Can’t help but smile as I sit here at my laptop.
I began the second day with 29K and a contempt for those who ended day 2A with stacks that reached over 400K After all, just like Cool Hand Luke, I had to get my mind right. Well, the mind was set and everything was in place for a good day. Within two hours, hope was rife as I began to close the gap on those huge overnight stacks. It seemed easy as the cards decided to assist for a change. Raise with
-8c and get three callers. Flop another two 8’s and the chip leader to my left decides on a major bluff. Raise with A-T and the kicker becomes top pair after the flop. Both pre-flop callers call a big flop bet. With 8-8 also on the board, and a Queen hitting the turn, it was time for a check after the other two pay their respects the better. Another Ten on the river insures another nice pot. By the first break, the puny stack of 29K was at a monsterish 76K.
Get back to my table after the break with immense anticipation. After all, my stack was now captain and in total control. Before a hand is dealt, the table breaks and we all part with wishes of good luck. I take seat one on the new table with the knowledge that we are next to break. Good! I hate seat one and ten. First four hands and the squeeze brings and ace each time. All four hands are mucked as the kicker leaves me looking to make a wheel each time. Funny things is, each of the four hands brings a walk to the BB. I guess I could have raised all four and won all four unchallenged. But with just coming to the table, I needed a few hands to see how the others were playing. Can’t call them loose that’s for sure! Fifth hand and the squeeze brings a
to go with the As - we can finally raise. LOL, get a hefty re-raise from K-K. Post my two blinds next two hands and the table breaks. Well that was fun!
The move to table 29 was welcomed, especially as seat six offered more room and comfort. Some big stacks here. But luckily, all of them are to my right. Soon in raising mode as 9-9 and A-Q pay me a call. Their visit however proves a little costly as both hands are faced with a re-raise. Caution seems to be the order of the day at the moment. Chip leader and utg raises. My As-Qs is happy to call in position. The flop of A-K-Q brings a check from the raiser. I like my hand but not enough to bet and perhaps get re-raised. With two diamonds on board also, a check is the safe route. They way the last hour has gone, safe is good. When the Queen pair’s to give me a full, I also check again. I guess I could have bet it, but I could easily run into A-A here or even K-K. However, the biggest reason for the check is to trap. If he was holding T-T or J-J, I had to give him a chance to catch up, right? But whatever comes on the river, I will be making a big bet for sure.
Did I mention how the last hour or so has been rather strange? In fact, everything seems to have gone wrong. Well, wouldn’t you know it! I forgot about a possible King on the river. But hey, even if a King comes, it doesn’t mean that he has one. But he did! And I end up paying off 4K on the river. Shame he didn’t hit his straight instead with his K-J! The one hour had now gone in to the second hour. The second went into the third as everything continued to defy the odds or belief. By the fourth hour and with dinner waiting, I was back to 29K. But it only takes one hand, right?
How sweet to hear the words re-raise, after I had just made it 4K to play with my A-A. Finally, after five hours of trying to hold on to the reins, reward comes. After almost three days, my first all-in is matched. LOL, he has A-A also. Oh well, we split the blinds and antes at least. Hold on a sec, two spades on the flop and he has the spade. Another on the turn and a wry smile is waiting to form. Can’t help but smile at the thought. Somehow, the black river card is not a spade and I escape.
Meanwhile, seat ten is filled by a stack that almost matches seat one. I guess I wouldn’t mind either seat of those seats at this moment. Soon, the action between the two worst seats heats up. Not sure exactly how the pre-flop betting went but after the flop, war had been declared as seat Ten checks and seat one bets on a flop of
-7c-2c.
Meanwhile…… on the rail behind me, Phil Hellmuth wants to buy a share from me. His first offer before my first day of $5K for 10%, was as generous (or what it desperate?) as they come. However, today, even with only 29K he is looking at $10K for 10%. He wants it badly, but the hand in progress is now our focus. Seat Ten ponders as Phil and I wonder what’s going on. Seat Ten now raises and seat One ponders. What the hell is going on here!
Seat One finally calls and a harmless looking red deuce hit’s the turn. Seat Ten now leads out and makes a big bet. Seat One ponders…. and ponders….and finally calls. Another harmless looking
hit’s the river and seat Ten pushes all-in for 50K. Seat One ponders…. and ponders….and finally calls for most of his chips. When seat Ten turns over
-3c for a wheel which is good, seat One almost changed color.
Meanwhile, news filters through from another table that Daniel Negreanu re-raised all-in with 6-9os against A-A. Seems that runner runner gave Daniel the straight. You mean just like this this hand here? Jesus…and we are supposed to make a living from playing this game?
I wonder if I should push all-in and try to get lucky? I know that the time is almost right. But you know what? I think I will wait for a hand. OK this will, J-J utg. With 29K left, a big raise will let the table know that I mean business. But in truth, I don’t need to do that. They know that my utg raise is genuine. And anyway, if the do make a move, I ain’t going nowhere. All pass to seat Four on the sb. With the calculation of a genius and total understanding of the game, seat four pushes all-in with 30K. The problem here is, I have marked seat Four down as brainless. I beat him into the pot. The shock on his face indicated that he expected me to fold. Are you for real seat Four? WTF did you expect? Think about it for a second. UTG….big raise….from a player who last raised an hour ago. WTF did you expect? Did you think that you chose your spot wisely? Did you think you’re A-J was good? Did you think? Of course, the meticulous calculation of all the factors brings its rewards and the door card is the magic Ace. I like to see good poker rewarded - god knows there has been plenty of such good poker all around the room. The head scratching is simply done by those who don’t understand that in order to win an event, you must come from behind sometimes. But you know what? I always thought that this applied to situations where calculation and logic was slightly off, not totally f****
ignored.
As you can tell from the tone, I was not too happy with the outcome. In fact, I doubt if will ever play poker again. Why should I put up with such pain and heartache? Yep, that‘s it for me! Can‘t take any more of the BS!
Anyway, must dash as I need to get ready for the $1K Bellagio event that starts in a couple of hours. With 5K in chips and loads of “funny” poker during the first couple of levels waiting for me, I can‘t wait. I love this game!
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