O-Poker

Uggh!! There are only 55 chances to win your way into the BBT3 TOC freeroll for 2 WSOP main event packages. I'm sure I won't be able to play them all, so I have mixed emotions about coming in 2nd place to Scott Fischman. The 2nd place payout of $1,200 is nice for a $75 buy-in tourney. It is also good to jump out to a huge head start in my $250 bet with Fuel for most money won in the BBT3, but I really want to get into the TOC and felt like I had a great shot last night.


At the beginning of the final table the chip stacks were as follows: (I commented early on that I got a great seat draw - having both Hoy and Fischman to my right)

Seat 1: HAGBARD_III (61,313)
Seat 2: lifesagrind (20,879)
Seat 3: hoyazo (88,640)
Seat 4: Scott Fischman (135,635)
Seat 5: cmitch (47,149)
Seat 6: Julius_Goat (34,572)
Seat 7: katitude (28,540)
Seat 8: Schaubs (94,302)
Seat 9: noair (13,970)

Scott Fischman had Hoy and I massively out chipped once we were 3 handed:

Seat 3: hoyazo (85,140)
Seat 4: Scott Fischman (341,069)
Seat 5: cmitch (98,791)

Things were going along smoothly until I misplayed a hand against Fischman when we were (Hoy, Fischman and I) were 3 handed. (see hand #6 below). I wound up hu with Fischman after SF's A10 beat Hoy's A9 - not much he could do there.

Some key hands

Hand #1 - I couldn't bring myself to laying this one down. I had mentioned that I laid down a big hand earlier and the shove screamed two big cards or 22-JJ.

Hand #2 - It is easier to re-steal when you have a big stack. I don't remember if we were ITM yet. My raise basically makes it look like I am willing to get all in for stacks here.

Hand #3 - Our table was playing pretty tight (unlike the Hoy/Fischman table where it seemed like there was an all-in every other hand) so I felt like a raise in this spot with JJ is either getting shoved on or they are folding. In some spots I might flat call pf but this seemed like the best way to play it.

Hand #4 - I think this was the first hand I played at the final table. I didn't raise pf because Fishcman had shown that he was willing to shove to pf raises. I didn't want to raise pf and have to decide on calling a shove. Call me crazy, but I like to play poker post flop, especially when I have position, with a fairly well disguised hand, on an aggressive player. I felt like SF was on a flush draw or a straight draw and thought the smallish turn bet (as opposed to shoving) might induce a shove. If I shoved, I'm pretty sure that he would have folded a draw. Fuel made a comment about SF's blocking bet on the river. I don't really like the bet. I was an unknown player to him - we hadn't been at the same table before the FT. I am not folding anything to a 2,400 bet into a 50k pot. IMO, it is just giving me a few extra chips. I could see it being a better play if he had even a tiny piece of the board, but he can't beat anything in my range. I think that betting 2,400 in that spot is pretty much the same as check folding. No reason for me to raise because only a better hand would call.

Hand #5 - I felt like this was a +EV call. I would be interested to hear other people's opinions. He had just shoved the previous hand and everyone folded.

Hand #6 - Three handed. This felt so much like a busted draw or a stone cold bluff. I was very wrong.

Hand #7 - Final hand. His bets felt a little "Fischy." I should have gone with my gut and folded on the turn.

I had a great time last night. Hopefully, I'll find my way to a BBT3 win in the near future.