Runner-Up Champion of the World
Last night I confirmed something: I cannot win a multitable tournament. The following are my four greatest tournament poker accomplishments since starting playing poker 1 year ago:
$10 + rebuys NLH @ RoyalVegas - 2nd place = $665
$25 freezeout LH @ Luxor Casino (Las Vegas) - 2nd place = $285
$10 freezeout PLO @ PokerStars - 2nd place = $463
$5 + rebuys PLH @ RoyalVegas - 2nd place = $124
See a pattern here? I cannot close the deal folks. And last night (PLH), I was convinced that it was time to win my first MTT. Everything was going right -- let me recap:
Two hands in I try to bluff the pot w/ a board of Q Q A A -- I am reraised, and I fold, leaving me with T385 (starting chips = T1000).
I don't bother rebuying and say to myself, "As soon as I bust out, I'm going to bed."
A couple of hands later I move all-in after two limpers and a raise w/ Q6c (I know, pretty stupid, but I was sleepy). All three call my all-in. The board is AsKsQs (uhhhg!). Checked around. Turn is 10c (nighty-night). Checked around (huh?). River is 6h (that can't possibly do it for me, could it?). Checked around (wowsers). Everyone mucks. I quadruple up. Boil some coffee!
I don't play a hand for about half an hour until I pick up KK in the small blind. The button raises the pot. I moved all-in over top. A limper in middle position calls w/ 88, button calls w/ ATo (okay?). I triple up. Button rebuys (let's call him Ace). He quickly rebuilds a huge stack.
Two orbits later I pick up AA on the button. There is a mini-raise in early position, a mini-reraise in middle position, and Ace in the cut-off re-reraises the pot -- I go all-in. Fold, fold, Ace calls with .... ATo (that's right). He can't get away from it and he's putting my kids through college. I more than double-up. Ace rebuys. Rebuy period is over. May God have mercy on Ace's soul.
Now I'm chip leader and I make a few unsuccessful pot steal attempts. I drop to third place. Then an interesting hand comes up, I find JdTd in early position and I limp. Four more limpers (yeah, I know, pretty weak poker). Flop is 9d Js Ah. I check, the button makes a ridiculously small bet of like T50 into a pot of about T300. Everyone calls. Turn is 7d. Okay, I gotta gut-shot straight draw, second pair, and a flush draw. I check. Next guy bets T100 (puhlease!). Everyone calls. River is...what's this? The 8d? Well that's a delicious card for me. It only gives me a straight flush. I check. Next guy bets T450. Here we go. Next guy raises to T900. Fold, fold. To me -- I think, one of these guys has the A-high flush -- I put in the minimum re-raise. Next guy raises to T3000 (bingo). Next guy folds and I know I've caught someone in an unfortunate situation, because really, he cannot get away from the A-high flush -- I go all-in and he puts in the rest of his stack. Ahhhh, back in the lead.
It's down to about 18 players and I totally screw myself on a hand. I have KhJh on the button, two limpers to me and I raise the pot -- first limper calls all-in and the second limper calls. The flop is Jd Td 8c -- second limper checks to me and I bet out about half the pot (which is actually about 1/3 of my stack at this point). He calls immediately. Turn is the 6d. Hmmm. Did he hit his flush? He checks and I check (like a big wimp). Last card is the 9h. He leads out and bets 1/2 the pot. I think, I fold. Cards are turned over and the preflop all-in guy had pocket fours. Second guy had Ad Ks (he takes the side pot w/ Ace high). All-in takes main pot w/ a pair of fours. I folded the best hand and could have taken two people out. I'm mad at myself for being a wimp, and I'm mad at AK for smoking me out of the side pot and keeping the all-in guy in the game. One more player to beat and now I'm struggling to stay afloat!
Several orbits later I haven't seen a hand and I'm sitting 11th out of 14 players left (top ten pay). I find 8s8c in the big blind when it's folded around to the button who raises the pot. I think for a second -- I'm not going to try to squeak into the money here, I wanna win this thing. I have him on AK (well, actually hope he has AK) and push all-in. He calls with, ahhh perfect pocket AA's. Fudge. I swear at the computer and reach for the power button when the turn spikes a lovely 8d. I caress the computer. Good computer, nice computer. Pocket AA's says, "F-this," in the chat box. I'm assuming this is a typo and he meant to write, "Fun times." Because god knows I'm having a great time. But who knows. He is now in last place and I'm above average in chips. I coast to the final table.
