I refrained from writing any reports for the tournaments I played as I'm a little bit conscious of making it sound like I run bad when obviously I can't complain about running bad after final tabling the last two live events I played.
The dust has now settled and I think I can write the reports with a little bit of hindsight albeit likely to miss out on some details or potentially get sizes wrong Etc
The first event was the 1k eureka cup. 1k buy in, 2000 runners, unreal field.
My starting table had a mixture of v bad regs and whales with perhaps an exception or two. I had a very good feeling about the table quickly getting good reads and really feeling in the zone, not being on my phone etc. The first few levels went well, I took some good spots to bluff such as limping behind utg1 and when it went raise and 6 callers squeezing big and getting it through.
The hand where I lost the first portion of my chips went
Reg (opening 70% pre ante, yeh you know the one) opens, Romanian clad 3bets 300-900 we have 20k in cut off and the big blind (it's last hand before 2/3rd break) is dying to go bust and has 4k calls as well as the original raiser. I assumed bb was going to jam, I imagine clad rejams hands I crush such as kq/aq that he would correctly be 3betting for value initially, but I wasn't comfortable getting it in pre vs him as a 4bet, even if I have 60% vs his range of pass that up in this tournament.
The flop came a33hh the bb jammed his 3.5k predictably. The original raiser now called. We started with 20. I felt like if I raised it would look like aq/ak due to pre flop action so the plan was call now and bet turn/river for value ifchecked to (I assume he 4bets to gii vs fish.
The turn was a33hhTx and he leads for 4.5k. I have around 16.5k left and decide to call, he may be trying to protect against flush draws or sonethting, folding seemed out of the question and value raising seemed debatable when he's betting not I to a dry side pot.
The river was the a33hhTxTx and he jammed after 4-5 seconds and I took forever and ever and ended up folding. Gross spot as he should have one convo of a3s, at and pocket 33. The big blind was stood up ash ready to leave, I decided to fold and it turned out correct.
I rebuilded abit after break. A fish limped, I ISO a9 and then a player I felt I had good reads against (both physically and strategically) 3bet (cut off vs button vs hijac) I felt like my hand did fine vs his range and had a considerable post flop skill advantage as well as a great price so made what I felt was a trivial call.
The flop was a5t I checked and he did this thing where he kind of smiled before he bet, I often see people doing this as a bluff and looking really straight faced when they actually have it, everything abot his motions just made me feel like he was fos. I called.
The turn was a5t4 and I checked again and he made a really big bet, again these kind of sizings just made it look incredibly bluffy. I called again and was calling every river except perhaps k/q/j as likely he would have picked up some kind of pair and would think he has showdown value (obviously doesn't)
River was the at542
I checked and he quickly went all in. All sorts of draws such as qj, kq, kj, 67, 87 and just random stuff like k8 missed. I very much doubt he value jams aq and the whole hand I was convinced he was bluffing. I ummed and rated but ultimately I wasn't folding.
He had 33 (I assumed small pairs would be the last hands he 3bet as he forces the fish out of the pot, I would assume he checks back a3 ott or perhaps flop so discounted any 3a from his range. And that was me gg.
Anybody who has played live with me probably knows I hate calling and make a lot of river folds so I really don't regret this, I felt like it was a good start to the trip even though the result said other used and was given weirdly a lot of encouragement going into the next tournament.
The next tournament was he 2k high roller.
I was really in the zone in this tournament, I was going after people in the right spots and taking aggressively lines when it was appropriate. I folded ak to a 3bet when I opened utg and the cut off 3bet me really big, I just felt like he had it and it felt right to fold, perhaps it wasn't.
There was one guy who was tricky to play against, he basically just led the flop every time he peeled from the big blind, I folded 66 on qj9 vs his lead and he showed me 55.
My exit hand came relatively early.
The same guy opens to 600 in the hijac, the small blind who was 35yo reggy guy peels and I call from the bb with AhTc I felt like I could squeeze here as small blinds range is pretty weak and when he does have aj/aq we go heads up and I have initiative and usually win post flop.
Anyway the flop was Jc9h8h
Everybody checked quickly, no tanking.
The turn was he
I lead 1300->2k and they both call.
I assume their ranges are often pair+draw such as kj, jt, qj often some of the above with a heart as well. I think small blind leads sets ott always and original raiser chefs two pair. I decided I would value get a heart big, a q/8 small as likely they have 2 pair on these kind of cards and if the board paired I would bet very big with the nut blocker, uncapped range and good chances nobody has a film house given the way it's played thus far.
