PokerPaul
11-15-2004, 01:07 PM
Returned Saturday from my 5 day venture to foxwoods for the WPT event there this week.
Just wanted to head down and play a few days in several satellites to see if I could qualify for the main event. This is my second foray into a big tournament event after visiting tunica for the midsummer classic in august, where I faired quite poorly, due to bad luck for the most part. I may have also played poorly then, but I do think that I had a bad run of cards for the most part, and hence I was still confident that I could do a lot better at foxwoods.
Tuesday
I arrived Tuesday evening, and was going to meet up with fellow Torontonian david ross the next morning, whom I helped convince to come down for this (I hope u don’t hate me for that DR, but I’ll you people read about his experience when he posts his trip report).
So I get in around 7pm Tuesday evening, and the place is packed, all kinds of commotion, and bright lights and TV cameras everywhere around the poker area. As I get closer I notice there is some kind of poker tournament going on in the middle of this. As I get to the rail, they feature 1 main table under a canopy of stage lights, and I notice Annie Duke, Eskimo, and several others playing there. As I look around the side tables I notice more and more poker pros: Harrington, Seidel, Doyle, Chip, juanda, varkonyi, and many others I recognize but don’t even know the names. I thought, wow, guess these pros are way better than any of us since I don’t really see anyone there that wasn’t at some point on TV in major event, and it looked like they were the remaining final few. Only then did I notice the PPT logos, and realized this was an invitation only event for the pros, a $500,000 free roll. At 139 entries, I guess that means everyone of them got a free entry in what would have otherwise been a $3,500 event…..must be nice to be a pro with enough reputation to get an invite, but I guess they all paid their dues to make it to that level.
Anyways, back to me…..i went downstairs to the ballroom where they were running all the Act I, II and III’s to qualify for the main event. A quick explanation for those who don’t know what the Act’s are:
- Act I is $65 buy-in 1 table satellite to an Act II. I think top 3 get entries to an Act II. They run continuously like a SnG.
- Act II is a $150 buyin 1 table satellite to an Act III. Winner gets entry coupon to ActIII, 2nd and 3rd get another ActII coupon. They are run continuously.
- Act III is basically a $1060 super satellite to the main event. 1 entry for every 10 particiapnts. They were usually only once a night, or twice in the 2 days leading up to the final.
I thought this structure was a fantastic idea. You can choose what level you want to try out for, and the fact that even 2nd and 3rd get something too makes it feel more worthwhile than the strict first or nothing way other 1 tables are run. The fact that there was also some kind of order to it (you had to sign your name on list so everyone gets their turn in sequence), as opposed to tunica where you basically had to physically grab a seat card like a feeding frenzy amongst 30 people hovered around a table before they were all gone.
Anyways, I played in an Act II, and was yapping it up with a young guy to my left in the 2 seat. Not going to bore you with details, but I did not get 1 playable hand in the first 5 levels. Got by with the occasional blind steal and that was it. Somehow managed to survive to 4th spot when I started to pick up a few good hands, and then finished in 2nd place to the young guy on my left who had the huge stack to mine at that point….more on him later. I thought that I was one of the better players at the table, and definitely deserved to finish near the top with the lousy cards I had for almost the entire first hour.
So I got a coupon into another one…..used it promptly, and played very well again, but got knocked out in 4th when I moved allin with AK, and the BB called me for 95% of his stack with A4….and a 4 spiked……still felt very good about myself because I was playing well, and even when I got knocked out I made the correct move and got very unlucky.
Wandered back upstairs to check the PPT thing, far fewer players left now, only 4 tables, Doyle, chip, annie duke all gone. But then something happened that I want to share here, because somehow it made my stomach turn. The way the TV crews worked it was that whenever there was an allin, the dealer would wave a red flag in the air notifying the crew of the allin….a couple of camera men and an interviewer would scurry over to film what happened with the allin, sometimes the interviewer even asking some of the other players at the table some questions during it. Anyways, someone moved allin on Jennifer harmon at the table where I was standing. The dealer waved the flag, the camera crew came over and had 1 camera on the table, and another exclusively on JH.
