Abandon all hope, ye who enter here! (Edmond goes deep at the CSPC)
Trip report from Commerce Casino
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By EdmondDantes
on 09/29/2007
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read EdmondDantes' complete blog
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Grab a sandwich, fellas. It’s a long one.
Strange utterances and horrible pronouncements
In the Inferno, the first part of The Divine Comedy, the Roman poet Virgil guides Dante on a tour of Hell, moving past each of nine concentric circles of the damned toward the center of the Earth where Satan lies bound in ice. The inhabitants of each circle are progressively more heinous and their punishments are tailored to their crimes on Earth. It's an entertaining read (translated, of course) and offers surprising parallels to my recent run through the California State Poker Championships (CSPC) at the Commerce Casino.
I hadn’t played a live tournament since the World Series and decided it was time to take a run at a score. The CSPC culminates in a two-day event with a buy-in ($2590) and field that’s just painful enough to make winning it worth the effort. Past champions include Ferguson, Pham, Laak and even Ben Affleck (this is the event he won a couple years back before J-Lo made him kick his poker habit). My own poker skills suggest that writing an Academy Award winning screenplay or getting a PhD in computer science might be easier ways to break into this group, but I’d been off the felt just long enough to once again believe I could be a contender in a live event.
The last few tournaments I’ve played have been stinkers—several hours of awkward thrashing and hacking to stay above average only to be sent to the rail holding a heavy favorite. At best, I feel like I’m in the 5th Circle of Hell alternatively watching the wrathful fighting just above the surface of the Styx or struggling, with the other sullen and slothful, just beneath. Most times though, I feel like I’m stuck in the Vestibule, that nasty holding pen just beyond the gates inscribed “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” It’s in this spiritual grey area that those souls not quite worthy of heaven but not bad enough for Hell mill about. The wafflers, the ne’er-do-wells, those who never really took a stand in life find themselves here, tormented by hornets and wasps. It’s certainly nothing to look forward to and a great argument for taking action in life and its conflicts. It’s the punishment of the uncommitted, if you will, and not a bad metaphor for my typical tournament experience.
Of course, while I suffer my usual tournament fate, there’s always some cheery soul, breezing along with a monstrous pyramid of chips like Dante himself led safely through wretchedness by Virgil. In my poker career, I've been that carefree guy once—in the satellite I won to enter my first WSOP Main Event. In that sat, I was within a breath of the felt and then suddenly went on a tear that included flopping quads vs a boat, a boat vs trips and at least one three outer. Forty-five minutes later, I had the chip lead by some stupid amount with hours left to play. I can't remember the numbers exactly, but my stack size was so absurd that the tournament director confided to me that I could safely go have a nice dinner and just come back later to pick up my entry ticket. Instead, I stuck around to savor the feeling and, like sex for the first time, it left me convinced that the next time I was in a similar spot, I'd do even more with my stack whether I needed to or not.
The challenge is, of course, building the big stack without the gift of fortune. In the WSOP sat, it was all luck smiling on me, and I understand the math of this game enough to know that hope is not a winning game plan. With that and the “Abandon all hope” quote in mind, I therefore resolved to be more aggressive and take more chances to accumulate chips in this tournament, forsaking survival for the active creation of a stack that would make even LakeofFire blush. Of course, everyone thinks they're a bad-ass right up until the point that they actually NEED to be a bad-ass, so I was looking forward to seeing if I could actually prove myself worthy of my new mindset.
From the dark wood into the depths…
Like Dante’s own journey, the first day of the event started on a dreary note. It rained hard in LA on Friday night and continued off and on through Saturday. I woke up early, uploaded some photos that Landlord79 sent from his recent Biloxi tour—Hard Rock, Beau Rivage and Boomtown—and hit the gym for a nice workout. I like to get a good workout in before a long day of sloth but made a mental note to leave extra early. People in LA get The Fear when it rains—even the most minor drizzle creates all sorts of freeway havoc. As it turned out, though, the weather seemed to have scared them inside. I drove down to the Commerce (maybe 30 minutes from my house) without a hitch and arrived just in time to see Jamie Gold pull up in a new Toyota Prius. Hmmm. He’s shorter than I expected and Earth-friendly.
