call and turn over my AA and he shows AK. Ship it!! But a King on the turn gives him 2 outs and just to cover my ass... we run it 3 times and he misses, now SHIP IT!

No one had made this play which is why it worked so well. Everyone couldn't beleive I had AA nor put me anywhere near that hand. I love the way 72 can change a game.


One more.. separate post..