Tourney Story
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Let me start this off with a quick apology to anyone I pissed off during the Noble Poker $200 Freeroll. Sometimes, while sitting at my computer playing poker, I get a bit chatty. Unfortunately, my sarcasm often doesn't come across in type...a little bit of tone of voice can go a long way. I tend to gloat when I hit hands or win with a bluff, and I even sulk at times when things aren't going well. I guess with the non-face-to-face computer setup, it can get even worse. So, my apology if I came off as a prick to anyone.
Okay. So I kept notes on Blogger throughout the entire freeroll tournament. I have to thank Pauly once again for setting this thing up. I expected Noble Poker to be a sub-par site, but it was just the opposite. I deposited $50 for my own purposes, and will receive a 100% bonus, depending on how many raked hands I play (rather than the amount of rake per hand). I also recieved an immediate $10 bonus, as well as an entry into a freeroll on June 5th (I will be in AC, ironically). The graphics are good. The players are sufficient in number. Overall, good stuff.
The Freeroll started at 9pm. I was in bed next to fiance Kim who was watching Rob and Amber's Wedding. I was more than happy to have something like poker to distract me. Admittedly, the notes to follow will focus almost entirely on hands I was involved with. It was hard enough keeping notes while playing (which caused me at one point to auto-fold 22 pre-flop; a 2 came out on the flop!). As a result, I kept the notes to my hands only, especially later on in the tournament.
So, I start the freeroll at a table with Otis, G-Rob, and Spaceman, to name a few. We start with 1500 chips. Right away, I can tell this is a different game. Lots of chat. I get into the flow of laying down hand after hand. Nothing much is happening. I have visions of blinding myself to death (ala Broomcorn's uncle).
9:14. I have the Hammer (27o) UTG. I raise 4x blind, and get only one caller. I miss flop, but make a pot-sized raise anyway, and my opponent folds. Naturally, I show the hammer and type "HAMMER!" in the chat.
9:18. Greggie goes all in with 99 in MP and is called by Pokerama w/ AK. Greggie doubles up to 1550.
9:23. The table is really tight. I’ve had the SB fold to me twice already. What’s going on here? I’m the 2nd big stack with just short of 2000.
9:25. Obie is all-in post flop with 66. BigSlickNuts calls (he is now all-in as Obie is chip leader) with AQ. Flop was 9Q5/K/A. Obie is at 855. BSN is near 3000.
9:29. Otis moves all-in pre-flop with 99, and is called by BigSlickNuts with AA. When a 9 hits the flop, Otis takes it down. Immediately followiung, BSN takes out G-Rob when G is preflop all-in with AT against BSN’s QQ. BSN is running hot, and back to 3000. Meanwhile, I appreciate the fine linen chosen for the tables at Rob and Amber's wedding.
9:35. I take out Pokerama when he goes all-in KQs and I have 99 pre-flop. I'm now at 2170.
9:37. BigSlickNuts raises with the Hammer pre-flop and takes down a hand. He then goes all-in, called by Otis. BSN has Hammer (again!), Otis has KK. Its academic. BSN is at 100. Otis is at 4600.
9:40. Moved to a table with BadBlood, thefatguy, BSN, and Tripjax, to name a few. Tripjax turned out to be one of the more entertaining players. More than a few witty statements were shared.
9:42. Dnasty shows up to join the fun. My bad. He just stopped by to say hi. He and SteelerJosh are playing at another table in the tourney.
9:51. What? Pauly was already out in 119! Sucker!
9:54. TripJax takes out KingPenguin, when Penguin is all-in with K7 agains Trip’s 67...and a 6 and 7 come out. I’m the shortstack besides absentees (people who were not there but still entered the tournament) with just north of 2000.
9:57. Trips' AK against Funknee's AJ all-in pre-flop. J comes on river, but makes Trips makes a flush with the J. Funknee is out.
9:59. Double up off of donkeyman when my AT suited hits T high flop. I have only 800 and bet it into a 900 pot (all-in) after donkey checks. He calls with middle pair and a shit kicker. I take it down. 2740, and we are at the break. I watch Rob and Amber buy each other way-too-expensive wedding gifts.
10:09. I get JJ in the BB, but all fold to me. Damn those cowards.
10:10. I get Hammer on the Button. All fold to me. I move all-in, knowing full well that the SB and BB are absentees and will auto-fold. However, SB was already all-in in the SB and has to call. BB folds. SB has A7 v. 27, and then hits 4 of a kind As on the flop. I lose 30 or so.
10:13. AKo in MP, with a caller before me and a caller after. KJT flop. It's checked to me. I bet 900, and all fold. I’m at 4480.
10:26. Some players tell me my blog isn’t working, I checked and it ain’t. Too many things at once. I’ll deal with it tomorrow. Its nice to know they tried.
10:37. PokerProf’s AJ takes out KQ and AT which were both all-in. He now has 20,000. I am short of 6800.
10:47. I have KK, to the right of Button. All fold to me. I double blinds from 1000 to 2000. Snailtrax calls in the BB. 683 flop. Snail goes all in w/ Q6 and I call. Double up to over 15K.