The tournament started in 20 minutes and I headed up to the second floor tournament area to pick up a new player card (required for entry) and sign up. Commerce holds its tournaments in a 2nd floor ballroom that houses the low stakes NL and limit games. For major tournaments, there's a room divider that's easily retracted creating a larger ballroom capable of handling 60+ tables. The room is self-sufficient with a cashier and snack bar which serves alcohol. There are only a few small flat screen TVs scattered about, but during major tournaments, the tournament clock is projected on a large screen easily visible from any seat in the room. You can get a sense of the room below…
Limbo
This year 362 wretches, including James Woods, Men Nguyen, Amir Vahedi, Kenna James, Cam Hua, John Phan et al., braved the rain to show up for the event. Most of these lost souls have little hope of redemption but are here in Limbo anyway making up a total prize pool of $877,850. Actually, the first Circle of Hell as Dante describes it (aka Limbo) isn’t all that bad; it’s where the pagans are corralled and their punishment is simply that they’ll never see God. Not good, of course, but not as bad as being immersed in a lake of boiling pitch with the corrupt politicians or being steeped in human excrement with the false flatterers. Fortunately, the majority had already secured their spot in Limbo prior to my arrival—the line was short and within five minutes I had my seating ticket and food voucher.
As with most Commerce tournaments, it started on time and without a hitch. For the biggest card room in the world, holding a forty table tournament is roughly comparable to Bond18 making a sandwich—a minor distraction from profitable ring games but critical to keep the machine moving forward.
We started with 5000 chips with the blinds at 25/50 and 60 minute levels. It’s not the deepest start obviously but, for the money, not a bad value. If you’re so inclined you can see the structure here…
The Structure
I didn't think to check early on but most of the tournament was played 9-handed or less. I’m guessing we were 9-handed throughout because I don’t remember ever feeling crowded at the table. In any event, it was a comfortable set up, and at 2p, we were off.
A nice start courtesy of a fraudulent soul
A few hands into the tournament, there was a limper to me in MP with 87. The new, cavalier me figured he’d experiment a little and limped, too. The DB came along and one of the blinds raised to 250. This may be a $2590 buy-in tournament, but it's also the Commerce low stakes NL room where building a pot out of position is sacrosanct, so we all called. There’s 1250 in the pot going to the flop.
A nice T46 flop gave me a double gutter with a flush draw. One of the blinds bet out for 500 and there was one other caller to me. I’m usually raising here but decided to just call, hit the turn and win a big pot instead of just blowing a misguided soul off a smaller one. Hey, Cleopatra and Helen of Troy are in the 2nd Circle with the rest of the lustful; I’ll take my chances. 2750 in the pot headed to the turn.
The turn was the lovely 5 giving me the nut straight. It's checked to me, and I bet 1300 with EP limper coming along. The river was Q something and the EP player…shoved? Uh, ok…I called and he mucked a missed diamond draw. Sir, the 8th Circle of Hell is for the fraudulent and thieves, and I believe they're waiting for you there. The rest of you wretches, meet your early chip leader.
Gluttonous and greedy
At this point, I picked up some nice hands but failed to make much progress. The 3rd Circle houses the gluttonous and the 4th the greedy, but I didn’t care. Like Bush after the 2004 elections, I felt I had a mandate and, however misguided, I intended to act upon it.
AQo. I raised pre-flop with two callers behind. I whiffed the flop but bet out anyway only to be renounced by two callers. The turn blanked and I check-folded in shame like a corrupt politician.
AKo. I raised pre-flop with three callers. Whiffed the flop and check-folded again. Bah! The uncommitted are damned, remember?
AK…with T exposed pre-flop. Like the sorcerers and false prophets in the 9th Circle, I can only see behind me, not the future, so with my royal flush draw ruined, I was satisfied to just raise and take the blinds.
On the last hand of the level, UTG raised to 150. I was on the DB with yet another stupid connector, 75, and called. The small blind re-raised to 750 and we both shamed the low stakes NL room and folded.
At this point, we were an hour in, I'd played about 15 of the 30 or so dealt hands and anyone at the table who hadn’t pegged me for some ridiculous LAG-tard had to be brain-dead.
