The Official KotZ #13, NLHE-Heads Up thread

[eMarkM]

Tonight at 9PM ET we will be playing $20+1 NLHE Heads Up matches. Your chance to go Mano a Mano with your fellow Zoosters! This is the official thread of tonight's event.

I was thinking about scoring and this event differs a bit from others in that the point you are eliminated isn't really the same as when you're eliminated from a regular event. IOW, two people get eliminated in the first round, should they both have the same finish? I decided to just go with however Stars shows the order in the lobby. So someone eliminated in the first minute of their match gets a lower ranking than someone who has a long battle before getting knocked out. This seems fair to me. Then there's the issue with byes, unless we get exactly 32 or 64, there will be byes. For this, you're just going to get a break and get that automatic boost in ranking from not having to play the first round. I don't think this will have much of an impact on overall rankings.

Also, I know we have not issued rankings since last event. I need to get some info from Simon and then I can post a top 20 list to the board, hopefully prior to tonight's contest.

Lastly, it is with great regrets that I will not be able to participate in tonight's festivities. Good luck to everyone as I give you a free shot at the interim title.

[GrannyMae]

how long do these HU tourneys take? have you guys played one via KOTZ? if so, i was not around.

if someone advances pretty deep, are they going to be stuck playing longer than a normal KOTZ?

[eMarkM]

Good question. I'm not sure, they played an "unofficial" one last year, but I didn't play. I'm guessing we'll have six rounds with between 32 and 64 players. So give each round a half hour (and it may be shorter) and you're looking at 3 hours which is pretty typical for our events. Early rounds will go longer as there's always one match that goes long. These matches do have a lot of downtime between rounds as you wait out other matches.

[GrannyMae]

thanks for the quick reply.

last question.. if there is an odd number of players, what determines who gets the bye? is it random by software or would the first person who signed up get it?

[eMarkM]

I'm pretty sure it's randomly assigned by the software.

[Sheriff Fatman]

Granny

I played in one of the daily HU tourneys a while back. They're good fun but you can end up waiting around until one 'epic' contest finishes. It only takes one such match each round for the whole thing to drag on a bit.

Regardless of this, tonight's event should be good fun and a nice variation on the KotZ theme. Nicely timed too as the World Heads Up Championship has just started airing on UK TV in the last couple of days.

Sheriff

[GrannyMae]

i really want to play this. however, last event was too long for me. if toro had not agreed to the chop, i would have buckled in 15 minutes more.

i played in a HU match at stars once that had only 32 people, and the last match took place 5 hours after the whole show started. it was caused, as you say, by an endurance match that slowed the whole field.

i hate to say this, but i think the only way i will play is if there is only 20 or so registered. this is a great KOTZ format tho. it crowns a decisive HU champ.

wonder if cuppy is playing? i need my rematch

[William]

Those of us that are "old" enough remember 2 tennis player, Eddie Dibbs and another american player, wich name I can't remember. He used to play doubled with Dibbs, which made them the oddest team in the circuit as they were both very short and played the most boring tennis I ever saw. They never ventured to the net and returned the ball from the baseline hundreds of times without making a mistake. A real incarnation of the term Crocodile (tennis slang for baseline players)

Anyway, Adriano Panatta (another great old player, italian this time) said once while interviewed at the french open : The only thing I really pray for is to avoid playing Dibbs or (this other guy wich name i can't remember), I will be out there all day!

Please, please, let me NOT draw Lori in the first round /images/graemlins/grin.gif

William

[Lori]

Please, please, let me NOT draw lori in the first round

You don't know how right you are.... my games take forever sometimes.

Lori

[William]

You don't know how right you are.... my games take forever sometimes.

LOL, at least I know that if you move all-in, my pocket aces are no good! /images/graemlins/grin.gif

GL to you tonight /images/graemlins/smile.gif (far away from my half of the draw)

William

[dogmeat]

I played in my first HU tournament a couple days ago (I suck at this). 32 players, and it took over 5 hours - OMG I thought I was going to die of boredom. I'll probably still play tonight, but for the first time I won't be interested in any last-longer deals, and if I get real lucky, and it gets to about 3-hours, I'll just go all-in every hand.

