My $200K Guaranteed Tournament Comments (Long)

[Zinzan]

First, thanks for all the sweat, guys. That was a lot of fun, and my seventh place/$7K cash was my biggest win ever. My "buy-in" was only $27 in a pair of qualifiers, so that's a pretty good ROI!

Success in these things take good cards, luck, patience, and some degree of skill. I didn't play perfectly, and had my share of suckouts and badbeats, but I can't complain.

I'm not going to put in complete hand histories, but here are a few key hands/comments.

I won 800 chips early when I flopped a straight that I never had to show. Two opponents put in 400 each on either flush or straight draws, I guess. The key here is value betting against the flush draws.

I lost most of those chips by the end of the first break by betting out with AK. I got AK in M- to LP five times before the break, raised to about 80 (since there were always one or two limpers), was always called, and always missed completely on the flop. Sometimes I checked behind and missed the turn, sometimes it was raised into me and I folded, and sometimes I opened on the flop, was called, and bet into on the turn. I guess that's just the breaks.

t1387 at the first break

Won a few hundred when my AQ hit an AQQ board... Close to the end of the second hour, I still only had about t1500. I found myself with AK yet again on the button, and someone in MP w/t1450 had raised to 250 (BB=100). He had consistently made steal attempts in M- to LP when it was folded to him, so I put him all-in, a questionable play on my part (esp. when he turned over TT). Fortunately, I hit an A on the turn.

t3447 at the second break

First hand after the break, my KK is put all-in by a QQ. Cool.

Doubled up again when my AJd hit a flush against KK. I have to admit that I fished on a flush draw when the pot odds didn't justify it, but I hit on the turn.

And an AK hit a KK5 board. Didn't win huge money there, but a decent pot, raised preflop, and bet on the flop. He thought long and hard, but didn't call my raise.

Just before the break, I bet out with AK, raised all-in by dahdude. I had him covered by 6500 chips, so I called. He turns over AQ and hits a queen. Ouch.

Next hand, I look down at KK, say "screw it" out loud, hoping they'd think I was on tilt, and go all-in (t6100, BB=800). Players all think. Guy on rail (Jamesdean13) points out that "screw it means AA"... they all fold. dahdude had went in the tank and says he had 55. Another railbird (captZEEbo) tells dudes it's not cool to talk about plays during the hand.

t8582 at the fourth break

One thing I should point out is that I was at Table #9 the entire first four hours. And this was pretty cool, as you can make reads on your opponents and can set up your table image. I'm not the best at either of these, but the opportunity exists.

Get low in chips and double up when I set my nines. Get low in chips again and double up when AT is called by A5. Lucky times.

I steal with 88 and AK. A smaller stack goes all in and I look down at KK. He flips over 89, and flop comes 789. Crap. Lucky for me, the 7 pairs on the river.

I finally start getting bounced from table to table. Terrible stallers at one table.

I fold in a hand where a guy (MisterMeanor) turns over KK. I say "nh. I should be so lucky," look down and see I now have KK. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] A smaller stack calls me with 88, and I hold up.

QJo. This turned out to be the hand of the tournament for me, lol. I only had t19000 with blinds of 3000/6000. 36 left in the tournament. Folded to me in the CO, so I push. Button (OrangeGutan) has t32000 and isolates. He turns over AK. Could be much worse. I spike a J on the river. He is LIVID. He rants for another two hours about how stupid I am. QJ? QJ?!!!! It was hilarious, and the railbirds really let him have it.

Blinds are getting huge, but I manage to double up with AA against JJ. But blinds are still huge (3000/6000), and whittle me down again. OrangeGutan has been playing really aggressively since the bad beat, and pushes UTG with t24K. I'm in the BB with t29K and a pair of sixes. He's been yammering non-stop about how he was coming for me, so I say "okay, here's your shot at redemption." He turns over AK once again, and I set my sixes on the flop. The railbirds loved it. Orange ended up following me the rest of the tournament, still bitching to the railbirds, many of which were 2+2'ers just egging him on, lol.

For the next good while, I play infrequently. Very difficult table to flat steal on, as there are a couple HUGE stacks at the table, blinds eat me up, and I'm forced to go all-in when I find pocket pairs. They hold up, and I find myself at the final table. I peak at about t105K when my JJ sets.

At this point, I really was uncertain what my goals were. There were nine left, and I didn't know whether or not I was committed to trying to win it or just climb the money ladder. With blinds at 5K/10K, I made one stab at a steal with AT. Flop missed me, I bet, was raised, I folded. That was about only postflop play the last two hours.

