Tournament Results Plus My Comments

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Everyone:

The following was sent to me by Dan at PokerStars. It describes the end of their tournament. I thought it was interesting enough to warrant posting here with a little editing. Also, I have put some comments of my own in brackets.] So here goes.

Best wishes,
mason

On Sunday, February 2, PokerStars conducted the first of three final events for the Millionaire Quest, in which a total of 8 seats in the 2003 World Series of Poker $10,000 main event are up for grabs. Two $10,000 seats were given away in this event plus expenses and the rest of the final table also shared in some money.

In all of the online play I have seen, this was almost certainly the best, and longest, final table, taking almost 2-1/2 hours. The chip leader at 2 tables (with over 15% of the chips) didn't make the final table, and no one had a clear lead when final table play began. The lead changed hands several times, with 9 players remaining for about 30 minutes, until 3 players went out in rapid succession. The remaining 6 players were all within shooting distance of one another, except Mrs. Solid, who was a distant 6th:

Seat 1: chief525 (91,341 in chips, 18%)
Seat 3: TNTTERRY (73,397 in chips, 14%)
Seat 4: gambler381 (81,345 in chips, 16%)
Seat 5: The Anvil (99,370 in chips, 19%)
Seat 6: Tipsy (129,939 in chips, 25%)
Seat 9: Mrs. Solid (36,108 in chips, 7%)

Tipsy was the clear favorite at this point, with over 25% of the chips. [Actually, with 25 percent of the chips, he should have about a 25 percent chance to win the tournament assuming everyone plays equally. In reality, if he is able to take advantage of others playing too tight, his chances can be higher than that.] And as happens so often in No Limit poker, he was out in 5th place, when this key hand happened (obviously lots of action prior to this, including the elimination of TNTTERRY):

Seat 1: chief525 (116,641 in chips, 23%)
Seat 4: gambler381 (168,739 in chips, 33%)
Seat 5: The Anvil (125,670 in chips, 25%)
Seat 6: Tipsy (41,884 in chips, 8%)
Seat 9: Mrs. Solid (58,566 in chips, 11%)

Chief525 raises the pot to 10,000 with A[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img]Q:spade. Tipsy feels he needs to take his stand (the blinds are now 2,000-4,000 with 200 blinds) with A[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img]T[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img], moving all-in from the small blind; Chief525 calls. The board of 4[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img]6[img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img]5[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] 9[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] 5[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] improves neither player, and the chip leader at 6 players is out, leaving us 4-handed. [An interesting aspect of this tournament is that both first and second get the same prize. That means that survival is more important than in most tournaments which makes Tipsy's call a little questionable.]

The chip counts are now:

Seat 1: chief525 (163,125 in chips, 32%)
Seat 4: gambler381 (168,539 in chips, 33%)
Seat 5: The Anvil (125,470 in chips, 24%)
Seat 9: Mrs. Solid (54,366 in chips, 11%)

We have a new chip leader in gambler381, with a slim 5k chip lead over chief525. The next 25 minutes consisted of fairly typical jockeying for position, stealing and restealing blinds. gambler381 was the victim of many of these resteal efforts. Mrs. Solid, making us all understand the name, has been judiciously picking spots to steal blinds and antes, and has inched up from a distant 6th to a near-tie for third. The chip positions are now:

Seat 1: chief525 (174,325 in chips, 34%)
Seat 4: gambler381 (89,373 in chips, 17%)
Seat 5: The Anvil (157,070 in chips, 31%)
Seat 9: Mrs. Solid (90,732 in chips, 18%)

With blinds of 3,000-6,000 and 300 antes, each short orbit now costs 10,200, so no one can sit still for long. gambler381 realizes this. When chief525 raises the pot from the small blind to 15,000, gambler381 sees his chance and raises from the big blind for a total of 54,000. chief525 won't be put out of this pot, and comes over the top; gambler381 calls [Note that by raising the amount he did Gambler almost has to call. So might it have been better for him to either not raise or make a much smaller raise, or just go all-in?] and we see the hands: 7[img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img]7[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] for chief525 and A[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img]6[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] for gambler381. The board of 8[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img]4[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img]Q[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] Q[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] 3[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] changes nothing, and the former chip leader is out, leaving us 3-handed.

The next player out will win $2,000 cash, and the remaining 2 players will go to the 2003 WSOP $10,000 event. {So there is a huge difference between third and second. This should impact strategy.]

