Jason Strasser
05-11-2004, 03:05 PM
Alright, in my opinion, this were two of the most key hands in the tournament, and they both involve monotone flops.
First hand: (from memory)
Im dealt 88 in MP. The table has been fairly tough, limping has been infrequent, and I've been staying clear of the action. At this point, I have an average stack of 40k, and the blinds were 1500/3000. But of course, this hand, UTG limps and MP right before me limps, I decide to limp behind, praying for the eight. SB completes, BB checks. Big pot.
Flop J84, all spades. Checked to the MP before me, and pushes all in, we have almost identical stacks. I ponder, and call. Everyone else folds. He flips over AJ, with NO spade. Ace on the turn scares me, but MHIG. I move up to around 100k.
After a few steals and pots, I was at 200k with 11 left. At this point, I was the chip leader by 30k, and in no hurry to mix it up. At my table there was one 100k stack, and the rest were lower. I told myself that I wasn't going to tangle with the other big stack--whoops.
I get dealt 56 of spades in the BB. The big stack limps (??), which was again, very unusual. Its folded to me, I check. Flop: 789, all hearts. the blinds were 5k/10k. And lead in for 32k, hoping for a fold. He INSTANTLY calls.
Turn: Offsuit king. I decide that he has either one of three hands: 1) Made flush, although unlikely, 2) Flush draw, 3) Straight Draw. If he had a made straight, he probably would push, if he had a set, he would probably push.
So, I decide to push. He *should* fold a draw, right?
Wrong, he calls, except he has 9T, with no heart. The river brings the Ace of hearts, and my straight beats a pair of nines.
From there, I headed to the final table with 300k, 150k was the second stack. I played extremely tight, stealing occasionally, but avoiding confrontations. It got down to 5 pretty fast. I picked up QT on the button, raised, SB min raised me, I decided to proceed with extreme caution (he priced me in) and called (although i really thought about folding). Flop was terrible: TT7. He checks, I decide to take a big risk, and check. Next card is a Jack, he pushes, I call, he has QQ, I win.
Eventually it got down to heads up with a nasty player named FishH00k. I flopped a nut flush draw, and came over the top of one of his bets, he had a two pair and called. No club came, and from there I was crippled and eventually lost.
But it was a great day. Tell me how lucky I was =)
First hand: (from memory)
Im dealt 88 in MP. The table has been fairly tough, limping has been infrequent, and I've been staying clear of the action. At this point, I have an average stack of 40k, and the blinds were 1500/3000. But of course, this hand, UTG limps and MP right before me limps, I decide to limp behind, praying for the eight. SB completes, BB checks. Big pot.
Flop J84, all spades. Checked to the MP before me, and pushes all in, we have almost identical stacks. I ponder, and call. Everyone else folds. He flips over AJ, with NO spade. Ace on the turn scares me, but MHIG. I move up to around 100k.
After a few steals and pots, I was at 200k with 11 left. At this point, I was the chip leader by 30k, and in no hurry to mix it up. At my table there was one 100k stack, and the rest were lower. I told myself that I wasn't going to tangle with the other big stack--whoops.
I get dealt 56 of spades in the BB. The big stack limps (??), which was again, very unusual. Its folded to me, I check. Flop: 789, all hearts. the blinds were 5k/10k. And lead in for 32k, hoping for a fold. He INSTANTLY calls.
Turn: Offsuit king. I decide that he has either one of three hands: 1) Made flush, although unlikely, 2) Flush draw, 3) Straight Draw. If he had a made straight, he probably would push, if he had a set, he would probably push.
So, I decide to push. He *should* fold a draw, right?
Wrong, he calls, except he has 9T, with no heart. The river brings the Ace of hearts, and my straight beats a pair of nines.
From there, I headed to the final table with 300k, 150k was the second stack. I played extremely tight, stealing occasionally, but avoiding confrontations. It got down to 5 pretty fast. I picked up QT on the button, raised, SB min raised me, I decided to proceed with extreme caution (he priced me in) and called (although i really thought about folding). Flop was terrible: TT7. He checks, I decide to take a big risk, and check. Next card is a Jack, he pushes, I call, he has QQ, I win.
Eventually it got down to heads up with a nasty player named FishH00k. I flopped a nut flush draw, and came over the top of one of his bets, he had a two pair and called. No club came, and from there I was crippled and eventually lost.
But it was a great day. Tell me how lucky I was =)