Congrats to our first winner of the year, "SeekTheGrail" Steve. With three players left, Peteski (the eventual runner up) looked to be a lock having gathered (easily) 10x the amount of chips of the other two players combined.
But, no one is ever completely out of the game, as a few lucky double-ups got Steve back into it. The final hand played itself with AA holding up at a time when both players had an identical chip stack.
The win broke a large streak for Steve as his last cash was his victory in Bristol Street Classic XXXI (though, to be fair, he did only play two official events in 2008)
Our runner up, Peteski, was attempting to go for a back to back win as his most recent victory came at Merry Xmas Madness. Having ended up 5th in the 2008 Player of the Year race, Peteski has to be considered an early favorite.
With his win, SeekTheGrail is the first player guaranteed a spot in the 2010 GRAND FINAL, and the 2010 PoY race has now begun!
I'm in the process of making changes to my website, so I hope to have full results posted by the time the second game, this year, is completed. For historical results, you can still head to Untitled Page.
Hey, no problem. You know I`m always there to help your roll.
As long as I am not around to knock you out Mole, I know you will do well. The only other person I thought of taking was peteski. That puts you in the poker elite. Thanks.
As long as I am not around to knock you out Mole, I know you will do well. The only other person I thought of taking was peteski. That puts you in the poker elite. Thanks.
Well thank you. But just admit you forgot peteski was playing.
Thanks Rob as always Bristol Nightclub and Casino is the place to be in KW for tourneys. It was quite the final table where it certainly worked to be the short stack. Well played all!
Thanks to Kristy for dealing all the action for a few hands too to help us finish up.
For me it was the right place at the right time. Shoving when no one had anything and winning back to back flips against Peteski to climb back in 3 handed then getting the perfect card on the river to get the money all in at the end. Here's the final hand for those that like to see sometimes AA can win a tournament.
blinds 1500 3000 with 500 ante
Seek The Grail in SB blind raises to 8000 with Ac-Ah
Peteski calls in BB with Qs-Xs (note sure what the kicker was)
Flop Q - 8 - 4 rainbow (pot $17000) Peteski checks I check
Turn Q - 8 - 4 - A and adds a diamond flush draw to the mix Peteski checks I bet 9K and a call. Pot now 35k
River Q - 8 - 4 - A - Q Pete leads 15K and I move all in and get a call understandably given these hands heads up.
When we count down we determine that we had exactly the same chips at the start of the hand which was another surprise for a final hand.
See you all on the KW tournament circuit. I hope to be much more active in 2010!
Thanks to Rob for bringing poker back to Bristol for 2010, I really missed it.
Congrats to the money finishers and 'seek the grail' on the victory, never an easy feat at Bristol!
A hand if you will...
Blinds 100/200
Nik (huge stack) raises to 600
JohnieH (avg. stack) calls
I call (a bit above avg.) close to the button with AQ
3 to the flop
flop 9 10 3 rainbow
check, check, check
turn Q
Nik bets 800, I call
River A
Nik checks and I bet 1200
Nik calls and raises all in (I had another 2800 or so behind)
Am I wrong to call here...really only worried about KJ. What could he have here where he could just check the river and potentially lose out on me betting. He out played me a couple times throughout the night so i knew he was capable of making a move and he knows I'm capable of folding premium holdings...
Anyway, what do you think? Can I fold here? Snap call? Played poorly?
Thanks to Rob for bringing poker back to Bristol for 2010, I really missed it.
Congrats to the money finishers and 'seek the grail' on the victory, never an easy feat at Bristol!
A hand if you will...
Blinds 100/200
Nik (huge stack) raises to 600
JohnieH (avg. stack) calls
I call (a bit above avg.) close to the button with AQ
3 to the flop
flop 9 10 3 rainbow
check, check, check
turn Q
Nik bets 800, I call
River A
Nik checks and I bet 1200
Nik calls and raises all in (I had another 2800 or so behind)
Am I wrong to call here...really only worried about KJ. What could he have here where he could just check the river and potentially lose out on me betting. He out played me a couple times throughout the night so i knew he was capable of making a move and he knows I'm capable of folding premium holdings...
