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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Easy Like Sunday Morning

"Shuffle Up & Deal" - 9am Sunday $100 tournament at Golden Nugget. 10k chips w/ 30 min levels. 5 tables set up, and each table is about half full. My table has five bodies, and I'm the youngest by at least 5 yrs. 

Level 1 (25/50) - We're up to eight bodies at my table. The best way to describe the action is "still asleep", as it has been super passive. The only big pot at this table was the previous Hand Of The Day, and it didn't go well for me. I have 8150 chips. 

Level 2 (50/100) - Full table now, including a Kid who is seated on my Right+1. Action is still comatose. In the only big pot of the level, one of the players was making crying calls because he only had Bottom Set. Of course, it was good. I only raised a couple of times, and won them all on the Flop. I have 8600 chips.

Level 3 (100/200/25) - Mid (50's guy) raised 400. I'm Button with Kc Js. Considered making a 3-bet, but didn't since I was the only caller. Flop Kd Qh Td. He bet 500, I raised to 1200 with Top Pair & Open-Ender, and he called. Turn [Kd Qh Td] 2s. He checked, I bet 2000, and he thought for a bit before folding. 

Very next hand, he raised 700 from Mid position. One player called before I called with A3s. We saw a Flop of Ts 5s 3d. They checked. I decided to play this draw passively, and checked. Turn [Ts 5s 3d] Ac. Mid bet 1500, and the other player called. I raised to 4000. Mid asked the Dealer about the Rebuy. It's a $40 5k chips AddOn/Rebuy that can used any up to the first break. Mid shiped for around 8k, I guess. I really didn't care, since I had Two Pair + Nut Flush Draw. He had Ad Kc, bricked the River, and didn't use his Rebuy.

I have 19125 chips. 

Level 4 (150/300/25) - Still 9-handed, as we've only lost one player so far. Not much happened for me, as I only played a few small pots, but I win all of them. I have 25450 chips after I buy the $40 5k AddOn. 

BREAK - The timer doesn't have entrants on it, but it looks like five full tables with only a few open seats. Also, there are 2 $1/$2 and 2 $2/$4 cash game running. 

Level 5 (200/400/50) - Lost the Kid, and we're down to eight players. It's a little surprising how few players have busted. I guess with an average age of 63, folding to the money seems like a viable strategy for this field. 

I started to step on the gas a little, and it went very well. Best hand was raising with 43h from Button, and hitting the Wheel on the River. I have 31475 chips. 

Level 6 (300/600/50) - They finally broke a table, and we're 9 handed. I tried to keep doing some raising, but the Shortstacks have started to shove, and I had to fold to their 3-bets. I have 24900 chips. 

Level 7 (400/800/100) - The one player who came from the first broken table is a 40's guy with a hoodie, shades, and iPhone earbuds. Let's call him Phil. He's also on my Right, which is good. First hand we played was limped pot when we were the blinds. Phil played it really weird, including a gross overbet of 15k on the River. I folded, waiting for a better spot. The other hand was him raising preflop, and then folding to my 3-bet. I was the Button and has Tc Ts

Other than those Tens, I haven't had anything close to a playable hand for a few levels. I've done a decent job of bobing and weaving, picking up the pot when I can. I have 28400 chips. 

Level 8 (600/1200/100) - More of the same for me. Best starting hands for me was Ah Ts, A9c, and no pocket pair. I have 31300 chips. 

BREAK - Down to three tables, with 23 left. They still do not have the entrants on the timer, so I'll assume 50. Seven spots get paid, so no Bubble save for me. 1st $2145 - 7th $215

Level 9 (800/1600/200) - First hand back from break, 60's Lady goes All-In for 6200. I look at Ad Qh, and 3-bet to 15k. BB (60's guy who we will call Sam) asks how much I got left (16k), and calls. Flop Kh Tc 4d. BB checked. It's not a terrible Flop, as I now have a gushot. But I don't have a clue if Sam missed this, or is just checking down One Pair. We ended up checking it down, and he scooped the pot with 8h 8c. If I would have shipped the Flop, he probably would have folded, and my AQ-high would have beat her A5-high. Sigh. 

A few hand later, I knocked out a shortstack (my JJ vs his JTd). Towards the end of the level, I knocked a 13k stack (my AQ vs his ATo). I have 37500 chips. 

Level 10 (1k/2k/300) - I knocked out a shortie for 5900 (55 vs Q9d). I 3-bet to isolate. Sam had limped in, and reluctantly folded. He was not happy when an Ace hit the Flop, but that's why I isolated. 

Later on, I raised to 5k with KTs. It folded to BB, who was Phil from earlier. He asked how much I had behind (36k), and went All-In. I called very quickly. I've come close to looking him up a few times, but did pull the trigger. Plus, if he really strong, would he have asked how much?

Well, he had Js Jd. Ooops!  However, I got saved by a King on the Turn. Phil went ballistic, calling me everything but my name, and saying that I had no prayer of winning any tournament. I just quietly stacked the chips.

