Tuesday, April 10, 2007

MTT Homegame: Part 2

Same one from last month, that I took down for $720. They have one every month so I'm gonna start going every time.

Same set up, 1500 in chips, 15-30 blinds, $100 buy-in, pay top 4, yada, yada, yada.

I will continue to advocate that these are possibly the worst players I've ever seen.

First hand I'm in the BB with Ac-5c. Everyone folds to the button who limps, SB limps, I check. I flop the world. Ah-Ad-9h. I lead out because I won't get credit for an Ace most of the time, and plus there's a possible flush draw out, so I bet 60. Button calls, SB folds. Turn is a 3c, I bet 150, He calls. River is a 2d, I bet 200, he calls with J-9 claiming that he, "Couldn't put me on an Ace because I didn't raise before the flop..." Apparently these guys expect someone to raise with A-5... lol. A few hands in I fired 2 bullets at a pot, but gave up and didn't fire a 3rd on the river... it was a shame because I don't think he was calling another bet as he checked behind on the river(he called me down with bottom pair, Deuces... heh, good read?).

I proceeded to chop away, just picking up tiny pots here and there, overall playing pretty close to the vest, as my table was kinda loose. I won a decent sized pot with 10-10. Someone made a decent raise before the flop, I just flat called hoping to improve (ie. set) and felt him, 2 others called so the pot was kinda big going to the flop. It came Q-Q-5 flop, everyone checked. Turn was a blank, and I picked it up with a feeler bet on 4th street.

The host added in a few 'breaks' in between a few of the levels. Some of the guys smoked, pissed, maybe even took shits during them, idk... All I know is, going into the first break (after 3 Levels of play, 15-30, 20-40, & 25-50) I had a decent stack of about 2,500. Mostly from just stealing small pots here and there. As reckless as these guys were, they didn't go real crazy after the flop with air. I mean they'd stick in all their money with K-J before the flop, but they'd fold fold fold if they didn't hit the flop, leaving tons of orphan pots for me to take.

Shortly after the break with the blinds at 30-60, I picked up A-A in early position. I thought about limping (I certainly would have earlier on since they were playing so fast) but the table seemed to be slowing down so I opened for 180 (3 x BB of 60). Got one caller from the blinds. Flop was Ks-Q-10s, he checked, I bet, he called. Turn 6. He checked, I bet, he called. At this point he's totally commited most of his stack to this pot (I'm guessing an open-ender with a Jack or a flush draw). River 3h, he checks, I bet, he folds. He claimed to have J-10. Either way he had very little left. He shoved the button a few hands later and I woke up with Q-Q in the BB and busted him.

We got down near the final table bubble, I lost about 2k with A-K when I could've gone broke if I would have re-raised before the flop. I got away from it on the turn and still had 2500 left with 50-100 blinds. The flop was A-5d-4d with two diamonds, I bet, got called, turn was a 6d, I bet, he raised all in, and I had to let A-K go.

The action was fucking HARDCORE at the final table. I mean 3dr hand in there's a 3-way all in between 8-8, Q-Q, and Ac-K. Flop comes 8-high all clubs. Mr. 8-8 jumps up! Turn is a club and Mr. A-K (w/ the Ac) jumps up! River pairs the board and Mr. 8-8 wins a 9k pot...

I folded almost every hand (I can't steal pots when someone is all in every hand before the flop) and its not like I'm getting cards to play with 'em... and the blinds are totally dictating the action. I finally win a hand... with 5s-2s. I made the wheel on the turn, got a few bets out of an Ace, but he was the only other good player at the table so he didn't go crazy with it... a bit of a shame, a double up would've been nice.

With the blinds at a MASSIVE 100-200, and an average stack of 2500 it obviously became a bit of a crap shoot (okay, lets not kid around it became a total crap shoot)... oddly enough, we were STILL 9-handed. No one would go broke. I mean there were 3-way all ins every hand... and the worst hand just kept winning to double up. The guy on my right was the worst... his cards were face up just about every hand before the flop, yet he kept pulling it out. He finally busted someone and we were down to 8. Then I got nearly all-in with A-Q on a A-5-3 flop against A-9 and busted him. Then there were 7.