Chip counts now look like this:

Seat 1: chief525 (174,325 in chips, 52%)
Seat 5: The Anvil (157,070 in chips, 31%)
Seat 9: Mrs. Solid (90,732 in chips, 17%)

The lead moves back and forth between the chip leaders, with Mrs. Solid continuing to make the occasional raise, taking down the pot each time. Mrs. Solid and The Anvil each have big dents put in them in key hands, with Mrs. Solid sinking to 4% of the chips, but clawing back up into contention when this key hand develops at 4,000-8,000 with 400 antes:

Seat 1: chief525 (336,172 in chips, 66%)
Seat 5: The Anvil (97,476 in chips, 19%) SB
Seat 9: Mrs. Solid (77,852 in chips, 15%) BB

chief525 raises to 22,000 from the button with 9s 8s, and Mrs. Solid calls from the BB with Qd Td. {I wonder if this call is correct. If Mrs. Solid loses she's out and only collects $2,000. If she wins, she's not in that much better shape.] On a flop of 4[img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img]Q[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img]K[img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img] (giving Mrs. Solid second pair and chief525 a flush draw), Mrs. Solid bets 90% of her stack, 50,000. chief525 raises the rest of her stack, and a 5c Qc turn and river miss chief525's flush, improving Mrs. Solid to trip Queens, and handing her a pot of 160,104. Suddenly, the player who has trailed badly from the beginning of the final table is a contender: [Shows what I know.]

Seat 1: chief525 (258,320 in chips, 51%)
Seat 5: The Anvil (93,076 in chips, 18%)
Seat 9: Mrs. Solid (160,104 in chips, 31%)

More jockeying for position, with The Anvil continuing to slide, until this key hand:

Seat 1: chief525 (258,320 in chips, 51%) BB
Seat 5: The Anvil (74,276 in chips, 15%)
Seat 9: Mrs. Solid (178,904 in chips, 34%) SB

Mrs. Solid raises to 16,000, and chief525 calls. The flop comes 2[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img]6[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img]8[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] and Mrs. Solid bets out 10,000. chief525 raises 30,000, and Mrs. Solid calls. On a turn card of Q[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img], Mrs. Solid checks, chief525 bets 40,000, Mrs. Solid raises to 80,000 and chief525 gives up, sending a key pot of 193,200 to Mrs. Solid. The standing now look like this:

Seat 1: chief525 (161,920 in chips, 32%)
Seat 5: The Anvil (73,876 in chips, 14%)
Seat 9: Mrs. Solid (275,704 in chips, 54%)

...and the trailer all along is now the chip leader. No significant change until this hand:

Seat 1: chief525 (183,920 in chips, 36%)
Seat 5: The Anvil (69,476 in chips, 14%) SB
Seat 9: Mrs. Solid (258,104 in chips, 50%) BB

The Anvil takes his stand with A[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img]2[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img], raising to 48,000. [Is this a classic case of over valuing a lone ace? In HPFAP we warn about playing hands with a deuce or trey in them in a short handed game.] Mrs. Solid reraises with 5[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img]5[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img], putting The Anvil all-in. A board of 6[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img]T[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img]3[img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img] 3[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] 9[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] changes nothing, and the final table is over after more than 2 hours.

Congratulations to Mrs. Solid and chief525 for their wins - each is now going to the World Series - and congratulations to all of the final table players, each of whom shared in $5,000 in additional prize money.

...dan

[scalf]

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] mason only posts winning hands...lol

mason must be ms solid as she won...lol

watch out for solid at world series...lol..

gl mason..(aka solid) [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Simon Diamond]

Thanks for posting that Mason, there is a lot for me to learn from that. I wish my tournament reports were as informative and concise as that one. Was it actually Dan who wrote the report?

Simon

[pokerstars]

Yes, I wrote that - cross-posted from RGP.

I thought this was one of the best final tables I have ever seen in NL play - I didn't post all of the details, but Mrs. Solid was literally trailing the whole way. This player gave us an excellent example of how you can pick your spots in NL Hold 'em tournaments and come back from the depths.

Thanks for the good words!

...dan

[Simon Diamond]

Would you mind if I printed that report on my website Dan?

Simon

[pokerstars]

Simon,

By all means, copy away! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

...dan

[Simon Diamond]

Thanks Dan. I intend to compile similar reports for the UK Championship next month - I'm sure you can testify what hard work they are!

Regards

Simon