Vegas Trip - Venetian Deepstack Tourney Hands
by StrayBullet on 10/06/07
Venetian Tourney Hands:
I have so many titles for this post:
I Sure Got My Moneys Worth, One Bad-Beat Deserves Another, That was a $6,000 Dollar Hand, FARK YOU, How Could You Make That Play?, I Played the Best Poker of My Life and all I got was a $10 Comp?!, and the list goes on and on and on….
L1-3, 25/50, 50/100, 100/200:
It didn’t take long to get a fix on the players at the table and I was determined to play the best I could! I’d already noted the player in this hand as someone who was going to be a thorn in my side, and since he had position on me, my accumulating job wasn’t going to be easy! I open-raise to T125 from late position with pocket 7s. Villain min-raised from the bb and I called. The board was rainbow rags and he leads out for T600. I min-raise him back and take it down. During the next orbit, against the same opponent I call his early position raise from the bb with pocket 6s. I flop the miracle 6 for sneaky set and since there’s one face included on the flop, I may stand to rake a nice pot. Normally I’d lead out here to build a pot, but since I’ve pegged this player, I’m going to let him do the betting, and he obliges. I check-call his flop and turn bets but we both slow down on the river. I did this mainly to get to see his cards which were napkins, he had complete air and as suspected, I take down another nice pot. I get AKo more than my fair share but continuation bets take ‘em down each and every time, image established. Going into the first break after 2 hours of play, I’m sitting on nearly 18k chips and we’re down to 3 tables from our original 4!
L4-6, 100/200/25, 200/400/25, 300/600/50:
Taking note that I need to use my established image, I make a raise from utg with complete trash, getting no callers. This little devilish trick emboldens my action and I take down a few pots by open raising and targeting a couple of players’ blinds. Even playing as I did, I was still aware that I had a tight image, at least to those who were paying attention to the table and not just the cards in their hands. The next hand I play was a pure attempt at picking up a pot as I hadn’t played a hand in a bit. Turns out it was against my nemesis from earlier. I open-raise pocket 3s from early position and of course he calls from his bb. Flop comes down TT8, 2 suited. He checks and I bet about half the pot. He thinks it over like EPSN is filming the final table but finally mucks his hand, face up. As the dealer is pushing me the pot, I decide to reciprocate and table my 3s, shooting him a glance…I can play cards too Homer Maybe not the best play on my part and I realize what it could mean to those paying attention, but I’ll take it and use it the best I can! 200/400 and 300/600 are my downfall. I’m not able to make many moves due to the table dynamics changing as players are moved in to balance things out. Most of the chuck lost though comes against a player who early on had flopped quads then an orbit later turned a straight flush. I got a laugh when I broke out the line asking, “If you wipe off when you pull it out, can I borrow it?” In the hand, I tried to take the pot away from him when the board delivered not only an ace but a king as well. He’d limped with QQ and called all the way. I’d seen him make lay-downs but I knew he had a greater propensity for calling….shoulda known better! We’re down to 2 tables and I’m down to about 11k chips.
L7-9, 400/800/75, 600/1200/100, 800/1600/200:
Our table now contains new players, with about 3 from the original. I’m joking it up with the 2 new players (Mike and Ben) on my right, who both have decent stacks. Mike’s been asking players periodically where they’re from, just creating small talk and picking up information as any good local pro would do. After I bit I say, “Man, you’ve asked everyone else where they’re from, I fell a little left out.” When he tells me he didn’t ask ‘cause he thought I was a local, I realize I either need to work on that image or cultivate it…not really sure which, but I’m still interestingly surprised by the observation. With as short as I am at this point, I know I’m in trouble unless I can chip up, which takes place tout suite. At 400/800 Mike starts contemplating a bet. I normally wait to look at my cards until the action is on me, but for some reason (maybe length of time) I peek early and spy pocket kings. I hold my cards like I’m going to muck, awaiting his action. He finally bets out for 2k chips. I’m in early position so any raise it going to tie me to the pot, and I don’t mind taking it down right here, so all-in it is Table folds around to one of the new players who takes no time at all in pushing in his all his chips…I know I’m crushed! Mike folds and you can guess what I’m up against, pocket aces, mike had folded AKo. I’m drawing to a lone out, save some miracle straight. But low and behold the flop delivers and I’m back in good shape. New player is EXTREMELY pissed!