Sighs and lamentations
The wonderful rush of quality hands deserted me and I treaded water until the last hand before the 10-minute break after Level 2 (50/100). Two limpers to me on the DB with 88, I raised to 400. The small blind completed and the others called to build a 1600 pot.
The flop = J87 with two spades. The small blind led out for 800 and leery of the draw nasty board , I bumped it to 2400. Despite my hyperactive first level, I failed to convince him I was full of crap and he folded. Whatever. It’s better than him hitting his four-outer straight on the turn, I guess. I now had a little over 12,000 chips and was the big stack at the table.
As an aside, one of things that's cool about playing a poker tournament in LA is that besides the usual raft of degenerates, you meet some interesting dudes. At my table directly to my left was Martin Shafer, Head of Castle Rock Entertainment and a regular high stakes player. CastleRock's credits include When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, The Shawshank Redemption, Best in Show and Seinfeld. We had a fun chat about the early years of Seinfeld and the most recent season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Unfortunately, his luck with TV and film picks was a little better than with his poker. He was out shortly before level 4.
Level 3 was uneventful but Level 4 (100/200) got spirited when two big stacks directly to my right decided to mix it up. Big stack limped in UTG and it folded around to 2nd big stack in the big blind to his direct right. BB raised to 800 and the big stack called.
Flop was KJ8. Check, check. Turn was a 9 at which point it turned into a silly min-raise fest. It all got in with the bigger big stack’s slow-played eights demolished by a turned set of nines. Slow player (SP) promptly hit a couple of good hands in a row and was back in contention and I tried to figure out where I stand at the table.
To my right, I had two loose players. SP to my direct right would call down with 3rd pair with Harpies shrieking in his face and the guy to his right was the big stack (courtesy of the set of 9s) at the table.
To my left, there was a calling station maybe three seats away and apparently, he’s anxious to see me progress to the next level with his chips. I raised an unopened pot with 9s to 750; he called. Flop came 8 high and I continued with 1300. He showed KJ and folded. Two hands later, I raised with AJo to 750. Same guy called. I continued with 1300 and took the pot. Sir, please report to the 7th Circle with the other prodigals who squandered their possessions.
What makes you think I’m coveting your jacket?
We're four hours in now, about halfway through the field with 20 tables still active—call it 180 players left. There were about 1.8 million chips in play and I was stuck around 12k-ish, a little over average courtesy of expert plays like the following.
Limped to me in the small blind with A9o, I completed and saw a JT8 flop. I check-called the flop and led out at the turn to take the pot. In retrospect, there’s nothing special about the hand other than how poorly I played it out of position, but like confession, it makes me feel better for having admitted and taken responsibility for it.
Looking around the table, there was a kid across from me in a Party Poker jacket. Not just any Party Poker jacket, mind you. He was sporting the tan faux suede one from the old days when it was the nicest item in the Party Poker store. He completed his look by putting on his Oakleys every time he was in a hand so I could tell he meant business.
To his right and across from me was a woman who I've seen in LA tournaments and remember blowing the old, nitty me off a pair of queens early in the LA Poker Classic. In her bust-out hand here, she raised UTG and PartyPoker jacket guy (PPJG) called and I called in position with 77. She bet out for 1200 on an 8 high flop. In turn, he raised to another 2700 and I ducked out of the hand. Back to her, she thought for a bit and moved all-in for another couple thousand. He snap-called with JJ. Her 89 didn’t improve and headed off to the 7th Circle to lament with the other suicides.
We broke for dinner with 20 minutes left at Level 5. I was still holding 12k, about average, and got encouragement from Adanthar, nath, LakeofFire, lakong and PianoMan. The general consensus was that I’ll need to get busy after dinner but not do anything stupid. Nice to know that, to a man, my poker colleagues felt the need to remind me not to be a lazy fool.
I stare death in the face
We returned from dinner with 17 tables left, 9 players per table. We were still at Level 5 with 100/200/25 ante. I was UTG+1 the gun with TT and raised to 1000, PartyPoker jacket guy (SB) and big stack (BB) both called.
