MTT Homegame: Part 5

Before everything else:

I got two new hats from Lids, I really like them... that is all.

--Resume Blog--

The same set-up as the past... although, its been pretty much a rotating cast. Which has its pros and cons, I'm getting good tournament experiecne by not playing against the same people every time (much like tournaments I will be playing when I'm older) but this intern makes it a TAD bit tougher early on... but not much because of the softness of the field. If it was a tougher field it would be better training, but less profitable. And the main goal right now is building a bankroll, so I'll go with the profitability anyday, because when it comes down to it thats what poker is all about - making money. Thats why we keep score with it.

Before I get started I will say that I don't like the payout structure for this homegame. $100 buy-in, 18 people and they pay top 4. I really feel that thy should pay top 3, but its not my game so I let it go. Although, I did mention it to the host, he obviously just wants to make MORE people happy by paying an extra spot.

Anyway, here we go:

Did I tell you these players suck? Oh, well if you forgot.

First hand:

Donk min-raises to 60 UTG, a couple folds to MP Donkey who moves in for 1500!!! with A-K, gets called by player on his left with A-9, folds around to SB who calls 2 al-ins on the first hand with K-Q?!?!mA-K manages to hold on for the early TRIPLE UP! And we're all 2 places closer to the win...

Do these people care about $100 - obviously not!

Very next hand, the guy on my right bluffs off all of his stack excpet 200 with 3-2 vs. some crazy player with top pair. He went out shortly after, so we had already lost 3 players from my table this early on - WOW!

I spent most of time folding early on and watching these guys build HUGE pots with mid pair, or a flush draw, or top pair weak kicker... yeah, it was that juicy.

The great thing about these players is that they played their cards... and thats it! They didn't care that I was folding every hand. If I finally came in for a raise (obvisously a big hand - duh) and they had a 'good' hand (good in THEIR minds) they were ready to go off for a huge pot.

The bad thing is that I didn't get any big hands to do this with... so I sat there folding and folding and folding. My 7-3, 8-4, 5-2, 9-5 wave of hands just wouldn't stop. We lost another player during all this - 4 players! Jeeze.

I lost a small pot with 10's when the flop came King high, one of the few tight players bet, I mucked and he flashed K-Q to the table.

I had dwindled down to about 1000. Then...

With the blinds at 30-60, 6 handed at my table:

The CO raised to 180, the button called, the SB folded, and I made what I feel was kind of a loose call with Kh-9h from the BB for 120 more. I just felt that if I could flop a hand these guys would pay off BIG.

Flop: Ac-9s-4s
(Pot: 570)

I checked, CO checked, Button checked.

Turn: 9c
(Pot: 570)

Gin! No free cards with 2 flush draws on board. I bet 300, CO folded, Button called.

River: 7s
(Pot: 1,070)

I checked, he bet 400, it didn't add up. Unlikely he has the spade draw and checked the flop the way HE was playing (this was the AK-guy from the 1st hand of the tourney), so I called. He had A-Q off and I won a nice pot.

I picked up 2 decent pots with A-K after that where I raised, got called, missed the flop, continuation bet and picked it up.

I entered the final table with about 2,900 and 50-10 blinds so I was "okay", but it was obviously now a waiting game from early position (to pick up a hand) and a stealing game in late position (to pick up the blinds with minimum risk and maximum profitability).

With the blinds at 80-160 and 2,100 in chips:

It folded to the chip leader on the button who min-raised to 320 (an obvious AND poorly executed steal play, he's trying to steal the blinds cheaply... very cheaply... as cheaply as possible). SB folded and I woke up with A-K in the BB. This is obviously a standard re-raise vs. a weak button raise. I made it 1k total, leaving myself 1,100 behind. I did this because I wanted action from weaker hands. He just CALLED my re-raise. So now I'm super committed and will be mving in for the rest on almost any flop. The flop came Ten-high, I moved in and he thought FOREVER before finally folding.

I've got about 3,600 now. With 100-200 blinds:

Folds around to the button who limps, I complete from the SB with A-Q, BB checks.

Flop: Ad-Tc-7c
(Pot: 600)

Draw heavy board, no free cards. I bet 400, BB calls quickly. Button folds.

I put him on 9-8 so I thought, "NO JACK OR SIX!"

Turn: Jh
(Pot: 1400)

Yuck. I checked. He bet 1400 (the pot), I thought for a few seconds and folded it face up. I just couldn't make a case for calling such a big portion of my stack in a spot where I felt strongly that I was beat. So anyway I mucked face up and said, "9-8?" He kindly showed me 9-8 off and I felt a little better.

That left me with 3k, I built that up to 3.7k where I hovered for a while. I was just stealing pots in position due to the lack of any real action in my 'hand department'... but we were on the money bubble with 150-300 blinds. So basically anything can happen with these blinds and these stacks. The reason for the crap-shoot so early is that one Guy was sitting on all the chips at this point (Like 11k). So they weren't spread out as evenly as usual. One guy was folding every hand and only had about 1200 so not exactly the best strategy as he won't last very long doing this with 200-400 blinds. BUT he ends up squeeking into the money with 700 in chips.

So now we're in the money, and I've got about 6k with 200-400 blinds just from sharing the role of table thief with my new buddy Mr. Big Stack.

The chip leader, other mid-stack, and the tiny tiny stack play a Big multi-way all-in pot. The mid-stack doubles up to 10k, busting the short stack, and leaving the previous chip leader with about 10k.

With the blinds at 250-500 and only about 4500 in chips. The button folded, I had A-8 in the SB. This is a standard move in with only 9 BB's. Unfortunately, the BB woke up with 10-10 and I didn't hit an Ace. Out in 3rd...

Cashed for $360 in 3rd Place.

Making this my 4th cash out of 5 visits to this homegame - pretty incredible.

I have a 1st, 2nd, and two 3rd's.

I'm feeling really good about how I'm playing and confidence is so huge in this game.

I wil be playing in the Deuce 9 Poker Classic on July 14th, there should be 2 full tables much like this tournament - except it will have a really good structure, unlike this one. I'm going into that tournament with a lot of confidence so I feel really good about how I'll do. I will obviously blog about it afterwards, rain or shine.

I will also be golfing with some friends on Sunday, I may blog about that if its worthwhile to talk about.

I'm out...