Casino Rama deals excitement...Big Time..TR
Here is my TR on rama's biweekly Monday tournament. After much debate on weather or not to do one.....here it is.
Warning this will likely turn into an extremely TLDR.
Cliffs: I cash the tournament
Cliffs: I meet the famous BlondeFish in person for the first time and can confirm he is real, and is very generous as he gives me a gift for previous, and an ongoing BAP.
Also, this is prob my first ever TR, so be prepared for bad structure and a bunch of uselessness rambling.
It all started when the gf told me she had an all day hair show at ramas convention center (just graduated hair school). She told me it was on a Monday weeks prior to the date, I knew rama holds their tournaments every second Monday so after looking it up it just happened to be on the same day. So a perfect excuse to book the day off work, drive there together, and we each do our own thing. I'm almost exclusively a trny player so I jumped at the chance to play, seeing as I never really get the chance to play live trny's thought this was the perfect opportunity.
I played this exact trny about a year prior when a bunch of friends held a rake free $30 buy in sat to a ticket ($300) which I won. I played the event, and busted without anything noteworthy. Been dying to come back and play but it being $300 (a bit on the high side to be blasting $300 every second week etc) and that it's on Monday during the day (work conflict) haven't been able to play any til now. I've been working a lot lately, have plenty of a BR so said "f*ck it" I'm buying straight in and playing, don't care.
Onto the event.....since I was there about 3 hrs prior to start time I sat at a 1/2 table for a couple hrs to pass the time. Surrounded by complete droolers which were all easily readable...........annnnnnnd blasted off at least $100 prior to the trny.....great start.
Finally 1:00 rolls around which saves me from losing any more in the cash games (did I mention I'm a trny player?)
Hand my ticket get a seat card and get seated seconds b4 the first hand dealt.
The tournament is a $285 + $15 (BF Approved!) 10k start chips and 25 min levels. 80 player maximum. (always a sell out) although this one may have had only 78.
About the 5th hand in it gets raised and 3b by a guy in mp, a younger girl (YG) calls the 3b. Flop 83x, bet and call, turn 8, guy bets a nominal amount (everyone is about 200bb deep). YG goes into the tank.......deep, I've never called the clock b4 but was very tempted here. She's litterlily tanking forever on what is a normal bet. She asks if there's 2 8's on hoard. No one responses....she finally decides on raising........ALL IN!!! I nearly feel out of my chair. Massive overbet. I'm thinking what would I do with an 8 in this spot? Aside from puking all over the table....guy folds. I get moved a cpl hands later.
New table is a good mix of younger and older guys. I raise and take it on a bunch of pots, pretty standard stuff. I feel very comfortable and playing very well thus far and this next hand really boosts my confidence level.
I raise 44 in ep, get called by btn only, flop is J75 2 spades. I cbet 1/2 and get called. Turn 2, I tank check, btn bets 1/2......I really think he's light here, flush draw at best...I call, river 3. I check and he checks behind and I'm good. Had A3 spades apparently. Asked of I had of called a big river bet and I said probably yes.
I'm up to 19k at first break feeling great. Back from break I reshove a 6.5k shove from ep (66) to 19k with QQ, he rivers a flush and the whole table gasps at how unlucky I was. I don't even bat an eyelash and try to remain calm and carry on.
Back to close to a start stack. Next hand I 2.1x open with KQ from the btn (looks tilty after losing last hand), bb calls. Flop K96 to clubs. I cbet and get called, turn x, check check. River x, he checks and I go for value and get called by what was likely a worse K. And I'm back to about where I was b4 the QQ hand.have been friendly s d chatting w a Solid reg on my left wearing a playground poker hat who has final tabled this several times. He raises utg, folds to me and I just flat AK. flop J73, I check call a cbet, turn a d river check check I announce ace high and he mucks. Really feeling good now. a cpl hands later I open 2.1x with 88 and eliminate a player with a 1.5xbb stack.
