Call Me Dog

Shuffle Up & Deal - I'm at the Atlantis for the Sunday 11am $80 Bounty tournament ($20 Bounty). There are two tables today, and we have nine players at ours. The levels are 20 minutes long, and we start with 13k chips.

End of Level 1 (25/50) - The table is now full with ten players. So far, the play has been what you would expect to see in the first level of a tournament. Limp limp limp, call call call. I just sat back, and observed. I only raised two hands. First was to 125 with AQo. I flopped an Ace and got two streets of value. Second was to 125 with 44 from the Hyjack. I C-Bet on the Kc Js 5c Flop, got two callers, and gave up. I have 13625 chips.

Level 2 (50/100) - I hit a Straight on the Turn from the BB with Q8o. The only hand I raised was to 250 with K7h in the Hyjack. Four players saw a Flop of Ah Ks 6h. The BB leads out for 425. This was the Flop I wanted to see when I raised with K7h, so I raised to 1500. The BB called, and everyone else folded. Turn [Ah Ks 6h] Kc. BB shipped it All-In for 7500-ish. Not a tough decision for me with Trip K and Nut Flush Draw. I snap-called, and turned my hand over. He got that "Are you kidding me?" look on his face, and showed JTh for the Combo Draw. He missed his 3-outer, and I collect Bounty #1. I have 23800 chips.

Level 3 (100/200) - I raised many more hands this level, including AK, AQ, AJ, AT, and 88. The results were mixed, but none of the wins or losses were big pots. I also flopped Two Pair in the SB with K8s in a limped pot [Kh Jd 8h]. I bet 700, and got two callers. The Turn was a brick, so I bet 2500 to end the hand because there are too many draws out there. They both folded. I have 27900 chips. 

Level 4 (200/400) - A quiet level for me. I did steal a pot on the River from the BB in a pot that nobody showed any interest. The only hand I raised was when a Shortstack limp for 400 when he only had 1300 chips. I'm the Button with QJo, and decided to isolate by raising to 1500. The Blinds and UTG folded. The Shortstack called with J9o. (Why would anyone limp with J9o for 1/3 of their stack?). We both miss, and I collect Bounty #2. UTG would have hit an Ace on the Flop. I have 30400 chips.

Level 5 (300/600) - In the Cutoff, I raise to 1500 with KK. The BB goes All-In for 3500-ish, and comments about me always raising his BB. (Why do players take it personally, especially when it's not true?) He had A4o, flopped a 4, but missed the Turn and River. That's Bounty #3, and I have 34500 chips.

BREAK - We ended up with 22 players, and have 11 left. I'm the Chip Leader at my table, and I've collected three out of the four Bounties collected at this table. This may sound strange, but it seems that things are going almost too good. I hope I'm just being paranoid.

Level 6 (400/800) - I started to step on the gas a little bit and stealing some blinds while we were still at two tables. The Hyjack raised to 2400, and had 6000 behind. I'm in the Cutoff with AA, and just called. I wouldn't mind someone else calling, or even shoving All-In, but everyone else folded. Flop was K-high. He checked, and so did I. He went All-In on the Turn with K8o, but missed his outs on the River. That's Bounty #4, and I'm now on a freeroll.

That got us to the Final Table. I've got around 45k. I think I'm the Chip Leader, but there are a couple of stack from the other table that are close. The Average Stack is 28600. Nothing happened for me at the Final Table in this level, and I have 43900.

Level 7 (500/1000/100) - A quiet level for me. There is still a lot of limping, even by the Shortstacks, so I'm staying patient. I did win two small pots by stabbing at them from the Blinds. The only preflop raise was after two player limped in. I raised to 4000 on the Button with QJo, and everyone folded. I have 47200 chips.

Level 8 (1k/2k/200) - I raised in Mid with QTh, and got one caller. The Flop was K-high with one Heart. I just checked and folded to his bet.

Two hands later, UTG min raised to 4000, and he's got a lot of chips. I'm the next player, and I call with 77. It folded around to the SB. He's an old geezer who's been whining to the Dealer about getting no cards. He looks at his cards, starts to mumble about this being the best thing he's seen in a while, and reluctantly went All-In for 7300 more. The BB folded, and UTG called.

This is an interesting spot for me. Normally, just calling the All-In and checking it down would be normal protocol at a Final Table. But this is a Bounty tournament, and if someone gets knocked out, I want the bounty. Besides, the current pot is around 20k, and that's a lot of chips. I decided this is good spot to ship it All-In for 29k more on top of the SB's All-In. UTG has me covered, but not by much. I'm hoping that I have enough Fold Equity to chase him away. And if he calls, then I'm getting some Pot Odds with just a Mid Pair.

Unfortunately, he called rather quickly with TT. I'm a little surprised by this, as many of the players at this table would have folded TT. I just got unlucky getting this guy. I miss my two outer, and UTG wins the Side Pot. BB had A4o, and hit the Wheel on the River to win the Main Pot. I walk away from the table in 8th place, and go to the Desk to collect $80 for my four bounties.

In hindsight, I have no problem with what I did. I know I said that I was gonna be patient and wait for an opportunity. That doesn't necessarily mean that I just keep folding and wait for AA. (Although, that is certainly a good opportunity.) I thought was a good spot for me to pick up a chunk of chips, so I went for it. I just didn't work.

No Guts, No Glory.

That's Tournament Poker.