Main Event – Broke the Novel

Thursday was the Foxwoods WPT Main Event. Foxwoods has followed in the footsteps of other casino’s by starting you out with 20k in chips. In general this is great, but they are forced to skip some of the normal levels of 10k events, in order to conclude the tournament in 4 days.

I did not mind my first table draw, Bill Edler and Chris Biggler were the only two people I recognized. I lost a couple thousand in the first round, when I did not reraise with AK, which allowed the BB to flop 2 pair and beat me on an Ace, ten, five board.

Then midway through the second round I flopped a set of nines versus an opponents set of tens. This is the first time this has ever happened to me in a big tourney. I was sure my opponent had a very strong hand, so I check called the 9-10-Q flop, then lead when the 5 peeled off the turn. When he instantly raised me, I knew for sure he had KJ. He priced me into calling (by not raising enough) to try and make my full house and hopefully get his stack. The when the off suit 8 peels on the river, we go check check ??? Wow !! I guess my read was wrong, three nines must be good, I proudly showed my hand … sigh he shows me his set of tens. Maybe he priced me into drawing to 1 out on the river to get my stack? Expert ?? Nah … he just raised whatever he felt like raising and accidentally raised the perfect amount on the turn. Nice hand sir.

After moving tables I was able to rebuild my stack to ~17k, when I raised the 34 hearts in MP, a extremely tight straight forward player on the button called me. The flop came 25J all clubs, with the pot of 2500, I fired out 2200, the button instantly pushes his last 4500 into the middle … sigh, the pot is not 9200 and I need to call 2300 more. I was almost certain he didn’t have a flush, and put him on QQ or JJJ. I figured I had at least 6 outs hopefully 8. Maybe a bad call but I gambled with his set of jacks and lost. Good way to blow almost 6k.

Now with the blinds escalating, I was in resteal or push mode. When a player in MP opened for 1400, I had 6k and was pretty sure I was going to push on him with my two red eights, but while I was thinking the player to my left immediately says 3400 out of turn. So much for that plan, I dumped my two 88’s, only to be show AK and AQ. I wish I had acted a little bit faster.

After dinner, things became a little more desperate, I no longer had enough chips to resteal and was forced to shove at least once per orbit or else I would lose what little fold equity I had. While maintaining my stack for most of the 300-600 level, I finally picked up QQ, and reraised an EP raiser. He was forced to call my little reraise, and the ace on board set me packing…literally, I was in my car heading back to beantown within the hour.

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When returning home I decided to download the newly released novel, “Broke – A poker novel” by fellow Bostonian Brandon Adams. A quick fun read, the 95 page novel, was enjoyable and eye opening from cover to cover. Brandon puts in print what many poker players think about, but what very few actually are willing to talk about. I recommend the read to anyone who enjoys a fun poker story. The book can be found @ http://iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=0-595-37729-7.