End of 2nd break im up to 34k. BF finds me and gives me 2x $1 souvenir chips from far away casinos As A thank you for the bap's....thanks again Blonde Fish!
Table breaks and I get moved again. I raise and take it a bunch in LP with suited Aces and suited Kings and win uncontested pf.
Onto the game changer of the trny...I'm hardly paying any attention this hand but ep shoves what was prob a 10bb stack, player to my right reshoves a bigger stack...................and you guessed it, I look down at the ole AA. I cover the table, and I announce "all in". Table gasps. I'm helping the dealer count out my chips for the main and side pot and haven't realized that they have both turned there cards over. I immediately turn over mine and apologize for the unintentional slow roll. Short stack shows AJ, player to my right KK. flop A10Q, turn 10 and it's all she wrote. Dbl knockout. And I'm up to about 72k with 39 remaining. Prob close to trny CL, top 3 for sure.
Shortly after I raise A10 in ep and sb shoves an 8 bb stack. I call and lose the flip. Shortly after that I raise AJ in mp and get called by the bb who seems very competent. Flop KKJ, checks to me, I cbet and get called. Turn 9, check check. River x and he fires out about 1/2. He's doing this pretty wide I would imagine and my hand kind of looks like a cbet and give up, no sense in raising here at all, I call and lose to Q10 ( turned str8).
The next little while is uneventful, I get moved again, BF gets moved but haven't been at the same table yet. I'm hovering the 70k mark. Finally down to 2 tables.....don't even know how many places pay yet but assuming its less then a full FT.
Next notable hand I complete the sb vs and Asian lady who I had prev seen open 4-6x with AK type hands. And seems generally scared of action. (a bit later she opens QQ 5x almost 1/2 her stack, and folds to a shove saying it must be aces......LULZ.......sure enough the player who shoves actually shows aces...lucky read ) back to the hand, I complete 45hearts, and she checks K3 off. Flop 238 two diamonds, I check, she bets full pot, I call. Turn 4 diamonds, giving me 2nd pair, I check again, she tank checks, river K of diamonds (4 on board) I lead out a bit under 1/2 a d she tanks. Counts out calling chips, squirming in her chair, mumbles to herself and eventually folds 2pair. I muck and tell her that was a bad river card for her. Lol. Next hand 1 limper b4 me and I limp the btn with 10J. Flop 10Qx, checks to me and I bet, bb only calls, turn x, and I fire again and get called again. River x and I check behind this time and show my hand and he mucks. Ship it!.......
part 2 coming. Don't want all this to get erased somehow.
Warning this will likely turn into an extremely TLDR.
Cliffs: I cash the tournament
Cliffs: I meet the famous BlondeFish in person for the first time and can confirm he is real, and is very generous as he gives me a gift for previous, and an ongoing BAP.
Also, this is prob my first ever TR, so be prepared for bad structure and a bunch of uselessness rambling.
It all started when the gf told me she had an all day hair show at ramas convention center (just graduated hair school). She told me it was on a Monday weeks prior to the date, I knew rama holds their tournaments every second Monday so after looking it up it just happened to be on the same day. So a perfect excuse to book the day off work, drive there together, and we each do our own thing. I'm almost exclusively a trny player so I jumped at the chance to play, seeing as I never really get the chance to play live trny's thought this was the perfect opportunity.
I played this exact trny about a year prior when a bunch of friends held a rake free $30 buy in sat to a ticket ($300) which I won. I played the event, and busted without anything noteworthy. Been dying to come back and play but it being $300 (a bit on the high side to be blasting $300 every second week etc) and that it's on Monday during the day (work conflict) haven't been able to play any til now. I've been working a lot lately, have plenty of a BR so said "f*ck it" I'm buying straight in and playing, don't care.
Onto the event.....since I was there about 3 hrs prior to start time I sat at a 1/2 table for a couple hrs to pass the time. Surrounded by complete droolers which were all easily readable...........annnnnnnd blasted off at least $100 prior to the trny.....great start.
