Casino Regina Nov 12 FULL REPORT part II
Level 11 Betting 1000-2000
[These reports are based upon a combination of notes from my digital voice recorder and my written notes. But, I lost my written notes for levels 1-16 so I do not know chip counts and things]
There are 160 players left.
I note that my resting heart rate is about 96 beats per minute. Usually about 70. Welcome to adrenalin baby.
Hand #10: I defend by big blind with 6-5o. small blind raises. I pop him on the flop (I had a gutshot) and he mucked. In limit I defend my big blinds a lot. Especially against players that I think will lay down to some aggression on the flop. First, you are getting 3-1 on the call. Second, it’s like a steal except for more chips. It can, however, cause problems as you will see later on.
Hand #11: Another limp steal with J-5o. Win with bet on the flop.
Level 12 Betting 1500-3000
There are 130 players left.
I lose about 9500 chips in a couple of hands. Once with A-J against an all-in player with J-T who made a full house. Second time with Q-J that I tried to steal with and then did not bet again.
Hand #12: Defend my big blind against late position raiser with A-T. I c/r on a flop of A-J-T and he folds. This hand is, I think, the beginning of a BIG run of cards.
Level 14 Betting 3,000-6,000
90 players. 1.6 million in play. Average stack is just under 20,000. The entire field is under A LOT of pressure and people are starting to play very tight. I normally do not care about average stack. I care about the size of my stack relative to the blinds. But, when you reach this point at which the average is only good for one hand, things tend to tighten up a lot.
Hand #13: Amen brother, amen. I raise UTG with A-A and I am three bet by a solid player on the button. I flat call (setting the trap). The flop is three rags. I c/r. The turn completes a flush. Rare for me, I cannot remember if I have the suited ace or not. I bet, my opponent double checks his pocket cards (Caro’s “What suit was that tell?â€) and calls. OK… I am the best right now. The river is an offsuit jack. I check. In retrospect, I do not know why I checked. This check was a bad play. I should have bet since I feel pretty certain that my opponent was on a big ace and may have called the river “in case I was bluffing†which I am known to do. If I have bet and he had called he would have gone bust.
Nine minutes left in level at 8 tables.
I get moved to a new table and I like the lie of the land. “My blinds†seem like they will not defend so in my mind I declare open season.
The first hand features three limpers to my right. I haven’t seen that much action all day! There will be some chips moving at this table.
One minute left in the level there are 7 tables (we are shrinking quickly). Average is 23K. I have 32K
Hand #14: How stupid am I??? In my big blind the button limps in. The dealer says “six thousand†which was a call. In my monkey brain (more on the “Monkey Brain Go Blank†leak in tomorrow’s report) I believe it has been raised. So, as the table waits I study the big blind for a moment trying to determine his raising range (even though he has limped). Then, figuring him for a rock, I fold. Of course… this was dumb since he never raised in the first place. Sigh.
Level 15 Betting 4,000-8,000
The firestorm of chip accumulation really hits now. I raise in early with A-A and get no action. The next hand, I raise UTG with T-9s and the big blind re-raises. Bad luck for him, the flop is 8-7-6. Woohoo. Interestingly enough the BB has K-Qo. He is either overvaluing the hand, or he is very dangerous since he is launching a three-bet re-steal on me.
Button raise with T-T wins the blinds.
With 11 minutes left there are six tables. Average stack $26K. I have double that. It is raining chips. I can’t miss a hand.
Hand #15: I break the rules. Oops. Late position limp in. My big blind. I check T-8o. Flop is Q-9-x. I bet. The LP player goes into the tank. I figure if I can call his hand for him he will fold. “Your 6-6 is no good. How did I do?†He shakes his head. “5-5?†Shake again. “I have a nine,†I declare. He mucks and announces that he has A-To. Basically, he was too long thinking about it to have top pair. The dealer tells me to stop “angling†and I do, in fact, stop. I am genuinely apologetic having no idea that I was doing anything wrong.
Hand #16: A-J raise. Flop K-T-x two clubs. Another club on turn with UTG bets all-in. I call and spike flush on river to bear K-J.
20 mounted left with 6 tables. I have adequate chips for two tables.
Pull off another limp steal. Raise with J-To all fold. With a lot of chips I am starting to seriously press my luck.
14 minutes left, four table (nine to the money).
Level 16 6,000-12,000
Hand #17: This hand is the one hand of the tournament that I truly regret. But, I got dumb ass lucky anyway. Middle position raiser. The button flat calls. I am big blind with A-Qo. I call. Flop is K-Q-x. I bet out. Original raiser, after much humming and hawing, folds. Button raises. I call. Turn I check and call. River I make three queens. In retrospect there is NO WAY that this player bets a anything other than top pair or better on the turn. I should have folded. And, it should have been an obvious fold to me. Luck pulled me out.
Hand #18: I limp in with 9-6s from small blind and bet out my gutshot on the flop. BB calls. On turn I have 15 outs. I check and call. On river I hit a pair and pay off. Lose myself down to $90K which is too bad, but I am still way ahead of the curve.
Level 17 Betting 8,000-16,000 My stack 111,000
Deal is struck. Pull 1500 out of 1st and 500 out of second and pay the next two finishers $1000 each.
The average stack is REALLY feeling the heat.
After level 16 I went to me room and changed my clothes (not shirt because of CBC continuity). I really “freshened up.†For me, this is one of the benefits to being at the Delta for these Regina tournaments. Being able to get to my room and wash and feel human is worth it.