Good Luck all.

Dogmeat /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[Eder]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm pretty sure it's randomly assigned by the software.

[/ QUOTE ]

same randomness that puts me in the BB 75% of the time every SnG /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[MEbenhoe]

Never played in a KOTZ event before, but would love to get in on this one. Can anyone tell me how to get in?

[TylerD]

PM eMark for the password then sign-up at Stars.

[eMarkM]

I will be leaving my computer for the rest of the evening starting in about an hour. I won't be playing tonight either. So I will not be able to respond to late password requests. I hereby delegate password disemination to the Zoo regulars (you know who you are) who already have the password. Post requests as responses to this post. One of the regulars can then respond to you by PM if you have the qualifying number of posts.

[wayabvpar]

To whom should I transfer my $20? It seems like that is much more time efficient than registering for the tournament and getting bounced in the first round /images/graemlins/grin.gif

That being said, I like wasting time. I apologize in advance to my opponent- I will be partially distracted by the NFL game on tonight.

[GrannyMae]

To whom should I transfer my $20?


oooo, i LOVE this idea. tell me who to send it to.

ed, i had sent MEbenhow the PW when i saw his post. then i saw the title of your new one and thought i was in trouble. glad to hear it is ok to send, especially when someone is new to KOTZ and has posts over the 200 mark.

we need newbies in this thing. i'm not saying they are dead money, cuz 99.99% of this forum can kick my ass. we need newbies cuz some of the old hands are not consitent and that would be the death of KOTZ. we all need to spam this whole forum for these events.

http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/j0/type.gif

[mrbaseball]

Ack! Doesn't look like I'll be able to make it tonight. I'll have to wait until next time to smite you all /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Good luck all!

[wayabvpar]

Bumping this to the first page. 13 left with 5 matches left in the 2nd round.

[Lori]

Must be bored after killing me in about seven hands /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Lori

[wayabvpar]

I have gotten incredibly lucky so far in my first 2 matches. I have been dealt pocket pairs like 10 times, and flopped trips 3 or 4 other times. It can't last...

[jedi]

Wow, I won a match. After my first round bye, I got lucky when my 98 flopped 2 pair vs. KK.

[Lori]

Important note:

After a bye in the first round , William is holding everyone up in round two by playing passive rock poker /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Lori

[GrannyMae]

wow, that's going fast. i should have played

[wayabvpar]

[ QUOTE ]
Important note:

After a bye in the first round , William is holding everyone up in round two by playing passive rock poker /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Lori

[/ QUOTE ]

I think he might be asleep.

[MEbenhoe]

hmm i think i play you the next round, that is if my crazy formula for seeing who your next opponent is is correct.

[MEbenhoe]

apparently i am incorrect, i'm playing ohkanada

[William]

I got 88 once!!!! AK once!!!! and got rivered with AJ by Q8 when I was contemplating victory!!!

I hate Stars!!!

Good game anyway Sleepyhollow, you played well!

Lori, I understand now, you get bad cards all the time... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Great fun,
William

[MEbenhoe]

[ QUOTE ]
apparently i am incorrect, i'm playing ohkanada

[/ QUOTE ]

and might I add he destroyed me

[Inthacup]

wonder if cuppy is playing? i need my rematch

I haven't been playing in any KOTZ tourneys lately. No particular reason, just seems like something always comes up.

LMK if when/where you want to play and for what limit. I've been working on my NL game lately, so I'm willing to do either limit or no limit heads up.


Cup

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
I got 88 once!!!! AK once!!!! and got rivered with AJ by Q8 when I was contemplating victory!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds like my hands, minus the contemplating victory part in the 2nd round. Morgant had an amazing talent for folding his SB every single time I had a good hand in the BB. Out in 11th.