10:51. 22 Utg+1. I raise to 2000. A9 goes all-in for 2000 more. I call, hoping he has two high cards. I'm right, but he hits the straight...until a rivered A gives me the same straight and we split. Whew.
10:53. I play 64o in the SB with only the BB (GCox) in the hand. An opportune bluff after the flop pays off. I show my cards. Booya!
10:57. 16 players left, and 15 spots pay. I limp for 1500 UTG with KJs, hearts. I am currently 4th in chips. I take down the hand on the flop (K high with two hearts) with a small bet.
11:03. 12 players left, and I’m in 4th. Sydrian in SB doubles up on me when he raises a small amount all-in and his A high pocket beats my K high pocket. 20,000 chips.
11:09. Break time and I’m in 7th out of 11. I have to make it to 5 to move up a payout from $5 to $10. Plus, I’m playing for street cred. Right now, things are ok. I’ve been slightly wild (or at least that’s what I want the table to think). GCox, on my left, is getting the worst of it. I showed him two bluffs earlier with 25o and 64o back to back, and ever since then he has been more aggressive against me. He’s the table chip leader (3rd overall) and the wrong person to mess with, but he is also my current target. Oh well, I’ve made my bed.
11:12. In the first hand back, I get 99 on the button. I double the blind. GCox in SB called. KQx board. I raise the minimum. GCox calls. 6 on the turn. I raise the minimum again, feigning strength (as though I want him to call). He folds.
11:15. Poker Prof in Button goes all-in for an additional 5500 or so, after I limped with 44 in MP for 2000. I call to see his QTs. I hit the 4 on the river and take it down (no QT anyway). The low pairs are paying off. Final table time.
11:17. With AK, I double the blind. Iggy in the BB calls. TT9. I fold after he goes all in for 11000+.
11:21. I play AJ on the button. It was a big mistake, as Jedi raises from 2000 to 7000 in BB. I call. The flop is three low cards, two suited. He raises me all-in and I fold with 20K in chips left. In 6th place out of 9.
11:23. I call a raiser with 67s after a minimum preflop raise. Long story short, I fold to his all-in on the flop, in which I hit mid pair. 14K. I'm starting to lose my game.
11:27. Sydrian is out in 9th, after dodging many bullets. I lose my SB and BB to Jedi, the chipleader bully. Down to 9700, 8th of 9.
11:29. albet is all-in in the SB for 4800. Two callers. ReadChom is all-in after the flop. Jedi calls. Chom takes it down with 77 (no one hit the board), and albet is out. I'm in 8th out of 8.
11:31. I’m BB. I might have to make a move no matter what. 9800 chips, 4000 BB. ReadChom in the SB raises me all-in. I call. My Q high v. his J high, and I win. 17500.
11:35. Iggy is all-in and loses to Slayre. I am 6th out of 6.
11:37. GCox is all-in preflop v. Jedi. Jedi's QK takes out GCox’s 99, when a Q flops. 5th out of 5? I just scratched my way into $10. Now can I make it $20?
11:39. I am all-in preflop on the button with Q2s. SB (Jedi) and BB (Slayre) fold to me. 17.5K.
11:40. ReadChom's AA takes out slayre's AJ. Slayre is out, and I'm in 4th! $20! Kaching. I immediately double up against Jedi when my QJ flushes his AQ.
11:49. I am all-in on BB, and triple up when I river a trip 4s (with one 4 in my hand). But I'm out in the next hand when my top pair loses to a baby straight.
That's it. Jedi took it down. I called it following my loss, and Snailtrax didn't seem too pleased. Jedi was playing a forceful game and was the chipleader for most, if not all, of the time I was at his table. It was a great time, and reminded me that I can play some fine poker. I bluffed a good amount. I did not slowplay at all. I don't even think I got to too many showdowns without going all-in.
No poker tonight, because I plan on spending some much needed time with fiance Kim. And the Lost finale is on. If you've never seen the show, you don't know what you are missing.
They can take our lives, but they can't take our Poker!
posted by Jordan @ 11:54 PM,
4 Comments:
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At 9:45 AM,
said...
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Jordan,
I really enjoyed playing against you the other night and you were correct, I was trying to be more aggressive after you showed me the two bluffs.
Good playing, I really enjoyed it.
GCox25 (Gary) -
At 9:59 AM,
said...
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Good playing with you, too. And, I didn't notice anything in your chat that pissed me off, but I wasn't there very long, either... ;-)
BSN -
At 12:36 PM,
Jordan said...
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GCox and BSN, the pleasure was all mine (so were the chips...ba dump dump!). My obnoxious chatting was actually closer to the end of the game when I was a little namesake. BSN, if you wanna link up blogs, I'd be more than glad.
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At 5:17 PM,
TripJax said...
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High,
I remember your blog now...I've read it before. I remember because of the excellent picture with the gun...had me laughing outloud. Quite an intro to the blog.
Good times were had by all at the tourney. I love the blogger tourneys cause it is more about the people and less about the cards. Thanks for the good words and I'll definitely link you up this weekend when I'm updating my list.
See you at the tables.