At the final table it takes about three hands for the table to dismiss two short stacks (including my pocket AA's friend who types, "This is bull" when his T7o is run over by pocket Queens -- imagine!). I look to my left and find to my surprise my old pal Ace sitting beside me w/ a massive chip lead (more than twice second place). How in the bloody hell did he get here? Jeepers. I quickly note that he's tightened up ship. About an hour later we finally lose the next player -- well, actually three players go out in one hand when a guy named Alex675 calls three players' all-ins on a flop of 6h 4h 8s. One guy had two-pair on the flops (8's and 4's), another flopped the straight (5 7), and another flopped trip 6's. Alex675 had 9h 2h and hit a heart on the river to win! Unbelievable hand. He went on to take out two more players (including my pal Ace) when he made very low probability calls. On one, he called an all in on a flop of Td 8c 3c. The bettor had pocket jacks, Alex675 had Ac 6h -- are you kidding me? He went runner, runner for the flush. Sheesh.
So then it's three handed and Alex675 has about T120,000 vs my T20,000 and the other guy's T25,000. However, Alex675 turns out to be the most passive, calling station in the world. He limps into every pot. He NEVER raises (and I mean never). He calls on the river w/ Ace high. It's comedic really. So the other guy and I tee off on him for a while until the other guy makes a TSN turning point error. He's on the button and raises the pot preflop. I have AQc and I decide to see what he's made of -- I reraise the pot which would put him all-in (I had slightly more chips than him at this point). And then Alex675 calls. Hmmm, wasn't planning on that. So, the other guy thinks and then types, "I'm making a strategic lay-down." He folds with the majority of his stack in the pot and I showdown w/ Alex675 who has A9o. My AQ holds up and Mr. Strategic Lay-Down is crippled. Next hand he goes all in and his pocket 7's lose to Alex675's K2o when he spikes a king on the river. Ouch.
So at the beginning of heads up, Alex675 is doubling me in chips. But I pick away at him and slowly transfer his money to my side of the table. I know that he is completely unbluffable so I never try to steal. But he loves to lead out w/ nothing by betting the minimum. He has absolutely no concept of pot size. So I call him down every time I have any pair and it holds up every time. When he bets more than the minimum, I know he has a hand. It's like clockwork. It's beautiful stuff. Within about 15 minutes I'm doubling him. Aaaah, I think to myself I'm going to win my first tournament. It's a done deal.
I get dealt AJh and I raise the pot preflop. He calls (as usual). The flop is a gorgeous Js 6c 9h. I bet the pot, he calls. Next card is the 3d. I bet the pot, putting him all-in. He calls. This is it. Cards turn over, and he has 4d5d. The river is an atrocious 2s. He hits his straight to win the pot. Son of a....
So now he has a slight chip lead and a few hands later I get AhKh. I raise the pot and he re-raises the pot. HUH?! Raise? I haven't seen this guy raise yet. Well, I'm not going to lay this down so we get all our money in on the flop. He shows AsKc. Ahh, crap -- chop-chop. C'mon hearts!
The flop is 6s Ts 7c. Uh oh. Turn is Qs. Don't you dare. River is 2s. Oh you dirty two-dollar wh---!
The winner of the tournament is Alex675. For all that is holy, how? That is just sick! But I cannot be mad for some reason. I just laugh to myself. I believe I have just witnessed the worst player to ever win a tournament. But he beat me fair and square. That's poker.
So I took away a few things from this tournament:
1. At some point, you have to be lucky to do well in tournaments. Alex675 was lucky, but I was really lucky too. My all-in early in the tournament w/ Q6? It was a miracle that I was even still in the tournament. My straight flush? I'll hit a straight flush once in a blue moon, let alone get paid huge with it. My pocket 8's cracking aces? Now that's a godsend. I can't complaint about how my luck went, so why should I complain about Alex675's luck?
2. If you have a clear playing advantage over a competitor, do NOT take unnecessary risks. After Alex675 sucked out on me to hit his straight on the river, I should have sat back and pecked away at his stack again. Instead, I tried to get the job done in one fell swoop w/ AK suited. Granted I'll only lose that hand 2% of the time, but if he had Aces or Kings I was crushed. I could have checked it down to the river like I had w/ marginal hands and folded when he bet more than the minimum with his flush.
3. There's always the next tournament. I proved that I can play well enough to win, I just need that last river card to go my way. Hopefully, my first tournament win will be something bigger than a measly $5 rebuy tourney. And hopefully I'll be heads-up with Alex675.
Cheers,
Phil
$10 + rebuys NLH @ RoyalVegas - 2nd place = $665
$25 freezeout LH @ Luxor Casino (Las Vegas) - 2nd place = $285
$10 freezeout PLO @ PokerStars - 2nd place = $463
$5 + rebuys PLH @ RoyalVegas - 2nd place = $124
See a pattern here? I cannot close the deal folks. And last night (PLH), I was convinced that it was time to win my first MTT. Everything was going right -- let me recap:
Two hands in I try to bluff the pot w/ a board of Q Q A A -- I am reraised, and I fold, leaving me with T385 (starting chips = T1000).
I don't bother rebuying and say to myself, "As soon as I bust out, I'm going to bed."