The flop brought 987 and PartyPoker jacket guy led out for 300 (WTF?) into a 3000 pot. BB called, obviously. I was a suspicious of that laughable bet but made it 3000 straight. Back to you, sir. Are you virtuous or a hypocrite? While he was thinking, I was trying to sort out what I'd do if he shoved. I was mostly worried about a set, obv. I didn't figure he had an over pair given his PF play or the high end of a straight with me holding two of the Ts. I figured I had 30% equity in this pot, but I had 7-8k left behind. If he shoved, it would be a close call and I could be way behind. As it was, he folded QQ face up. Uh, what?
At this point, the big stack went on a rant about how I had AK and he'd have never laid down there…blah, blah, blah. I was tempted to point out to him that heretics in the 6th Circle are trapped in flaming tombs and the fraudulent advisers in 8th Circle are encased in individual flames so either way he wouldn’t be needing that stupid hoodie he was wearing much longer. But PPJG was convinced his read was good. "The only hand I'd want to see there was JJ. He's got a lot of outs if he had TT or the big flush draw, and I'm smoked if he's got kings." I'll give him credit. Despite his donkish flop bet, PartyPoker jacket guy thought it out.
That said, I'll never understand why guys recap their thought process openly at the table. From that little exchange, I pegged the big stack as a dope who'd think anybody was "making a move." and the PartyPoker jacket guy as a thoughtful player. Had they both kept quiet, I'd be none the wiser about either.
Confronting the heretic
A few hands later, it was limped to me on the dealer button with 88. I raised to 800 and was joined by two callers including the non-believer with the big stack.
Flop was T87.
Big stack bet 1000 and when I raised to 3000, he blurted out "I can't beat AKo." And shows 53. He then went through some expert analysis about how he should've re-raised me.
"Yeah, I don't know what I'd have done if you'd re-raised me." I said and let him stew on that. I'm not sure which circle of Hell is reserved for donuts, but just hang out in the 8th Circle with the other sowers of discord. We’ll let you know.
The heretic and I mix it up a little later, 30 minutes into level 6. There were 15 tables remaining with an average stack of 15,000. I was sitting with 17,500 chips and Q6 in SB. I taunted the Furies and completed.
The flop was KJT.
I checked and the all-knowing big stack bet 2000. I contemplated check-raising but opted to call since I wasn’t sure how I want to play the turn if he called a raise.
Turn was 4
Check. Check. Oooo…thanks.
4
Ok, then…I bet out 2000 with my flush, and the big stack was apoplectic. "I'm folding the winning hand! I can't believe I'm folding the winning hand!" I grinned and said, "You folded a made hand just ‘cause I repped the flush? Dude, you were getting 3 to 1 or something..." and stacked the chips. “That’s all right. You and I will meet again.” He countered. Oooooo, so foreboding…
On the last hand before the break, I was UTG with AK and raised. An Asian guy in LP called and we saw an awesome...
AK9 flop.
I bet 2500 with my top two. He called.
Turn was a 3. I bet 5000. He called.
River was another 3. I bet another 5000 and he folded his missed royal flush draw and we're on to Level 7 with me sitting with about 30k. What’s that? Nice hand, you say? Thanks…please note that false flatterers are in Circle 8.
Back from the abyss
Over the course of the next hour and a half I managed to evaporate 11 or 12k chips via general stupidity and had 19,000 chips as we headed into Level 8 (300/600 with 75 ante). We were playing eight people per table, so there was 1500 in the pot to start the hand.
Kenna James was now at my table with a slightly less than average stack. We also had a massive chip leader present who was on one of those heaters that’s just nauseating to watch. He flopped quads and got paid. Turned a boat and got paid. If he was in the hand, he hit it…and got paid. So fun to watch and live vicariously when you’re fighting to stay average. Ah, well, Dante dealt with envy in the Purgatorio. Perhaps another day.
Wielding my own stack like a three legged stool in a bar fight, I worked back up to 24,000 chips, but then promptly gave it back when I opened from the cut-off with QT and one of the blinds pushed on me. Couple thousand to call, whatever. He showed K3 and doubled through.
