stp's Degree Poker Championship Tourny Report
I decide the night before the tournament that I’ll rent a nice movie and relax, I’ve been thinking about this tournament a lot and watching a movie might assist in keeping my brain from running through strategies and scenarios. I rent “Deep Waterâ€, not a bad movie if you look at it from the ‘based on a true story’ concept. The shark scenes looked unbelievably real! Monday morning Kate and I wake up, go out for breakfast, get the oil changed on the car and get some pictures developed. Some nice pictures of the new puppy but others were fairly blurry, kind of bothered me a bit. I felt myself being somewhat impatient and not very tolerant today, wasn’t a good sign for a poker player.Â
I leave from Kitchener with an ‘stp oil’ shirt hanging in my back window around 3:45pm, I’m trying to avoid any major traffic delays, I arrive in Niagara Falls for about 5:25pm. Pay $10 for parking and head into the casino. I register for the tournament and start looking around for any familiar faces, happily I see Ian Hilson (Ionstorm) from the forum. I’ve played with Ian several times, super nice guy who has taken some very bad beats from me but taken them VERY well. It was nice to meet up with him. Ian and I talk some poker and walk through the casino, I play some black jack and a few slots. I don’t win or lose too much at either. The casino staff are very interested in my lanyard with the “Degree Poker Championship†card attached to it. Several questions ensue about how I did, or if I am a good player or if I play online. It’s very funny when people start talking to you about poker for the first time, it always seems as though they want to tell you about crazy hands they’ve played in the past. The black jack dealer told the entire table a story about how she hit quad queens once in a play money event, she said she wanted to go all in but it was limit hold em’ and she couldn’t. I was in a much better mood now then I was earlier but still rather impatient. I wanted to start playing and it was only 6pm. I was told that they were running about an hour and a half behind. Great, only another 5 hours to wait.Â
Ian went and grabbed his seat as session C was beginning and I walked over to Denny’s for an overpriced Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich. It was funny because as I was reading the menu I saw that Denny’s had three different types of Cheese, Cheddar, Swiss and Canadian. I informed the waitress that I thought it was important for her to find out for me what Canadian Cheese was, as I was in fact a Canadian and had absolutely no idea. She couldn’t tell me, weird stuff. The Coors Light I had with the meal was the best thing about it by far, except for the $5 I paid for it. Â
I’m back at the casino and walking past several people that are clearly in the same situation I am in, waiting for Session D to begin. One particular person that stood out was this absolutely stunning early 20-something year old knockout. She was walking with what appeared to be her guy friend/boy friend, I assumed it was her boyfriend but nothing was really obvious about it, they weren’t holding hands or anything. I passed by this couple several times and must have been drilling a hole through this girl. She was extremely pleasant looking and politely smiled at me every time we crossed paths, she totally wants me man!Â
I sit and watch play for the next 3 hours, Ian is short stacked the whole time. I see a couple of AA vs. KK all-in preflops. I can only hope I am on the good side of those when I play. I’m not nervous at all, just anxious to get started. Finally, Ian makes it in when dominated preflop and forced to be all-in, I’m super excited for him! The crowd cheers as we finally get to play some poker, it’s midnight.Â
I’m table 6 seat 6, I like it. I sit down and low and behold, three to my left is the knockout. I strike up conversation with a few people at the table including her. She is very pleasant, I felt as though we kind of knew eachother a bit after passing smiles back towards one another most of the afternoon. Her and I had some nice banter back and forth, politely trash talking/flirting with each other through the hands.Â
The first hand I play I’m in the Big Blind with 23off. Flop comes K77 rainbow, 5 players in and all check. Turn comes a 9 making a flush draw on the board. I fire out 75 and get two callers. River is a 4 I bet out 150 and take down the pot, I flip over my 23o and the dealer announces it to the table. I’m such a prick for showing it, the knockout smiles at me. This hand would prove to help me out, table image is set.Â
Blinds 25/50 Folded to me in LP, I have K6d and raise to 150. Flop comes AA4, one diamond. Both blinds check, I bet another 150. Hottie folds and Big calls. Turn 7d, Big checks and I announce “same bet†and he folds. A conversation between the knockout and I ensues about whether or not I had it. I say, “If I told you I had pocket aces, would you believe me?â€. She laughs and says no. I tell her I had pocket aces with a smile.