The river is the Jc9h8h2hQc
I decide to value bet 2.5 into around 5.5 trying to get qj to call or potentially for the initial raiser to raise a hand like KhQx or something similar.
He raised very quickly to 6.5k, the small blind then cold called after perhaps 10-15 seconds, this was really interesting now.
I started trying to break down their ranges and came with the assumption that the original raiser would likely bet kxhh on the flop as it would be a big combo draw, similarity to jthh. He could have a small flush draw like 65hh but even that had a straight draw on the flop and no showdown value. I felt like he would have some decent bluff conbos which had the
. I wasn't so concerned about him and if it had folded back to me I would have called, there was also he chance he was value raising it due to my sizing.
The small blind now I very much doubt had a very good flush, he checked the turn and then called after it went bet/call, I just feel like he would lead the king high flush, i wasn't sure exactly what he had hit it was 95%+ he had a flush.
I started thinking about my range now too, what do I get to the river with that I bluff half pot into two people who very likely have a straight or two pair? There's no way I bluff this river like this, if I were to bluff it would be a big bet, perhaps an overbet, when I'm in this spot I basically have very few bluffs. I decided that with my nut blocker, completely uncapped range and very strong and consistent line of the nuts my play would look exceptionally strong. The obvious thing that would hold me back from this would be that it's live poker and it's only 11k more for them to call into an already big pot, it is however their tournament life (or almost) at stake here. I don't really pull the trigger in these spots enough live I don't think but this time I did and you know what I don't really regret it at all. I have very few conbos I'm goi to do this with as a bluff and I have a lot of nut flushes here (I'd play them all the same as I assumed nobody had a flush so a large sizing wouldn't be good. So if they want to call me here then it's fine for me as the majority of the time I'm going have a flush.
So we pulled the trigger and the first guy who opened decided to call with kqhh
Good call I guess and I went back to my room debating whether this was big spew or ok.
The next event was the main event. I did something here which is maybe really unethical, I'm unsure.
I went in with the intention of not riffling my chips once, not looking at my phone outside of breaks and really focusing very hard. I chipped up early and then started losing every pot I played. My initial table was reggy but I felt fine.
I played an interesting hand vs vicenfish. He opened cut off, I defended. He checked k89, I checked back. Turn ten, he checked I bet small, he raised, I called. The river was a 2, he bet big and I called.
I feel like he definitely cbets 76 here and folds j7 pre flop so his only value range is qj that he has to check flop and turn with which felt unlikely, my hand looked like one pair and Im at the top of my range here. We have a lot of history online together, I really don't think this is a fold so called and he had qj. He thought it was a bigger cooler than I did, but that at least makes me feel ok about the call.
we get broken pretty early and I moved literally the dream of all dream Tables, huge whales on my right. Big big fish on my left and very weak/bad regs. I felt like I'd end the day with 100k+, 4 hours later I was out.
First hand of note.
I raise qjcc, French guy wearing a wingman shirt, but not a pro (take of that what you will) defends his button and the blinds call. I cbet AcTs7d button calls. The turn is
if I was off suit Here I'd definitely just c/f as the ten is way better for his range and I would probably check all my Ax here too for balance but I think barreling combo draws is marginally better than check/calling but I could be convinced otherwise, check fold? Very interested to hear thoughts on this one..
Anyway he called and he river was the AcTs7dTcKd and I felt this guy had a decent amount of 9T, QT, JT, AK so bet pretty big like 6ish into 9ish and after around 20 seconds he basically min raised.
Very gross spot as only value combos are aa/kk/tt/at/kt but I tanked a long time, possibly too long and then folded. I had 17k and calling would put me short by on this table 20k was very workable.
The guys on my right were raise/calling so so so wide ore, like j8o utg vs cut off and stuff so I just started to ISO raise them extremely wide for value. This was the downfall of the tournament eventually for me, but this is surely the best way to get a stack, 3bet a depolarised range for value against them until any regs behind start fighting back (which they didn't) I think I lost 5x pots where they opened and I 3bet (jj,qq, ak, aq, kj) and lost to a4, j7, kq, 33, a6) where post flop boards came down where I couldn't bet for value. They played heir hands extremely passively never betting for value so there was no tricky spots just stuff like checking back JJhx on AKQhhh utg vs mp1 in 3bet pot and losing to a6o.
