Regina Nov 10 report
Wow. Saturday is already sold out at 352 players.
7-stud started with 134 (I think). We are at the supper break. I lost a MONSTER pot when my opponent hit a tight on the river to beat my flush. The good news is that I sniffed it out and didn't lose as much as I might have. I am still in with a meagre 4100. Average is probably about 6500.
Mikeieo and Adamn** are here. Only forum members I have met so far.
7-stud started with 134 (I think). We are at the supper break. I lost a MONSTER pot when my opponent hit a tight on the river to beat my flush. The good news is that I sniffed it out and didn't lose as much as I might have. I am still in with a meagre 4100. Average is probably about 6500.
Mikeieo and Adamn** are here. Only forum members I have met so far.
Comments
Sweet. Looking forward to your next report, see you tomorrow.
Nov 10: 7-Stud $100 buy-in, unlimted conditional $100 re-buys, $100 add-on.
Arrive in Regina at 11:30 am. My room is not ready. No worries, I put my luggage at the bell desk and head over to pay the registration. I talk to Stacey, the Poker Manager at Casino Regina, and he tells me that there is only one spot left for the no-limit hold’em event on Saturday. Wow. A sellout at 352 players.
CBC Venture (producer, camera, and sound guy) will be meeting me on Friday morning. As I understand that plan, they are going to mic me and follow me around for two days including the pokerforum.ca breakfast on Friday morning.
The only think that I forgot to pack was my Swiss Army deodorant and cologne. Seeing as deodorant is critical for poker tournament I make a trip to the Bay. The very helpful Bay employee talks me into Allure Homme Sport cologne and Polo Sport deodorant. Aiyah! I am already stuck $95 on the trip.
The tournament goes off with 133 players. This is the biggest 7-stud in Regina history.
This time in Regina all levels are 25 minutes. The first four levels are the re-buys levels. I played a few hands, but nothing too interesting. I get in for three re-buys and the add-on, so I am in for $500.
I did meet Terry Cavadini the Poker Room Manager from Casino Nova Scotia. He has made the trip (part business, part personal) to observe the operation of a big Canadian tournament. As I am typing this, the final table is underway and Terry made the final table with a reasonable chip position (more about Terry later… he got his chips from me grrr….).
My first table features a few notables. First, most of the players WILL NOT fold. Put away the fox toolbox and play "solid poker." Second, one of the players at my first table has legendary body odor. Good luck for me though, no poker stink tonight. At least none that I can smell from where I am.
At the end of the re-buy period I take two re-buys before the last hand and get out my add-on money. I do not normally do this, but I am anxious to bolt from the room and get checked in during the twenty minute break.
While I am this first table I am near the tournament bank. I must have heard five calls that were told "Saturday is sold out and Friday is close." It is sold out at 352, but they could have sold 400 I am sure.
The title of today’s tournament: Every time the ball started to roll it hit a speed bump. Damn speed bumps.
Level 5 Ante 25 Bring in 50 Betting 150-300 My stack 5650
[Note: I do not play a lot of stud and my short hand methods are not as developed. These notes will not be as detailed as I would like]
Hand #1. I limp in with 3-4/3. On 4th street I make two pair (3-4/3-4). I bet and get one caller. On fifth street the caller makes three open spades and he bets out. I give it some thought and I feel that he is a loose player who will auto-bet when his board looks scarey. I determine that I will call him down unless another spade or terrifying card appears. He bets 5th and 6th street and I call. He checks 7th and I check behind him and win with two pair. My read was good. On 5th he had nothing (no down spades). On 6th he made a pair of aces. And on 7th he failed to improve.
Level 6 Ante 25 Bring in 50 Betting 200-400 My stack 6800
(I have been moved to a new table).
Hand #2. I make two pair jack and deuces on fifth and my lone opponent makes a "string bet" check raise. It is, of course, no allowed. 6th and 7th streets check and I win with my two pair.
Hand #3. Betting all the way I make jacks full and win a nice pot.
