Tourney report Part I from $1K NL WSOP circuit event in SD.

[sdplayerb]

On Thursday I played the $1K WSOP Circuit event at Harrah’s. I straight bought in.
173 entries, start with 2K chips, 1 hour rounds, blinds start at 25/25. Very good structure overall. Only nitpick would be 2,500 chips. Doubled the first two rounds, then just 50%. Was a very good structure.

So I start at a table where like five guys know each other from playing events. I recognized one guy, I think from Showdown at the Sands and remember him being pretty good. I also had one of the better SD locals at my table, great guy.
The other guys seemed good too. I realized after about 30 minutes I was at the toughest table by far. There were some big names there, not an overwhelming amount. This was due to the WPT Invitational the day before, and we had a noon starting time.

Thus far I had limped with a pocket pair, and didn’t hit. Limped with 54 late, got raised to 125 total, I called (was about 5% of my chips), didn’t hit.

Hand 1: 25/25 1,800 chips.
Two limpers, I call with 87 in late position.
875 with two clubs is the flop, nice.
Second limper bets 50, I make it 175. He calls.
A 3 on the turn, he checks, I bet 250, he calls.
I plan to check the river if he does, unless I hit my boat.
River is a 6. He bets 500 of his remaining 1,050.
I go into the tank. Not really worried all that much about the straight, but don’t see what I have beat that he’d risk this many chips in a $1k event.
After about two minutes I muck it as I’d be down to 750 if I call and lose. I was getting about 3-1.

I have my earbuds in for my MP3. It appeared like he and another guy were talking a little [censored] about me. I believe he said he had flopped the set and was bragging about slowplaying me. I tell the fellow san diegan who somewhat confirmed it “f him, if he plays stronger early he basically busts me. He let me get away from it”.

So I am down to 1,250. I am kind of bummed. At first decide he had 98 or 55, and I made a great laydown and get my confidence back.
I get down to 1050.
Then I win both hands in the blind the next two rounds where there were limpers and I hit top pair and was checked all the way, or something like that.

The guy in the two pair hand beats me in a hand where I raised with AK UTG where I never hit and he bets the turn and river and I muck the river.

Then I raise with KQ in MP, he calls again. ATx flop. Check check. X on the turn he says this will be his last check, I check. J on the river. He starts to go for chips, minbets, I make it 500 and he mucks. I think I raised too much there with the nuts, but don’t think it mattered much.

The break our table just before the break, and I am back to 1,700.
Much easier 2nd table. I limp once behind other limpers with a pair, get nothing.

Hand 2: 50-100, I am down to about 1,300.

Finally I get AA in EP. My first time with AA, KK or QQ in my 3 big tourneys of the week. Well over 350 hands (and AK twice).
I make it 300, everybody folds and I am sick, til the BB calls.
He thinks he is hot stuff. Total older vegas guy who has overbet some pots in bad spots.
752r. He checks. I don’t put him on a pocket pair, and can’t think of a card that will hurt me, plus I need chips, so I check (I just about never check Aces).
9 of hearts for a second heart, he bets 800 (an overbet as expected), I push, he has to call with his KTh, no help, I am around 2,700.
Terrible pf call by him.

Get pushed again. Seems like a few tougher players here and some big stacks.

Hand 3: 50-100, I think I am over 3,000 now.

I make it 300 to go with KQ in late position.
An asian player takes a little time in the SB and calls.
Now, some of you may have read my post of the different types of asian players and how I have a decent feel for their style based on what I believe is their nationality (my asian friends think it is hilarious and by and large true).
I have him as a chinese, educated player. Thus tight and passive.
Flop comes AK9s.I am done with the hand, I put him on AJ. Or else a smaller pocket pair he will not bluff with. So check check.
K on the turn, sweet. He checks, I bet 400, he makes it 1,200, I push, he takes a little while and calls with AQ. No ace, and he is gone with just a little less than me.
Wow, around 6K.

A few people say they knew he had AQ. And how bad he played it.
I agree and say he had two chances to get rid of me and should have.
And admit I was lucky.
Personally I think the luck in poker is:
1. Not getting unlucky/bad beat/weird situation
2. Having other players play bad, and giving you chips. I have this twice now.

Then there was a big hand I wan’t involved in. EP pushes in for around 425. Guy to my right min-raises, I fold, guy to my left pushes for about 2,500 more, guy to his left goes in the tank. After about 2 minutes he mucks saying he can’t believe he mucked that. Player to my right amazingly folds with all those chips in their. The guy who pushed in had AK, the folder had QQ.
Flop comes A high, he says phew, Q on the turn and he is bitter.
The guy that I had the two pair against is now at our table and gives the guy major [censored] and says now he knows what an idiot looks like. But he half laughs.
The QQ player is still talking about it. He has pissed me off twice actually but I tell him it was a ridiculously easy laydown.

I raise at some point and the guy from the two pair folds and I say that is the first time you folded to a raise from, what is wrong? He doesn’t really reply and is out soon thereafter.
Minh Nguyen then comes to our table. He got lucky against me with A9 vs QQ on a 9 high flop in LA where I would have become a huge chip leader at my table.
He loses a 50/50 to somebody, glares at the dealer, then gets knocked out shortly thereafter, which I was happy about as he is dangerous.

But Dan Alspach takes his spot. He has been on tv a few times. I’ve played him a lot in SD, but probably all about 18 months ago. He has a monster stack. He will be aggressive preflop, but does a great job of not throwing away chips. I learned that from playing against him.

Somewhere around here:

Hand 4: I believe 100-200, I am around 6,000.
MP raises to 600, player to my right calls (I believe both are pretty good). I have TT and have both more than doubled. I thought MP was a position raise, so I make it around 2K (can’t remember all the specifics).
MP folds, the cold caller calls and has very little left, like 400.
J9x flop or something, he checks, I push, he calls with AQ.
No help and I am around 9K.

This is the end of part one.
I know only four hands so far, really only one that can really have discussion.
But the excitement hasn’t nearly started.

SD

[CardSharpCook]

gl on day 2. Fun post to read, thanks for putting it up. I don't see much to discuss here... I am a bit skeptical about your "read" of the chinese player - but whatever works for you. I'm surprised that the 78 hand didn't cost you more - I might have been tempted to call down, but given the later info you gave on him, you clearly made a good fold.

Post day two as well, plz

CSC

[sdplayerb]

Thanks.
I by no means say my reads are perfect on asian players, but it is far better than nothing.
So far it has been pretty true in tourneys.
It was definitely true here, and i had an instance in another tourney where i used it to bluff a guy off AK when he played the hand extremely meek.
One of the people i showed it too is filipino, who i said tne to be more aggressive liberal players, but he is the tightest player under 60 that i know. so i give him a tough time on it.

As soon as the guy called on the turn of the 87 hand, i really started to think i may be beat.

Actually part two is not day two. just it was going to get so big, and the real excitement starts soon.
It may have to become a three parter since I am going out tonite.

Glad you enjoyed.

SD