shaniac
08-30-2004, 02:12 PM
Don't look now, but you're playing too high for your bankroll.
With no business at all spending $109 (much less $409) on any one multi-table tournament, I entered the $109 Stars rebuy on Sunday at 19:30 EST. I love this tournament for a variety of reasons and have traditionally done okay. My best performance up until now was 8th place (I was robbed on two major hands at the final table) and I've cashed roughly 4 out of the 8 times I've played.
It was a fairly uneventful evening. Was in for $409 with about 7K in chips after the addon. It was one of those tournaments that just played itself sort of. Like, I'd get AA and be up against AK for a nice pot. Stayed focused and managed to pick up some uncotested pots with big hands when I started to get shortstacked with about 4 tables left. Avoided most confrontations and bluffed less than I usually do.
Things started to get interesting at the final table.
At the final table, I had about 60K in chips. JohnnyBax was the shortstack with 11K, 3 players were in the 40-50K range, the chip leader had 150K and there were a couple of 100K stacks.
Of course I love a challenge, so I immediately dropped all but 25K of my stack overplaying 77 on a TXX board, trapped by AA.
But having 25K isn't enough of a challenge, so I was all set for a momentus comeback when I lost the rest of my stack save for ~7K, pushing in from the cutoff with A9o and getting called by Bax's JJ.
So not only am I the shortstack but with 7K (blinds 2k/4k a200) and the once-shortstack at the table now doubled up my chances of moving up the pay rung suddenly suck. I had locked up $400 profit at this point, the next player out was +$500 for everyone remaining (~$1300), and first place was $15,000USD.
Then this happened: I fold 64o utg and say 'gg in advance' (the reverse jinx, natch). It's folded to the SB (T119K), the same guy who trapped me with AA and he completes. The BB, who has him covered to the tune of T150K makes it 52K to go. The SB quickly limp-reraises allin, BB calls and we've got 55 for the SB and AKo for the BB.
[Ks 4s 8d 3s] [7d] makes $500 for shaniac and even more importantly, because I was utg and it was the SB who busted, I get to skip to the SB! With around 6K in chips total, not a huge difference, but psycholigically significant.
Next hand I pick up KJo in the SB and it's folded to me. JohnnyBax in the BB calls with any 2 of course (T5o) hits a 5 on the flop, but a king on the turn brings me to a whopping 12k in chips.
KTo in the cutoff--allin uncontensted. 20K in chips.
KJo shortly thereafter. Wash, rinse, repeat: 27K in chips.
Dealt to shaniac [Jc Ac]
shaniac: raises 20894 to 26894 and is all-in.
Almost 40K now.
Without detaling every boring hand, it felt like I literally looked up and there were 4 of us left and I'm third in chips:
Seat 2: Purr Of Aces (89091 in chips)
Seat 4: RingLord (260307 in chips)
Seat 6: wrap_99 (324068 in chips)
Seat 7: shaniac (141534 in chips)
Both RingLord and wrap are playing a tight game, but I don't want to double up purr. A deal is briefly mentioned but refused by wrap and we play on.
I pick up my share of pots with steals and then this hand comes up.
Seat 2: Purr Of Aces (82791 in chips)
Seat 4: RingLord (260007 in chips)
Seat 6: wrap_99 (313568 in chips)
Seat 7: shaniac (158634 in chips)
Dealt to shaniac [Jh Jd]
shaniac: raises 12000 to 18000
RingLord: raises 60000 to 78000
What's the best play here? I hate JJ as much as the next guy but 4 handed this is a pretty sweet holding. I fold.
shaniac said, "JJ"
Baton3338 [observer] said, "YEA RIGHT U DIDNT HAVE JJ"
(I did).
Onward.
I continue to play aggressively and pick up more than my share of blinds and antes. Then I take a big hit when Purr calls for all his chips with KJ against my A2 allin from the SB and rivers a straight.
I take my biggest risk of the FT yet with these chip counts:
Seat 2: Purr Of Aces (166982 in chips)
Seat 4: RingLord (250307 in chips)
Seat 6: wrap_99 (318468 in chips)
Seat 7: shaniac (79243 in chips)
Wrap makes it 48K straight and I decide to gamble, pushing the remaining 30K in with KTs. I'm up against 77 and win the coinflip and I'm in good shape again.