With 7 left, I had t50K. The only stack shorter had t25K (StuckInPgh, and the blinds were t15K. He raises all-in from MP, and I'm in the SB with an 88. I figure he had to make a stand with mediocre cards with blinds about to hit him, and if he's successful just two times, he catches me, so the pressure is on me. Is this faulty thinking?

I call, and am happy to see him turn over A6o. Unfortunately, he spikes an A on the turn. That's poker.

A few hands later, the shoe is on the other foot. I have t25K in MP and I have AJo. An easy push, I'm thinking, but UTG opens. Damn, maybe I should fold. Still, the blinds will hit me soon, and I will likely not see better cards. The next lowest stack has 3x my chips, so I don't like my chances to outlast anyone without taking a chance. I call.

Unfortunately, he turns over AK and holds up. I'm out in seventh!

Anyway, it was quite a ride. I appreciate all the sweat, and any comments you guys might make.

BTW, I had one guy sweating me named GSX-something. He's not 2+2, but we've played together before. He had great luck in a recent $200K guaranteed, and I kinda cheered him on while sweating a 2+2'er at the same table. But he's not a great player (neither am I), and he made a bunch of idiotic comments regarding stalling being good, etc. I just stayed quiet, but I don't support or believe half the things he says. Of course, he was the only one at the final tables already asking me to "give him a grand" for his sweat. Geez.

Happy Holidays, guys. I may try to play again next Saturday, but I'll be back in Atlanta with family, and catching some football in the Georgia Dome (Falcons-Saints, Auburn-Tennessee).

-Z

[Zinzan]

Oh, and meant to mention:

The shortstack that I battled all-in with his A6 against my 88? StuckInPgh? He went on to finish second, and even held the chiplead for a while. An inspiration for us all!

[Lloyd]

Congrats on the finish!

[DONTUSETHIS]

Congrats Man I have seen how you have been playing lately as far as getting in witht he best of it a getting outdrawn by total crap. It is nice to see the best hands hold up for the majority of the night anyway for you.

[bads33d]

stuckinpgh is a really good player...

he made the final table two times last week I believe...he had the chip leader going into the money (around 130 people left)....

nice making the final table...I left when you doubled up with a10 vs a5...gg

[tdp]

Great job Zinzan!This was the first time I've sweated someone and I'll be doing much more of it as I have a lot to learn.I'd been following the 200k thread all night while I ground away at the $10 SNG's.I hopped on to your table to see what all the yak about Orange was just a few hands before you busted him.
I don't think that my ever growing stack of books has helped my game nearly as much as cruising these forums every day.I look forward to the day when I'm asking for sweat.I can see how much the support helps,plus the ability to come back hear and discuss key hands.
Keep up the good work Zin.Make it to another final table and I'l be there with you again.

[Zinzan]

This is, of course, the hand that I keep asking "what if?"

[ QUOTE ]
With 7 left, I had t50K. The only stack shorter had t25K (StuckInPgh, and the blinds were t15K. He raises all-in from MP, and I'm in the SB with an 88. I figure he had to make a stand with mediocre cards with blinds about to hit him, and if he's successful just two times, he catches me, so the pressure is on me. Is this faulty thinking?

I call*, and am happy to see him turn over A6o. Unfortunately, he spikes an A on the turn. That's poker.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know I should be happy to challenge him all-in with the better hand, but now I'm rethinking my play. If I fold, I'm still holding t50K with the blinds past me. He would have t42.5K if the BB folds, but the blinds will take him back down to t25K. He doesn't have much folding equity and will possibly get called by a bigger stack if he makes any play at all.

Seems weak to fold here, as it would really just put me in a race with him, forcing him to make a play, and possibly winning the race only to find myself with only t7,500 left in the final six. But the next step in the money ladder was worth another $2.5K, I believe.

I guess I like my play, but I'm curious how others would have played it.

-Z

*BTW, I think this was a typo. I believe I pushed to isolate with my medium pair. I'll have to check.

P.S. War Eagle!

[young nut]

I think you played it fine. You knew that he was in desperation mode with only 4x BB or so. And the blinds were coming around to hit him again. And as it turned out, you were absolutely correct in the call. A6 vs. 88 I believe it was. Winning races is a must in NL to make the top money, especially when you were shortstacked as well. If I were you, I wouldn't let this call bother you. You got your money in being more than a 2 to 1 favorite. You played the cards you were dealt correctly, the luck factor just wasn't there for ya on that hand.