Finally, Some Tournament Action

"Shuffle Up & Deal" 8000 - I walked into Peppermill tournament area for the $120 Limit Crazy Pineapple Hi/Lo tournament. I get there ten minutes before Shuffle Up & Deal, and they don't have anything ready. There was one dealer who just started building chip stacks.

About five minutes later, I find out there's only seven players signed up for the tournament (last week's tourney had 28). The TD gave us the option to cancel, but everyone voted to play. So we started with two dead stacks. The levels are 20 minutes long.

End of Level 1 (50/100 Limit) 7575 - We are up to 13 players on two tables. The player on my direct Right who took one of the dead stacks is one of the Action Guys from last night's O-8 games. He's asking all kind of questions about the rules and how the game plays.

This table is full of Super Nits. I had someone who just Check / Called with QQ on a J-high board, and I had KJ. In another hand. I was dealt AJhTc on the Button, and raised (100). Four players saw a Flop of Ad Kc Td. I bet (50) with my Two Pair. and got two callers. The Turn was [Ad Kc Td] Kh. The two players check. I just got counterfeited, so I check. The River was also checked around, and I showed my AT, hoping that my hand was good. But the SB shows KK for Quads that he checked twice. You can't be too careful, I guess.

Level 2 (100/200 Limit) 7775 - I finally won a pot with QQ. I hit a Set on the Turn, and beat Two Pair that never raised.

Even more Super Nit action. I end up with T3c on a Ad 7c 4c Flop. I bet (100) my Flush Draw with 3-Low Draw. and two players called. Turn was [Ad 7c 4c] Kc. They check, and I bet (200). They both call. River [Ad 7c 4c Kc] Ah. They both check. I'm tempted to bet, but I think it's best to conserve chips in a Limit Tournament, so I just turn over my Flush. One of the other players shows AK, which was the Nuts.

Level 3 (150/300 Limit) 10025 - I finally scooped two pots. First was with AK in the BB. I hit the A on the Flop, and nobody has a Low. Second, I ended up with T5c on the Turn and had a Flush and 5-Low. It held up.

Action Guy isn't playing too crazy, but he is playing every hand. I've also noticed that players are rarely going for the Low. Hopefully, I can use this later.

Level 4 (200/400 Limit) 11725 - I get A5cKd in Mid position, and raise (400). The Cutoff 3-Bet (600). Action Guy cold called, and I just call. Flop was Ad Jc 7d. Action Guy checked. I bet (200) with Top Pair. Cutoff called, and Action Guy folded. I discard the 5c. Turn [Ad Jc 7d] 3h. I bet (400), and Cutoff called. River [Ad Jc 7d 5c] Qc. We both check, and I show my hand. He showed QTo, and I scoop. What hand did he 3-Bet that had QTo in it?


Level 5 (300/600 Limit) 10700 - I tried to tighten up my starting hand requirements towards more Low cards. The Limits are starting to get high, and we are still seeing 3 - 5 players to the Flop.

Although, I did raise (600) UTG with QcQ2s. Four players saw a Flop of Jc 9h 2h. I bet (300), and two players called. I discarded 2s. Turn [Jc 9h 2h] 5h. They check, and so do I because of the possible Flush (like anyone at this table would bet their own hand). River [Jc 9h 2h 5h] 3h. I check. The Super Nit next to me bet (600). The other player thought for a bit, and made a reluctant call. I had no problem pitching my QQ. The Super Nit has As 6h, and scoops the pot with 6-Flush and 6-Low. The other player had 75 for a worse Low.

BREAK: All 13 players are still in, but some are quite short stacked (under 2k).

Level 6 (400/800 Limit) 12700 - We have 11 players left, and six at our table. I didn't play many pots. I did win a 4-way pot from the SB. It got checked down, and I won it with a Pair. I also played 73h5d in the Cutoff. Four players saw a Flop of 9c 5c 5s. I bet the whole way. The Super Nit next to me just called each time with 65, and we ended up chopping.

Level 7 (600/1200 Limit) 12500 - I limp (600) with 765 in Mid position. Only the Blinds call. Flop Js Ts 7h. They check. I bet (600) with Bottom Pair, hoping they fold. Only the SB called. I discard the 5. Turn [Js Ts 7h] 6c. Sweet! SB checked. I bet (1200), and he called. River [Js Ts 7h 6c] As. SB checked. That was a horrible card, as it brought the Flush, Broadway, and a Low. I check, and show my Two Pair. He has J2, and I scoop.

Final Table 5500 - We get to the Final Table (9 players) with six minutes left in the 800/1600 Level. Unfortunately, I developed a case of Fancy Tournament Play Syndrome, and it failed miserably. I tried to steal the Blinds when it folded to me on the Button with 763o, and that didn't go well.

Later, Action Guy raised (1600), and he was short-stacked. I had A52o, and decided to 3-Bet (2400) to isolate. He called, and everyone else folded. The Flop was horrible for me, so I checked because he only had 1300 left. He finally went All-In on the River. I really didn't want to call with just A-high. But the pot was over 7000, so I made the crying call. He had JJ. This hand was pure moronic by me. There's no reason to ever isolate with just Low cards. I want more players in the pot, so I can win more with the Low half of the pot.

Level 8 (800/1600 Limit) 0 - Very first hand of the Final Table, I get KcKs2d, and raise (1600) from UTG+2. One old geezer called from Mid position. He's from the other table, so I haven't played any hands with him yet. Flop 9s 9h 5h. I bet (800), and he called. Turn [9s 9h 5h] Jh. Naturally, the Flush gets there, so I check. Old geezer bets (1600). I only have 3100 left, so I take the plunge and raise All-In (3100). Even if he has a Flush, but I have outs with Two Pair. Old Geezer calls with Qh Qs. River [9s 9h 5h Jh] Th, and he hits his 4-card Flush. I'm out in 9th place.

I could say it was bad luck that knocked me out of the tournament. Certainly, if either of my plays worked, or my KK hold up, then I'm in good shape for the rest of the tournament. But there was no good reason to bring out the Fancy Tournament Plays to this tournament. I'm definitely one of the top players in this small field, and I had a decent chip stack. I just needed to stay patient and disciplined. I needed to play smarter then they were playing, and that doesn't necessarily mean that I needed to be playing more aggressively.

Hopefully I will remember this lesson in future tournaments. I do want to play more non-TV Poker tournament in the future. The next one might be on Sunday, December 5, a $170 HORSE tournament during Grand Sierra's Winter Pot Of Gold series.