[daryn]

i'm out when wayabvpar makes a baffling all-in call with 78 on a JT8 board.

river 9, KK no goot /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[wayabvpar]

My ridiculous luck continues...rivered FoxyPlayer when my 87 hit a gutshot on the river v KK. This game is easy when the deck hits you in the face.

[Tosh]

That sounds pretty ugly. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[daryn]

i'm not one to complain about beats, but did you just put me on a straight bluff? why call my huge flop raise with nothing? just asking.

[wayabvpar]

[ QUOTE ]
i'm not one to complain about beats, but did you just put me on a straight bluff? why call my huge flop raise with nothing? just asking.

[/ QUOTE ]

I figured you for a bluff, and hoped I could push you off the hand on the turn if I didn't hit. When I paired on the turn (and with the pot so big), I was gonna see the river.

Like I said- pure luck for me tonight. Gonna go out and buy a lottery ticket.

[ilya]

[ QUOTE ]
I got 88 once!!!! AK once!!!! and got rivered with AJ by Q8 when I was contemplating victory!!!

I hate Stars!!!

Good game anyway Sleepyhollow, you played well!

Lori, I understand now, you get bad cards all the time... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Great fun,
William

[/ QUOTE ]

Can I ask you what you had on that hand that crippled me? 67892 board with a possible heart flush?
I folded 72, the two-pair i made on the turn.

[ilya]

How are they calculated? I've been looking at the website but I can't find an explanation.

[dogmeat]

I know I have a serious math problem, and that is probably why I have had such a horrendous week, but explain the tournament to me, please.

27 players, one bye, 13 matches - with that one extra player

I won the first round. New rounds start when everyone is done. I lost the second round.

How did I place 16th?

These tricky math problems really are beginning to affect me.

Dogmeat /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[AAmaz0n]

[ QUOTE ]
Please, please, let me NOT draw lori in the first round

You don't know how right you are.... my games take forever sometimes.

Lori

[/ QUOTE ]

I wound up as the "lucky" draw to get Lori. We had a very good struggle for quite a while, which makes her quick exit in the second round all the more puzzling and disappointing. I was hoping that at least she would take better care of my chips once she finally got them. /images/graemlins/confused.gif

Good Game anyway,

Shauna

[Nottom]

I managed to flop top pair once in 52 hands.

Amazingly enough Doc Savage kicked my ass. He did a very good job of folding his SB everytime I had a good hand preflop. Damn Pattern maps.

[Lori]

I was hoping that at least she would take better care of my chips once she finally got them.

I think you took it all out of me with that battle, I played pretty rough in the next round, I'll try to do better with your chips next time,should that ever occur, although in fairness I was already being ground down before I made my error.

Lori

[wayabvpar]

Congrats to ohkanada, who took first when he turned a straight flush (which also made my A high flush and sealed my doom).

Had a lot of fun.

[Lori]

Well done to OhKanada, a long overdue victory in the kotz and hopefully the start of a good run of 2nd places /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Lori

[Just The Facts]

[ QUOTE ]
Congrats to ohkanada, who took first when he turned a straight flush (which also made my A high flush and sealed my doom).

Had a lot of fun.

[/ QUOTE ]

Can someone please post an order of finish. If I open a poker client from work I am fired.

Thanks

[ohkanada]

Thanks way.

Couldn't find myself in a better situation than that on the last hand.

Ken

[ohkanada]

Long over due is the understatment of the year.

Just came back from Vegas and couldn't catch a break if I tried. Finally against Jedi, my A6 caught up and passed his A8 which brought me back from death.

Thanks,
Ken

[Lori]

1. OhKanada $243
2. Wayabvpar $135
3= jedi333 $81
3= morgant $81

5= sleepyhollow
foxyplayer
drsavage
mattjebes422

9=
MobyDick
theR
nolanfan34
thestrength
debaser
dr.jekyl
lorinda
zimba

17=
AAmazon
toro85
hototogisu
CMBurns
Vinnythefish
nottom
zorac
KURN
CrackerZack
sbastid
jimbobob


Lori

[Just The Facts]

Thanks Lorinda. This ended quicker than most thought I see. Congrats OHkanada.