She stood up, posed, hummed and haa’d for a while, stretched her arms, put her hands in her pockets, leaned her knee on the chair, and this went on for over 6 full minutes. She had her hair and makeup all done up in anticipation of this. 6 full minutes, maybe even more, and it was obvious she was maximizing her solo camera time and playing it up for it…….i’m surprised none of the other players at table called time. Oh, she ended up folding.
So I went back down to try a $525 2 table satellite for 1 seat. Amarilo Slim and a couple other pros in, including shawn rice who had just got knocked out of the PPT event. I played tight, very tight, until this hand came up…..chip leader limps from mid, shawn rice from button puts in triple raise, SB folds, and me in BB look at AJs. I figure him for a blind steal, or maybe just an OK hand, so I move allin, hoping to force chipleader out and put tough decision to Shawn (or EZ if it was a steal). He takes a long time, so I think I’m in more trouble than I anticipated. He eventually calls for about 85% of his stack, and shows down 66. Bunch of blanks on flop and turn, I start getting up and even say ‘good hand’, but an Ace spikes on river. At that point he gets quite testy, berating me to his neighbouring players, telling me how on earth can I come over the top of him with that when he has been so tight and only showed quality hands so far etc. etc…..i said how can you call me with 66 when I have been even tighter…..and he got really ticked. 2 hands later he moves allin with JJ and gets busted. Hmmm, considering all the tourney experience he has, I was surprised to see him react that way to what I still think was not that unusual a hand….oh well.
Anyways, I played hard, and went out in 4th spot out of 20 after my cards went cold and blinds melted me away.
Wednesday
Met up with David Ross, and we went to lunch. Afterwards I played a little 10/20, left 2 hours later down 100.
Entered another Act II with my coupon, hoping to qualify for the evening Act III so I wouldn’t have to pay the $1000 buyin. Long story short, I won after a very, very long 3 way battle after first 7 were eliminated pretty quick. Also felt like I was best player at that table.
So I immediately use the coupon to enter the Act III half an hour later. 118 entries (including DR). I get seated in what I quickly realized was a very tough table, but I welcomed the challenge. Held my own for the first 2 hours, and was for the most part one of top 4 stacks at table.
Then this hand comes up, which tested me greatly. WOULD APPRECIATE ANY THOUGHTS ON IT. Midposition moderate raise, button comes over the top for triple that, I’m in BB with QQ, and getting ready to push, when out of the blue the SB reraises him triple (SB has me and button covered easily, button and me even). I think for quite a while, but I figure im up against the very least AK and maybe JJ if im lucky, and even in that case I’m less than 50% to take it……..i figure more likely theres at least 1 KK or AA involved…..i which case I’m huge underdog headsup, much less so 3 way……so I fold.
I can’t remember ever folding QQ preflop in a tourney situation, especially one for $1000+ buyin, but I let it go and hoped I didn’t regret it……and after flop of J98 button pushes allin. SB thinks long time and folds, showing his AQ….button shows KK, and I feel great about the decision I made.
Anyways, I play OK with the limited cards I get, but after first break our table breaks, and I get moved to another table where I don’t get a chance to play a single hand, until the blinds and antes melt me away to a point where I have to play mediocre hand allin from BB and lose. Finished about 31st out of 118, and top 11 get entries, but I feel I played a good game with the cards I got.
Thursday
Get up early and play in $500 NL event they have starting at 10 am. Well over 800 entries!!!!!! Yikes…all to finish in 1 day, so I’m prepping for a crapshoot despite 50 minute rounds. I go out about 4 hours in, again shortstacked due to inability to play cards I got with the action before me.
Then went for some 20/40 upstairs, on table next to david ross, and fellow Torontonian sobedude who we met there. Was down 600, battled back to plus 300, but late tailspin put me back down 200 before I headed to another Act II. I skipped the ActIII for today.
The place is packed, but I get onto the 5th ActII they call, and none other than Hollywood Actor James Woods is at my table two seats to my right. He was awesome…we were talking about poker, online poker, his website, etc., etc., like as if we knew each other a long time. People kept coming up to table to get his autograph and he kindly obliged. I was kind of surprised to see him playing a $150 sattelite for a $1000 seat (millionaire actor and all), so I asked him if he was in main event. He said he already had a seat, which the celebritypoker website paid for him (they are paying their celebs to play for publicity). Must be nice…..anyways he said he’s playing these now cuz hes having fun and he can also pick up some extra $$$. Well unfortuanately for him he’s 3rd guy out when his KK allin preflop loses to AQ when an Ace drops on flop. He came over to me, asked me my name and shook my hand and told me to win it.