[These reports are based upon a combination of notes from my digital voice recorder and my written notes. But, I lost my written notes for levels 1-16 so I do not know chip counts and things]
There are 160 players left.
I note that my resting heart rate is about 96 beats per minute. Usually about 70. Welcome to adrenalin baby.
Hand #10: I defend by big blind with 6-5o. small blind raises. I pop him on the flop (I had a gutshot) and he mucked. In limit I defend my big blinds a lot. Especially against players that I think will lay down to some aggression on the flop. First, you are getting 3-1 on the call. Second, it’s like a steal except for more chips. It can, however, cause problems as you will see later on.
Hand #11: Another limp steal with J-5o. Win with bet on the flop.
Level 12 Betting 1500-3000
There are 130 players left.
I lose about 9500 chips in a couple of hands. Once with A-J against an all-in player with J-T who made a full house. Second time with Q-J that I tried to steal with and then did not bet again.
Hand #12: Defend my big blind against late position raiser with A-T. I c/r on a flop of A-J-T and he folds. This hand is, I think, the beginning of a BIG run of cards.
Level 14 Betting 3,000-6,000
90 players. 1.6 million in play. Average stack is just under 20,000. The entire field is under A LOT of pressure and people are starting to play very tight. I normally do not care about average stack. I care about the size of my stack relative to the blinds. But, when you reach this point at which the average is only good for one hand, things tend to tighten up a lot.
Hand #13: Amen brother, amen. I raise UTG with A-A and I am three bet by a solid player on the button. I flat call (setting the trap). The flop is three rags. I c/r. The turn completes a flush. Rare for me, I cannot remember if I have the suited ace or not. I bet, my opponent double checks his pocket cards (Caro’s “What suit was that tell?â€) and calls. OK… I am the best right now. The river is an offsuit jack. I check. In retrospect, I do not know why I checked. This check was a bad play. I should have bet since I feel pretty certain that my opponent was on a big ace and may have called the river “in case I was bluffing†which I am known to do. If I have bet and he had called he would have gone bust.
Nine minutes left in level at 8 tables.
I get moved to a new table and I like the lie of the land. “My blinds†seem like they will not defend so in my mind I declare open season.
The first hand features three limpers to my right. I haven’t seen that much action all day! There will be some chips moving at this table.
One minute left in the level there are 7 tables (we are shrinking quickly). Average is 23K. I have 32K
Hand #14: How stupid am I??? In my big blind the button limps in. The dealer says “six thousand†which was a call. In my monkey brain (more on the “Monkey Brain Go Blank†leak in tomorrow’s report) I believe it has been raised. So, as the table waits I study the big blind for a moment trying to determine his raising range (even though he has limped). Then, figuring him for a rock, I fold. Of course… this was dumb since he never raised in the first place. Sigh.
Level 15 Betting 4,000-8,000
The firestorm of chip accumulation really hits now. I raise in early with A-A and get no action. The next hand, I raise UTG with T-9s and the big blind re-raises. Bad luck for him, the flop is 8-7-6. Woohoo. Interestingly enough the BB has K-Qo. He is either overvaluing the hand, or he is very dangerous since he is launching a three-bet re-steal on me.
Button raise with T-T wins the blinds.
With 11 minutes left there are six tables. Average stack $26K. I have double that. It is raining chips. I can’t miss a hand.
Hand #15: I break the rules. Oops. Late position limp in. My big blind. I check T-8o. Flop is Q-9-x. I bet. The LP player goes into the tank. I figure if I can call his hand for him he will fold. “Your 6-6 is no good. How did I do?†He shakes his head. “5-5?†Shake again. “I have a nine,†I declare. He mucks and announces that he has A-To. Basically, he was too long thinking about it to have top pair. The dealer tells me to stop “angling†and I do, in fact, stop. I am genuinely apologetic having no idea that I was doing anything wrong.
Hand #16: A-J raise. Flop K-T-x two clubs. Another club on turn with UTG bets all-in. I call and spike flush on river to bear K-J.
20 mounted left with 6 tables. I have adequate chips for two tables.
Pull off another limp steal. Raise with J-To all fold. With a lot of chips I am starting to seriously press my luck.
14 minutes left, four table (nine to the money).
Level 16 6,000-12,000
Hand #17: This hand is the one hand of the tournament that I truly regret. But, I got dumb ass lucky anyway. Middle position raiser. The button flat calls. I am big blind with A-Qo. I call. Flop is K-Q-x. I bet out. Original raiser, after much humming and hawing, folds. Button raises. I call. Turn I check and call. River I make three queens. In retrospect there is NO WAY that this player bets a anything other than top pair or better on the turn. I should have folded. And, it should have been an obvious fold to me. Luck pulled me out.
Hand #18: I limp in with 9-6s from small blind and bet out my gutshot on the flop. BB calls. On turn I have 15 outs. I check and call. On river I hit a pair and pay off. Lose myself down to $90K which is too bad, but I am still way ahead of the curve.
Level 17 Betting 8,000-16,000 My stack 111,000
Deal is struck. Pull 1500 out of 1st and 500 out of second and pay the next two finishers $1000 each.
The average stack is REALLY feeling the heat.
After level 16 I went to me room and changed my clothes (not shirt because of CBC continuity). I really “freshened up.†For me, this is one of the benefits to being at the Delta for these Regina tournaments. Being able to get to my room and wash and feel human is worth it.
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