Finally 1:00 rolls around which saves me from losing any more in the cash games (did I mention I'm a trny player?)
Hand my ticket get a seat card and get seated seconds b4 the first hand dealt.
The tournament is a $285 + $15 (BF Approved!) 10k start chips and 25 min levels. 80 player maximum. (always a sell out) although this one may have had only 78.
About the 5th hand in it gets raised and 3b by a guy in mp, a younger girl (YG) calls the 3b. Flop 83x, bet and call, turn 8, guy bets a nominal amount (everyone is about 200bb deep). YG goes into the tank.......deep, I've never called the clock b4 but was very tempted here. She's litterlily tanking forever on what is a normal bet. She asks if there's 2 8's on hoard. No one responses....she finally decides on raising........ALL IN!!! I nearly feel out of my chair. Massive overbet. I'm thinking what would I do with an 8 in this spot? Aside from puking all over the table....guy folds. I get moved a cpl hands later.
New table is a good mix of younger and older guys. I raise and take it on a bunch of pots, pretty standard stuff. I feel very comfortable and playing very well thus far and this next hand really boosts my confidence level.
I raise 44 in ep, get called by btn only, flop is J75 2 spades. I cbet 1/2 and get called. Turn 2, I tank check, btn bets 1/2......I really think he's light here, flush draw at best...I call, river 3. I check and he checks behind and I'm good. Had A3 spades apparently. Asked of I had of called a big river bet and I said probably yes.
I'm up to 19k at first break feeling great. Back from break I reshove a 6.5k shove from ep (66) to 19k with QQ, he rivers a flush and the whole table gasps at how unlucky I was. I don't even bat an eyelash and try to remain calm and carry on.
Back to close to a start stack. Next hand I 2.1x open with KQ from the btn (looks tilty after losing last hand), bb calls. Flop K96 to clubs. I cbet and get called, turn x, check check. River x, he checks and I go for value and get called by what was likely a worse K. And I'm back to about where I was b4 the QQ hand.have been friendly s d chatting w a Solid reg on my left wearing a playground poker hat who has final tabled this several times. He raises utg, folds to me and I just flat AK. flop J73, I check call a cbet, turn a d river check check I announce ace high and he mucks. Really feeling good now. a cpl hands later I open 2.1x with 88 and eliminate a player with a 1.5xbb stack.
End of 2nd break im up to 34k. BF finds me and gives me 2x $1 souvenir chips from far away casinos As A thank you for the bap's....thanks again Blonde Fish!
Table breaks and I get moved again. I raise and take it a bunch in LP with suited Aces and suited Kings and win uncontested pf.
Onto the game changer of the trny...I'm hardly paying any attention this hand but ep shoves what was prob a 10bb stack, player to my right reshoves a bigger stack...................and you guessed it, I look down at the ole AA. I cover the table, and I announce "all in". Table gasps. I'm helping the dealer count out my chips for the main and side pot and haven't realized that they have both turned there cards over. I immediately turn over mine and apologize for the unintentional slow roll. Short stack shows AJ, player to my right KK. flop A10Q, turn 10 and it's all she wrote. Dbl knockout. And I'm up to about 72k with 39 remaining. Prob close to trny CL, top 3 for sure.
Shortly after I raise A10 in ep and sb shoves an 8 bb stack. I call and lose the flip. Shortly after that I raise AJ in mp and get called by the bb who seems very competent. Flop KKJ, checks to me, I cbet and get called. Turn 9, check check. River x and he fires out about 1/2. He's doing this pretty wide I would imagine and my hand kind of looks like a cbet and give up, no sense in raising here at all, I call and lose to Q10 ( turned str8).
The next little while is uneventful, I get moved again, BF gets moved but haven't been at the same table yet. I'm hovering the 70k mark. Finally down to 2 tables.....don't even know how many places pay yet but assuming its less then a full FT.