An orbit later I raised from DB with 33 and SB pushed on me for another couple thousand. He showed AK and the remaining seven aces and five kings in the deck found their way to the board. Anyone else here need chips while I’m at it?
I re-surveyed my situation. To my direct right, one guy who's been playing tight. I had him covered. Two and three spots to the right are two big chip stacks, maybe 40k and 50k. Two shorties to my direct left so I have to be careful about raising indiscriminately. I finally sorted it all out and was promptly moved to another table where now I was the short stack. Lovely.
I sat down and two to my left was some Middle Eastern guy with shiny gold rim sunglasses. My first hand in, I raised his blind with KTo. He defended against my obvious move and led out at the T high flop. Sir, this one’s for the violent ones over in the 7th Circle. I moved ALL IN for the first time of the day. He looked at me as if I’d stolen his pinkie ring and folded. Let that be a lesson to those who would defend their blind against me. I’ll flop TPGK and shove with conviction.
A few hands later I was UTG with 88 and raised. There was one caller behind, a younger, confident player who looked fully capable of floating some grey-haired pretender with a voice recorder.
The flop was 99x, two diamonds and I bet 4000. He called.
Turn was a blank. I bet 6000. He called. Eww. Sixes? Sevens? A9?
River was an ace.
Nath's recent post flashed through my mind, but I check anyway, and because he hadn't read said post, the player checked behind. 88 goot and I was healthy again with about 34k chips.
More confrontations with the damned
With the blinds going to 400/800/100 ante, we colored up the little ones. I had 35k chips with an average stack at 25k and 60 people left and set off on a little bit of a heater.
Some would be seducer raised my blind from the button. I re-raised with my beefy pair of 5s and took his chips. In the DB with QQ, I raised again and again took the pot. Next hand, AK in the CO. Guy in front limped, I raised for the third time in a row and again took the pot down. Can’t you guys see I’m just messing with you? Gimme some action! I was now sitting with over 40k chips.
We broke at level 10 (500/1000/200). It was quarter of one in the morning, we were playing down to 27 or 2a and with 52 players left, it looked like 2a. Side note: at 1a and there’s a ton of people playing baby NL upstairs at the Commerce. 8-10 tables fighting over $10 pots. Nice.
Back from the break, I raised with KJo from the CO and folded to re-raise from a guy who's been playing tight.
PartyPoker jacket guy was still in and re-seated to my right. He looked like the chip leader.
I picked up some chips when a short stack pushed from UTG and I called with JJ from the blind. He turned over K5o and the jacks held.
I had a nervous moment with TT in the DB when a woman with 60k two seats to my right raised to 4k. I re-raised another 10k. She stared at me for about two minutes and folded AQo face up.
The very next hand, I was in the CO with AK. Big stack to my direct right raised from the hijack to 3500. I re-raised another 10k. He folded. At this point, my table thinks I’m a bad-ass for playing sheriff to the two big stacks at the table.
It was quarter of 2 now and I made a mental note to not do something stupid from here out. We’re 42 players left and I was tired. I’d just as soon get some sleep before mixing it up any further.
I was moved to a table with Amir Vahedi. When I sat, Amir's in the middle of a one orbit timeout for language and was still whining his case from the other side of the velvet rope. What adult does that? Get some dignity, sir.
At 10 minutes of 2a, the level changed and the blinds increased to 600/1200/200. I folded my way to the finish, bagged up 42,800 chips and headed home pretty much in the middle of the pack going into day 2. I got home around 2:40a still would up from the day. I got a bite to eat, answered some emails and finally crashed around 3:30a.
Day 2
My wife and cats were annoyingly active by 8a so I got up, bummed around for a bit and rattled off 40 minutes of laps in the pool to get the blood flowing and feel good about sitting for another day. I pulled on a black t-shirt with Russian wording on it that I've convinced myself is from some seedy Moscow strip club. Next time I see him, Adanthar will probably point out to me that Alexi's construction business spelled "plumbing" wrong on their promo shirts, but for now I feel like an edgy bad-ass.
