Woodbridge tournament report part two (of two).
Final table.
I was probably in about 8th place of the eleven of us. Nothing much until this, which happened fairly early: I'm in MP with JJ. EP player (equal stack to mine) limped for 3K, and I moved in. Folded back to him, and he thought a bit. I was sure he was going to fold, which was fine with me, until he said 'you know what, I'm going to call you', and did so. He had ATo. No ace for him, and I'd doubled up and then some because of the blinds and antes in the pot already. (There are antes at the final table.) He was out, and I was probably in about 5th or even 4th of the remaining ten of us.
I had a bit of a maniac on my right now. He had a big stack, too, so he was raising it preflop to like 30K when we were still at 1500/3000. No chance to re-steal a bet that size... my stack was probably 30K in total at that point.
A nice hand at 2K/4K. I was in the BB with TT. Average stack limped from EP, average stack limped from LP, SB called, and I moved in. There was a lot of money in the pot, and none of the stacks I was up against were big or small enough to call me unless they were trapping with aces or kings, which I thought was unlikely. The SB did have a big stack, but I wasn't worried about him. Everyone folded to my 30K or so raise, and I took down about 20K or so, bringing me up to maybe 3rd or 2nd place. I didn't show my cards, and nobody messed with my BB for quite some time.
I folded pocket tens in MP after a minimum raise and a minimum re-raise before me. The minimum re-raiser showed pocket jacks.
I attacked the shortstacks when we were down to 6 who were on my left, and won some blinds.
I raised in EP with A9o to 15K when we were down to 5 (blinds 2.5K/5K, I had about 60K). Only the BB called... he was the guy who was a bit of a maniac, but his stack was equal to or slightly less than mine by then. Flop was rags, he checked, and with 36K or so in the pot I moved in my remaining 45K. He thought for a while, and then he flipped over his cards and stared at me, still contemplating whether or not to call me. He had KQo, and eventually folded. Some people watching said this was unethical of him, and I said that it only would have been unethical if he'd shown me a hand that was beating me.
Folded to an LP player (not the maniac... another guy who was the big stack at the table by a little bit) who raised to 15K. I was in the SB with KQo and called for 12.5K more. I could tell he didn't like that call, so when the flop came rags, I immediately bet 15K. To my surprise, he called, and I was ready to be done with the hand. Turn was an ace, check check. River was a rag, check check. I said 'I have king high' and he said 'me too'. He tabled his KJ, and my KQ took it down. Bizarre hand, but I think it made me the chip leader.
Down to 3, I eliminated the 3rd place player when he just called from the SB and I checked with Q7o in the BB. The flop came Q-high, he checked, I bet 15K, he moved in, and I called. He had middle pair, and didn't improve.
Heads-up, 5K/10K blinds, 1K ante.
I think I mentioned in another thread that I had about a 3:2 lead to start, but it was more like 3:1. I figure that there were around 300,000 chips in play, so it was about 220,000 for me and 75,000 for him (give or take). I don't think he (Kevin) ever got over 100,000 in chips, but it took a long time for me to put an end to it. At one point when he was at 100,000, I asked Azim what the payouts were. When I found out they were 3K and 7.4K, I almost asked if he'd be interested in some sort of a deal, or a save or something. It was on the tip of my tongue, and then I shut my mouth.
I wasn't getting good cards at this point, but it didn't matter. I'd work his stack down to where he had 30K or so, and then I'd move in, sometimes blind. He'd call, and it'd be like my Q4o against his J7o and he'd double up. This happened maybe 3 or 4 times, over and over... I'd grind him down and put him all-in with any two when he hit 30K, and he'd double up. Of course most people were cheering for him, and I don't blame them--everyone loves the underdog. One time we both actually had hands in this circumstance... my JsTs vs. his pocket eights. I hit a ten on the flop and he hit an eight on the turn, and it was back to work again.
He asked me to put him out of his misery, and I told him I was really, really trying.