Blinds 50/100, one female limper in front of me I raise to 300 with AQoff. Limper calls. Flop comes down J 3 4 two diamonds, limper checks her whole cards and bets out 300. I’m positive she is on a flush draw but I only call. Turn 4 (no diamond), she bets out 500 leaving her with only 200 more. I can’t do it and let it go, I was pissed at how this hand went. I’m sure it was obvious to my opponents that this hand bothered me, I get over it soon after.
Blinds 50/100, stack 1600. I pick up 77 in EP and limp in. Player to my left makes it 300, the big calls as do I. Flop K K 2. I fire out 250 and take down the pot.Â
Blinds 50/100, stack 2550. Folded around to LP, he makes it 400 to go. I’m in the small with TT. I think about it for awhile and just call. Flop A 3 5, I check to him and he bets out 400. I fold my tens and announce, “your ace is goodâ€. He shows AK.Â
Blinds 50/100, stack 1900. I pick up AJd UTG. I make it 300 to go. The player two to my left re-raises all-in for another 550. I think about it and eventually call, he was one of the players involved in my 23off bluff-show. He shows A8off and the two jacks on the flop knock him out of the tournament. Two other players quickly get knocked from my table by the knockout girl and our table breaks up.Â
New table has a lot of big stacks, it appears that a few of the players here know what they are doing but none are experts by any means.Â
Blinds 100/200 ante 25, stack 2550. I’m on the button with TT. Player two to my right limps, player on my right makes it 500 to go. I think about it and re-raise all-in. The player on my right has raised 3/5 hands I’ve been here for, perhaps he overvalues hands or is bullying the tight table. It’s another 1550 for him to call. He folds and I ask him if he had AJ, he replies “yes, AJ of spadesâ€. I tell him I had Queens, nice fold.Â
During the break I talk to the knockout, she is at about 10K and I’m up to 4500. We wish eachother good luck.Â
Blinds 200/400 ante 50, stack 4500. I pick up AToff in the big with two late position callers. I decide to decline my option. Flop A23, check, check, check. Turn 5. SB bets 500, I call as does LP. River Q. SB checks, I bet out 400 and take down the pot without showing.Â
Blinds 200/400 ante 50, stack 5200. I’m in the Big blind again with ATd. LP limps in, SB folds. I raise another 900 and he re-raises another 300 to be all-in. I call and he shows KQs. My AT holds up with the ten high flop.Â
Blinds 400/800 ante 75, stack 6800. I do not play a single hand in this level, only seeing the Brunson, the flat tire and the tube sock repeatedly. I’m not really sure what the tube sock is but I had it, trust me. People were calling all-ins with QJ, JT, K8…it was not great poker.Â
Blinds 500/1000 ante 100, stack 5500. Players remaining 40. Everyone folds to me in Middle to late position. I make it 2000 with KToff. Guy to my immediate left makes it another 1600, he is all-in. I reluctantly call with tremendous pot-odds. 2500 in the pot from blinds and antes alone. He has Kings and I don’t suck out. Very next hand I have KQoff, I’m all in for 1600 and get two callers. Flop comes 3 rag hearts. I have the King of hearts, yes! First to act goes all-in and gets immediately called by huge stack with A4 hearts, nut flush. I go home in 37th.Â
Great tournament, can’t wait for next year. Good luck to Ian Hilson, a great player!!! BTW, the knockout busted about 60th with JJ all-in vs QQ preflop. Thanks to Ian and Rob for railbirding me.