My next hand comes against the player who’d flopped quads early and who I tried to represent an ace in an earlier hand. He’d made lay-downs as mentioned but he’d be more likely to call if he had a piece or draw. I was able to pick up on his betting patterns early on; I’m starting to really believe in these more than physical tells. If you can marry up the betting patterns with the hands they show down, that’s some really POWERFUL knowledge! Onto the hand….At 600/1200, the villain min-raises from early position and it’s folded around to me in the bb. I have 67o and decide to make the call. It’s going to be VERY easy to get away from if I miss. If I hit the board, I’m likely to get paid off and if he misses, there’s a good chance I can take it down with air, at least that’s the plan. Flop comes down 48T, 2-suited. From his earlier patterns I know he’s limped with big pairs, min-raised with big aces and made a normal raise with all other hands he wanted to play. So on this hand, I put him squarely on a big ace, which missed the board entirely. Heads-up, I’m not going to put much stock in a flush draw, although the possibility exists. I decide to check my double gut-shot draw, knowing he’ll most likely bet out, but I have enough chips behind for plenty of folding equity when I put the plan to check-raise into action. He leads out for T4k and I promptly push all-in for about T16k more. We’re essentially even so there’s no way in the world he can make the call unless I’ve TOTALLY misread the situation. To my complete and utter shock, he makes the call without taking any time at all, guess I fouled up! I turn over my cards over and wait for the atrocity that will surely spell my demise. He tables AcJc and I’m in absolute total shock; as is the rest of the table when the most beautiful card in the world floats down from the deck on the turn. It’s the 5 of diamonds, completing my straight draw and making me a lock in the hand. I’m now sitting on top of nearly 45k in chips and in a great position to make a deep run!
L10, 1k/2k/300:
11 players left and 5 get paid, ALL the money is in first and second, nothing new! My buddy Mike makes a raise to 12k in early position and when I start thinking he starts talking. He tells me that he’s got a big hand, just lay it down, on and on…You’ll have to trust me here but based on what’s happened previously, he’s not lying. But he also doesn’t have aces or kings. I’m not sure he’d do it with jacks but it’s possible. I put him on a big ace (because of his talk and bet size) and since I have pocket queens, I’m in a real mess. Months ago, I wouldn’t have even thought about the hand, just push all-in, I have queens, right?! But here, and now, it’s a different ball game. I could push all-in but I have a gut feeling he’ll call and I don’t’ see any need to flip for chips at this point. I could fold, but that seems weak, although raising or folding are most often the best courses of action. I decide on the flat-call, looking to take it down on a “safe flop” or mucking if an ace or king drops. Right in the window, my hopes are dashed and I when he bets out, I muck the queens face up. He does the only thing he knows how at this point, and flashes me the ace of spades…well played or donked up?
When a player busts on the other table, we’re down to 10 and we form up the final table. I land in the bb and have to let go with action ahead of me. From the sb, I steal the bb when it’s open-folded to me, thankfully I’d had a read on the gentleman on my left and knew he was tighter than a frogs arse We lose a player and with 9 left, the money spots are even closer, although I’m not at all concerned with 5th place as it’s little more than double the entry fee. A few hands pass and from utg, I look down to find pocket kings. I make a bet to T5k, the table standard at this point. It’s folded to the button, who pushes in the last of stack, about T20k or so. I’ll be more than happy to make this call heads-up and am just waiting for the blinds to fold out. But much to my surprise, the bb goes into the tank. Well, that’s one good thing, he doesn’t have aces. He’s also new to me and the pusher, we haven’t played with him all tournament. He and I have about the same stack and he’s really taking his time. As long as it takes, I’m pretty sure he’s going to make what I would consider the right move, folding. If he has a big ace, how can he stake the tourney on that? If he has queens, he knows he has to be flipping and why do it when you’re in such good shape? Even if he thinks I’m going to fold, why? He finally makes his decision, he pushes.
I sure as hell am not folding in this spot, but I’m open to hear any competing thoughts! The original all-in DOES NOT have aces, of course there’s no real way I can know, but it just doesn’t smell right, even with his stack. It’s possible, but I just don’t see it. I don’t see how I can fold here but like I said, I’m open to thoughts! I make what I think is the correct call. I’m up against AKo and QQ, in that order. If my hand holds, I’m sitting on 1/3rd of the chips in play, easily covering my opponents. But it’s all for naught when a queen falls right in the window and I’m drawing to a single out that never materializes. I’m summarily bounced in spot 7 and all I have to show for it is a $10 comp to Lux….
You have to get lucky along the way to win these things, no matter HOW GOOD you are. And I realize I got very lucky twice to keep my arse in the game. I guess this was just his time to get lucky. See ya on the felt!