Anyway, what do you think? Can I fold here? Snap call? Played poorly?
stp
That's a tough spot indeed Shannon. Considering the preflop and flop play I would put Nik on either KJ, AQ, a possible flopped two pair (10 9?) or maybe a sneaky set. I can see the check on the flop if he flopped huge, hoping to check raise you or Johnnie since you are both savy players who might try and lead out if you sense weakness. I don't see him making a C-bet with a draw or overcards OOP so the check with AQ or KJ also makes sense.
With your call on the turn and bet on the river it would be hard to put you on complete air so the check raise bluff on his part would be really risky. Your best case scenario here is he took a stab with AK on the turn and connected with the A on the river or he also had AQ, in which case you chop. Everything else is bad for you. As I play out the different possible scenarios I have you winning in two (vs. AK or 10 9), chopping in one (AQ) and losing in three (set of 10s or 9s, KJ).
That gives a slight edge to folding here but in the heat of it I might talk myself into a call because I'm a bad player. Just ask Kristy
There's no way you played the hand poorly Shannon. That's an extremely difficult spot in which I would normally put the chips in, and then beat myself up over it later.
But, looking at this scenario, I think he's either got you beat or is on a stone bluff. I would feel pretty certain he doesn't have AK or T9 as he would most likely bet out or check call but not check-raise. Maybe, he could have AT or A9, but it's a stretch. He could have AQ too. For the most part though, he's got you beat or is on an extremely creative bluff.
I want to ask this more generally. How often have you guys seen a river check-raise bluff? Of course, I've seen it, but it seems very rare to me. I agree with Shannon's assessment that Nik is capable of making a move, but this would be some move especially with the board that's out there.
This is obvious, but this is where knowing your opponent is very important. Ask yourself would this guy be so in love with two pair that he'd check-raise the river with it? Is this guy capable of making a check-raise bluff on the river? If the answer to either question is yes than you probably have to call, but my feeling is (and I'd like to hear if people think I'm wrong) that the answer for most players is no to both questions.
As I said, I'd have probably called too. As much as I'd like to fold in these situations, I haven't really done it in practice. It's very tough. I think this is the kind of spot though where the really, really good players can make the laydown.
I ended up calling putting Nik on a hand like A10 at most and more likely having a mid-pair that missed. Nik knows I can (or used to be able to) lay down big hands, I thought he may be using that against me.
I ended up calling putting Nik on a hand like A10 at most and more likely having a mid-pair that missed. Nik knows I can (or used to be able to) lay down big hands, I thought he may be using that against me.
He showed a set of queens.
stp
You played every street perfectly. Nothing you can do.
Comments
Hobbes, do you mind just shipping it straight to Buzzard directly?
Thanks!
But, no one is ever completely out of the game, as a few lucky double-ups got Steve back into it. The final hand played itself with AA holding up at a time when both players had an identical chip stack.
The win broke a large streak for Steve as his last cash was his victory in Bristol Street Classic XXXI (though, to be fair, he did only play two official events in 2008)
Our runner up, Peteski, was attempting to go for a back to back win as his most recent victory came at Merry Xmas Madness. Having ended up 5th in the 2008 Player of the Year race, Peteski has to be considered an early favorite.
With his win, SeekTheGrail is the first player guaranteed a spot in the 2010 GRAND FINAL, and the 2010 PoY race has now begun!
I'm in the process of making changes to my website, so I hope to have full results posted by the time the second game, this year, is completed. For historical results, you can still head to Untitled Page.
Z.
Shipped!!
Hey, no problem. You know I`m always there to help your roll.
As long as I am not around to knock you out Mole, I know you will do well. The only other person I thought of taking was peteski. That puts you in the poker elite. Thanks.
Well thank you. But just admit you forgot peteski was playing.