[jedi]

[ QUOTE ]
Long over due is the understatment of the year.

Just came back from Vegas and couldn't catch a break if I tried. Finally against Jedi, my A6 caught up and passed his A8 which brought me back from death.

Thanks,
Ken

[/ QUOTE ]

/images/graemlins/frown.gif *sob*

Seriously, that HU match was the toughest I've ever played. No one really budged and we went back and forth between being even and a 3-2 chip lead. I had him all-in with A6 vs. my A8 on an Ace high flop and he turned a six to knock me down in the chip count, but even with that, I managed to fight back and take over the chip lead for what seemed like a long time. He then took the chip lead back from me and I wound up pushing all-in with KQ and he called me with A5. No help for either of us, and I took home a 3rd place finish which I'm very happy with.

[William]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I got 88 once!!!! AK once!!!! and got rivered with AJ by Q8 when I was contemplating victory!!!

I hate Stars!!!

Good game anyway Sleepyhollow, you played well!

Lori, I understand now, you get bad cards all the time... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Great fun,
William

[/ QUOTE ]

Can I ask you what you had on that hand that crippled me? 67892 board with a possible heart flush?
I folded 72, the two-pair i made on the turn.

[/ QUOTE ]

I had j9 of hearts, so I filled both my flush and straight (lucky me).

[GrannyMae]

LMK if when/where you want to play and for what limit


i never thought i would say this, but let's play NL. does any site spread a 50 cent HU tourney?

http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/h0/jump.gif

[GrannyMae]

wow, this ended earlier than any kotz.

http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/v/hairraise.gif


sorry i missed it

[Toro]

Nearly had Nolanfan put away twice in the first round. Had him down to 400 chips and we got it all in and he hit his draw on the river and then a few hands later, same situation but now he's got double the chips and he escaped the noose on the river again.

So now we're even in chips and I kind of lost my patience because I had built the big lead with virtually no hands, and mentally just wasn't up to doing it again.

And patience is the key to HU play!

[ilya]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I got 88 once!!!! AK once!!!! and got rivered with AJ by Q8 when I was contemplating victory!!!

I hate Stars!!!

Good game anyway Sleepyhollow, you played well!

Lori, I understand now, you get bad cards all the time... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Great fun,
William

[/ QUOTE ]

Can I ask you what you had on that hand that crippled me? 67892 board with a possible heart flush?
I folded 72, the two-pair i made on the turn.

[/ QUOTE ]

I had j9 of hearts, so I filled both my flush and straight (lucky me).

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks.
Sorry I didn't get to the money with your chips. jedi crushed me with his calling skills.

[Nottom]

[ QUOTE ]
17=
AAmazon
toro85
hototogisu
CMBurns
Vinnythefish
nottom
zorac
KURN
CrackerZack
sbastid
jimbobob


[/ QUOTE ]

Does this mean I officially placed last again, becasue that would be 3 in a row for me. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
Nearly had Nolanfan put away twice in the first round. Had him down to 400 chips and we got it all in and he hit his draw on the river and then a few hands later, same situation but now he's got double the chips and he escaped the noose on the river again.

[/ QUOTE ]

Another way of saying this is that I'm the king of suckouts. I just didn't want to be the first knocked out...coming back from a 2600 to 400 chip deficit for the win was just a bonus!

I'll agree that it's hard to stay patient! I paid the price for that against morgant...

[Toro]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Nearly had Nolanfan put away twice in the first round. Had him down to 400 chips and we got it all in and he hit his draw on the river and then a few hands later, same situation but now he's got double the chips and he escaped the noose on the river again.