I made it to final 3 but big stack had me outchipped about 10:1 (maybe even more). I proceed to take out 3rd player, then have daunting task of facing huge stack headsup. I get a bit lucky on first allin with KJ as it beats his A6. He then goes a bit cold with his pockets as I start pushing allin every second hand and he is forced to lay down a lot. I pull even, then he makes quadruple raise on button, I look down and see AQ and push..he calls with A6s……I win……WOW I thought.
2 ActII victories in a row….$2100 in ACTIII entry fees from $300..not bad i thought.
I go over to james woods whos now playing a 2 table satellite for a seat, and he turns over to ask me how I fared, and I tell him I won, he gets up, shakes my hand and congratulates me. I wish him good luck and he sits back down.
Friday
Get in early and decide to play another Act II just for fun cuz I’m already registered for todays ActII with yesterdays satellite win. I play strong but go out in 5th with the best hand.
Play 10/20 rest of day, leave up 200.
ActIII starts at 4pm, and I’m determined to play aggressively early instead of playing to survive deep. Am starting to understand that in these hi buyin competitive multitable tourneys my single and 2 table satellite strategy doesn’t seem to work.
But I just don’t get a chance to play a hand….seems everytime it gets to me someone already raised triple or quadruple and I’m staring at something along the lines of Q7. I get shortstacked by level 3. I finally gotta make a stand with 99 from early and push. Another player calls and I double up. Very next hand I get TT and push, big stack at table thinks I’m playing desperate so he pushes allin with A9s and forces everyone else out…..good for me, because TT holds up despits faces on board. And all of a sudden, im in 2nd position at table, although many have roughly same amount.
After break limits rise, my cards go cold, and can’t play a single hand. I decide to make a big raise with K4s from mid in hopes of picking up blinds, but sb moves allin with KK and I have to laydown. Then I am forced to play allin from BB with A8s when sb moves in…an ace spikes but my bad luck im up against AA….i’m out, but I do feel yet again I played as good as I could with what I was given.
Take a final crack at it by entering a $500 2 table satellite. As we get started I know I’m in for tough game as Amarillo slim, shawn rice, fischman are in. And then the guy beside me also informs me of a couple of others in are also well known pros, including the young fellow I played from the very first night Act II. Apparantly he had just won a major event at bellagio recently for over 800K….wow, u just never know who it is sitting with you at these events, especially if your primarily an internet player.
Anyways, I played my heart out, being very aggressive, controlling the table, and building the biggest stack. I’m feeling it, I can taste the top spot and winning the seat. I get over confident. Down to 11 players, when I had this braincramp which I am still kicking myself for. Get 99 in mid position, move allin prelfop to steal blinds. Heck even if anyone calls I got a good chance to win, and even a loss won’t hurt me too much…..as long as the guy in sb doesn’t call cuz he had about 90% of my stack. SURE ENUFF….he is the one guy who also moves allin, and shows JJ. I lose on J77 flop, and goes from 1st to last place in 1 hand, on a play so stupid and risky I think I was possessed by some inner demon when I did that. I could have made a triple raise, and folded when sb pushed and still been in very good shape, but no…I risked it ALL for a lousy blind. And I truly could have been cruising at final table.
I go home the next morning, and elected not to go check out the main event. I have a very sour taste in my mouth, all because of that 1 mistake I made. If it weren’t for that, I’d be heading home proud of the way I played entire week, but that very last hand I played changed it all. I know I would not have necessarily won the seat if i played it correctly, I’d still have an entire table full of pros to get through, but man I would have relished the chance.
All in all, I think I played very well in the single tables, and OK in the bigger ones, but didn’t get many hands in those and had to go into survival mode each time come level 4 or 5.
Anyways, I’m also going to post a topic in the multitable forum about how to play these live marathon tourneys. I’m finding I keep ending up the same way in them, and typical internet tourney strategy or single tables do not apply.