I have so many titles for this post:
I Sure Got My Moneys Worth, One Bad-Beat Deserves Another, That was a $6,000 Dollar Hand, FARK YOU, How Could You Make That Play?, I Played the Best Poker of My Life and all I got was a $10 Comp?!, and the list goes on and on and on….
L1-3, 25/50, 50/100, 100/200:
It didn’t take long to get a fix on the players at the table and I was determined to play the best I could! I’d already noted the player in this hand as someone who was going to be a thorn in my side, and since he had position on me, my accumulating job wasn’t going to be easy! I open-raise to T125 from late position with pocket 7s. Villain min-raised from the bb and I called. The board was rainbow rags and he leads out for T600. I min-raise him back and take it down. During the next orbit, against the same opponent I call his early position raise from the bb with pocket 6s. I flop the miracle 6 for sneaky set and since there’s one face included on the flop, I may stand to rake a nice pot. Normally I’d lead out here to build a pot, but since I’ve pegged this player, I’m going to let him do the betting, and he obliges. I check-call his flop and turn bets but we both slow down on the river. I did this mainly to get to see his cards which were napkins, he had complete air and as suspected, I take down another nice pot. I get AKo more than my fair share but continuation bets take ‘em down each and every time, image established. Going into the first break after 2 hours of play, I’m sitting on nearly 18k chips and we’re down to 3 tables from our original 4!
L4-6, 100/200/25, 200/400/25, 300/600/50:
Taking note that I need to use my established image, I make a raise from utg with complete trash, getting no callers. This little devilish trick emboldens my action and I take down a few pots by open raising and targeting a couple of players’ blinds. Even playing as I did, I was still aware that I had a tight image, at least to those who were paying attention to the table and not just the cards in their hands. The next hand I play was a pure attempt at picking up a pot as I hadn’t played a hand in a bit. Turns out it was against my nemesis from earlier. I open-raise pocket 3s from early position and of course he calls from his bb. Flop comes down TT8, 2 suited. He checks and I bet about half the pot. He thinks it over like EPSN is filming the final table but finally mucks his hand, face up. As the dealer is pushing me the pot, I decide to reciprocate and table my 3s, shooting him a glance…I can play cards too Homer Maybe not the best play on my part and I realize what it could mean to those paying attention, but I’ll take it and use it the best I can! 200/400 and 300/600 are my downfall. I’m not able to make many moves due to the table dynamics changing as players are moved in to balance things out. Most of the chuck lost though comes against a player who early on had flopped quads then an orbit later turned a straight flush. I got a laugh when I broke out the line asking, “If you wipe off when you pull it out, can I borrow it?” In the hand, I tried to take the pot away from him when the board delivered not only an ace but a king as well. He’d limped with QQ and called all the way. I’d seen him make lay-downs but I knew he had a greater propensity for calling….shoulda known better! We’re down to 2 tables and I’m down to about 11k chips.
L7-9, 400/800/75, 600/1200/100, 800/1600/200:
Our table now contains new players, with about 3 from the original. I’m joking it up with the 2 new players (Mike and Ben) on my right, who both have decent stacks. Mike’s been asking players periodically where they’re from, just creating small talk and picking up information as any good local pro would do. After I bit I say, “Man, you’ve asked everyone else where they’re from, I fell a little left out.” When he tells me he didn’t ask ‘cause he thought I was a local, I realize I either need to work on that image or cultivate it…not really sure which, but I’m still interestingly surprised by the observation. With as short as I am at this point, I know I’m in trouble unless I can chip up, which takes place tout suite. At 400/800 Mike starts contemplating a bet. I normally wait to look at my cards until the action is on me, but for some reason (maybe length of time) I peek early and spy pocket kings. I hold my cards like I’m going to muck, awaiting his action. He finally bets out for 2k chips. I’m in early position so any raise it going to tie me to the pot, and I don’t mind taking it down right here, so all-in it is Table folds around to one of the new players who takes no time at all in pushing in his all his chips…I know I’m crushed! Mike folds and you can guess what I’m up against, pocket aces, mike had folded AKo. I’m drawing to a lone out, save some miracle straight. But low and behold the flop delivers and I’m back in good shape. New player is EXTREMELY pissed!
