Degree Trip Report: 1C
As Rob mentioned in his post my round got off to a very late start, scheduled for 5, cards in the air at 7. The only plus was 20 people were no-shows so we only started with 230. I drew seat 6 table 8. Notables at my table included the 'whining guy', the 'allin queen' and 'sunglasses guy'. The sunglasses guy is so named because I found his sunglasses on the counter in the men's room and turned them in. He sat two seat to my left and I told him the story and we laughed about it.
After watching the entire Round 1B, I was still amazed at how players could get all in in the first level of blinds. 1B had people exit in hands 2,3 and 4! These weren't Kings running into Aces either, more like 33 running into KQo.
Hand 4 I am SB with JTo and top it up behind sunglasses guy who limped early, BB checks. Flop is AKQ rainbow! I check, BB checks and sunglasses bets 200. I raise to 700 and he goes all in! I call quickly thinking 'wow dude, bad time to play AK or AQ'. He flips over QJo! Brick, brick and I double up.
Hand 5 AQ on the button. Raise to 200 no callers.
Hand 8 AQ, two limpers, I raise the guy on my right calls. Flop J82 rainbow. He bets 100 and I raise to 500. He folds. I have about 3500 in chips.
Level 2
Blinds are now 50-100. Now I have the first tough decision. I pick up JJ in the cutoff. Two limpers. I raise to 700 and the BB calls, the limpers fold.Pot is 1750. Flop is 567 rainbow and the BB quickly goes allin for 1800. Hmmmmm. I figure with AA or KK he would have reraised but maybe not, my 700 raise will chase the limpers out so he knows were going to be heads up anyway. QQ is possible and so is middle pair as well as AK. 55,66,77 would be bad but if he has 88 I am not a huge favourite either. TT/AK are the only holdings I can beat convincingly. I decide there are too many ways I can be beat and fold. I drop to around 3300.
Last hand of Level 2. J3o in the BB. One early limper, SB tops up. Flop J32 rainbow. SB checks. I felt pretty vulnerable so I lead out for 400. Early limper calls for half his chips and SB folds Turn is a 5 and I set Early in for the rest of his chips. He flips over A2. River is a 4 and I am down to 2300 or so.
Level 3 I have nothing! There is 550 in the pot and I don't even have a chance to steal. Every pot is raised before I act. Finally in the SB I pick up A8, folded to me and I say raise and put out a purple chip. Oops, button hasn't acted. He mucks as does the BB. Still around 2000 in chips. I am getting pretty desperate.
Level 4 I start UTG+2, there is 1100 in the pot at the outset of each hand. First hand is raised by UTG who busts moving me to UTG.
I pick up 73. The BB has only another 300 so I have no chance of stealing this pot. I fold. Both my blinds are raised and I can't defend. Down to about 1400. Uh oh. On the button with KJo, two limpers and BB reaches for his stack (these guys aren't subtle), I fold and BB goes allin with AA and takes the pot. UTG+4 with rags, BB has just looked at her hand and grimaced. Good enough for me, I get ready to move in but UTG goes all in first. Damn.
UTG+3, pocket nines. Move in, no callers. Back to 2000 or so.
Then a bad thing happens. I pick up JTo in the BB, it's raised early and folded around to me. I still have 1600 which I figure is enough to steal if I can move in first. If I call and miss I'll have 1000 after the SB which isn't enough to push people out. I fold thinkng the tables tight and I'll be able to buy a pot before the blinds come around again (I have long since given up hope of actually picking up a hand). Then they break the table. We draw our new seating positions randomly by taking printed cards. I am moved to UTG+2 at a table of large stacks. Uh oh.
The end comes swiftly. UTG+2: J4 off, I feel I have no chance of stealing so I hunker down for a better hand. UTG+1: 84o (they don't get much worse do they?). UTG: 62o (they do). BB: all in in the dark (I only had 600 after posting). T3 doesn't hold up and I am out.
All in all a very fun time.
Rob
After watching the entire Round 1B, I was still amazed at how players could get all in in the first level of blinds. 1B had people exit in hands 2,3 and 4! These weren't Kings running into Aces either, more like 33 running into KQo.
Hand 4 I am SB with JTo and top it up behind sunglasses guy who limped early, BB checks. Flop is AKQ rainbow! I check, BB checks and sunglasses bets 200. I raise to 700 and he goes all in! I call quickly thinking 'wow dude, bad time to play AK or AQ'. He flips over QJo! Brick, brick and I double up.
Hand 5 AQ on the button. Raise to 200 no callers.
Hand 8 AQ, two limpers, I raise the guy on my right calls. Flop J82 rainbow. He bets 100 and I raise to 500. He folds. I have about 3500 in chips.
Level 2
Blinds are now 50-100. Now I have the first tough decision. I pick up JJ in the cutoff. Two limpers. I raise to 700 and the BB calls, the limpers fold.Pot is 1750. Flop is 567 rainbow and the BB quickly goes allin for 1800. Hmmmmm. I figure with AA or KK he would have reraised but maybe not, my 700 raise will chase the limpers out so he knows were going to be heads up anyway. QQ is possible and so is middle pair as well as AK. 55,66,77 would be bad but if he has 88 I am not a huge favourite either. TT/AK are the only holdings I can beat convincingly. I decide there are too many ways I can be beat and fold. I drop to around 3300.
Last hand of Level 2. J3o in the BB. One early limper, SB tops up. Flop J32 rainbow. SB checks. I felt pretty vulnerable so I lead out for 400. Early limper calls for half his chips and SB folds Turn is a 5 and I set Early in for the rest of his chips. He flips over A2. River is a 4 and I am down to 2300 or so.
Level 3 I have nothing! There is 550 in the pot and I don't even have a chance to steal. Every pot is raised before I act. Finally in the SB I pick up A8, folded to me and I say raise and put out a purple chip. Oops, button hasn't acted. He mucks as does the BB. Still around 2000 in chips. I am getting pretty desperate.
Level 4 I start UTG+2, there is 1100 in the pot at the outset of each hand. First hand is raised by UTG who busts moving me to UTG.
I pick up 73. The BB has only another 300 so I have no chance of stealing this pot. I fold. Both my blinds are raised and I can't defend. Down to about 1400. Uh oh. On the button with KJo, two limpers and BB reaches for his stack (these guys aren't subtle), I fold and BB goes allin with AA and takes the pot. UTG+4 with rags, BB has just looked at her hand and grimaced. Good enough for me, I get ready to move in but UTG goes all in first. Damn.
UTG+3, pocket nines. Move in, no callers. Back to 2000 or so.
Then a bad thing happens. I pick up JTo in the BB, it's raised early and folded around to me. I still have 1600 which I figure is enough to steal if I can move in first. If I call and miss I'll have 1000 after the SB which isn't enough to push people out. I fold thinkng the tables tight and I'll be able to buy a pot before the blinds come around again (I have long since given up hope of actually picking up a hand). Then they break the table. We draw our new seating positions randomly by taking printed cards. I am moved to UTG+2 at a table of large stacks. Uh oh.
The end comes swiftly. UTG+2: J4 off, I feel I have no chance of stealing so I hunker down for a better hand. UTG+1: 84o (they don't get much worse do they?). UTG: 62o (they do). BB: all in in the dark (I only had 600 after posting). T3 doesn't hold up and I am out.
All in all a very fun time.
Rob