It was quarter of 2p when I got back to the Commerce. I looked at the day 2 seating draw and discovered I was 20th of 40 players with 42,800. At my table, I started the day with one of the chip leaders to my direct right and Vahedi to my far left. Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle…
We started with 5 tables, eight to a table, and I made my way to the bubble staying pretty much even, raising when folded to me and 3-betting out of my blind at opportune moments. I managed to pick up some ok hands to work with—A5o, 99, whatever—so I held my own against a pretty active table.
The bubble
At 28 players, the two big stacks at my table (both to my right) got it all in with KK v AA. One player raised from the CO, the other re-raised from the BB. The big stack moved in and the other stack insta-called with AA. Cue much howling and celebration by the short stacks until they realized that KK player had AA slightly covered and both players were still alive after the hand. Sit down, fellas, and act like men.
As it turns out, the KK player kept his cool, tripled up and made the money easily. And in a divine twist of fate, the Bubble Boy was the heretic/sower of discord who'd been the big stack at my table and repeatedly miscalled my hand the prior day. The 8th Circle’s a nasty, nasty place, sir. Let that be a lesson to ya!
Where’s Virgil when you need him?
After the bubble broke, I moved to a new table with 50k+ versus the 64k average where I engaged in the first of several end game gaffes. With the blinds increased to 1000/2000/300 ante, there was an UTG raiser to 7000. With one caller to me on the DB with 67, I called. 19k pot, why not? Well, maybe because I’m not deep enough to make the implied odds work or outplay the other guys on the flop, but hey, we’re all just trying to learn, right? As the dealer burned, I mentally prepared to push with any pair and a draw. Of course, the flop was 833 two diamonds. 26k pot. UTG bet out 11k. I have 43k+ behind. I folded and wondered if they were still serving lunch back in Limbo with the other non-committals.
[As an aside, I posted this hand on 2+2 and the general consensus was fold pre-flop and jam flop as played. Oops.]
The next orbit brought the first limped pot in a while. It was limped to me on DB with A4. Not willing to spoil the moment or build a pot with a baby ace, I limped, too. When everyone checked the A on the flop, I bet 7500 and took the pot.
Down to 24 players, I had K8o in the BB. The CO, an Asian player I recognized from another tournament, raised my BB to 6500 for the second time in a row. I re-raised this obvious steal attempt another 16k and he folded without incident. 8th Circle for you, sir, perhaps? That’s right…with the other fraudulent ones.
I was still sitting relatively short with 50k and we were playing 5-handed while the TD sorted out the next table move. It was folded to me on DB with QJo so I raised to 10k just to blow the blinds out. Yikes…the small blind came over the top for 18k total. Gross, but I called getting a 3 or 4 to 1. He showed KK but a QJ on the flop sent him to the rail. Wow, so that’s what it feels like to suck-out late. Ok, then.
In which I’m labeled a Thief
I was now sitting with 80k chips with 23 players and raised to 8k from the CO with 55. The big blind, some guy named Dallas (“As in Texas.”…uh, right…I think I got that) re-raised another 10k and showed J9o. He said he raised dark because I've been raising his button EVERY TIME. The new me must be the new me, because that’s the first time anyone’s ever accused me of that. Somewhere LakeofFire was beaming with pride.
We were down to last two tables (18 people left) still at 1500/3000/500. I was using my 58k to steal blinds but making no headway to the field. There was a flurry of carnage when the panderers and seducers at the other table took on Eric Crisp, the big stack and eventual tournament winner, who celebrated each confrontation like Terrell Owens of old. This looks like his first real win and I’m sure he played well, but if I could have any wish in the poker world, it would be that people learn to win gracefully. I mean is it too much to ask to see a little more Tom Brady and a little less Chaz Michael Michaels on the felt?
The 9th Circle is not for the timid
In any event, we’re down to 15 players. Dante’s 9th Circle of Hell is reserved for traitors—not your basic two-face scum, but those who’ve committed crimes against their kin and God. I can’t say I’m overly religious but I am loyal and there’s no way the ultimate spot for me would include the likes of Judas, Cassius et tu, Brutus? That said, the following hand extended my betrayal of self-commitment and set off a nauseating hand sequence.
