Break Through Night (Sort of)

First -

I thought for a while and mucked to the reraise all in. I rationalized the fold by knowing that I would have better opportunities to beat this guy if my read was wrong. He later went bust with a similar reraise all in with a flush draw, not even the nut flush draw. My call was 50-50 in my head, so in the spirit of the evening, I waited for a better opportunity.

Last Night -

I played four events last night on Stars. At one point they were all up and going.

1. $6.50 35-player SNG. I really like this SNG, it pays seven spots. The play is bad and you typically can make it to the final two tables (Starts with 5 tables) with solid play. I was the chip leader at 9 to go and bullied the table on the bubble for at least 10 hands. I had 40% of the chips in play. I ended up second for $60. Not bad for me lately.

2. $2 MTT. 1500 players, lose with AA at around 1300 to go. Okay, good - I get to close another table down.

3. $10 Rebuy. Strategy last night: No rebuys. I double up twice to get around 5,000 in chips. Last hand of rebuy period, a crazy player reraises a MP raise from the button. I have AQs. I move in, initial raiser folds, button calls with AJo. He goes runner runner for a straight. I decide that it is not a good idea to invest $30 for a stack that will be sixty percent of an average stack and decide to end the tournament there. I was so close to a 12,000 stack. But alas, I am happy with my discipline to save that $30, or cost me the $14,000 for first place.

4. $ 10 freeze out with 10 minute rounds. 1,300 players. I have played this tournament a few times before. While it is not a full 15 minute rounds, it is longer than the turbo 5 minute round crap shoots. I decide to play a tight, but very aggressive style. Pre-flop decisions. 135 get paid. With 200 to go I am in the top 20. With 100 to go I am 3rd. I end up going out 16th for $110. I played well, just card dead with 30 to go and the blinds were huge.

This was a good night comparatively for me lately. I cashed in the rebuy two nights ago and cashed twice last night. We will have to see what the weekend will bring. Until next time,

Good Luck and See You at the Felt.......................

St. Louis Rocks

First:

Metropolis Hand. I checked, MP bet $200, the button thought then folded, I called the remaining amount I had. He had bottom two pair (I told you it was a soft game). Nice game.

This Weekend:

Went to Metropolis Saturday night with JM. Won $130 playing blackjack waiting for a poker seat. Lost $220 at 4-8 waiting for NL seat. Won $400 at NL. The 4-8 is a little embarassing. I need to read Lee Jones' book before I play low limit limit hold 'em. Crazy game. I got a lot of Tier One hands snapped by some ugly hands.

No Limit was another story:

I started with a short stack of $380. The average stack was around $1,000, with some with $700 or so and two with around $2,000. Two interesting hands:

Hand One:

I had played three hands during the past hour, showing down none of the three. Won two, lost one. I had a tight image, just ask JM. I was in LP, had around $360. One limper. I had QJs and raise to $35. Clear steal move out of position and I wanted to test my image at the table. The BB and the EP limper called. Flop comes JJ10 with two spades. Check, Check and I bet $100. Both call. I have $235 left, the pot has $407. Turn is an absolutely beautiful Q. Check, Check. Now I thought about being cute, and in retrospect I should have checked. I thought a timely all in would look like I was protecting an over pair especially given I could only bet 50% of the pot. Also, I saw a glimmer in the limper's eyes with the flop, so I really thought he had some sort of J, maybe even J10, which would have been awesome. I went in. The BB went into the tank. He counted out the call amount, looked at the board, looked at it again, thought, thought and then finally folded with an angry chunk to the dealer. The limper immediately called and proudly turned over J 5!!!!! (UTG and he is in there with J5 - I told you it was a great game). I always love people calling my all-in drawing dead. Really nice.

The reason I think that the all in was better on the river was that the BB, a very solid player, told me he hated it but folded broadway, AK. Had I known that, I think if I check the turn, he would have value bet the river (which was a non-spade), the limper probably would have smooth called and both would have had to have called my all in reraise because of the pot odds on that call. The move on the turn probably cost me $235 from the BB. Poker always is a learning game.

Hand Two:

I had 10s in MP, open for $30, get called by the button (a hyper aggressive player) and the BB, the limper from hand one out of the BB. I have $650 when the hand began (lost part of my stack since hand one when my QQ lost to JJ flopping a set with a J high board). $92 in the pot. Flop comes K63 with two spades. BB checked, I bet $50, button calls, then the BB check raises all in for $219 total.

Question of the day:

1. What hand(s) would he do this with? He had been aggressive and I thought I had a bead on him.

2. Would you call him with 10s (without the 10 of spades)?

Answer to follow next time. Went to STL on Sunday, I had a GREAT time at Busch Stadium. What a wonderful send off to the old stadium. Now just to get a ticket for the first game at the new Busch Stadium next spring. Something to work on.

Until next time,

Good Luck and See You at the felt....................