Just wanted to head down and play a few days in several satellites to see if I could qualify for the main event. This is my second foray into a big tournament event after visiting tunica for the midsummer classic in august, where I faired quite poorly, due to bad luck for the most part. I may have also played poorly then, but I do think that I had a bad run of cards for the most part, and hence I was still confident that I could do a lot better at foxwoods.
Tuesday
I arrived Tuesday evening, and was going to meet up with fellow Torontonian david ross the next morning, whom I helped convince to come down for this (I hope u don’t hate me for that DR, but I’ll you people read about his experience when he posts his trip report).
So I get in around 7pm Tuesday evening, and the place is packed, all kinds of commotion, and bright lights and TV cameras everywhere around the poker area. As I get closer I notice there is some kind of poker tournament going on in the middle of this. As I get to the rail, they feature 1 main table under a canopy of stage lights, and I notice Annie Duke, Eskimo, and several others playing there. As I look around the side tables I notice more and more poker pros: Harrington, Seidel, Doyle, Chip, juanda, varkonyi, and many others I recognize but don’t even know the names. I thought, wow, guess these pros are way better than any of us since I don’t really see anyone there that wasn’t at some point on TV in major event, and it looked like they were the remaining final few. Only then did I notice the PPT logos, and realized this was an invitation only event for the pros, a $500,000 free roll. At 139 entries, I guess that means everyone of them got a free entry in what would have otherwise been a $3,500 event…..must be nice to be a pro with enough reputation to get an invite, but I guess they all paid their dues to make it to that level.
Anyways, back to me…..i went downstairs to the ballroom where they were running all the Act I, II and III’s to qualify for the main event. A quick explanation for those who don’t know what the Act’s are:
- Act I is $65 buy-in 1 table satellite to an Act II. I think top 3 get entries to an Act II. They run continuously like a SnG.
- Act II is a $150 buyin 1 table satellite to an Act III. Winner gets entry coupon to ActIII, 2nd and 3rd get another ActII coupon. They are run continuously.
- Act III is basically a $1060 super satellite to the main event. 1 entry for every 10 particiapnts. They were usually only once a night, or twice in the 2 days leading up to the final.
I thought this structure was a fantastic idea. You can choose what level you want to try out for, and the fact that even 2nd and 3rd get something too makes it feel more worthwhile than the strict first or nothing way other 1 tables are run. The fact that there was also some kind of order to it (you had to sign your name on list so everyone gets their turn in sequence), as opposed to tunica where you basically had to physically grab a seat card like a feeding frenzy amongst 30 people hovered around a table before they were all gone.
Anyways, I played in an Act II, and was yapping it up with a young guy to my left in the 2 seat. Not going to bore you with details, but I did not get 1 playable hand in the first 5 levels. Got by with the occasional blind steal and that was it. Somehow managed to survive to 4th spot when I started to pick up a few good hands, and then finished in 2nd place to the young guy on my left who had the huge stack to mine at that point….more on him later. I thought that I was one of the better players at the table, and definitely deserved to finish near the top with the lousy cards I had for almost the entire first hour.
So I got a coupon into another one…..used it promptly, and played very well again, but got knocked out in 4th when I moved allin with AK, and the BB called me for 95% of his stack with A4….and a 4 spiked……still felt very good about myself because I was playing well, and even when I got knocked out I made the correct move and got very unlucky.
Wandered back upstairs to check the PPT thing, far fewer players left now, only 4 tables, Doyle, chip, annie duke all gone. But then something happened that I want to share here, because somehow it made my stomach turn. The way the TV crews worked it was that whenever there was an allin, the dealer would wave a red flag in the air notifying the crew of the allin….a couple of camera men and an interviewer would scurry over to film what happened with the allin, sometimes the interviewer even asking some of the other players at the table some questions during it. Anyways, someone moved allin on Jennifer harmon at the table where I was standing. The dealer waved the flag, the camera crew came over and had 1 camera on the table, and another exclusively on JH.
