The Tourney Grind

After just missing the money in the first event, I skiped the pot limit event and played the limit event on friday. Things got off to a quick start but fizziled quickly and I was out by 5th round. Nothing noteworthy, from that event. I then decided to enter the 2k No Limit event today.

Early on I played a key pot, where I opened with Q10 of diamonds and was called by big blind. The Flop came down J84 with 1 diamond. He fiddled with his chips for a second or two and then decided to check. As a general rule this fiddling makes me believe he doesnt want me to bet....so in order to disapoint I bet 150, into the 175 pot. He plays with his chips some more and makes it 500 to go, he only has ~1700 total and I have almost 4k. I decide he either has a draw (9-10 or the same hand as mine) or a weak pair that he is willing to fold. I reraise him to 1400, leaving him with 300 if he calls. This bet usually looks much stronger than if I just moved in, since it seems like I am begging for a call, but in this case with Q high Im rooting for a fold. After aprox. 17 minutes he call (ends up having J10) as if he is saving those 300 chips for something. Well anyway the turn is a 9, and Im off to the races, with a 6k stack early on.

From this point on nothing worked really. I played down to about 250 players from the starting field of almost 2000, when I had 5500 chips and Chris Furgeson had 4100. He pushed in from late middle position with blinds @200-400 with 50 antes. Knowing he is "a real math" guy, I think his range in this spot is v.v.big. I look down and see good ol' reliable Ace Jack offsuit. I think tank it for a while...I dont think he is going to post his BB again without pushing one of the next 4 hands which means he is somewhat desperate. And if I fold, I really can only post one more set of blinds before I am in shoving mode as well. I finally decide AJ is a money favorite against his range of possible hands and call hoping to see some Ace rag hand. But he turns up pocket sevens, and wins the race to cripple me and double up. I busted shortly after when my 66 ran into AQ and QQ....gg matt

After playing all day today and getting close to paydirt before busting, I am not sure that I am mentally ready for another 12 hour day tomorrow of tournament limit holdem. I think I am going to hang around my house and play the sunday circuit online, and fire up the ol BBQ.

My favorite hand of the tourney...maybe of all time, this one is really great. John Pham has great table presence and can really read his opponents well. He also plays a somewhat loose aggressive style where he puts himself in tough spots and is forced to make some really tough decisions. Anyway, its folded to the small blind who limps, John's in the big blind and looks down at his cards; as hes doing this I dont think there is one person in vegas, never mind at the table, that thinks John may let this guy limp on his blind. He grabs a fistfull of green quarter chips and raises the limper another 6 or so chips. The limper calls. The flop comes 522 with 2 clubs, with the pot of 400 the limper bets 300, John raises to 625 and the limper calls. The turn is 5 of spades making two spades and two clubs on the 5522 board. The limper now bets 400 of his 1275 stack. Again John raises him to 925, and again the guy calls. The river comes what appears to be a meaningless red ten, and the limper bets his reamaining 350 and John (now nearing the felt) splashes a call into the pot. The guy says, good call, John refusing to show his hand, says "I called you." Now after both of them raising and betting everystreet, no one wants to show there hand. Evantaully the small blind shows K8 of diamonds for K high and John proudly shows the 10-8 for a rivered ten! This hand was clearly the talk of the table for the next couple orbits.