My next hand comes against the player who’d flopped quads early and who I tried to represent an ace in an earlier hand. He’d made lay-downs as mentioned but he’d be more likely to call if he had a piece or draw. I was able to pick up on his betting patterns early on; I’m starting to really believe in these more than physical tells. If you can marry up the betting patterns with the hands they show down, that’s some really POWERFUL knowledge! Onto the hand….At 600/1200, the villain min-raises from early position and it’s folded around to me in the bb. I have 67o and decide to make the call. It’s going to be VERY easy to get away from if I miss. If I hit the board, I’m likely to get paid off and if he misses, there’s a good chance I can take it down with air, at least that’s the plan. Flop comes down 48T, 2-suited. From his earlier patterns I know he’s limped with big pairs, min-raised with big aces and made a normal raise with all other hands he wanted to play. So on this hand, I put him squarely on a big ace, which missed the board entirely. Heads-up, I’m not going to put much stock in a flush draw, although the possibility exists. I decide to check my double gut-shot draw, knowing he’ll most likely bet out, but I have enough chips behind for plenty of folding equity when I put the plan to check-raise into action. He leads out for T4k and I promptly push all-in for about T16k more. We’re essentially even so there’s no way in the world he can make the call unless I’ve TOTALLY misread the situation. To my complete and utter shock, he makes the call without taking any time at all, guess I fouled up! I turn over my cards over and wait for the atrocity that will surely spell my demise. He tables AcJc and I’m in absolute total shock; as is the rest of the table when the most beautiful card in the world floats down from the deck on the turn. It’s the 5 of diamonds, completing my straight draw and making me a lock in the hand. I’m now sitting on top of nearly 45k in chips and in a great position to make a deep run!
L10, 1k/2k/300:
11 players left and 5 get paid, ALL the money is in first and second, nothing new! My buddy Mike makes a raise to 12k in early position and when I start thinking he starts talking. He tells me that he’s got a big hand, just lay it down, on and on…You’ll have to trust me here but based on what’s happened previously, he’s not lying. But he also doesn’t have aces or kings. I’m not sure he’d do it with jacks but it’s possible. I put him on a big ace (because of his talk and bet size) and since I have pocket queens, I’m in a real mess. Months ago, I wouldn’t have even thought about the hand, just push all-in, I have queens, right?! But here, and now, it’s a different ball game. I could push all-in but I have a gut feeling he’ll call and I don’t’ see any need to flip for chips at this point. I could fold, but that seems weak, although raising or folding are most often the best courses of action. I decide on the flat-call, looking to take it down on a “safe flop” or mucking if an ace or king drops. Right in the window, my hopes are dashed and I when he bets out, I muck the queens face up. He does the only thing he knows how at this point, and flashes me the ace of spades…well played or donked up?
When a player busts on the other table, we’re down to 10 and we form up the final table. I land in the bb and have to let go with action ahead of me. From the sb, I steal the bb when it’s open-folded to me, thankfully I’d had a read on the gentleman on my left and knew he was tighter than a frogs arse We lose a player and with 9 left, the money spots are even closer, although I’m not at all concerned with 5th place as it’s little more than double the entry fee. A few hands pass and from utg, I look down to find pocket kings. I make a bet to T5k, the table standard at this point. It’s folded to the button, who pushes in the last of stack, about T20k or so. I’ll be more than happy to make this call heads-up and am just waiting for the blinds to fold out. But much to my surprise, the bb goes into the tank. Well, that’s one good thing, he doesn’t have aces. He’s also new to me and the pusher, we haven’t played with him all tournament. He and I have about the same stack and he’s really taking his time. As long as it takes, I’m pretty sure he’s going to make what I would consider the right move, folding. If he has a big ace, how can he stake the tourney on that? If he has queens, he knows he has to be flipping and why do it when you’re in such good shape? Even if he thinks I’m going to fold, why? He finally makes his decision, he pushes.
I sure as hell am not folding in this spot, but I’m open to hear any competing thoughts! The original all-in DOES NOT have aces, of course there’s no real way I can know, but it just doesn’t smell right, even with his stack. It’s possible, but I just don’t see it. I don’t see how I can fold here but like I said, I’m open to thoughts! I make what I think is the correct call. I’m up against AKo and QQ, in that order. If my hand holds, I’m sitting on 1/3rd of the chips in play, easily covering my opponents. But it’s all for naught when a queen falls right in the window and I’m drawing to a single out that never materializes. I’m summarily bounced in spot 7 and all I have to show for it is a $10 comp to Lux….
You have to get lucky along the way to win these things, no matter HOW GOOD you are. And I realize I got very lucky twice to keep my arse in the game. I guess this was just his time to get lucky. See ya on the felt!
Comments
Post your comment below