She stood up, posed, hummed and haa’d for a while, stretched her arms, put her hands in her pockets, leaned her knee on the chair, and this went on for over 6 full minutes. She had her hair and makeup all done up in anticipation of this. 6 full minutes, maybe even more, and it was obvious she was maximizing her solo camera time and playing it up for it…….i’m surprised none of the other players at table called time. Oh, she ended up folding.
So I went back down to try a $525 2 table satellite for 1 seat. Amarilo Slim and a couple other pros in, including shawn rice who had just got knocked out of the PPT event. I played tight, very tight, until this hand came up…..chip leader limps from mid, shawn rice from button puts in triple raise, SB folds, and me in BB look at AJs. I figure him for a blind steal, or maybe just an OK hand, so I move allin, hoping to force chipleader out and put tough decision to Shawn (or EZ if it was a steal). He takes a long time, so I think I’m in more trouble than I anticipated. He eventually calls for about 85% of his stack, and shows down 66. Bunch of blanks on flop and turn, I start getting up and even say ‘good hand’, but an Ace spikes on river. At that point he gets quite testy, berating me to his neighbouring players, telling me how on earth can I come over the top of him with that when he has been so tight and only showed quality hands so far etc. etc…..i said how can you call me with 66 when I have been even tighter…..and he got really ticked. 2 hands later he moves allin with JJ and gets busted. Hmmm, considering all the tourney experience he has, I was surprised to see him react that way to what I still think was not that unusual a hand….oh well.
Anyways, I played hard, and went out in 4th spot out of 20 after my cards went cold and blinds melted me away.
Wednesday
Met up with David Ross, and we went to lunch. Afterwards I played a little 10/20, left 2 hours later down 100.
Entered another Act II with my coupon, hoping to qualify for the evening Act III so I wouldn’t have to pay the $1000 buyin. Long story short, I won after a very, very long 3 way battle after first 7 were eliminated pretty quick. Also felt like I was best player at that table.
So I immediately use the coupon to enter the Act III half an hour later. 118 entries (including DR). I get seated in what I quickly realized was a very tough table, but I welcomed the challenge. Held my own for the first 2 hours, and was for the most part one of top 4 stacks at table.
Then this hand comes up, which tested me greatly. WOULD APPRECIATE ANY THOUGHTS ON IT. Midposition moderate raise, button comes over the top for triple that, I’m in BB with QQ, and getting ready to push, when out of the blue the SB reraises him triple (SB has me and button covered easily, button and me even). I think for quite a while, but I figure im up against the very least AK and maybe JJ if im lucky, and even in that case I’m less than 50% to take it……..i figure more likely theres at least 1 KK or AA involved…..i which case I’m huge underdog headsup, much less so 3 way……so I fold.
I can’t remember ever folding QQ preflop in a tourney situation, especially one for $1000+ buyin, but I let it go and hoped I didn’t regret it……and after flop of J98 button pushes allin. SB thinks long time and folds, showing his AQ….button shows KK, and I feel great about the decision I made.
Anyways, I play OK with the limited cards I get, but after first break our table breaks, and I get moved to another table where I don’t get a chance to play a single hand, until the blinds and antes melt me away to a point where I have to play mediocre hand allin from BB and lose. Finished about 31st out of 118, and top 11 get entries, but I feel I played a good game with the cards I got.
Thursday
Get up early and play in $500 NL event they have starting at 10 am. Well over 800 entries!!!!!! Yikes…all to finish in 1 day, so I’m prepping for a crapshoot despite 50 minute rounds. I go out about 4 hours in, again shortstacked due to inability to play cards I got with the action before me.
Then went for some 20/40 upstairs, on table next to david ross, and fellow Torontonian sobedude who we met there. Was down 600, battled back to plus 300, but late tailspin put me back down 200 before I headed to another Act II. I skipped the ActIII for today.
The place is packed, but I get onto the 5th ActII they call, and none other than Hollywood Actor James Woods is at my table two seats to my right. He was awesome…we were talking about poker, online poker, his website, etc., etc., like as if we knew each other a long time. People kept coming up to table to get his autograph and he kindly obliged. I was kind of surprised to see him playing a $150 sattelite for a $1000 seat (millionaire actor and all), so I asked him if he was in main event. He said he already had a seat, which the celebritypoker website paid for him (they are paying their celebs to play for publicity). Must be nice…..anyways he said he’s playing these now cuz hes having fun and he can also pick up some extra $$$. Well unfortuanately for him he’s 3rd guy out when his KK allin preflop loses to AQ when an Ace drops on flop. He came over to me, asked me my name and shook my hand and told me to win it.