Here are the chipcounts when the next big hand arrives:
Seat 2: Purr Of Aces (99582 in chips)
Seat 4: RingLord (163707 in chips)
Seat 6: wrap_99 (296625 in chips)
Seat 7: shaniac (255086 in chips)
With pocket fours and the blinds at 6k/12k i make it 30K to go. Purr raises 70K more and it's on me to call. Another spot to gamble? Sure. I'm shaniac.
He has 99 but as soon as I say 'nh' I see a 4 roll out on the flop. The case 4 turns (Seat 7: shaniac showed [4c 4s] and won (218364) with four of a kind, Fours) and we are playing 3 handed with these counts:
Seat 4: RingLord (157107 in chips)
Seat 6: wrap_99 (284025 in chips)
Seat 7: shaniac (373868 in chips)
A few hands later, RingLord loses a coinflip to wrap_99 and we are headsup:
Seat 6: wrap_99 (440532 in chips)
Seat 7: shaniac (374468 in chips)
I even it out at around 400K and wrap offers a chop.
shaniac said, "let's take 12K each and play for the remainder"
wrap_99 said, "no"
shaniac said, "how does that sound?"
shaniac said, "no?"
wrap_99 said, "that is silly"
shaniac said, "okay let's gamble"
So I've got $10,000USD locked up and am gambling for another $5,000. Headsup is pretty uneventful. Wrap was much tighter than I was and therefore exploitable. I mistymed one bluff and took a chip hit.
The final hand took place with the following chipcounts:
Seat 6: wrap_99 (484732 in chips)
Seat 7: shaniac (330268 in chips)
With blinds at 10k/20K I make it 50K to go. Wrap goes allin. I consider it and decide to call. This time it is he with the KT.
*** FLOP *** [Qs Js 3s] (neither of us have a spade)
*** TURN *** [Qs Js 3s] [5h]
*** RIVER *** [Qs Js 3s 5h] [Ts]
Sigh. But hey, that's poker. See you all next year.
My best tournament finish yet, for better or worse.
Shane
With no business at all spending $109 (much less $409) on any one multi-table tournament, I entered the $109 Stars rebuy on Sunday at 19:30 EST. I love this tournament for a variety of reasons and have traditionally done okay. My best performance up until now was 8th place (I was robbed on two major hands at the final table) and I've cashed roughly 4 out of the 8 times I've played.
It was a fairly uneventful evening. Was in for $409 with about 7K in chips after the addon. It was one of those tournaments that just played itself sort of. Like, I'd get AA and be up against AK for a nice pot. Stayed focused and managed to pick up some uncotested pots with big hands when I started to get shortstacked with about 4 tables left. Avoided most confrontations and bluffed less than I usually do.
Things started to get interesting at the final table.
At the final table, I had about 60K in chips. JohnnyBax was the shortstack with 11K, 3 players were in the 40-50K range, the chip leader had 150K and there were a couple of 100K stacks.
Of course I love a challenge, so I immediately dropped all but 25K of my stack overplaying 77 on a TXX board, trapped by AA.
But having 25K isn't enough of a challenge, so I was all set for a momentus comeback when I lost the rest of my stack save for ~7K, pushing in from the cutoff with A9o and getting called by Bax's JJ.
So not only am I the shortstack but with 7K (blinds 2k/4k a200) and the once-shortstack at the table now doubled up my chances of moving up the pay rung suddenly suck. I had locked up $400 profit at this point, the next player out was +$500 for everyone remaining (~$1300), and first place was $15,000USD.
Then this happened: I fold 64o utg and say 'gg in advance' (the reverse jinx, natch). It's folded to the SB (T119K), the same guy who trapped me with AA and he completes. The BB, who has him covered to the tune of T150K makes it 52K to go. The SB quickly limp-reraises allin, BB calls and we've got 55 for the SB and AKo for the BB.
[Ks 4s 8d 3s] [7d] makes $500 for shaniac and even more importantly, because I was utg and it was the SB who busted, I get to skip to the SB! With around 6K in chips total, not a huge difference, but psycholigically significant.
