Legends Report (long)

[scott8]

Started the day with a table of familiar faces, but with Tuan Le the only real known.

Stacks are 10k to begin with blinds 25/50. Each level is 90 min.

The first level has been going quietly until I find AA in the sb. EP had raised to 200 folded to me. I called. EP had already been involved in a few hands, but had only shown down AK.

2 to the flop, QJJ.

I check, he bets 300, I call.

Turn is a 4, I bet 700, he raises to 1700, I think and call.

River is another blank, I check, he bets 2200, I throw up in my mouth, call and he turns over AJ, and half my stack is gone in the first ½ hour. There are many different ways I could have played this hand, but given my action, I hated the river call – does anyone fold the turn or the river given this line?

It certainly wasn’t part of the plan to be around 5k when the first level ended, but blinds were so low, now 50/100, that there wasn’t any reason to change my play.

I did however, begin to pick up small pots, and slowly was building my stack back up. One hour into the second level and I was back to around 8.5 k when this hand occurred:

EP limp, MP raise, I call with AQ in sb, EP call.

Flop is 59Q. Check, Check, bet. I call, EP call.

Turn is a 5, I bet, EP fold, MP call.

River is a 6, I bet, MP all-in, I fold.

3.8k left.

At the end of level 2, Tuan raises utg (he had done this with a wide variety of hands, and had played at least 1/3 of all hands he was dealt.)

I re-raise with AKs, folded around he called. Flop is QJ2, he checks, I bet he folds.

End level 2 with 5k.

Blinds are now 100/200, and things get fun.

New player with a decent stack arrives from the table that broke right behind us. He had been loud and active and certainly drawn some looks.
Early into the level, new player raises to 600 UTG + 1, big stack who had 25k calls (same guy who cracked my Aces), I find QQ in sb and raise to 1800, both call. Flop is 732 with two diamonds and one club. I push, EP mucks, big stack begins the routine of counting his stack, the pot, blah, blah. Obviously my hand is good, I ask if he wants to borrow my calculator, he calls and turns over A4 of clubs. Turn is a 7, river is a Q, and for the first time today I have over 10k in chips.

The call may look bad, but the math was actually right, someone can break it down if they wish.

A note on the big stack – it was obvious that Tuan Le picked up something on this guy, b/c he began to call every pre-flop raise and began to take away pot after pot. He called all-in at one point with A7 on a board of 79QQK. By the end of level 3 the guy was gone and Tuan Le had the rest of his chips.

Few hands later I open raise in MP with 89c, Button (same new player growing a hard-on for me) calls, former big stack BB calls.

Flop 10s6s4c. BB checks, I check, button quickly bets the pot, BB folds, I call. Turn is the Ks. Check, check. River is a red 4. I bet the pot, and button mucks.

Some may have read how Matusow was busted by Grinder, when Grinder checked thru on top pair, Matusow turned two pair, got all-in with Grinder, and then was rivered. Well, he started yelling at how terrible Grinder played, left, came back yelled at Grinder some more, left, came back again and yelled some more – good stuff.

At the end of level 3, I have 18k, and am a new man.

Table breaks, I get moved to Cindy Violette’s table, and some other faces from this year’s ESPN.

Level 4 was fairly uneventful and I finished with 15k.

Level 5, blinds are now 100/200 with a 25 ante.

UTG raises to 1000, I call on the button with 1010, BB calls.

Flop is K105 with 2 hearts. UTG bets 2k, I raise to 4k , BB thinks and goes all-in for 12k. UTG mucks, I call, BB turns over 107 hearts. Turn is the 4h river is a blank and I am in trouble.

With about 5 minutes left in level 5, I was all-in with 8s vs. AA, and I was done.

Overall, there many other pots and hands that should be discussed, but this is a fairly decent account of the key hands in my tournament. Some of the hands I listed, were played very poorly IMO.
Thanks again to any that took the time.

-SC