Here's when I did the potentially really unethical thing, I hope k don't get shit about it but I guess I'm being honest. I had felt very hard done by the deck, this was literally the dream table of EPTs I always play very small ball, not even having 3betting ranges on a lot of tables but this was a chance to accumulate chips and I had an extremely great selection of hands vs ranges I was doing v v well against but had manged to lose the majority of my chips.
I lost a pot where I had flipped j8s on aj8 and folded on an ace turn vs a check/call, pot lead turn line (
) and I decided to mark the card I had and then inform the dealer immediately it was marked so we could get a new deck.
I'm not superstitious etc but I just felt like for some reason this day was destined to be doomed for me and wanted to try and change some form of fare. We got a new deck within 20 seconds but I felt a little bit bad. In hindsight it seems really petty to do it but I don't know, I had to change something and I was keeping my composure well and not opening hands like t8s in positions where it was tempting etc
So with a new deck and new positivity! I raised JT and the button who had a million chips (100k really) called and the blinds came along too. The flop was 992, which seemed like an easy bet, I set it up so I could shove any 8/q/k turn. The button called which felt like a float due to the way he was playing, ie he was playing 60% of pots so wasn't pocket pair heavy and we went heads up to the 992q and I jammed.
He ranked around a minute so assumed he had aj/at and was contemplating being a sicko but then when he called and showed KQ I was extremely confused. No justice and we were gg.
I was ok with everything really. Not that tilted. I was happy that I adjusted my game to a more aggressive style and adapted to the table rather than trying to make it through with 30k for day 2, I obviously understand you can't win he tournament on day 1, but getting off to a flyer is obviously a huge benefit and the only adjustment I made was really 3betting the top middle part of my range (tt-QQ, ak/aq/kq) rather than flatting like I would vs regs.
So shortly after was the last tournament, the 2k turbo.
I mean this tournament was just absolutely incredibly. A lot of regs in the main event which was running simultaneously, tables started 5 handed and at least half the field must have been fish. And they weren't like passive, tight fish these events attract he crazy guys who want to gamble.
Eventually finished around 70th/200ish. Three hands of note here.
1- I have 30k and David peters opened utg to 3200 at 1600bb. I 3bet to 8400, I could shove but we have a very aggressive history from online and live and very confident he will jams 22+ here. Shannon Shorr then cold 4bets to 15k from 60k (we have 30k) I start to puke in my mouth but I wasn't going to fold, the button, a Norweigan fish then says "I'm all in too" now the pot is huge, Shannon has to call whatever now and there's 3200+4000+8400+15000+30000+15000 and I have around 25k. Insanely close I think, especially as it's a turbo and blinds will be 1k/2k in one minute. I eventually fold, which felt so gross and Shannon had aq and the fish aa. Ridiculous spot though, David had 99 so would have just gii but never mind.
2- this is really sick/close spot. 2400bb, Shannon all in utg for 9k, Norway fish calls utg1, Russian good reg, friends with vanda4rek flats itg2. Folds to me in small blind and I have kqo and I have 19k
I do very very well vs Shannon's range, due to reads I'm pretty sure Norway rejams ak/aq and the Russian never dominated me either. Vs regs who flat entire range In these spots online I have to fold but with a chance of winning huge pot with great price and imo very good %s vs their ranges I think it's a v good gi.
Shannon had 77 and fish 99 so was fist pumping inside. Flop was k22 so was about to win a very big pot at the time with all the dead money and side pots hit the board back spores a flush and Shannon scooped the main pot and I got back my stack through winning the side pot.
I won a lot of chips between next few orbits and then had 60kish at 4kbb with Abergele of around 48k.
Dennis Phillips (
) opens cut off to 8.5, I'm otb with aj and jam 62k, the small blind then calls all in for 12k and Dennis Calls.. He has tt and fish 87
Flop is the beautiful j72 and were about to be 3.5x average in a turbo approaching the bubble relatively soon but out of nowhere the ten lings on the river and we confirm with the dealer "realllly?" Before heading back to the hotel.
Really hitting trip, very happy throughout how I played. A few questionable and close decisions but I wouldn't change them now (well obviously I would but y'know)
Had to skip the rest of the events due to my gf being ill In budapest.
Really looking forward to 2015, going to play every stop on the tour and really go for it, I'm feeling good. Sorry this time wasn't profitable to you guys though and gl for rest of the week.
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