[/ QUOTE ]

Another way of saying this is that I'm the king of suckouts. I just didn't want to be the first knocked out...coming back from a 2600 to 400 chip deficit for the win was just a bonus!

I'll agree that it's hard to stay patient! I paid the price for that against morgant...

[/ QUOTE ]

Your first one wasn't that much of a suckout as I recall. It was very similar to FossilMans WSOP hand against Mike the Mouth. Didn't you have a flush draw with 2 overcards or was that the 2nd hand.

[jedi]

[ QUOTE ]

Thanks.
Sorry I didn't get to the money with your chips. jedi crushed me with his calling skills.

[/ QUOTE ]

Funny about that hand. I was planning on check-raising you all in, but you beat me to it. I had put you on overcards initially, but once you pushed in I was wondering if you had an overpair. Doesn't take a lot to beat a pair of 3s.

[ilya]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Thanks.
Sorry I didn't get to the money with your chips. jedi crushed me with his calling skills.

[/ QUOTE ]

Funny about that hand. I was planning on check-raising you all in, but you beat me to it. I had put you on overcards initially, but once you pushed in I was wondering if you had an overpair. Doesn't take a lot to beat a pair of 3s.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think maybe I should have flat called on the flop and raised all-in on the turn. Then again maybe I should have just folded. It was an impatient play.

[eMarkM]

Congrats to ohKanada and the money finishers.

Sorry I was unable to make it, my first missed event of the year. But I have a decent excuse. My excuse (and trip report):

I met this guy in Vegas playing a 20/40 game during the WSOP and he invited me to his home game here in the Chicago area where I live. However, he said the wait might be long as it's a popular game and I finally got the call last night. Unfortunately, it coincided with KotZ.

Now I've seen why this is a tough game to crack into. What a killer home game this guy has, first class all the way. Every Thursday night, 10/20 with half kill, 2 rounds of HE, 1 round of O8 alternating. Game starts at 7PM sharp, ends at 11:30PM, after which there's a $120 SNG with the remaining players that runs until about 1AM. He charges $30 for food and drink, but otherwise no rake. That by itself makes it worth it. The guy who runs it owns his own business and lives in an upscale neighborhood. Now in most guy's home games, they have their room hidden in the basement. In this guy's lovely home, he basically has converted his family room right off the kitchen into a poker room. The whole room is dedicated to poker. How this guy's wife let him get away with this, I'll never know, but man it's a dream room. Wet bar, video poker machine, book cases on each side of the fireplace with his poker books. Poker artwork on the walls, a neon poker sign, a Rounders movie poster autographed by all the stars, clay chips imprinted with his name, several of the little drink holder tables on wheels. And in the middle a classy, immaculate HE table imported from the Aviation Club in Paris. No detail missed, no expense spared.

If that weren't enough he has as one of his regular players Jim McManus, author of Positively Fifth Street, who's from the Chicago area (he has another local Chicago celeb in the game, too, but he wasn't there that night). Jim was there last night along with a lot of loose players, mostly well-to-do professionals (i.e., lawyers, not pro poker players).

It's a very good game. Routinely 5-6 to the flop in HE and even more in the O8 game. It pretty much plays as a 15/30 game since it gets killed constantly by the big pots. TPTK getting serious reversed implied odds in this game, someone always chasing you down. One LAGgy player, was wiping everyone else out. He cleaned out three players of their buyins with a combination of good starting cards, but catching draws like crazy. I was fortunate enough to be able to value bet into him with TPTK type hands so he didn't ding me too badly as he didn't catch on those hands.

I had three HE hands with McManus, I was two to his left, so I had position on him. Let's see if I can remember the details. He raises in EP, I call with ATh, and there are 3 other players that come in behind us. Flop comes AQx, two clubs. Jim bets, I raise, others fold, he reraises, I call. I figure he probably has me dominated, but I get my card when the T falls on the turn. Now he check calls me to the river. He had A8c for TP, nut flush draw that missed. Not sure why he raised that in EP, fine to call with in this game, but that raise is not going to lose anyone except me and maybe the host (a very solid player), as I thought my call w/ ATs was marginal.

2nd hand. I think there's a EP caller, Jim calls, I call with Q9s, another caller or two, the blind see another AQx flop. Checked to me and I bet my 2nd pair. Only Jim calls. Turn is another Q and he leads out. I raise and he calls. River blank and he check calls and I see his Q4c. My kicker plays. Q4c from McManus? Must have been Bad Jim on that hand.

3rd hand, a million people limp and I go along with K7s on the button. Flop comes K7x and Jim leads out, I raise, a caller, Jim reraises, I cap. Turn, I forget, but Jim check calls, we lose the other player and Jim folds to my bet on the river. I figure he had a flush draw on that one, I think it was a two tone flop.

Overall, Jim's a really good guy, during the dinner break (a very nice spread of Greek food) we were kidding him that he'll never live down that Q-high hand call from the WSOP limit tourney, but he defended himself saying he won more off Powers than Powers got off him. During our game a guy was going to kill in a non kill game and the host said he could go ahead if he wanted to post. I said "but that would be disrespecting the game" and got a hearty laugh out of Jim. He also had some other amusing and disturbing anecdotes on big buy-in tourney play (he plays in quite a few now) that I won't elaborate on and was overall a real friendly guy and he autographed my copy of PFS that I brought.

Despite those wins, I only was up about $100 at the end as my made hands got chased down a lot. Limit O8 is not my best game, so I probably made a few too many loose calls there. But I won enough to pay the buyin for the SNG, which I placed 5th in (top 3 pay like online SNG). I got short stacked and was forced to steal on button with mariginal hands like T7s and was finally called with KT by AQ and got no help. So it was a break even night overall.

[MicroBob]

Good story.
When I first saw that you were playing with McManus I immediately thought to ask if you threw in some wise-crack about 'disrespecting the game' but I can see you already took care of business in that regard.

I think your excuse suffices as cause to skip a KOTZ. Just don't let it happen again!!!!

[wayabvpar]

Cool story! I am hoping to create a poker den of my own some day...I think buying a house would be a good step. So far, I only have the portable felt table cover, some KEM cards, and some marginal chips.

[jedi]

Okay, so apparantely I have the hand completely backwards. I guess it looks like Ilya was the one check-raising me all-in. Like I said earlier, I put him on overcards and when I made the call, it took me a while to finally decide to push the button.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t120 (2 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

BB <font color="purple">(ilya)</font> (t5120)
Jedi (t6880)

Preflop: Jedi is Button with 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="CC3333">Jedi raises to t360</font>, <font color="CC3333">BB <font color="purple">(ilya)</font> raises to t960</font>, Jedi calls t600.

Flop: (t1920) 9/images/graemlins/club.gif, 3/images/graemlins/club.gif, 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
ilya checks, <font color="CC3333">Jedi bets t1200</font>, <font color="CC3333">ilya raises to t4160</font>, Jedi calls t2960.

Turn: (t10240) Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>

River: (t10240) 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>

Final Pot: t10240
<font color="green">Main Pot: t10240 (t10240), between ilya and Jedi.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by Jedi (t10240).</font>

Results in white below: <font color="white">
ilya has Tc As (high card, ace).
Jedi has 3d Ah (one pair, threes).
Outcome: Jedi wins t10240. </font>

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
Your first one wasn't that much of a suckout as I recall. It was very similar to FossilMans WSOP hand against Mike the Mouth. Didn't you have a flush draw with 2 overcards or was that the 2nd hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that was the first hand. Two overcards to your middle pair, and i hit my flush on the river. Second hand was like a 4 or 5 outer that i hit on the river. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

[nolanfan34]

Wow, sounds like a blast. You'll have to post a trip report when you play in that game again, I'm wondering who the other Chicago celeb is. Oprah? /images/graemlins/grin.gif