Next hand I pick up KJo in the SB and it's folded to me. JohnnyBax in the BB calls with any 2 of course (T5o) hits a 5 on the flop, but a king on the turn brings me to a whopping 12k in chips.
KTo in the cutoff--allin uncontensted. 20K in chips.
KJo shortly thereafter. Wash, rinse, repeat: 27K in chips.
Dealt to shaniac [Jc Ac]
shaniac: raises 20894 to 26894 and is all-in.
Almost 40K now.
Without detaling every boring hand, it felt like I literally looked up and there were 4 of us left and I'm third in chips:
Seat 2: Purr Of Aces (89091 in chips)
Seat 4: RingLord (260307 in chips)
Seat 6: wrap_99 (324068 in chips)
Seat 7: shaniac (141534 in chips)
Both RingLord and wrap are playing a tight game, but I don't want to double up purr. A deal is briefly mentioned but refused by wrap and we play on.
I pick up my share of pots with steals and then this hand comes up.
Seat 2: Purr Of Aces (82791 in chips)
Seat 4: RingLord (260007 in chips)
Seat 6: wrap_99 (313568 in chips)
Seat 7: shaniac (158634 in chips)
Dealt to shaniac [Jh Jd]
shaniac: raises 12000 to 18000
RingLord: raises 60000 to 78000
What's the best play here? I hate JJ as much as the next guy but 4 handed this is a pretty sweet holding. I fold.
shaniac said, "JJ"
Baton3338 [observer] said, "YEA RIGHT U DIDNT HAVE JJ"
(I did).
Onward.
I continue to play aggressively and pick up more than my share of blinds and antes. Then I take a big hit when Purr calls for all his chips with KJ against my A2 allin from the SB and rivers a straight.
I take my biggest risk of the FT yet with these chip counts:
Seat 2: Purr Of Aces (166982 in chips)
Seat 4: RingLord (250307 in chips)
Seat 6: wrap_99 (318468 in chips)
Seat 7: shaniac (79243 in chips)
Wrap makes it 48K straight and I decide to gamble, pushing the remaining 30K in with KTs. I'm up against 77 and win the coinflip and I'm in good shape again.
Here are the chipcounts when the next big hand arrives:
Seat 2: Purr Of Aces (99582 in chips)
Seat 4: RingLord (163707 in chips)
Seat 6: wrap_99 (296625 in chips)
Seat 7: shaniac (255086 in chips)
With pocket fours and the blinds at 6k/12k i make it 30K to go. Purr raises 70K more and it's on me to call. Another spot to gamble? Sure. I'm shaniac.
He has 99 but as soon as I say 'nh' I see a 4 roll out on the flop. The case 4 turns (Seat 7: shaniac showed [4c 4s] and won (218364) with four of a kind, Fours) and we are playing 3 handed with these counts:
Seat 4: RingLord (157107 in chips)
Seat 6: wrap_99 (284025 in chips)
Seat 7: shaniac (373868 in chips)
A few hands later, RingLord loses a coinflip to wrap_99 and we are headsup:
Seat 6: wrap_99 (440532 in chips)
Seat 7: shaniac (374468 in chips)
I even it out at around 400K and wrap offers a chop.
shaniac said, "let's take 12K each and play for the remainder"
wrap_99 said, "no"
shaniac said, "how does that sound?"
shaniac said, "no?"
wrap_99 said, "that is silly"
shaniac said, "okay let's gamble"
So I've got $10,000USD locked up and am gambling for another $5,000. Headsup is pretty uneventful. Wrap was much tighter than I was and therefore exploitable. I mistymed one bluff and took a chip hit.
The final hand took place with the following chipcounts:
Seat 6: wrap_99 (484732 in chips)
Seat 7: shaniac (330268 in chips)
With blinds at 10k/20K I make it 50K to go. Wrap goes allin. I consider it and decide to call. This time it is he with the KT.
*** FLOP *** [Qs Js 3s] (neither of us have a spade)
*** TURN *** [Qs Js 3s] [5h]
*** RIVER *** [Qs Js 3s 5h] [Ts]
Sigh. But hey, that's poker. See you all next year.
My best tournament finish yet, for better or worse.
Shane