Double Eagle
12-29-2004, 04:59 PM
I have been an Internet only player in my short poker career. Having won my Atlantis seat with a grand total of three Live Tournaments under my belt, I thought it was a good idea to play a few more before the trip. Tuesday and Thursday mornings at Bay 101 they hold a 40+10 with 20 rebuys that attracts 120 or so players, with a first place prize of around 4k. It's a typical crapshoot format with quickly escalating blinds, but hey beggars can't be choosers.
In two prior attempts I had been knocked out early in the second hour, kk vs jj and kk vs a5 - just to prove that bad beats aren't the sole domain of the online version of the game.
One of the obvious differences playing live is the ability to read players -- I wasn't exactly sure what I should be looking for at first, but I was surprised how easy this was at times -- there were several times yesterday where I had a marginal hand but just knew I was ahead and got paid off because of it.
Some key hands:
2nd level blinds 25/50 I have 2k. I limp from MP with AT, raised by Button who makes it 200 to go. I decide to call and see the flop which comes Axx rainbow. I check, he reaches for his chips like he wants to bet, looks up at me looking at him and checks. I put him on PP at this point. Turn is another small card. I bet 300 he calls. River is another ace. I bet 600, he calls. I ask him how big is kicker is, he says not that big and mucks. Later he told me he had kk.
4th level blinds 50/100 I have 3500 after adding on. I get TT in MP make it 400 to go. Called by Solid Player on button. Flop comes j86 two diamonds. I fire 600. He immediately comes over the top for 1k more. Looks very strong. I lay it down, he shows me QQ. Good thing flop didnt come lower.
4th level blinds 50/100 I have 2300 after posting the big blind, dealt J2. 1 limper, SB completes. Flop comes jxx. Checked around to solid agressive player who bets 300, folded to me - I sense he's stabbing here and min raise him to test. He flat calls. Turn is another J. I look at him and ask him how many chips he has. I have him covered by a few hundred. I look at my chips and then check. He moves all in instantly, my chips beat his into the pot and he mucks before I can turn my cards over! Wow I kinda like playin live....
6th level blinds 150/300 I have 4300 after posting the BB. Same guy who had QQ before opens for 1k I definitely put him on a big hand. Folded to me, I look down and see two red kings. I'm thinking that he's pot committed here so after a little hollywooding I push in. He thinks for a bit then calls with QQ. I dodge an OESD and manage to double through to 9k.
Our table breaks and I go card dead for a long period of time. Stealing some blinds here and there and having a couple of steal attempts snapped off. With 20 players left I have only 7k left and post the 3k BB. Hyper agressive SB pushes in, I look down and find A2 and call. He turns over AK, uh oh. No deuce on the flop, but there are two diamonds, followed by two more which along with my deuce make a flush! Still alive with 14k.
Very next hand, the same player pushes in from button. I look down and see AQ and call. He turns over jt, and for once my two overs are good as an ace hits the flop and the button is down to one chip. From almost blinded out to 28k in two hands, wow. Now we consolidate down to two tables and I get a few hands, taking down the blinds.
With the huge blinds players are getting eliminated fairly quickly and soon we are down to the bubble - 12 get paid 13 left. I have 40k after posting the 6k BB. UTG limps, MP goes all in for 8k total. Folded to me I call with T7 suited. Immediately the UTG limper goes all in! After calling the TD his re-raise is disallowed as the all in players raise did not re-open the action. Now I have the limper covered by a few chips, so when the flop comes jt3 I have a decision to make. I can go all in and attempt to shut the limper out and get HU with the AI player or I can check fold to the bet I know is coming. I decide the check fold is the prudent course of action after telling him that I know I'm folding the best hand. He turns over AK, the all in player had 88 and the turn and river are both Aces! I pick up two more sets of blinds before the last two players are elimintated and we move to the final table.
At the final table I am moved into the 8k BB and have 40k or so after posting. All fold to the SB, who is the same player I left with 1 chip a half hour ago! Well he now has nearly as many as me. He completes and I check with KT. Flop comes QT9. He checks and I'm sure I have the best hand here but check behind as I think he will fire at the turn, which is a beautiful jack. He pushes in, I instacall with the second nuts and he turns over 73 off and all of a sudden I'm the chip leader.
Unfortunately at these blind levels your chips melt away in a hurry, and this table seems to be in a gambling mood so there is little opportunity to steal. I take a hit when I move in on the BB from the SB with A7 and get called by AQ, and then get nothing for a long while. We are down to five handed and I have only 30k with blinds at 10/5 when I get QQ and push, the BB makes a pot odds call with k8 and catches his king on the flop, no miracle for me and I'm out 5th with $920.