I was UTG with 44 with Can Kim Hua two seats my right. He was a big stack and raised any limped or unopened pot. I was sitting with 50k—just enough to wait for a better spot—and knowing a limp would draw a beefy raise and a raise could well result in a sickening raise, re-raise, fold sequence, I folded.
Of course, Hua raised and a couple of players joined him in the pot. I don’t remember anything from the rest of the hand except the giant 4 in the middle of it and the massive number of chips that found their way to the pot thereafter. I considered bludgeoning myself to death on the felt and joining the suicides in the 7th Circle but shook it off and regrouped.
Three hands later, I was on the DB with 44 again. There was a raise in front and then a re-raise. I folded, obv, and the original raiser called. Again I don’t remember much from the flop except yet another humungous 4 in the middle of it and a ton of gut-wrenching action.
No salvation for the patient
So now I’m headed into the break with 40k, demoralized, with the blinds going to 2000/4000/1000 ante when we return. I got a breath of air, when first hand back after the break, I picked up KK. Halleluiah…there’s a raise in front of me to 12k. I considered re-raising to 30k but figured leaving 10k behind pretty much turns my hand over pre-flop. I shoved for my 40k hoping to get action from a hand like 99 or AQ but was instead rewarded with a penitent fold. Ugh.
I added to my stack until right before dinner shoving with AJ and KQ from mid-late position but then gave it back when I raised with A7o and folded to a shove. The last hand before dinner sealed my fate.
I was UTG with AQo and about 42k. As soon as I saw my cards, I thought “Shove.” but I saw a conservative player with 100k in chips to my direct left reaching for chips. I’m not the connoisseur of live tells that Landlord79 is, but I’ve watched my cats wrestle each other enough to know that when one of them starts shaking with his hind legs in a crouch, there’s gonna be action. I opted to play it safe and raised to 14k—a raise that had been getting it done, but, in retrospect, was the worst of the available alternatives. My stalker behind labored and finally called. Hmm, that feels like AJ-AQ or a middle pair. Everyone else folded and I glued my eyes to him on the flop.
Ugh. He didn’t seem at all disappointed with the T84 flop.
In the absence of a read or holding the A or Q there, I shove the flop, but my instincts screamed “Check!” He bet, of course, and flashed a set of Ts when I folded. I congratulated myself for pulling myself out of the fiend’s mouth but it was little consolation—my swimming skills are suspect in my heated pool and now I was immersed in the burning lake and sinking fast.
I was in 13th place and thinking how apropos that finish would be when a player to my left with a 2x average stack raised and 4-bet with T8, his “favorite hand.” 3-better showed TT and T8 player was done. I never understood the favorite hands thing, especially when faced with a big re-raise. It’s sort of like wearing your favorite suit to a firing squad and expecting a happy ending. Well, no…I don’t think he was offering a massage, sir.
Back to the surface
In any event, we were playing 6-handed now and I was in horrible shape when we broke for dinner. As soon as we came back, I knew I had to find any spot to get it in. The problem was, we were short-handed and there was action on both my blinds. 62o, 84s…the usual. Finally, I was in the DB with 20k or so with KT. When the hijack raised (a big stack raising light…T9, A6 and the like), I shrugged and shoved. One caller behind (ugh) and they checked down a J9x flop. “Q!” I’m thinking but the poker gods did not see me worthy of salvation and my prayer went unanswered. JJ > KQo > KTo and I was out in 12th. Good game, sir, here's $10,535 for your 18 hours work.
Results of the CA State Poker Championships
Like Dante’s work, the end was pretty anti-climatic. One minute I was staring at the final Circle, and the next minute I was back on Earth. I cashed out the $10,535 in chips and drove home happy with my 1st day play but aware that I mangled a couple of critical spots on the 2nd day that cost me a spot at the final table. That said, I survived the Inferno and consider myself in a better position to find my way toward part 3 of the epic (Paradise, for those of you digging for the Cliff Notes). Unfortunately, in the three part classic, there’s a stop in Purgatory to deal with before Paradise can be enjoyed. Whatever, Purgatory’s where those whose vices include extravagance and sins of the flesh hang out. At least I’ll know my way around those parts.
Still digging,
Edmond
P.S. For reference...
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