A couple of hands later I move all-in after two limpers and a raise w/ Q6c (I know, pretty stupid, but I was sleepy). All three call my all-in. The board is AsKsQs (uhhhg!). Checked around. Turn is 10c (nighty-night). Checked around (huh?). River is 6h (that can't possibly do it for me, could it?). Checked around (wowsers). Everyone mucks. I quadruple up. Boil some coffee!
I don't play a hand for about half an hour until I pick up KK in the small blind. The button raises the pot. I moved all-in over top. A limper in middle position calls w/ 88, button calls w/ ATo (okay?). I triple up. Button rebuys (let's call him Ace). He quickly rebuilds a huge stack.
Two orbits later I pick up AA on the button. There is a mini-raise in early position, a mini-reraise in middle position, and Ace in the cut-off re-reraises the pot -- I go all-in. Fold, fold, Ace calls with .... ATo (that's right). He can't get away from it and he's putting my kids through college. I more than double-up. Ace rebuys. Rebuy period is over. May God have mercy on Ace's soul.
Now I'm chip leader and I make a few unsuccessful pot steal attempts. I drop to third place. Then an interesting hand comes up, I find JdTd in early position and I limp. Four more limpers (yeah, I know, pretty weak poker). Flop is 9d Js Ah. I check, the button makes a ridiculously small bet of like T50 into a pot of about T300. Everyone calls. Turn is 7d. Okay, I gotta gut-shot straight draw, second pair, and a flush draw. I check. Next guy bets T100 (puhlease!). Everyone calls. River is...what's this? The 8d? Well that's a delicious card for me. It only gives me a straight flush. I check. Next guy bets T450. Here we go. Next guy raises to T900. Fold, fold. To me -- I think, one of these guys has the A-high flush -- I put in the minimum re-raise. Next guy raises to T3000 (bingo). Next guy folds and I know I've caught someone in an unfortunate situation, because really, he cannot get away from the A-high flush -- I go all-in and he puts in the rest of his stack. Ahhhh, back in the lead.
It's down to about 18 players and I totally screw myself on a hand. I have KhJh on the button, two limpers to me and I raise the pot -- first limper calls all-in and the second limper calls. The flop is Jd Td 8c -- second limper checks to me and I bet out about half the pot (which is actually about 1/3 of my stack at this point). He calls immediately. Turn is the 6d. Hmmm. Did he hit his flush? He checks and I check (like a big wimp). Last card is the 9h. He leads out and bets 1/2 the pot. I think, I fold. Cards are turned over and the preflop all-in guy had pocket fours. Second guy had Ad Ks (he takes the side pot w/ Ace high). All-in takes main pot w/ a pair of fours. I folded the best hand and could have taken two people out. I'm mad at myself for being a wimp, and I'm mad at AK for smoking me out of the side pot and keeping the all-in guy in the game. One more player to beat and now I'm struggling to stay afloat!
Several orbits later I haven't seen a hand and I'm sitting 11th out of 14 players left (top ten pay). I find 8s8c in the big blind when it's folded around to the button who raises the pot. I think for a second -- I'm not going to try to squeak into the money here, I wanna win this thing. I have him on AK (well, actually hope he has AK) and push all-in. He calls with, ahhh perfect pocket AA's. Fudge. I swear at the computer and reach for the power button when the turn spikes a lovely 8d. I caress the computer. Good computer, nice computer. Pocket AA's says, "F-this," in the chat box. I'm assuming this is a typo and he meant to write, "Fun times." Because god knows I'm having a great time. But who knows. He is now in last place and I'm above average in chips. I coast to the final table.
At the final table it takes about three hands for the table to dismiss two short stacks (including my pocket AA's friend who types, "This is bull" when his T7o is run over by pocket Queens -- imagine!). I look to my left and find to my surprise my old pal Ace sitting beside me w/ a massive chip lead (more than twice second place). How in the bloody hell did he get here? Jeepers. I quickly note that he's tightened up ship. About an hour later we finally lose the next player -- well, actually three players go out in one hand when a guy named Alex675 calls three players' all-ins on a flop of 6h 4h 8s. One guy had two-pair on the flops (8's and 4's), another flopped the straight (5 7), and another flopped trip 6's. Alex675 had 9h 2h and hit a heart on the river to win! Unbelievable hand. He went on to take out two more players (including my pal Ace) when he made very low probability calls. On one, he called an all in on a flop of Td 8c 3c. The bettor had pocket jacks, Alex675 had Ac 6h -- are you kidding me? He went runner, runner for the flush. Sheesh.