Okay, this next hand may frighten small children. If they are in the room please remove them.

Blinds are 120-240

Crazy guy on my right limps UTG for 240 (which means nothing, except that he knew it was his turn to act). I pick up J-J and make 1k straight, I'd like to just pick up the pot, but with these blinds I have no problem getting it all in against this guy. He juts calls the 1k. Flop is Q-9-5. He checks, my stack is about the size of the pot so I just move in, thinking that *this* guy would most likely bet a Queen. He thinks and then calls kinda fast. UH-OH. Here it comes he's gonna show me Q-8 or some shitty Queen like that. Nope. He tables the old 8-5 suited. No miracle and I double up to about 7k... I sat there for a few seconds while staking my chips thinking, "Wow. I should have 3,000 in chips with 150-300 blinds around the corner. I should be worried about when to make my move... yet for some odd reason I'm stacking 7k in chips... huh???"

Then we went on the last break. I had roughly 7k which put me 2nd in chips, 2nd only to Mr 8-8 from earlier (but he only had like 8.5k, so it was close). Everyone else was playing jockey to try and make the money with their 2k stacks and 150-300 blinds. I felt like I should just lock up the shop for a while while these guys took turns shoving in 2k each hand before the flop... so I did. I only raised about 1 hand per round so that I could keep re-couping my blinds from each round and basically stay afloat at 7k. I got a short stack all in with AQ vs Q-9, but he flopped a 9-ball and took my for about 2k. So I dropped to about 5.5k with 200-400 blinds.

Then I busted a super short stack with K-3 vs A-9, turned a King. Couple hands later I raised UTG with Q-Q, a short stack shoved with A-6 and I busted him. Down to 5, on the money bubble with 10k in chips and a good shot at a repeat performance... blinds go up to 250-500.

The crazy guy on my right finally bubbles and we're in the money. Which is pretty minimal, like I mentioned last time... I wanna win. I've got like 12k and the nearest guy has about 6k, so I'm feeling good, but still he's only one double up away from switching stacks with me so I'm gonna be playing very smart poker.

Mr. 8-8 busts a guy in 4th. So now its down to Mr. 8-8 (14k), Mr. Q-9 (1k), and myself (11k). Next hand Mr. Q-9 gets checked out and I'm HU with Mr. 8-8 about even in chips. After about 5-10 minutes I chop him down to about 8km while I've got 18k. Then it happened...

Blinds 500-1000. I limp in from the SBw with A-9, he checks to a A-J-3 flop with 2 clubs. He shoves all-in, I can't see how I can fold, I call and he shows Jc-9. His 9 is dead, so he needs a Jack or running clubs... club, club! That stung! So now he's got 16k to my 10k. Ican tell he's getting tired off this and the difference between 1st and 2nd is about $250. With the blinds at 500-1000 and our stacks being 16k and 10k, I don't wanna flip coins for $250. So I proposed a chop. We add up the 1st and 2nd place money and split it (but leave $50 on top for 1st). So he agreed. He shoved the button blind the next hand (he seemed kinda tired, I think he forgot there was still $50 up top) I woke up with 6-6 in the BB and called. He had 5c-3c. Flop came 10-6-K, one club. It's over right? Nope... club, club! How appropriate...

It was like a win just to make it that far with those blinds. I made the smartest play, and that was to chop. $250 is a decent amount of money and I don't wanna flip coins for it... I only do that for like $40, lol.

This cash brought my 2007 "Live" earnings to a little under $2,300. Which is good considering I haven't played *that* much live so far this year. I wanna do this for a living in a few years so it's reassuring to know that I'm not just an online player... I like to think I play just as good if not better live.

I missed High Stakes Poker, I'm gonna go watch it now on TiVo...

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