Next notable hand I complete the sb vs and Asian lady who I had prev seen open 4-6x with AK type hands. And seems generally scared of action. (a bit later she opens QQ 5x almost 1/2 her stack, and folds to a shove saying it must be aces......LULZ.......sure enough the player who shoves actually shows aces...lucky read ) back to the hand, I complete 45hearts, and she checks K3 off. Flop 238 two diamonds, I check, she bets full pot, I call. Turn 4 diamonds, giving me 2nd pair, I check again, she tank checks, river K of diamonds (4 on board) I lead out a bit under 1/2 a d she tanks. Counts out calling chips, squirming in her chair, mumbles to herself and eventually folds 2pair. I muck and tell her that was a bad river card for her. Lol. Next hand 1 limper b4 me and I limp the btn with 10J. Flop 10Qx, checks to me and I bet, bb only calls, turn x, and I fire again and get called again. River x and I check behind this time and show my hand and he mucks. Ship it!.......
part 2 coming. Don't want all this to get erased somehow.
Comments
Now very short, blinds are huge a d avg stk is much less then 20 bb. I'm praying to find anything to get in or I'm going to blind off, I also have the trny CL 2 to my left who is calling everything, with very little (seen him call 2 3b shoves holding 10J) I terrified off bubbling also but desperately need chips....
The TD finally announces that it's going to pay 8 and shows us the payout sheet, I'm scared to even look as its very likely I'm going to bubble but I see that it's $900 for a min cash, with $6800 up top.
I finally find K10o in mp playing 6 handed and open shove and it gets through, next hand open shove this time with KQ and it gets through also. Phew!! Elimination on the other table and we're told to stop all hands as we will be combining to one FINAL TABLE!!!...............
Part 3, conclusion tomorrow...
Want to start by adding in that BF busted at the last hand before the break when we were down to about 12 or 13. I rushed out to get a quick bite as our last 40 min break had me leave the table me and my gf were at seconds before the food was brought out because it took too long and the tournament was about to resume. I had her wait for the food and request it put in a to go container for hopefully later. (fortunately she was also with a couple other friends from the convention) so running to meet up with her, then scarfing down half a container of, by now, soggy chicken ceaser salad and a bottle of water, then run back to the other side of the casino where the poker room is. I catch BF just outside the room and with another minute remaining on break we chat for a moment, I tell him my nit fold with AJ, he never says what he had but I got the impression i shouldn't ever be folding in that spot (which I'm slightly aware of, I know he's shoving relatively wide, but was from ep and it would have been about 75% of my stack. Also, in live poker, a 5bb stack still has insane amounts of fold equity at least at Rama, compared to online, so I thought I'd be better off folding here, and even open shoving a far worse hand which is likely to get through with minimum resistance now that BF is gone who would have been the only one calling correctly)
I tell him my stack size which is in the danger zone, and he asks me how well I know Nash push fold, and ICM. I reply........"well......not nearly as well as you do...." I'm not specializing in ICM...but I'm also, what I perceive as ICM aware, I know not to spaz out with several shorter stacks still in, especially with the huge 3x min cash. We chat a bit more and I pick up some positive vibes from our conversation and go back in as the break timer is now counting down the seconds.
Back to the final table now....
We all draw seats and I draw the stone nuts having a short stack 2 from the money. The button!
I look intensively around at the other stacks to see how I compare if I Need to be getting it in a praying to win, or if I should wait out shorter stacks. Luckily for me, the 2 back to back pots at the other table brought me to about 10bb, and they're we're several stacks about the same as me, and also a few much less. It had been decided. I need to play the waiting game. Very big hands aside of coarse. I'm not folding AA just to min cash, but it would be a disaster to get involved with speculative hands with shorter stacks present and the large min cash within grasp.
Elimination 1 happens maybe the 3Rd hand in where a short stack shoves and gets called and loses the flip.