Thanks to Kristy for dealing all the action for a few hands too to help us finish up.
For me it was the right place at the right time. Shoving when no one had anything and winning back to back flips against Peteski to climb back in 3 handed then getting the perfect card on the river to get the money all in at the end. Here's the final hand for those that like to see sometimes AA can win a tournament.
blinds 1500 3000 with 500 ante
Seek The Grail in SB blind raises to 8000 with Ac-Ah
Peteski calls in BB with Qs-Xs (note sure what the kicker was)
Flop Q - 8 - 4 rainbow (pot $17000) Peteski checks I check
Turn Q - 8 - 4 - A and adds a diamond flush draw to the mix Peteski checks I bet 9K and a call. Pot now 35k
River Q - 8 - 4 - A - Q Pete leads 15K and I move all in and get a call understandably given these hands heads up.
When we count down we determine that we had exactly the same chips at the start of the hand which was another surprise for a final hand.
See you all on the KW tournament circuit. I hope to be much more active in 2010!
Cheers Steve "Seek The Grail"
Congrats to the money finishers and 'seek the grail' on the victory, never an easy feat at Bristol!
A hand if you will...
Blinds 100/200
Nik (huge stack) raises to 600
JohnieH (avg. stack) calls
I call (a bit above avg.) close to the button with AQ
3 to the flop
flop 9 10 3 rainbow
check, check, check
turn Q
Nik bets 800, I call
River A
Nik checks and I bet 1200
Nik calls and raises all in (I had another 2800 or so behind)
Am I wrong to call here...really only worried about KJ. What could he have here where he could just check the river and potentially lose out on me betting. He out played me a couple times throughout the night so i knew he was capable of making a move and he knows I'm capable of folding premium holdings...
Anyway, what do you think? Can I fold here? Snap call? Played poorly?
stp
That's a tough spot indeed Shannon. Considering the preflop and flop play I would put Nik on either KJ, AQ, a possible flopped two pair (10 9?) or maybe a sneaky set. I can see the check on the flop if he flopped huge, hoping to check raise you or Johnnie since you are both savy players who might try and lead out if you sense weakness. I don't see him making a C-bet with a draw or overcards OOP so the check with AQ or KJ also makes sense.
With your call on the turn and bet on the river it would be hard to put you on complete air so the check raise bluff on his part would be really risky. Your best case scenario here is he took a stab with AK on the turn and connected with the A on the river or he also had AQ, in which case you chop. Everything else is bad for you. As I play out the different possible scenarios I have you winning in two (vs. AK or 10 9), chopping in one (AQ) and losing in three (set of 10s or 9s, KJ).
That gives a slight edge to folding here but in the heat of it I might talk myself into a call because I'm a bad player. Just ask Kristy
Confirmed. It is pretty crazy how seriously I outplayed him.
But, looking at this scenario, I think he's either got you beat or is on a stone bluff. I would feel pretty certain he doesn't have AK or T9 as he would most likely bet out or check call but not check-raise. Maybe, he could have AT or A9, but it's a stretch. He could have AQ too. For the most part though, he's got you beat or is on an extremely creative bluff.
I want to ask this more generally. How often have you guys seen a river check-raise bluff? Of course, I've seen it, but it seems very rare to me. I agree with Shannon's assessment that Nik is capable of making a move, but this would be some move especially with the board that's out there.
This is obvious, but this is where knowing your opponent is very important. Ask yourself would this guy be so in love with two pair that he'd check-raise the river with it? Is this guy capable of making a check-raise bluff on the river? If the answer to either question is yes than you probably have to call, but my feeling is (and I'd like to hear if people think I'm wrong) that the answer for most players is no to both questions.
As I said, I'd have probably called too. As much as I'd like to fold in these situations, I haven't really done it in practice. It's very tough. I think this is the kind of spot though where the really, really good players can make the laydown.
He showed a set of queens.
stp
You played every street perfectly. Nothing you can do.