One time I just called from the button with rags, planning to stab at the flop as per usual, and he checked. The flop missed me completely, and he checked, and I bet 20K I think. He had about 40K left after posting the BB. He folded, and showed me that he'd flopped an open-ended straight draw. With his stack, and with him being first to act, I really think he should have pushed on that flop. Chances are I wouldn't have called him (I was only willing to risk doubling him up with my trash when he was down to 3XBB or so), and even if I did, he had outs. I thought that one was a little bizarre.
Finally I picked up a real hand, right after he'd just doubled up to maybe 80K or so. Pocket aces on the button. I just called, and he checked. I don't usually limp with aces, but it was heads-up, and I wanted to put an end to it. The flop was Q7T I think. He checked, I bet my standard 20K, and he moved in. I of course called. He had Q2o. Perfect, until a 2 hit the turn. OF COURSE it did. But, I was saved by a nice ten on the river, counterfeiting his two pair and winning me the tournament.
That is all, thanks for reading this far, and if you have any comments, they are always welcome.
Regards,
all_aces
I was probably in about 8th place of the eleven of us. Nothing much until this, which happened fairly early: I'm in MP with JJ. EP player (equal stack to mine) limped for 3K, and I moved in. Folded back to him, and he thought a bit. I was sure he was going to fold, which was fine with me, until he said 'you know what, I'm going to call you', and did so. He had ATo. No ace for him, and I'd doubled up and then some because of the blinds and antes in the pot already. (There are antes at the final table.) He was out, and I was probably in about 5th or even 4th of the remaining ten of us.
I had a bit of a maniac on my right now. He had a big stack, too, so he was raising it preflop to like 30K when we were still at 1500/3000. No chance to re-steal a bet that size... my stack was probably 30K in total at that point.
A nice hand at 2K/4K. I was in the BB with TT. Average stack limped from EP, average stack limped from LP, SB called, and I moved in. There was a lot of money in the pot, and none of the stacks I was up against were big or small enough to call me unless they were trapping with aces or kings, which I thought was unlikely. The SB did have a big stack, but I wasn't worried about him. Everyone folded to my 30K or so raise, and I took down about 20K or so, bringing me up to maybe 3rd or 2nd place. I didn't show my cards, and nobody messed with my BB for quite some time.
I folded pocket tens in MP after a minimum raise and a minimum re-raise before me. The minimum re-raiser showed pocket jacks.
I attacked the shortstacks when we were down to 6 who were on my left, and won some blinds.
I raised in EP with A9o to 15K when we were down to 5 (blinds 2.5K/5K, I had about 60K). Only the BB called... he was the guy who was a bit of a maniac, but his stack was equal to or slightly less than mine by then. Flop was rags, he checked, and with 36K or so in the pot I moved in my remaining 45K. He thought for a while, and then he flipped over his cards and stared at me, still contemplating whether or not to call me. He had KQo, and eventually folded. Some people watching said this was unethical of him, and I said that it only would have been unethical if he'd shown me a hand that was beating me.
Folded to an LP player (not the maniac... another guy who was the big stack at the table by a little bit) who raised to 15K. I was in the SB with KQo and called for 12.5K more. I could tell he didn't like that call, so when the flop came rags, I immediately bet 15K. To my surprise, he called, and I was ready to be done with the hand. Turn was an ace, check check. River was a rag, check check. I said 'I have king high' and he said 'me too'. He tabled his KJ, and my KQ took it down. Bizarre hand, but I think it made me the chip leader.
Down to 3, I eliminated the 3rd place player when he just called from the SB and I checked with Q7o in the BB. The flop came Q-high, he checked, I bet 15K, he moved in, and I called. He had middle pair, and didn't improve.
Heads-up, 5K/10K blinds, 1K ante.
I think I mentioned in another thread that I had about a 3:2 lead to start, but it was more like 3:1. I figure that there were around 300,000 chips in play, so it was about 220,000 for me and 75,000 for him (give or take). I don't think he (Kevin) ever got over 100,000 in chips, but it took a long time for me to put an end to it. At one point when he was at 100,000, I asked Azim what the payouts were. When I found out they were 3K and 7.4K, I almost asked if he'd be interested in some sort of a deal, or a save or something. It was on the tip of my tongue, and then I shut my mouth.