I made it to final 3 but big stack had me outchipped about 10:1 (maybe even more). I proceed to take out 3rd player, then have daunting task of facing huge stack headsup. I get a bit lucky on first allin with KJ as it beats his A6. He then goes a bit cold with his pockets as I start pushing allin every second hand and he is forced to lay down a lot. I pull even, then he makes quadruple raise on button, I look down and see AQ and push..he calls with A6s……I win……WOW I thought.
2 ActII victories in a row….$2100 in ACTIII entry fees from $300..not bad i thought.
I go over to james woods whos now playing a 2 table satellite for a seat, and he turns over to ask me how I fared, and I tell him I won, he gets up, shakes my hand and congratulates me. I wish him good luck and he sits back down.
Friday
Get in early and decide to play another Act II just for fun cuz I’m already registered for todays ActII with yesterdays satellite win. I play strong but go out in 5th with the best hand.
Play 10/20 rest of day, leave up 200.
ActIII starts at 4pm, and I’m determined to play aggressively early instead of playing to survive deep. Am starting to understand that in these hi buyin competitive multitable tourneys my single and 2 table satellite strategy doesn’t seem to work.
But I just don’t get a chance to play a hand….seems everytime it gets to me someone already raised triple or quadruple and I’m staring at something along the lines of Q7. I get shortstacked by level 3. I finally gotta make a stand with 99 from early and push. Another player calls and I double up. Very next hand I get TT and push, big stack at table thinks I’m playing desperate so he pushes allin with A9s and forces everyone else out…..good for me, because TT holds up despits faces on board. And all of a sudden, im in 2nd position at table, although many have roughly same amount.
After break limits rise, my cards go cold, and can’t play a single hand. I decide to make a big raise with K4s from mid in hopes of picking up blinds, but sb moves allin with KK and I have to laydown. Then I am forced to play allin from BB with A8s when sb moves in…an ace spikes but my bad luck im up against AA….i’m out, but I do feel yet again I played as good as I could with what I was given.
Take a final crack at it by entering a $500 2 table satellite. As we get started I know I’m in for tough game as Amarillo slim, shawn rice, fischman are in. And then the guy beside me also informs me of a couple of others in are also well known pros, including the young fellow I played from the very first night Act II. Apparantly he had just won a major event at bellagio recently for over 800K….wow, u just never know who it is sitting with you at these events, especially if your primarily an internet player.
Anyways, I played my heart out, being very aggressive, controlling the table, and building the biggest stack. I’m feeling it, I can taste the top spot and winning the seat. I get over confident. Down to 11 players, when I had this braincramp which I am still kicking myself for. Get 99 in mid position, move allin prelfop to steal blinds. Heck even if anyone calls I got a good chance to win, and even a loss won’t hurt me too much…..as long as the guy in sb doesn’t call cuz he had about 90% of my stack. SURE ENUFF….he is the one guy who also moves allin, and shows JJ. I lose on J77 flop, and goes from 1st to last place in 1 hand, on a play so stupid and risky I think I was possessed by some inner demon when I did that. I could have made a triple raise, and folded when sb pushed and still been in very good shape, but no…I risked it ALL for a lousy blind. And I truly could have been cruising at final table.
I go home the next morning, and elected not to go check out the main event. I have a very sour taste in my mouth, all because of that 1 mistake I made. If it weren’t for that, I’d be heading home proud of the way I played entire week, but that very last hand I played changed it all. I know I would not have necessarily won the seat if i played it correctly, I’d still have an entire table full of pros to get through, but man I would have relished the chance.
All in all, I think I played very well in the single tables, and OK in the bigger ones, but didn’t get many hands in those and had to go into survival mode each time come level 4 or 5.
Anyways, I’m also going to post a topic in the multitable forum about how to play these live marathon tourneys. I’m finding I keep ending up the same way in them, and typical internet tourney strategy or single tables do not apply.