All in all I wish I had played a little more agressive at the final table, which really is nothing more than the end game of a turbo SNG. In those I push push push, winning blinds and hoping to get lucky when called. Different kind of pressure tho when you have a few dozen people watching you when you turn over 64 offsuit. Hopefully next time I'll be ready.....
In two prior attempts I had been knocked out early in the second hour, kk vs jj and kk vs a5 - just to prove that bad beats aren't the sole domain of the online version of the game.
One of the obvious differences playing live is the ability to read players -- I wasn't exactly sure what I should be looking for at first, but I was surprised how easy this was at times -- there were several times yesterday where I had a marginal hand but just knew I was ahead and got paid off because of it.
Some key hands:
2nd level blinds 25/50 I have 2k. I limp from MP with AT, raised by Button who makes it 200 to go. I decide to call and see the flop which comes Axx rainbow. I check, he reaches for his chips like he wants to bet, looks up at me looking at him and checks. I put him on PP at this point. Turn is another small card. I bet 300 he calls. River is another ace. I bet 600, he calls. I ask him how big is kicker is, he says not that big and mucks. Later he told me he had kk.
4th level blinds 50/100 I have 3500 after adding on. I get TT in MP make it 400 to go. Called by Solid Player on button. Flop comes j86 two diamonds. I fire 600. He immediately comes over the top for 1k more. Looks very strong. I lay it down, he shows me QQ. Good thing flop didnt come lower.
4th level blinds 50/100 I have 2300 after posting the big blind, dealt J2. 1 limper, SB completes. Flop comes jxx. Checked around to solid agressive player who bets 300, folded to me - I sense he's stabbing here and min raise him to test. He flat calls. Turn is another J. I look at him and ask him how many chips he has. I have him covered by a few hundred. I look at my chips and then check. He moves all in instantly, my chips beat his into the pot and he mucks before I can turn my cards over! Wow I kinda like playin live....
6th level blinds 150/300 I have 4300 after posting the BB. Same guy who had QQ before opens for 1k I definitely put him on a big hand. Folded to me, I look down and see two red kings. I'm thinking that he's pot committed here so after a little hollywooding I push in. He thinks for a bit then calls with QQ. I dodge an OESD and manage to double through to 9k.
Our table breaks and I go card dead for a long period of time. Stealing some blinds here and there and having a couple of steal attempts snapped off. With 20 players left I have only 7k left and post the 3k BB. Hyper agressive SB pushes in, I look down and find A2 and call. He turns over AK, uh oh. No deuce on the flop, but there are two diamonds, followed by two more which along with my deuce make a flush! Still alive with 14k.
Very next hand, the same player pushes in from button. I look down and see AQ and call. He turns over jt, and for once my two overs are good as an ace hits the flop and the button is down to one chip. From almost blinded out to 28k in two hands, wow. Now we consolidate down to two tables and I get a few hands, taking down the blinds.
With the huge blinds players are getting eliminated fairly quickly and soon we are down to the bubble - 12 get paid 13 left. I have 40k after posting the 6k BB. UTG limps, MP goes all in for 8k total. Folded to me I call with T7 suited. Immediately the UTG limper goes all in! After calling the TD his re-raise is disallowed as the all in players raise did not re-open the action. Now I have the limper covered by a few chips, so when the flop comes jt3 I have a decision to make. I can go all in and attempt to shut the limper out and get HU with the AI player or I can check fold to the bet I know is coming. I decide the check fold is the prudent course of action after telling him that I know I'm folding the best hand. He turns over AK, the all in player had 88 and the turn and river are both Aces! I pick up two more sets of blinds before the last two players are elimintated and we move to the final table.
At the final table I am moved into the 8k BB and have 40k or so after posting. All fold to the SB, who is the same player I left with 1 chip a half hour ago! Well he now has nearly as many as me. He completes and I check with KT. Flop comes QT9. He checks and I'm sure I have the best hand here but check behind as I think he will fire at the turn, which is a beautiful jack. He pushes in, I instacall with the second nuts and he turns over 73 off and all of a sudden I'm the chip leader.
Unfortunately at these blind levels your chips melt away in a hurry, and this table seems to be in a gambling mood so there is little opportunity to steal. I take a hit when I move in on the BB from the SB with A7 and get called by AQ, and then get nothing for a long while. We are down to five handed and I have only 30k with blinds at 10/5 when I get QQ and push, the BB makes a pot odds call with k8 and catches his king on the flop, no miracle for me and I'm out 5th with $920.
All in all I wish I had played a little more agressive at the final table, which really is nothing more than the end game of a turbo SNG. In those I push push push, winning blinds and hoping to get lucky when called. Different kind of pressure tho when you have a few dozen people watching you when you turn over 64 offsuit. Hopefully next time I'll be ready.....