I have 80500 chips. 

Level 11 (1500/3k/300) - When we got to the Final Table bubble, play really slowed down. I stayed very patient for a while, as Phil was now on my direct Left, although across the table. Once he calmed down, I noticed he was watching the other table, like he really wanted to make the Final Table. So I started to raise a bit more, and built up some more chips. 

We reached the Final Table at the end of the level. I had 110k chips. The biggest stack (180k-ish) was on my direct Right, and we're going to call him Jim. There are two other stacks in my range around the table. 

Level 12 (2k/4k/300) - Play was calm, as I would expect at the start of a Final Table. I lost a flip in the BB vs shortie (QJd vs 88) for 17k. Phil was the first out when his A5 ran into AQ. There's been a decent amount of limping for a Final Table, which isn't surprising given the average age of this table. I stayed out of the way, and raised when I could. Overall, it went well. 

Last hand of the level, I raised to 9500 from Hyjack with A5d. Both Cutoff and Hyjack call. Flop is Ac 9h 3d. I bet 20k, hoping they both fold. Instead, they both called. I don't improve, and ATh won the pot. I have 85k chips. 

BREAK - Eight players left, which means we're on the Bubble. There is a 60's Lady who's been talking about a Bubble Save since the start of the Final Table. She's also mentioned what an even chop would mean for each player. I said No to the Bubble Save immediately, but she just kept going.

Level 13 (3k/6k/500) - It's getting harder to keep notes. Down to six players, and hands are coming fast. I knocked out 7th with AA on Button. Sam (the 88 guy from earlier) called my raise from the BB with 52o, and just couldn't fold anything as strong as Bottom Pair.

I have 173k, which is 1st or 2nd. 

Level 14 (4k/8k/1k) - It folded around to Jim in the SB. He raised to 29k, which is huge for this stage. I called in BB with Kd Th, as we are relatively deep. Flop is Ts 8c 3s. He put out a stack of 10k chips, approx 100k. Vomit! This isn't the first Blind vs Blind hand for us, and he limped before. This is clearly a Push Or Fold situation, as just calling would be terrible. I'm the #2 stack at a super soft Final Table, and I don't see why I should ship with just Top Pair against the #1 stack. I folded face up, but he didn't show. (Later on, Jim told me he had QQ for this hand, and I have no reason not to believe him.)

An orbit later, it folded to Jim, and he made it 22k in the SB. I had AJo, and shipped for 99k more. He folded, showing his A, and I showed mine.

Next hand, he raised to 24k from Button. I'm SB with Ah Ad, and I just called to trap. Flop Ks 9s 4d, and I bet my stack of black 5k chips, 40k. He quickly called. Turn [Ks 9s 4d] Kh. Crap. I kept up with the plan, and shipped for 70k+. Jim thought for a bit, and folded. Whew!

Later, I raised from the Button with K2o. SB called, who's an 80's Asian gentleman that's been riding his scooter around. He's only got 24k behind, so I'm committed if I hit. Flop was K-high, and he had K9o. Sigh. 

I have 180k chips. 

Level 15 (6k/12k/1k) - This has become a tourney of Haves & HaveNots. Jim & I had all the chips, while the other three players were waiting for someone else to be knocked out. There is very little action from those three players, including a few walks. 

We haven't any big hands between me & Jim lately. I'm playing a decent amount of pots, either raising to 26k or limping the Button and betting any Flop. Overall, it was going well. When I ran into a problem, I just folded and started building back up. I hovered between 140k and 225k. 

The Bubble Talk Lady from earlier has become the Chop Talk Lady. She keeps bringing up a deal every 10 minute, usually an even chop. Jim completely ignored her, and I only said, "Maybe later."

However, she ended up winning a good sized pot against Jim by going Runner Runner for Broadway. This put her comfortably in 3rd place, closer to us than the shorter stacks. This got her chirping even louder about making a deal. She was really starting to annoy me, so I made a suggestion that I thought would shut her up. I said, "How about Jim and I split 1st & 2nd, and you guys can chop the rest."

Much to my surprise, they didn't say no. After about two minutes of clarification, a deal was struck. Jim and I did split 1st & 2nd, the Chop Lady got 3rd, and the other two split 4th & 5th. I gave Jim an extra $120 from the split, due to him having 40k more chips. 

While Jim and I were cashing out, the Floor said he couldn't believe the other players accepted that deal, especially the Lady. I agreed with him, as I didn't expect her to agree to it. This is the closest I've come to the deal of "I'll take 1st, and you guys split the rest", as I've always had to give up a little money when making a deal. She was so desperate to make any deal that she really didn't hesitate, even though we were already two spots into the money.

So, if players at your next Final Table are desperate to make a deal, offer them a bad one. They might just take it.

At about 5:15p, I left the Golden Nugget with $1530 after Dealers' Tip. It's my first four figure score in my new job.

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