O-Poker

I would not have won my seat to the PCA if it hadn't been for my wife. Thanks Veronica!!! She suggested that I drive to my office to play the tourney, so that I would be distraction free. (The kids get a little crazy in the afternoon.) I think being up at the office helped me focus on the table conditions and not get disctracted by the TV, phone, sick crying kids, etc. BTW - I didn't realize how scary of a place my office can be at 3 AM.

Hand 1 - http://www.pokerhand.org/?662620

Battle of the blinds. I limped and was raised to 3xBB. I decided to call with 89o because this guy kept raising if I limped from the SB and was fairly predictable after the flop - He could basically have any two. On the Flop - Based on his previous betting, I didn't think there was any way that he had a King or a pocket pair. I bet into him on the turn and he flat called. If he had a King, he was definitely raising me because of the possible flush draw. I bet again on the river, because I thought my hand was good, I wanted to control the size of the pot and I didn't want to check to him and have to call a bigger bet.

Hand 2 - http://www.pokerhand.org/?662638

I think the first hand played a big part in this hand. The guy had shown a history of not letting up on his continuation bluffs. I really didn't think there was any way that he had a set, two pair or AK here, so I went with my gut and luckily I was right.

Hand 3 - http://www.pokerhand.org/?662729

This hand cost me some chips. I think that it was an auto-call because the guy went all-in UTG the first hand after a break. He had opened all-in a few times before the break without getting a caller. I called and got unlucky.

Hand 4 - http://www.pokerhand.org/?662733

Good, loose player with chips UTG limps - unusual because he usually opened for a raise. I raise on the button with AQ to try to see where my hand stands. Blinds fold - he flat calls. I am pretty sure by his call that he doesn't have a big pair. I make a continuation bet on a King high flop and am flat called again. Turn pairs the board. Check, check. River Blank. He bets 1,200 into a 9,300 pot. I can't see him having a hand here based on the way the hand played out. If I call and lose, my stack is at 3,700. If I fold, my stack is 4,900. I decided the chance to get more chips was worth the extra 1,200 since there was a possibility that my hand was best and I needed chips. It turned out that he had AQ also - split pot - Whew.

The result was good, but I think I might have played this hand poorly.

Hand 5 - http://www.pokerhand.org/?662741

I think this was my turning point in the tourney. I was either doubling up or getting knocked out.

Button raises. I considered re-raising what looked like a steal attempt with Ad4d, but decided to flat call. The flop come Ah3d5d. I check with the intention of check-raising all-in. I have 14 outs (to make flush, two pair, straight) and am the favorite against almost any of his possible holdings. He had AJ which made me about a 53%-54% favortie. I hit on the turn and doubled up.

Hand 6 - http://www.pokerhand.org/?662775

AA vs JJ double up - Good timing.

Hand 7 - http://www.pokerhand.org/?662786

Had to lay down JJ. My hand was probably good, but I had enough chips not to risk my entire tourney on a coin flip this late. May have been incorrect laydown against a good player that could have been re-stealing.

Hand 8 - http://www.pokerhand.org/?662790

I was pretty sure I was good preflop, but flat called wanting to see a flop against what looked like a button steal. On the flop, I wanted to represent a King and decided to play it like I had a King. I checked and he checked behind. The third King on the river was a big scare card and slowed down my plans to bet on the turn. I checked and his bet seemed fishy to me based on his past play and that fact the he looked like he was stealing from the button pre-flop. I called thinking that if he didn't have a King my flat call would scare the hell out of him. I thought about betting out on the river, but thought the best option was to check. I felt like my hand was probably still good. I didn't think he would bet the river without a King and thought he was probably done with the hand if bluffing. If I bet and he raised me, I would have to fold. Check, check and I took down a nice pot with Ace high.

Hand 9 - http://www.pokerhand.org/?662839

Very lucky double up late with AQs vs AQ. (Had gotten short after a misplayed steal attempt)

Hand 10 - http://www.pokerhand.org/?662860

I thought about calling on this hand, but we were getting close to the seats and I kept seeing this guy's posts in my head. "Don't call off your chips with AQ." It wasn't all my chips, but a large majority of them.

Hand 11 - http://www.pokerhand.org/?662926

QQ - Very close to bubble. No messing around. My only move here is all-in preflop. A big stack called me with AJ and I got nervous as hell. I closed my eyes and hoped for the best. Luckily no Ace and I doubled up.

Hand 12 - http://www.pokerhand.org/?662941

I flat called a guy that had been stealing a lot with the intention of pushing all-in on any low card flop. (his preflop raises had been bigger when he had a big hand, but I didn't want a preflop all-in to get called by a big to medium ace.) The flop came 8c9c10d and I thought an all-in bet would look too much like a draw. I bet 6k of my remaining 16k hoping that it would look like I had a monster and was trying to get him to pay me off. It worked and he folded.

Hand 13 - http://www.pokerhand.org/?665726

Only 1 or 2 more people had to be eliminated for the seats. I was dealt QQ in mid-position and flat called hoping to get the shorty to get all his chips in. shorty folds. 3 to the flop. Check around to big stack that bets. I am sure I had the best hand, but folded because we were so close to the seats.

Hand 14 - http://www.pokerhand.org/?665740

Easy fold preflop, since so close to the seats.


A few hands later the shortest stack at another table folded in the BB leaving himself with 2,500 chips and having to post the SB of $3k on the next hand. I think he has to put all his chips in with anything there. It was six players to the flop on the next hand at that table. Checked down. The short stack lost - one player had flopped a set of jacks and it was over.

I am pretty pumped to go to the PCA. I tried to win my way in last year and didn't have any luck. After this tourney, I will have played in the three live tourneys that I have set as goals to play in.

1. UB Aruba
2. WSOP Main Event
3. Pokerstars Carribbean Adventure.

I am really looking forward to Atlantis and think that I have the right attitude about the tourney. I'll play my best and hope things work out, but if they don't I am going to still have a blast in the Bahamas!!