$10,000 Main Event, Day 1C, Monday 7th JulyI always love the first day of the Main Event, and today was no exception, but ultimately was a frustrating day. It was a very friendly table, and that was echoed poker-wise, as everyone was very passive and threat-free all day.
I definitely would prefer to err on the side of caution and pot control in the Main Event, as it's just so possible to get great table draws for the first 2/3 days. However, this was a table that seemed to demand getting out of line. I decided after about half an hour of the day that I would try to get gently out of line, without ever getting really out of line, and would wait til the end of the first 2-hour level to do so.
Unfortunately, I just didn't get any hands all day, 88 was the best starting hand, and didn't hit anything at all (apart from hand number 1!). I was 6/7 on squeezes, 3/4 on 3bet pots with nothing (QJ, 65, QT,JT), and it was a table where continuation bets, etc made a lot of money.
It's a shame that there wasn't really much to write about. These were the three most interesting pots of the day.
1) Level 3, 150-300This I think was a bad mistake. I think image counts for so much on a poor table in the Main Event, and image at this kind of table is not formed in a balanced way. I always think if you show one silly hand, the type of player that forms this day one table will remember it in a completely unbalanced way. Play 93, and for a while, you will be remembered as 93 guy. I raised the cut-off with ultra passive blinds to 650 with
(the mistake), and the small-blind defended. The flop was
, and I made the standard c-bet of 700. The turn was
, giving me a straight draw, and I decided to check behind. The river was
, giving me the straight. He had made a crucial comment after the flop bet, saying "I guess your ace is bigger than mine." I actually decided to read this really heavily that he was strong, and so that there was a good chance he had a set. Hence, my turn check, and on the river, I actually decided to bet the pot, for 3k. He quickly called, and my hand was good.
Given the result, I guess it worked out well, but for about 45 minutes after this people were still talking about the 93 (I'm now presuming he had a set of fives), and I retreated a bit. Given how possible it was to pick up chips steadily and silently, I think it was a mistake to play a super weak hand, with the risk of having to show it.
2)
Level 5, 200-400(50)
Hands 2) and 3) were the last two hands of the night. This was almost completely coincidence given the run-out, but I had definitely decided that I could afford to destroy my image when they announced the last five hands of the night, and get really out of line. I had raised
to 900, and the big blind 3-bet to 2,200. His range was going to be genuine, and so I decided to peel, and the flop was
. He bet 2,400, and I called. The turn was
, and we both checked, The river was
, and he bet 3,800 from a 13,200 stack.
It's a fairly standard turn a hand into a bluff spot, given that there are no flush draws, and no missed straight draws. I actually thought there was little chance he would 3bet AQ, AJ and KT, and so being able to take these three hands from this range made it feel a really easy bluff.
I moved all-in. It definitely felt a positive thing that it was the penultimate hand of the day, but I would hope that this run-out and action was a bluff at any point during the day. He thought for ever, and folded. I'm not quite sure what he had, just maybe AQ is now the favorite, but I guess even that is a near bluff-catcher.
Level 5, 200-400(50)I was back up to 31k, and on the last hand of the night raised to 900 with
on the hi-jack. The big blind, who was the only relatively tricky player, defended, and the flop came
. He checked, and I decided to check behind for pot-control. The turn bought a brick, coming
, and he pretty quicky bet 1,500. I called.
The river was
. He thought, seemed to dislike it, and checked. It felt straight away like a very strong spot to turn my hand into a bluff. The strongest thing was that I felt very sure that he would not check a flush, and the
was a blocker on the one flush that he might just check. He would have far more jacks than aces, and so few combos to make two pairs, that it felt like his checking range was stuffed with jacks. The pot was 5,450, and I decided to bet 5,800. He thought for a while, and called with
for a straight.
At first, as we were bagging up, I felt stupid, especially given this was the difference between 22kish and near starting stack, but on reflection, I think I had to turn my hand into a bluff given the action. Just maybe I hit the very top of his checking range.
So, going back with 21,850, which felt a disappointment at the end of the day, but given the next 250/500 blind level and the field, still feels very hopeful.
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