Learning From Old Mistakes 


This past Tuesday I was playing a NLH tournament and at the first break I found myself with 10k in chips and the first thing that crossed my mind was the last time I had a huge stack after the first break in a tournament and what happened thereafter. 

I usually work the morning Tuesday NLH tourneys but lately they've been back to a normal turnout (13-14 tables instead of 17-18 tables) so I decided to play in them recently. Couple Tuesdays ago I finished ITM in 12th. Last week I finished 9th with the tournament ending in a 10 way chop. This past Tuesday I had one of the biggest rushes in a tournament in a couple months sitting with over 10k after the first hour. It's an insane $10 multi-rebuy tourney so everyone is gambling the first hour. I decide to call a small raise from the big blind with 7s6s. Four players see a flop of T 8 5 giving me an open-ended straight draw. My plan here is to check-raise to put some money in the pot and take the lead on a flop where I don't think anyone has anything. That idea is taken from me when the raiser decides to bet enough to cover us all. I decide to gamble and call. So does another player and I hit a 4 on the turn. I just about triple up. Very next hand I get AA and after someone raises and another player calls, I make a reraise and get called by both players. I decide to bet all in in the dark and the flop comes K x x. I get called by 99 and a weak K and I haul in another huge pot. A couple hands later I call a raise with KJo and see a multi-way flop of Q T 9 with 2 hearts. All of the money gets in somehow and I'm up against QT and Q8 and my hand holds up and all of a sudden other players are taking notice at my chip stack and think I have rigged the tournament somehow.

I finish the break with over 10k in chips and the only thing crossing my mind is remembering having over 15k in chips in a $100 multi-rebuy tournament a couple months ago. It was only the 100-200 level at the time and with the structure the way it was I should have cruised to the money. However although I did not play fast and try to bully the table, I didn't protect my chips as well as I should and did not make it to the money. It was very disappointing to say the least. This time around I told myself I wasn't going to get involved in huge pots without a premium hand or without hitting a good flop. My cards were cold after the break like they were in the last tournament but I held off of trying to make steal raises and such. I finally picked up AA in the big blind. Folded around to the small blind who just limps in. The sb picked up a lot of chips after turning quads and cracking AA and at this point he has me covered. I thought about just checking here but I want to put some money in the pot and take the lead in the hand so I just raise the minimum (300-600/75 level at this point) to 1200. I get a call and we see a flop of K Q x. SB leads out with a bet of 1200. Now I'm thinking whether to just call or raise. I think about the hands he might limp in with and then call a raise with. I put him on a K or Q and at this point I decide to raise all-in and make it look like a bluff. After I raised all-in I try to make myself look like I don't want a call by trying to appear all tight and nervous and looking straight down, etc. I guess the bad acting worked because I got a call with Q6. Not even top pair!. The turn and river are blanks and I double up. At this point I'm just waiting around for everyone to knock each other out. Before I know it I'm at the final table and find nothing to play until I see AJ in the bb. UTG goes all in and another player calls all in. UTG has me covered but it was the best hand I've seen at the final table and if I fold I don't have much chips left. I call and I'm up against 55 and A9. Flop comes J 9 x. The turn and river blank out and I triple up almost giving me enough chips to survive and wait out a couple of other people to get knocked out. We get 5 handed and make a deal where I was 4th in chips and get almost double what 4th place would have got me so it was a good deal.

Later on in the evening I sit down at a 20/40 Stud 8/b with a 1/2 kill game. After getting involved in a couple pots early on, I'm keeping myself from getting involved unless I have a premium starting hand. I'm throwing all starting hands where I'm drawing to an 8 low and even some where I'm drawing to a 7 depending on the situation. Patience pays off when I get (A2) 5 in a kill. 4-way action. I catch a 4 on 4th street. I'm up against 2 other low draws and someone who's doorcard was a Q. I'm betting all the way here. I catch a 7 on 5th street so I'm made here. The other low draw bricked and the other paired up his 3 doorcard. I bet and am called by 2 players. 6th street I catch a Js. The player going high caught the last 3 so i can't make a wheel for sure now. I started with (As2s) and my board now is 5 4 7s Js. The best the other low draw can make is a 76 low so I have the board locked for low and if I catch another spade on the river it's scoop city. I catch the beautiful Qs and I bet and get called by both players scooping a huge pot.

Very next hand is a kill pot and I start with (7s6s) 2s. Automatically open for 30. Folds around to the player on my right with an A and she makes it 60. I just call. She catches another A while I catch a 3. 5th street she catches an 8 and I catch a 4. She checks and I bet and am called. 6th street she catches paint and I get a 5s for a board of (7s6s) 2s 3 4 5s. She certainly doesn't like my board now. At this point I put her on maybe Aces up or even 3 A's because calling me on 6th street she can't put me on a wheel if she has 3 A's. On the river she checks and I bet blind. She calls and my 65 low and 7 high straight is good for a scoop. I finish up over $1100 in about 2 hours. Stud 8/b has always been a favorite game of mine to play since it was something I played awhile when I was a kid. Now I'm trying to get better at it to be a winning player. 

Posted: Thu - March 24, 2005 at 02:46 AM          

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