Tough Table
Friday, July 25, 2008
I played one tournament last night, the Riverchasers event, which had a paltry 15 players. I have been thinking a lot about the blogger tournaments, as I have played all four this week, the Monday Hoy, the Tuesday Skillz, the Wednesday Mookie and the Thursday Riverchasers. If I were in bankroll building mode, these would be the last games I would play. With dwindling numbers and the remaining players seemingly the best of the bunch, these tournaments don't offer much value. When you add in the fact that, due to dwindling numbers, the top payouts aren't even that significant, it becomes pretty clear that a bankroll-building MTT/SNG player would be better off in some of the 45-, 90- or 180-SNGs.
Of course, there are more than one reason to play poker, and I have come to accept that entertainment is probably my number one reason to play. Winning is the most entertaining, so that's high up there on my list as well, but competition is also a high priority for me. I wouldn't say I have something to prove; rather, I just like proving myself. It's the part of me that used to relish getting grades in school. I knew I was a good test taker, so that external validation fills an immediate need for accomplishment. Winning (or moneying in) a tournament has much the same effect.
Last night was a particularly tough game. At one point, I was sitting at easily one of the most aggressive tables possible in a blogger event. That included me, Hoyazo, Miami Don, Skidoo, LJ, CK, and Lucko, although I am sure there were a few more aggro donks in there with us that I just cannot remember. Oddly, I think it had the effect of making everyone a tad tighter at times, perhaps because we all knew what each other were capable of. Or perhaps we were all just card dead.
Whatever the case, I supposedly made a good laydown to Hoyazo when faced with a tough situation. In the hand, I held JTh and called an EP raise that Hoy also called. I was on the button. The flop was JT7 or something like that. The 7 may've been lower, because I don't think I feared a straight. The EP player bet, Hoy called and I opted to call, hoping that I could use my position to get in a check-raise on later streets after my opponents pumped the pot. The turn was a King, which frankly concerned me, as I could see Hoy possibly having two high cards. This time, the EP player checked, Hoy bet, and I think I called. Since I started the hand with about 3k and had about 1800 left for the river card, I don't think I raised. Whatever the case, Hoy and I saw the river, an Ace. Any Q screwed me, and that Ace could've given Hoy a better two-pair. He led out with an all-in bet or a Hoy (all-in minus one), and I took my time, ultimately folding and telling him my theory that the river or turn gave him two pair. He said I was close with my guess. I admitted my JTh and he said good laydown. I still don't know if it was a good laydown or not, though. I wouldn't put it past Hoy to fib about his hand; I've done it more than a few times myself, and its an effective way to deal with players who insist on knowing what you had. However, I think it's more likely that he had me beat. After all, I cannot imagine that Hoy thought he could push me off of a pot there, since I am known to be a bit loose, so his river push seems to support him having a strong hand.
I worked my way back up to about a starting stack, largely from a hand against Skidoo. Once again, it was play the player. I called his preflop raise in LP with 55. The flop was 983. I think we both checked. The turn was a 4. I bet a fraction of the pot and he called. The river was a blank and I bet 480 into the ~600 pot. He called and showed A4, for a lower pair. The river was a value bet. I knew he didn't have the 8 or 9 because he would've bet out on the flop, and from there, I was just trying to extract chips from a player known to be loose who knows me to be loose.
All that was for nought, though, as I busted when my flopped set ran into a flopped nut flush. This time, I held 77 and raised from one of the blinds when there were two or three limpers plus the SB coming for the ride. A player to my immediate left, I believe McLarich, called. The flop was all clubs with a 7. I bet out and only McLarich called. The turn was a blank and I bet out again. This time, McLarich waited until he was just about out of time, hit the TIME button and used up most of his time bank, and then re-raised, putting me almost all-in (250 or so left). I took my time and even typed, "the question is whether taking your time was just a ruse." It felt like a ruse. After all, why wait last second just to raise big. Most of the time, people who hit the TIME button are going to fold and just need to either save face or convince themselves to let go of a hand they want to play. Still, with middle set, I couldn't help myself. I think on some level, I knew I was behind and made an awfukit play. I guess I used up all my self control on the JT hand against Hoy. I called, the river was another blank and he pushed. I called and he showed AJc, for the nut flush. "RUSE!" I typed. And then, "nh."
I signed off and shut down the computer. I had enough for the night and ended up actually going to sleep early with wifey Kim. At least that was +EV.
Tomorrow, I'm heading to Foxwoods with Roose for the night. I'm a lucky man to have so much time for poker. It's been a pretty bland week online, since I have been mostly focusing on these blogger tourneys. Luckily, I won a satellite into a $109 tourney earlier in the week and unregistered for T$109, most of which is gone by now.
Expect me on later tonight. I just can't get enough.
Until next time, make mine poker!
posted by Jordan @ 9:23 AM,
3 Comments:
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At 4:47 PM,
23skidoo said...
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I still can't believe I folded QT on that hand, I should have called just for tilt value.
My only goal after that was to outlast Hoy and Al (sitting out).
Hoy busted before the FT and my TT lost to AA....booo indeed. -
At 1:19 AM,
Matt said...
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Wish I could say that was me on the AJ hand, especially since it was your QQ that busted me out of the Mookie the night before, but alas, I wasn't in the Riverchasers last week.
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At 4:02 PM,
Jordan said...
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You know, considering everything, it may've been a Mookie hand that I discussed, Matt. I played both games that week, and I may have just not looked closely at hte hand history. It was definitely against you, that part I am sure, so I guess I got the day wrong.