Level 7 ante 50 Bring in 100 Betting 300-600 My stack 9600
Hand #4. I start with Th-Jh/Kh. There are two opponents. One, who is conservative but will overvalue hands, pairs his door card on 4th street and drives the action the whole way. I rag off 4th (no betting). Then make a heart on fifth and then make the flush on 6th. On 6th street the other opponent raises all-in. I correctly put him on a straight (drawing dead). On the river I am watching my conservative opponent as he looks at his river card. He likes it! He bets. I am pretty certain that he was betting two pair or a set all the way and made a tight on the river. The pot was too big, however, for me to trust me instinct THAT much so I called. I was right… full house. Lose this BIG pot. Just as the ball was starting to roll… damn speed bumps.
Level 8 ante 50 Bring in 100 Betting 400-800 My stack 6650
There are twelve of 17 tables left.
Hand #5. Some guys are just too convervative… The same player who made the full house in Hand #4 limps in with a K doorcard (I was forced bring-in and it was folded all the way to him on my right). He checks to me on 4th, I bet and win. Hmm… I can probably take a few of this players chips if the opportunity arises.
Hand #6. Bring in and then the same conservative player limps in with a Q door card. I raise with A-5/9. All fold. Wow.
Hand #7. Same conservative player raises with a Q doorcard and I fold Kd-6d/9d. No thanks. I cannot add fold equity to the hand. Yes, I will get paid off if I make the flush, but it just seems too high variance at this point.
Hand #8. Same conservative player. He limps, I limp with three diamonds, one other limper and the bring in. On 4th Street conservative player shows X-X/Q-7 and bets out. I make a fourth diamong. I raise (1) Because I think I am the favourite and (2) Because I want to push the other players out and increase my outs. It works. They both fold. Conservative player calls. It is checked to the river. I attempt a naked bluff. He calls with his pair of sevens. Oops. My bad.
The end of this level is the supper break. I slip away from the casino, go to Taco Time in the mall, and take my supper up to my room. I find that hanging around the supper hour and listening to all the poker talk is usually very grating on me. I almost always prefer to pass on the free Casino Regina supper (very good by all reports by the way) and spend some time away from the milieu of poker.
To be continued...
Level 9 ante 100 Bring in 200 Betting 600-1200 My stack 4100
I shift into ROCK MODE. This is a good table for it because this is another group of NO FOLDERS. I will get paid off if I make a hand.
133 player, 222 re-buys, 118 add-ons. 591,000 total chips in play. 76 players remaining.
Hand #9 Bring in (first hand of level) is raised by conservative player (note that I do not mean conservative "plays few hand" I mean conservative "only bets when he thinks his hand is winning and otherwise will check and call."). Conservative player had X-X/8. I have T-T/7. I raise. All other fold. I lead the whole way. On 6th street CP makes open queens and bets. I hit an ace. So, I figure I have five outs – and ace, any ten and I call all-in. Allah Ahkba (sp?) God is great, I spike and ace on the river beating his two pair. Whew.
Level 10 ante 100 bring in 200 betting 800-1600 My stack 10,700
This is a WILD level. I played a whole bunch of hands in a row and never got time to stand up and make my notes so they are a little sketchy. I dipped all the way down to $4000 this level before running it back up to $13K. Gack.
Hand #10. I have Q-J/J and complete. The only player is the bring in player with X-X/2. He calls. On fourth he makes X-X/2-2 and bets out the BIG BET. This is a tricky and skilled player. I decide, after some thought, that I am going to call him down. I am right. He only has 2-2. Bwahahahaha. What’s that? He makes two pair on the river? Doh. I lose.
Hand #11. Conservative player brings it in. I limp a diamond draw. There is a lot of checking and I make a pair on the river to win.
Hand #12. I am the bring in with 3-7/3. It is completed by a short stack, tricky player. I go "hunting foxes in the dark" (see the current issue of CPP). I call and then fire on 4th. He calls but my 3’s stand up.
Hand #13. 5-K/K against two player. I three bet on 3rd and bet 4th. They both folded on 5th. Whew.
Level 11 ante 150 bring in 300 betting 1,000-2,000 My stack 13,500
There are 54 players left. Average is c. 10,000 I am a little ahead of the curve.