I wasn't getting good cards at this point, but it didn't matter. I'd work his stack down to where he had 30K or so, and then I'd move in, sometimes blind. He'd call, and it'd be like my Q4o against his J7o and he'd double up. This happened maybe 3 or 4 times, over and over... I'd grind him down and put him all-in with any two when he hit 30K, and he'd double up. Of course most people were cheering for him, and I don't blame them--everyone loves the underdog. One time we both actually had hands in this circumstance... my JsTs vs. his pocket eights. I hit a ten on the flop and he hit an eight on the turn, and it was back to work again.
He asked me to put him out of his misery, and I told him I was really, really trying.
One time I just called from the button with rags, planning to stab at the flop as per usual, and he checked. The flop missed me completely, and he checked, and I bet 20K I think. He had about 40K left after posting the BB. He folded, and showed me that he'd flopped an open-ended straight draw. With his stack, and with him being first to act, I really think he should have pushed on that flop. Chances are I wouldn't have called him (I was only willing to risk doubling him up with my trash when he was down to 3XBB or so), and even if I did, he had outs. I thought that one was a little bizarre.
Finally I picked up a real hand, right after he'd just doubled up to maybe 80K or so. Pocket aces on the button. I just called, and he checked. I don't usually limp with aces, but it was heads-up, and I wanted to put an end to it. The flop was Q7T I think. He checked, I bet my standard 20K, and he moved in. I of course called. He had Q2o. Perfect, until a 2 hit the turn. OF COURSE it did. But, I was saved by a nice ten on the river, counterfeiting his two pair and winning me the tournament.
That is all, thanks for reading this far, and if you have any comments, they are always welcome.
Regards,
all_aces
Comments
id love to come out to this tourny - i think it may be a little out of my budget, only becasue that addon seems crucial
Thanks aces for the report. I have said it b4 and i'll say it again. All Aces is the sickest player on this forum... I don't know why you don't go hit up the wpt, cause man i'd ALWAYS buy a piece. sicksicksicksicksicksicksick.
Congrats! A9o i love it. Unreal situation he put you in though.. I don't like the flipping over by him, thats messed up. It is very pro of you not to show your succesful bluff there, a good move by a SICK player. :cool:
peace
hg
As for the WPT, WSOP, etc... yeah, I'm getting tempted to play in one of the 'big' events. Do I want to cough up 10K USD to do it? Not so much, surprise surprise. But I think that if I get one more relatively big tournament win under my belt I'll have a hard time coming up with reasons not to.
Cheers,
all_aces
Why don't you try and win your way to an entry?
all_aces in Aruba.....
Am I wrong in thinking that? If his hand beat yours, and he looked at you go "WHEW" and then said after - I'm all in - I could never let that stand.
Again nice job - I'll look forward to taking my piece from you on Sunday...
Al
I can kind of understand it, but it still seems like angle-shooting to me, so I wouldn't do it myself. And you are absolutely correct, in some cardrooms it would be considered a fold. I certainly thought it was a fold, but I still didn't do or say anything, and then he started saying things like 'I know I need to outdraw you if I call', and at one point I seriously thought he was going to call.
As for Sunday, you'll have to get past me AND my brother, so good luck to you!
Cheers,
all_aces
I wouldn't have lost the tournament, but I think our stacks would have been around even if Kevin had won that hand. However, I might have lost my mind.
Cheers,
all_aces
The A9 hand
You said your opponent had KQ and you moved in on the flop. Did he flop a pair? If he didnt what was the big drama in turning over his hand here. Did he think King high might be good? Personally I dont mind if he calls with King high if I have Ace high.....of coarse folding makes me happy too since I win nice pot without him drawing out on the turn or river but if he calls I dont feel too bad since Ace high is winning.
I was relieved to see KQ, but I still didn't want a call, even though I was approximately a 75% favourite to win the hand after the flop.