stp
I leave from Kitchener with an ‘stp oil’ shirt hanging in my back window around 3:45pm, I’m trying to avoid any major traffic delays, I arrive in Niagara Falls for about 5:25pm. Pay $10 for parking and head into the casino. I register for the tournament and start looking around for any familiar faces, happily I see Ian Hilson (Ionstorm) from the forum. I’ve played with Ian several times, super nice guy who has taken some very bad beats from me but taken them VERY well. It was nice to meet up with him. Ian and I talk some poker and walk through the casino, I play some black jack and a few slots. I don’t win or lose too much at either. The casino staff are very interested in my lanyard with the “Degree Poker Championship†card attached to it. Several questions ensue about how I did, or if I am a good player or if I play online. It’s very funny when people start talking to you about poker for the first time, it always seems as though they want to tell you about crazy hands they’ve played in the past. The black jack dealer told the entire table a story about how she hit quad queens once in a play money event, she said she wanted to go all in but it was limit hold em’ and she couldn’t. I was in a much better mood now then I was earlier but still rather impatient. I wanted to start playing and it was only 6pm. I was told that they were running about an hour and a half behind. Great, only another 5 hours to wait.Â
Ian went and grabbed his seat as session C was beginning and I walked over to Denny’s for an overpriced Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich. It was funny because as I was reading the menu I saw that Denny’s had three different types of Cheese, Cheddar, Swiss and Canadian. I informed the waitress that I thought it was important for her to find out for me what Canadian Cheese was, as I was in fact a Canadian and had absolutely no idea. She couldn’t tell me, weird stuff. The Coors Light I had with the meal was the best thing about it by far, except for the $5 I paid for it. Â
I’m back at the casino and walking past several people that are clearly in the same situation I am in, waiting for Session D to begin. One particular person that stood out was this absolutely stunning early 20-something year old knockout. She was walking with what appeared to be her guy friend/boy friend, I assumed it was her boyfriend but nothing was really obvious about it, they weren’t holding hands or anything. I passed by this couple several times and must have been drilling a hole through this girl. She was extremely pleasant looking and politely smiled at me every time we crossed paths, she totally wants me man!Â
I sit and watch play for the next 3 hours, Ian is short stacked the whole time. I see a couple of AA vs. KK all-in preflops. I can only hope I am on the good side of those when I play. I’m not nervous at all, just anxious to get started. Finally, Ian makes it in when dominated preflop and forced to be all-in, I’m super excited for him! The crowd cheers as we finally get to play some poker, it’s midnight.Â
I’m table 6 seat 6, I like it. I sit down and low and behold, three to my left is the knockout. I strike up conversation with a few people at the table including her. She is very pleasant, I felt as though we kind of knew eachother a bit after passing smiles back towards one another most of the afternoon. Her and I had some nice banter back and forth, politely trash talking/flirting with each other through the hands.Â
The first hand I play I’m in the Big Blind with 23off. Flop comes K77 rainbow, 5 players in and all check. Turn comes a 9 making a flush draw on the board. I fire out 75 and get two callers. River is a 4 I bet out 150 and take down the pot, I flip over my 23o and the dealer announces it to the table. I’m such a prick for showing it, the knockout smiles at me. This hand would prove to help me out, table image is set.Â
Blinds 25/50 Folded to me in LP, I have K6d and raise to 150. Flop comes AA4, one diamond. Both blinds check, I bet another 150. Hottie folds and Big calls. Turn 7d, Big checks and I announce “same bet†and he folds. A conversation between the knockout and I ensues about whether or not I had it. I say, “If I told you I had pocket aces, would you believe me?â€. She laughs and says no. I tell her I had pocket aces with a smile.
Blinds 50/100, one female limper in front of me I raise to 300 with AQoff. Limper calls. Flop comes down J 3 4 two diamonds, limper checks her whole cards and bets out 300. I’m positive she is on a flush draw but I only call. Turn 4 (no diamond), she bets out 500 leaving her with only 200 more. I can’t do it and let it go, I was pissed at how this hand went. I’m sure it was obvious to my opponents that this hand bothered me, I get over it soon after.