So then it's three handed and Alex675 has about T120,000 vs my T20,000 and the other guy's T25,000. However, Alex675 turns out to be the most passive, calling station in the world. He limps into every pot. He NEVER raises (and I mean never). He calls on the river w/ Ace high. It's comedic really. So the other guy and I tee off on him for a while until the other guy makes a TSN turning point error. He's on the button and raises the pot preflop. I have AQc and I decide to see what he's made of -- I reraise the pot which would put him all-in (I had slightly more chips than him at this point). And then Alex675 calls. Hmmm, wasn't planning on that. So, the other guy thinks and then types, "I'm making a strategic lay-down." He folds with the majority of his stack in the pot and I showdown w/ Alex675 who has A9o. My AQ holds up and Mr. Strategic Lay-Down is crippled. Next hand he goes all in and his pocket 7's lose to Alex675's K2o when he spikes a king on the river. Ouch.
So at the beginning of heads up, Alex675 is doubling me in chips. But I pick away at him and slowly transfer his money to my side of the table. I know that he is completely unbluffable so I never try to steal. But he loves to lead out w/ nothing by betting the minimum. He has absolutely no concept of pot size. So I call him down every time I have any pair and it holds up every time. When he bets more than the minimum, I know he has a hand. It's like clockwork. It's beautiful stuff. Within about 15 minutes I'm doubling him. Aaaah, I think to myself I'm going to win my first tournament. It's a done deal.
I get dealt AJh and I raise the pot preflop. He calls (as usual). The flop is a gorgeous Js 6c 9h. I bet the pot, he calls. Next card is the 3d. I bet the pot, putting him all-in. He calls. This is it. Cards turn over, and he has 4d5d. The river is an atrocious 2s. He hits his straight to win the pot. Son of a....
So now he has a slight chip lead and a few hands later I get AhKh. I raise the pot and he re-raises the pot. HUH?! Raise? I haven't seen this guy raise yet. Well, I'm not going to lay this down so we get all our money in on the flop. He shows AsKc. Ahh, crap -- chop-chop. C'mon hearts!
The flop is 6s Ts 7c. Uh oh. Turn is Qs. Don't you dare. River is 2s. Oh you dirty two-dollar wh---!
The winner of the tournament is Alex675. For all that is holy, how? That is just sick! But I cannot be mad for some reason. I just laugh to myself. I believe I have just witnessed the worst player to ever win a tournament. But he beat me fair and square. That's poker.
So I took away a few things from this tournament:
1. At some point, you have to be lucky to do well in tournaments. Alex675 was lucky, but I was really lucky too. My all-in early in the tournament w/ Q6? It was a miracle that I was even still in the tournament. My straight flush? I'll hit a straight flush once in a blue moon, let alone get paid huge with it. My pocket 8's cracking aces? Now that's a godsend. I can't complaint about how my luck went, so why should I complain about Alex675's luck?
2. If you have a clear playing advantage over a competitor, do NOT take unnecessary risks. After Alex675 sucked out on me to hit his straight on the river, I should have sat back and pecked away at his stack again. Instead, I tried to get the job done in one fell swoop w/ AK suited. Granted I'll only lose that hand 2% of the time, but if he had Aces or Kings I was crushed. I could have checked it down to the river like I had w/ marginal hands and folded when he bet more than the minimum with his flush.
3. There's always the next tournament. I proved that I can play well enough to win, I just need that last river card to go my way. Hopefully, my first tournament win will be something bigger than a measly $5 rebuy tourney. And hopefully I'll be heads-up with Alex675.
Cheers,
Phil
Comments
1 - Quasi is right! A constant second is superior to a scattered first!
2 - You are a solid player. (Like you don't already know.) You didn't "Tilt" when short stacked. Instead you rebuilt to respectable finish.
3 - You play a wide variety of games. There's a true card player in you. So many people only know Texas Hold'em. Keep working at it. Your instincts will prove valuable in the long run.
This is a great point. When I used to play 5 person SnGs, at the heads up phase I would always be able to grind my opponent down to 1000 or less chips through good play and then suddenly I'd start trying to push him all-in with any two. Needless to say, he's double up and we'd be back to even chips.. In my haste to end the tourney I gave up my edges against weaker opposition.
I cracked the goose-egg! Finally won a MTT. It was a $10 Fixed Limit Hold'em Freezeout at Royal Vegas. 62 entrants, good for $186. Nothing life changing but I'll take it. I'm just a university student so it'll pay some bills for the month. I was all-in only once -- KQ soooooted, flop of AT3 rainbow -- two bettors and a raiser in front of me -- I had very few chips left and the pot was laying me like 10:1. So I called all-in and the next card was a delicious Jack and my straight beat a guy who flopped a set (he was not happy). After that it was clear sailing. Hooray!
Phil
my username is phallicphil
surprise, surprise!
What's yours?
What is the saying, "poker is 80% skill and 20% luck" ? It sounds like you totally should have won the tournament, but your opponent got lucky on two rivers.
Is there any coincidence that the river card represents 20% of the community cards ?
~ :spade: