davidross
10-01-2004, 09:41 PM
September was a terrible month for me in ring games, and especially in tournaments. After a summer where I ran exceptionally well, September was like a cold shower. In 15/30 play I struggled every week. I started the month with a 4K downturn that was my biggest ever in terms of dollars, then followed it up with a 5K downturn the next week, and then 2 separate 6K losses 5 days apart. I managed to post small wins each week, mostly because I seemed to manage 1 huge win each week, including a 6K win in 6 hours one day. But overall my win rate was way down.
In tournaments I ran even worse. I played 38 Party tournaments in the month and cashed once for $500. Overall I dropped $4,900 in entry fees for the month. I lost every way imaginable. I went out in the first orbit, and I went out on the bubble. I ran into big hands, and I lost on poorly timed bluffs. I had a lot of nights where I just played very poorly. My confidence was shot and my play reflected that. If I slow-played I got run down by a hand that would have folded, if I played it fast, I got no callers. The constant losing was becoming a concern from a bankroll point of view. I told my wife it would turn around in October.
Well October didn’t come soon enough for my $100 NL last night, when I built a nice stack only to go out with AK against A7 (why he called my all-in I have no idea) when he hit 2 7’s on the flop. But in the Super Thursday event I managed to last until midnight, and so far October looks like a better month.
I resolved to play smart, tight, conservative poker early on. I’m getting sick of early exits with sub-par hands. My first test of resolve came very early with blinds still at 10/20. UTG limped and UTG+1 raised it to 50. I was next to act with AKo. I decided to be cautious and just call with position on the raiser. LP now made it 250 to go. The table had been very tight, and now I was trying to decide what to do with this raise, when after it was folded around, the UTG+1 raised it to 450. We all had similar sized stacks and I kissed my 50 goodbye and folded. The size of the re-raise sure smelled like AA to me. LP called. The flop had an A in it, and UTG+1 made a small flop bet that was called. They both checked the turn, then a big bet and call on the river. They had AA and QQ.
I spent 2 hours keeping my stack slightly above average. I would win a nice pot, then run into a big hand on a shorter stack, twice losing to AA with QQ and JJ. Just before the first break I got AJ in the cutoff and made a raise that was called by the BB. Flop was AQx and I bet and got called. Turn was a J, and I pushed all-in. I got called by AK and went into the 1st break with 1700 chips. During the 2nd hour I raised from LP with JJ and got called on the button and the SB. Flop was QTx and the SB went all-in. I hated this with a guy to act behind me. I had the SB covered by around 1000 chips so he wouldn’t eliminate me, but I didn’t really want to give away all those chips. After using all my time and part of my time bank I pushed all-in too hoping to keep the button from calling and it worked. SB had AJ and no A or K arrived to save him. Just before the 2nd break I called an MP raise with 88 in the BB. The flop was 433 and I check raised all-in. The guy thought a long time then called me with KJ?? I held up and had a 6500 stack at the 2nd break.
The 3rd hour went just like the first 2. I bled a small amount of chips for most of the hour, then went on a rush at the end of the hour, mostly at the expense of 1 big stack. It was a dream sequence of hands. With blinds at 200/400 he had 14K and I was on his left with 5500. He mini-raised to 800 in the SB and I called with 9s 8s. The flop was As Kc 8c, and he bet 500. Without physical reads online, all we can go by is the bet sizes. This smelled really weak to me. I think he checks an Ace. He might have a K but I don’t think he has an A. I don’t want to push all-in because I think it smells weak too, so I raised him to 1800. I will still have 7 BB’s if he comes back over the top on me and I have to fold. He thinks a long time and folds. Sweet. 2 hands later he limps from the CO. I find Ad Td on the button and raise it to 1500. Both blinds fold and he lays down to me again. He is down to 12.5K now and I’m up to 7.5K. The very next hand he raises it up to 1300 and I have KK. For the 3rd time in 4 hands I come over the top of him, this time to 2500. Everyone gets out of our way and he re-raises all-in. I call. He has JJ and I’m good. He’s under 5K and I’m up to 16K, and we’re about 10 places from the money. 5 more hands go by and I’m UTG with AQo. I raise to 1200 and it’s folded to my buddy in the BB who moves all-in on me. It’s an easy call for 3600 more and he shows KQ. AN A flops putting him out of his misery and out 10 from the money after having 16K one orbit earlier.
With the button looming, I’m the big stack at the table, and around 3rd overall, and I get a series of great hands and just keep stealing blinds. KQ, AK both win the blinds. 99 raised after a limper also wins the blinds. Two more AK’s which I show to make sure no one thinks I’m playing just anything here, and then some LP steals with KT and T9. By the time we’re in the money my stack is up to 24K.
After playing quite loose going into the bubble I tighten up completely right after when all the short stacks start gambling. Usually you can find spots to get it in with a big edge, but last night my cards went cold, and I just treaded water for a long time. By the time we were down to 3 tables, I hadn’t played a significant pot in an hour and had pretty much the same chip stack I did when there were 70 left. I was in around 18th chip position at this point. During that time I ran into AA twice more, fortunately by small stacks who came over the top of my raises. Their stacks were so small I called the raise, and lost each time. I played a lot of this time with Brett Jungblutt (Gank) on my right. He won a WSOP bracelet this year and fortunately had a short stack which he played very well and ended up even with me in chips when our table broke. I was able to steal a few pots with semi-bluff bets on the flop from the blinds after flopping open ended or flush draws to keep my stack above average. I had QQ lose again to AA to drop below 20K for the first time in a long while and suddenly found myself middle of the pack again, as we got to 3 tables.
With blinds at 750/1500 and my stack down to 18K I was getting a little concerned. As far as I’m concerned, this stage your whole tournament rides on not running into big hands. I raised to 4500 with A5s and won the blinds. If you don’t make these moves you get blinded down, but you look stupid if the BB wakes up with AJ or something, but I had enough chips here to fold and survive. Winning the right coin tosses is pretty important too. A desperqte short stack UTG raised all-in for 6K. The blinds would eat up more than a third of his staqck so I figured he was any Ace, any pair time. I had AT and called him. I actually pushed all-in from 3 off the button to shut out any marginal calling hands. He had 33 and they held up leaving me with only 15K. 2 hands later I moved all-in with AQ from EP and got called by TT. This time I won the coin toss and had a healthy stack again at 33K. Timing is everything. Very shortly after that I got KK in the BB. A huge stack (77K) raised it to 7600. Blinds were 1K/2k now and I just called from the BB. The flop was QJ8 rainbow, and I made a weak looking bet of 5K. He came over top of me all-in and I called right away. He had A9 and didn’t spike his Ace, and suddenly I had 67K. The 2+2 crew was out in force. I’m sure the rest of the table was wondering what was going on. The fans went nuts. El Diablo even showed up and didn’t jinx me this time. We were down to 2 Tables now and big money seemed possible.
I hate hands like this. Folded to me on the button and I have ATs. I make a standard raise to 6K, and the BB pushes all-in for 33K. I know he puts me on a steal, but can I call this here? I fold.
A few more orbits of folding and I was down to 58K when for the first time I got AA. I ran into it 4 times and now my heart rate shot up. Folded to me 2 off the button and I made a raise to 9K. Blinds are 1500/3000. The SB called me. Flop is KJ5 2 clubs. I have the Ace of clubs. He bets into me 9600. I raise him to 30K, and he re-raises me all-in. Hmm. I call of course and he shows me the two red aces. I didn’t hit the club flush and we take our chips back.
My worst hand of the tournament I think. 16 left EP(41K) limps. I raise to 9K with Ad Jd. The wildest player left raises me to 20,500. He has made some terrible calls and got lucky, but I don’t know about his raising standards. He has 43.5K. I have 59K at the start of the hand. I decide to call. I really don’t like this in hindsight. I think this is a good spot to fold and let him think he can push me around, and wait for a spot where I have a monster. The Ep folded by the way. Flop is QQ4 and we both check. Turn is a T. He bets 13K and I folded.
Down to 12 players and my stack has dwindled to 41K. The money starts getting serious at 9. Then each place is worth $500. Blinds are 2K 4K and we’re 6 handed. I have 88 UTG and I make it 12K to go. There is only 1 blind due to a bust out, and he raises me to 31K. He has 61K to start. I use all my time and my bank too. My head says fold, but that will leave me with 29K, only 5 BB’s and very little leverage. I decide to gamble and hope he has overcards. I go all-in and he calls with AK. He gets 4 more outs when a Q and a T flop but my hand holds up and all of a sudden I’m in great shape again.
The same guy I beat with my 88 pushes his last 20K in and I have AJ and call. I have his A4 dominated and I’m up to 100K. I dropped 18K when I raise with KJ and get called by the BB. No help on the flop and when he pushes all in on the turn I fold.
We’re now at the final table and I’m down to 67K. There are 4 stacks much bigger than mine, and 3 much smaller, with 3 of us around the same. The biggest stack is less than 2 times my stack though. I fold for an orbit, and lose an extra 6K when I limp with 22 and then fold on the flop. I really hoped to see a the small stacks busted before making any moves but everyone is cautious. I get AQo UTG +1 and think about folding, but everyone has been so tight. Blinds are 3K/6K and I push my 51K all-in. Everyone folds. Another orbit of folding and blinds have me back to 51K when we finally lose someone. Moving up to 8this worth $500 more, and then each spot is worth 1K. Without playing a hand we lose another short stack and now we are down to 8. I have 51K. 2 stacks over 140K, and another over 100K. 2 around 75K and 2 of us around 50K. One short stack at 25K. The biggest stack makes it 15K to go and I’m in the BB with JJ. I go all-in and he calls me with 55?? Now I’m over 100K and in pretty good shape.
We lose another and we’re down to 7. I’m in the SB and the button open raises to 25K. He has 75K and I’m at 110K. I have AJo and come over the top of him all-in. He calls with 99 and I hit a J on the flop. He’s out and I have 190K and I’m the chip leader. I lose 30K in a hand that is to prove meaningful before we’re through. Small stack raise 17K of his 19K and I come over the top with AJ. He has A9, but spikes 2 9’s on the flop. This guy survives several all-ins as a big dog.
Wild hand now. EP raise all-in for 84K. I have QQ in the SB and I push my 147K in too. Now the BB calls for his last 84K. EP has AJ, and BB has KK. All undercards on the board, and we’re down to 5 but I’m down to 54K. 5 hands later I get QQ again in the BB and an EP goes all-in for his last 45K. I call, he has A2 and I win. We’re down to 4 and I have 100K again. With 4 left the leader has 278K, 2nd is 262K and I have 106K. Small stack, the guy who keeps surviving has 40K. I’m trying to decide how badly I want to move up 1 spot. Do I keep folding and wait or take a chance on the higher payday?
One orbit later I haven’t played a hand nor has the small stack. With me in the big blind, The small stack goes all-in for 25K. SB is a real loosie, who has made some crazy plays all night. He cold calls, and I call with QT. Flop is T 8 8. Now the loosie bets 43K. I know he has nothing. I don’t know why he is trying to push me off, but I know he is. I raise all-in. Amazingly he calls me with Q6 and no flush draw. Small stack has A5. Turn is a 7, and the river is….an A. Again the short stack has rivered his way to survival. Thanks to the crazy small blind I actually pick up 50K on the hand because of the side pot, but the small stack now has 75K and isn’t anywhere near to bust out.
Now the crazy raises to 20K with blinds at 5K/10K, and I smooth call from the button with 99. Flop comes 875 and he bets 40K at me. I raise him all-in and he calls. He has TT and I’m down to 7K, out with AK on the next hand.
4th pays $6200, but of course I feel I should have done better. Based on this guys previous play though, I think 99 with undercards on the flop and a straight draw to boot was a good hand to get it all-in with. Kind of a strange tournament in that I never won a pot as a serious dog. I lost to AA 4 times, and the one time I had it I chopped. I won all my big coin flips though, and that was really the difference. It felt good to make good decisions and be rewarded for the first time in a while.
In tournaments I ran even worse. I played 38 Party tournaments in the month and cashed once for $500. Overall I dropped $4,900 in entry fees for the month. I lost every way imaginable. I went out in the first orbit, and I went out on the bubble. I ran into big hands, and I lost on poorly timed bluffs. I had a lot of nights where I just played very poorly. My confidence was shot and my play reflected that. If I slow-played I got run down by a hand that would have folded, if I played it fast, I got no callers. The constant losing was becoming a concern from a bankroll point of view. I told my wife it would turn around in October.
Well October didn’t come soon enough for my $100 NL last night, when I built a nice stack only to go out with AK against A7 (why he called my all-in I have no idea) when he hit 2 7’s on the flop. But in the Super Thursday event I managed to last until midnight, and so far October looks like a better month.
I resolved to play smart, tight, conservative poker early on. I’m getting sick of early exits with sub-par hands. My first test of resolve came very early with blinds still at 10/20. UTG limped and UTG+1 raised it to 50. I was next to act with AKo. I decided to be cautious and just call with position on the raiser. LP now made it 250 to go. The table had been very tight, and now I was trying to decide what to do with this raise, when after it was folded around, the UTG+1 raised it to 450. We all had similar sized stacks and I kissed my 50 goodbye and folded. The size of the re-raise sure smelled like AA to me. LP called. The flop had an A in it, and UTG+1 made a small flop bet that was called. They both checked the turn, then a big bet and call on the river. They had AA and QQ.
I spent 2 hours keeping my stack slightly above average. I would win a nice pot, then run into a big hand on a shorter stack, twice losing to AA with QQ and JJ. Just before the first break I got AJ in the cutoff and made a raise that was called by the BB. Flop was AQx and I bet and got called. Turn was a J, and I pushed all-in. I got called by AK and went into the 1st break with 1700 chips. During the 2nd hour I raised from LP with JJ and got called on the button and the SB. Flop was QTx and the SB went all-in. I hated this with a guy to act behind me. I had the SB covered by around 1000 chips so he wouldn’t eliminate me, but I didn’t really want to give away all those chips. After using all my time and part of my time bank I pushed all-in too hoping to keep the button from calling and it worked. SB had AJ and no A or K arrived to save him. Just before the 2nd break I called an MP raise with 88 in the BB. The flop was 433 and I check raised all-in. The guy thought a long time then called me with KJ?? I held up and had a 6500 stack at the 2nd break.
The 3rd hour went just like the first 2. I bled a small amount of chips for most of the hour, then went on a rush at the end of the hour, mostly at the expense of 1 big stack. It was a dream sequence of hands. With blinds at 200/400 he had 14K and I was on his left with 5500. He mini-raised to 800 in the SB and I called with 9s 8s. The flop was As Kc 8c, and he bet 500. Without physical reads online, all we can go by is the bet sizes. This smelled really weak to me. I think he checks an Ace. He might have a K but I don’t think he has an A. I don’t want to push all-in because I think it smells weak too, so I raised him to 1800. I will still have 7 BB’s if he comes back over the top on me and I have to fold. He thinks a long time and folds. Sweet. 2 hands later he limps from the CO. I find Ad Td on the button and raise it to 1500. Both blinds fold and he lays down to me again. He is down to 12.5K now and I’m up to 7.5K. The very next hand he raises it up to 1300 and I have KK. For the 3rd time in 4 hands I come over the top of him, this time to 2500. Everyone gets out of our way and he re-raises all-in. I call. He has JJ and I’m good. He’s under 5K and I’m up to 16K, and we’re about 10 places from the money. 5 more hands go by and I’m UTG with AQo. I raise to 1200 and it’s folded to my buddy in the BB who moves all-in on me. It’s an easy call for 3600 more and he shows KQ. AN A flops putting him out of his misery and out 10 from the money after having 16K one orbit earlier.
With the button looming, I’m the big stack at the table, and around 3rd overall, and I get a series of great hands and just keep stealing blinds. KQ, AK both win the blinds. 99 raised after a limper also wins the blinds. Two more AK’s which I show to make sure no one thinks I’m playing just anything here, and then some LP steals with KT and T9. By the time we’re in the money my stack is up to 24K.
After playing quite loose going into the bubble I tighten up completely right after when all the short stacks start gambling. Usually you can find spots to get it in with a big edge, but last night my cards went cold, and I just treaded water for a long time. By the time we were down to 3 tables, I hadn’t played a significant pot in an hour and had pretty much the same chip stack I did when there were 70 left. I was in around 18th chip position at this point. During that time I ran into AA twice more, fortunately by small stacks who came over the top of my raises. Their stacks were so small I called the raise, and lost each time. I played a lot of this time with Brett Jungblutt (Gank) on my right. He won a WSOP bracelet this year and fortunately had a short stack which he played very well and ended up even with me in chips when our table broke. I was able to steal a few pots with semi-bluff bets on the flop from the blinds after flopping open ended or flush draws to keep my stack above average. I had QQ lose again to AA to drop below 20K for the first time in a long while and suddenly found myself middle of the pack again, as we got to 3 tables.
With blinds at 750/1500 and my stack down to 18K I was getting a little concerned. As far as I’m concerned, this stage your whole tournament rides on not running into big hands. I raised to 4500 with A5s and won the blinds. If you don’t make these moves you get blinded down, but you look stupid if the BB wakes up with AJ or something, but I had enough chips here to fold and survive. Winning the right coin tosses is pretty important too. A desperqte short stack UTG raised all-in for 6K. The blinds would eat up more than a third of his staqck so I figured he was any Ace, any pair time. I had AT and called him. I actually pushed all-in from 3 off the button to shut out any marginal calling hands. He had 33 and they held up leaving me with only 15K. 2 hands later I moved all-in with AQ from EP and got called by TT. This time I won the coin toss and had a healthy stack again at 33K. Timing is everything. Very shortly after that I got KK in the BB. A huge stack (77K) raised it to 7600. Blinds were 1K/2k now and I just called from the BB. The flop was QJ8 rainbow, and I made a weak looking bet of 5K. He came over top of me all-in and I called right away. He had A9 and didn’t spike his Ace, and suddenly I had 67K. The 2+2 crew was out in force. I’m sure the rest of the table was wondering what was going on. The fans went nuts. El Diablo even showed up and didn’t jinx me this time. We were down to 2 Tables now and big money seemed possible.
I hate hands like this. Folded to me on the button and I have ATs. I make a standard raise to 6K, and the BB pushes all-in for 33K. I know he puts me on a steal, but can I call this here? I fold.
A few more orbits of folding and I was down to 58K when for the first time I got AA. I ran into it 4 times and now my heart rate shot up. Folded to me 2 off the button and I made a raise to 9K. Blinds are 1500/3000. The SB called me. Flop is KJ5 2 clubs. I have the Ace of clubs. He bets into me 9600. I raise him to 30K, and he re-raises me all-in. Hmm. I call of course and he shows me the two red aces. I didn’t hit the club flush and we take our chips back.
My worst hand of the tournament I think. 16 left EP(41K) limps. I raise to 9K with Ad Jd. The wildest player left raises me to 20,500. He has made some terrible calls and got lucky, but I don’t know about his raising standards. He has 43.5K. I have 59K at the start of the hand. I decide to call. I really don’t like this in hindsight. I think this is a good spot to fold and let him think he can push me around, and wait for a spot where I have a monster. The Ep folded by the way. Flop is QQ4 and we both check. Turn is a T. He bets 13K and I folded.
Down to 12 players and my stack has dwindled to 41K. The money starts getting serious at 9. Then each place is worth $500. Blinds are 2K 4K and we’re 6 handed. I have 88 UTG and I make it 12K to go. There is only 1 blind due to a bust out, and he raises me to 31K. He has 61K to start. I use all my time and my bank too. My head says fold, but that will leave me with 29K, only 5 BB’s and very little leverage. I decide to gamble and hope he has overcards. I go all-in and he calls with AK. He gets 4 more outs when a Q and a T flop but my hand holds up and all of a sudden I’m in great shape again.
The same guy I beat with my 88 pushes his last 20K in and I have AJ and call. I have his A4 dominated and I’m up to 100K. I dropped 18K when I raise with KJ and get called by the BB. No help on the flop and when he pushes all in on the turn I fold.
We’re now at the final table and I’m down to 67K. There are 4 stacks much bigger than mine, and 3 much smaller, with 3 of us around the same. The biggest stack is less than 2 times my stack though. I fold for an orbit, and lose an extra 6K when I limp with 22 and then fold on the flop. I really hoped to see a the small stacks busted before making any moves but everyone is cautious. I get AQo UTG +1 and think about folding, but everyone has been so tight. Blinds are 3K/6K and I push my 51K all-in. Everyone folds. Another orbit of folding and blinds have me back to 51K when we finally lose someone. Moving up to 8this worth $500 more, and then each spot is worth 1K. Without playing a hand we lose another short stack and now we are down to 8. I have 51K. 2 stacks over 140K, and another over 100K. 2 around 75K and 2 of us around 50K. One short stack at 25K. The biggest stack makes it 15K to go and I’m in the BB with JJ. I go all-in and he calls me with 55?? Now I’m over 100K and in pretty good shape.
We lose another and we’re down to 7. I’m in the SB and the button open raises to 25K. He has 75K and I’m at 110K. I have AJo and come over the top of him all-in. He calls with 99 and I hit a J on the flop. He’s out and I have 190K and I’m the chip leader. I lose 30K in a hand that is to prove meaningful before we’re through. Small stack raise 17K of his 19K and I come over the top with AJ. He has A9, but spikes 2 9’s on the flop. This guy survives several all-ins as a big dog.
Wild hand now. EP raise all-in for 84K. I have QQ in the SB and I push my 147K in too. Now the BB calls for his last 84K. EP has AJ, and BB has KK. All undercards on the board, and we’re down to 5 but I’m down to 54K. 5 hands later I get QQ again in the BB and an EP goes all-in for his last 45K. I call, he has A2 and I win. We’re down to 4 and I have 100K again. With 4 left the leader has 278K, 2nd is 262K and I have 106K. Small stack, the guy who keeps surviving has 40K. I’m trying to decide how badly I want to move up 1 spot. Do I keep folding and wait or take a chance on the higher payday?
One orbit later I haven’t played a hand nor has the small stack. With me in the big blind, The small stack goes all-in for 25K. SB is a real loosie, who has made some crazy plays all night. He cold calls, and I call with QT. Flop is T 8 8. Now the loosie bets 43K. I know he has nothing. I don’t know why he is trying to push me off, but I know he is. I raise all-in. Amazingly he calls me with Q6 and no flush draw. Small stack has A5. Turn is a 7, and the river is….an A. Again the short stack has rivered his way to survival. Thanks to the crazy small blind I actually pick up 50K on the hand because of the side pot, but the small stack now has 75K and isn’t anywhere near to bust out.
Now the crazy raises to 20K with blinds at 5K/10K, and I smooth call from the button with 99. Flop comes 875 and he bets 40K at me. I raise him all-in and he calls. He has TT and I’m down to 7K, out with AK on the next hand.
4th pays $6200, but of course I feel I should have done better. Based on this guys previous play though, I think 99 with undercards on the flop and a straight draw to boot was a good hand to get it all-in with. Kind of a strange tournament in that I never won a pot as a serious dog. I lost to AA 4 times, and the one time I had it I chopped. I won all my big coin flips though, and that was really the difference. It felt good to make good decisions and be rewarded for the first time in a while.