Blinds 50/100, stack 1600. I pick up 77 in EP and limp in. Player to my left makes it 300, the big calls as do I. Flop K K 2. I fire out 250 and take down the pot.Â
Blinds 50/100, stack 2550. Folded around to LP, he makes it 400 to go. I’m in the small with TT. I think about it for awhile and just call. Flop A 3 5, I check to him and he bets out 400. I fold my tens and announce, “your ace is goodâ€. He shows AK.Â
Blinds 50/100, stack 1900. I pick up AJd UTG. I make it 300 to go. The player two to my left re-raises all-in for another 550. I think about it and eventually call, he was one of the players involved in my 23off bluff-show. He shows A8off and the two jacks on the flop knock him out of the tournament. Two other players quickly get knocked from my table by the knockout girl and our table breaks up.Â
New table has a lot of big stacks, it appears that a few of the players here know what they are doing but none are experts by any means.Â
Blinds 100/200 ante 25, stack 2550. I’m on the button with TT. Player two to my right limps, player on my right makes it 500 to go. I think about it and re-raise all-in. The player on my right has raised 3/5 hands I’ve been here for, perhaps he overvalues hands or is bullying the tight table. It’s another 1550 for him to call. He folds and I ask him if he had AJ, he replies “yes, AJ of spadesâ€. I tell him I had Queens, nice fold.Â
During the break I talk to the knockout, she is at about 10K and I’m up to 4500. We wish eachother good luck.Â
Blinds 200/400 ante 50, stack 4500. I pick up AToff in the big with two late position callers. I decide to decline my option. Flop A23, check, check, check. Turn 5. SB bets 500, I call as does LP. River Q. SB checks, I bet out 400 and take down the pot without showing.Â
Blinds 200/400 ante 50, stack 5200. I’m in the Big blind again with ATd. LP limps in, SB folds. I raise another 900 and he re-raises another 300 to be all-in. I call and he shows KQs. My AT holds up with the ten high flop.Â
Blinds 400/800 ante 75, stack 6800. I do not play a single hand in this level, only seeing the Brunson, the flat tire and the tube sock repeatedly. I’m not really sure what the tube sock is but I had it, trust me. People were calling all-ins with QJ, JT, K8…it was not great poker.Â
Blinds 500/1000 ante 100, stack 5500. Players remaining 40. Everyone folds to me in Middle to late position. I make it 2000 with KToff. Guy to my immediate left makes it another 1600, he is all-in. I reluctantly call with tremendous pot-odds. 2500 in the pot from blinds and antes alone. He has Kings and I don’t suck out. Very next hand I have KQoff, I’m all in for 1600 and get two callers. Flop comes 3 rag hearts. I have the King of hearts, yes! First to act goes all-in and gets immediately called by huge stack with A4 hearts, nut flush. I go home in 37th.Â
Great tournament, can’t wait for next year. Good luck to Ian Hilson, a great player!!! BTW, the knockout busted about 60th with JJ all-in vs QQ preflop. Thanks to Ian and Rob for railbirding me.
stp
Comments
Thanks for posting. All these folks going to Fallsview and I don't believe (m)any commented on the place? Possible late logistics follow...
1) If you get the player's club card you won't have to pay parking next time. I haven't tested this yet.
2) Stay away from Dennys!! I'm a generous tipper and just want them to bring me the food so when I say the prices are high, I'm sure they are. There's a good diner back at Fallsview near the fountain.
3) I've only been to Fallsview once, reader beware.
I'm curious why you went to 2000 with the blinds at 100/200. Seems like a huge overbet - one you couldn't get away from. Maybe I misread that.
Nice report, BTW. Thanks!
OK, I'm done my rant.
Well done Shannon!! Tough beat, but we're still proud of you!!
Can't wait for you to describe the knockout to me it person!!
JohnnieH
Oh, I've changed it. The blinds were 500/1000 (previously read 500/100) and I made it 2000. Just doubled the blind.
stp
Ok. So now I'm curious about the min raise. Was that working at your table? Did you want a call? Or to be forced to make a tough decision?
stp
Well done, despite the result.
I honestly thought I was going to see you on TV. Now I am disappointed. Shame on you.
Perhaps you could live up to my expectations and get on TV for stalking the hottie from your table.
All in all I enjoyed your report. Good job.
why would u be eating anywhere else but the Buffet? its so good, and pretty cheap. $20... i eat at least 2 plates of cocktail shrimp, they used to have snow crab legs.. the roast beef is pretty good too. and from 11pm to 3am its only $6. what a deal
also theres a breakfast buffet place next to the renassiance hotel, big banner saying $4.99 all u can eat breakfast. What they forget to mention is that its $4.99 US Dollar!! Not a big deal, breakfast was quite good, much better than anything at Dennys. But still, they scam us Canadians on our own turf, those bastards
and yeah, if u sign up for the free players card u get free parking. weird how u still gotta pay $10 at Casino Niagara.
There is a SELF park over at the Old Casino Niagara that is FREE... and parking at the Fallsview is FREE too if you show your PAC card on the way out with the ticket. If anyone is too lazy to get a PAC card (Players Club Card) then they have to pay the $10. I am not trying to start a debate here, just wanna get the correct info out
Cheers,
Pokerkid
Pokerkid
stp
(after reading this again, mannnn that girl was hot)
Umm.... My AA's got cracked last night. Should I have folded?
and i only PRAY that one day i'll be with a girl as tight as shannons poker playing
love you shannon,
johnny
j/k merry christmas!