Super bad beat of the day! The bad body odor guy from my first table gets moved to me new table. The stress must be taking its toll because now… poker stink! It’s bad.
Hand #14. Conservative player completes the bet with a 4 as his door card. I do not believe he is bluffing. But, I think he might overvalue a hand. So, I call with Qd-Td/8d. The dealer then burns and put down a flop! Oops. The floor ruling (correct I believe) is that the cards should be shuffled back in and then the next cards dealt. There was some discussion about simply dealing them out as they would have come out, buj the dealer could not confirm what order they were in. So, on the NEW fourth street CP pairs his door card 4 and I fold. He shows K-K in the hole. Whew.
Despite the fact that there was an hour break after level 8… I have made two trips to the loo since supper. Wow. Too much tea I guess.
Our table breaks.
Level 12 ante 200 bring in 500 betting 1,500-3,000 My stack 15,500
There are 40 players left at the start of this level (average stack is c. 15,000).
Hand #15. Player I know NOTHING about complete the bet showing X-X/T. I have 9-8/9. This is where I wish I knew something about stud. My reasoning with this (1) He could have A LOT of hands because he was VERY low on chips. (2) Even if I am behind, the edges in stud are not that great so I have a reasonable chance to draw out. I raised. All fold. He calls all-in and rolls over pocket kinds. I fail to draw out.
Hand #16. Player who I think will auto-steal with any ace door card completes the bet. I have 3d-2d/Jd and reason that this is a reasonable re-steal hand against what could be anything. I raise. He calls. I bet 4th (another diamond!) he calls. On 5th I bet again (in stud a lot of players will take off the fourth street because it’s cheap). Sadly, he check-raises. Roh-roh. He does have an ace! Or worse. I am forced to call. I check 6th when I pair my doorcard jack. He checks. I make diamonds on the river! Woohoo. I bet my last $900 and he calls. I have a stack of $23K. Oh yeah! Who’s your daddy!
Hand #17. The Very next hand. I start with Q-X/Q and complete. I am called by X-X/T on my left. I bet fourth and he raises with X-X/T-6. I figure he has a big pair in the whole, but he is almost all in so I c/r him all-in. He has T-6/T-6. I do not improve. My $23K stack is knocked down to $14.5K. Damn speed bumps.
Slightly interesting note in a hand that I was no involved in. There is a bring in, a completion, a raise, and en the player who had his aces cracked by my river diamond re-raises. He actually makes a string raise. I decide (unlike me) that I will not point it out since the other player in the hand do not seem to care and I figure he is already pretty steamed over losing his aces. I button my lip. As it turns out he has re-raised with the third best hand and now goes broke.
Fifteen minute break.
Level 13 ante 200 bring in 500 betting 2,000-4,000 My stack 14,500
Super bad beat. Body odor is AGAIN moved to my table although he goes broke after a few hands.
Hand #18. I have 3-4/3 and bring it in for the complete bet of 2,000. I am called by a big stack with X-X/7. He bets at my on 4th. I raise. It freezes the action to the river. I lose to his 9-9/7 unimproved.
Hand #19. Once again I have clawed my way back up the food chain to being around $15K. With Q-Q/2 I am the bring-in. It is completed by X-X/T. I raise, he re-raises, and I re-re-raise all in. He shows 6-T/T but rivers a second pair and IGHN. I was about 33rd so at least I picked up a few points in the race for "best overall."
Other conclusions… I really suck at 7-stud. The good news is that tomorrow is Omaha/8 and I REALLY suck at that game.
More tomorrow.
One question. What do you mean by "cannot add fold equity to the hand?"
Good luck the rest of the week.
BTW... what was the payout for 33rd if you dont mind me asking?
No pay out for 33rd. They pay 10% of the field. So, last night 13 players got paid.
The tournament was one by Saskatoon's (my home town) Al Brown. Go Al go!
Your competing in all of them right Dave?
LOL
Good read, Dave. I have an urge to play some Stud now, good thing I don't have any money deposited right now...