We're now on the stone bubble. Please poker gods don't do it to me. We've already been playing over 7 hours......I don't find any hands worthy of anything and continue to fold.
I think I pick up 44, could have been even stronger, and with little thought I just give it up.
I'm now UTG and the blinds will hit me next hand, I fold my nothing. Short stack in ep shoves, and it folds to the blinds and here is where chaos insues..............
Let's f*cking go!!! I'm praying the AA's hold here.......
Let me also mention that I'm not a professional player, I'm what I would consider I winning live and online player in tournaments and Sit and goes. Losing this $300 will have no negative impact on me financially whatsoever, but I still value $300 as a good amount of money, same as anyone with a regular paying job would.
I never get the opportunity to play live trny's so I just really want to make the best of this one as I have no idea when the next one will be.
I almost want to use 'MY' one time to have the 77 bust.
The player with 77 sees the bad news being in about the worst spot possible and curses to himself about how unfortunate it is.
Board runs out dry and were 'In the money!!!!!!'
Now I take another look at the payout structure as it does affect what I do from here on out.
Payouts are roughly as follows.
6800
4700
3700
2700
1800
1500
1300
900
Something thereabouts.
I'm bb next hand, the sb completes and I shove AJ. he snaps me off with J9clubs.
Flop 2 clubs, I sigh. Repeating over and over in my head in a Jason Summerville voice "Hold the baby, hold the baby". The baby gets held and I bust him and a very much needed, close to dbl. we're down to 7 now and I have a much better stack with still several shorties. Now it's time to really play smart and ladder up.
Another elimination happens, forget the details and were down to 6. The player who burst the bubble with AA is now on my direct right, he completes his sb vs me and I ship in what was probably 12-15 bb with A7o and he folds.
Another elimination and were now down to 5. Couple big stacks, I'm definitely in 4th and 5th is clearly playing way to tight and blinding off. Gets down to 2bb and dbl's up. Then chips up again and we are both close in chips. I have about 12bb's at this point. He has about 10, maybe 9. So I'm not sure at this point how careful I should be with ICM as we're both pretty close.
This hand im in the bb. Folds to the btn who opens 2.5x and I see 77. What are your thoughts here? I mean, this is a pretty easy jam here right? How much consideration should be taken of the 9bb stack? Calling seems terrible, unless maybe were planning on a stop and go, and folding seems atrocious also.
I asked BF in a chat program if I could get his opinion on this hand and he recommended, "why not post it in the forum?"
So I shove, he thinks for a few moments and announces CALL. Oh boy. Here we go.
He turns over 99 and I'm in pretty bad shape. I'm saying 1 time let me bink a 7. One time!.........not this time.
Good for $1826. I smile at everyone, and say good game and am met with the same response back. I'm escorted to the cage by the TD, sign a couple papers and am handed my 5th place payout. I also cash in a few quarters I had kept in my pocket from the earlier cash game. I place a tip in the tip jar for the dealers, say thanks and head out to meet the gf and friends who have been graciously and patiently waiting for me.
I should be excited, I cashed for $1800. The entire drive home though I'm overcome with, 'what could have been', and move up one more place for another $900. Hard to be upset because it was very likely I was going to bubble, but the old saying, "hard to be entirely happy with anything but first place".
Aaaand there it is. I thought I could bang off this TR in an hour. Boy how was I mistaken. Glad I did it though. Yrs later after a couple bracelet wins, I can always reflect back on this and see how skilled I was to get AA when someone else gets KK.
Really appreciate anyone who takes the day off work to read this. Now that it's been days past, im happy with the result, and happy I decided to play the game I love so much and take a shot, which turned into a successful and profitable experience.
Thanks again
Chris.
i'd shove 77 there too.
Don't want to spoil it, but that particular trny has to be one of the best value trny's out there. Low rake, VERY soft field. And generally very friendly also. Can't wait for the next one I get to play.