I've now played in my third blogger tourney since my return from oblivion. I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed not only the cards, but the company as well. Amazingly, I've now gone three straight events without sucking out. How long do you think that's going to hold up?
Saturday was Round 2 of the PokerListings Run Good Challenge v.2 and I managed to improve on my 5th place finish from Round 1.
Fifteen players made it to the tables this Thanksgiving weekend, and my starting table looked like this:
Seat 2: Jason Spaceman
Seat 3: PL Matt
Seat 4: PL Dan
Seat 5: Pokerati Dan
Seat 7: Amy C
Seat 8: Change 100
Seat 9: Me
My first big hand came against Pokerati Dan. I was dealt A7o in the BB and Change100 and I both called Dan's minraise. The flop was 474. I lead out for 80 and Dan called. The turn is a 5. I lead out for 200 and Dan again calls. With two clubs on the flop, I'm thinking Dan is likely on the flush draw. It's possible he was on a straight draw as well. The river made that all moot, as another 4 fell. I considered betting, but figured I was likely beat if I got called. Perhaps Dan was hiding an overpair. He checked as well and mucked K3 of clubs. He flopped the flush draw and turned a gutshot straight draw.
My next big hand came in Level II. We were down to five players at our table now and I raised to 100 from the button with ATo. PL Dan called. The flop came AJ6. Dan checked, I bet 125 and Dan quickly called. The turn was a 7 and this time Dan lead out for 300. I considered briefly that he had hit two pair, but instead guess he was making a move, so I called. The river was a 3. Dan checked this time and so did I. He showed KQo.
Those were my only big hands before we got to the final table where I was sitting 4th in chips. Here's how we sat:
Seat 1: Poker Shrink
Seat 2: Michelle
Seat 3: PL Matt
Seat 4: PL Dan
Seat 5: Benjo
Seat 6: Liz Lieu
Seat 7: Amy C
Seat 8: Change 100
Seat 9: Me
Liz came into the final table very short and I attempted to knock her out with AJo. She, unfortunately, woke up with a pair of 6s and I lost the race.
It wasn't long before I got all those chips back and then some. Sitting in the big blind, I'm dealt JTs. PL Dan raised from 100 to 400 after Michelle limped. I decided to take a chance to hit a flop and called.
Hit it I did. The flop came down T-high with a flushdraw. I checked and Dan bet 700. I wasted little time in pushing all-in. He used up most of his time before deciding to call.
"Flush draw?" he asked as our cards were shown. "Okay, I had that part right, lol."
Dan showed pocket 8s and was dead to two outs. They never hit and I got a huge double up to move into a strong second place.
One of the biggest hands in the tournament came a few hands after that one. I was dealt AJo UTG and decided to start using my stack to my advantage. Most of the table was short except for Benji, Michelle and I. I raised to 300 and, to my dismay, the big stacks both called me. Not exactly part of the plan.
The flop was Q63 with two clubs. It could hardly have missed me more than it did, but that didn't stop me from taking a shot with a C-bet. I bet about two thirds of the pot but my 650 bet was called by both stacks. I knew that was the last chip I would put into that pot.
The turn was a J, which actually hit me, but I checked anyway. Michelle also checked and Benjo bet 2222. I folded, but Michelle, suprisingly, called, leaving less than 1000 chips behind.
The river was was a deuce and would have completed a runner-runner flush, if someone were chasing it. Michelle checked, Benjo pushed and Michelle folded. It was a huge pot and it pretty much launched Benjo well out in front of the pack.
"AK clubs," Michelle told us, which meant she flopped the nut flush draw with overs and turned a gutshot straight draw.
"All in on the flop, in my opinion," Benjo said.
"I caught a Jack on the turn... but wasn't playing for my stack with second pair," I said.
Benjo wasn't going to tell us what he had and told us to wait for his writeup. I predicted KQ figuring he flopped top pair. I thought the chances were slim that we were each dealt a big Ace. Michelle was sure he was bigger than that a thought he flopped a set. In the end, Benjo revealed on his blog that his hand was, in fact, AQ.
A little later, I tried to kill off another short stack, and again, my opponent woke up with a hand. My A7s was no match for Amy C's pocket 10s. Nonetheless, I was still sitting with more than twice what third place held, although Benjo was still more than twice in front of me.
I finally managed to bust a shortstack when Change 100 ran her A9s into my pocket Tens.
When we got down to five players, my button raise with JT ran into a push from Michelle. I was priced in and dominated, facing QT. I didn't improve and Michelle doubled up.
Finally down to three players, and in the money, I was solidly in front of Poker Shrink and still well behind Benjo. It got worse when I got rivered.
In the BB with A9o, I made the mistake of simply checking when Benjo completed from the SB. The flop came A43, Benjo lead out, I raised and Benjo called.
The turn was a J. Benjo checked, I bet 575 and he called. We both checked the Q on the river and Benjo showed Q4 for a rivered two pair. That one hurt. I suppose I should have pushed earlier.
A few hand later, I doubled up Poker Shrink when my A6s ran into his pocket Q's. But I got all those chips back when my AQs held up against the Shrink's KJo. Suddenly we were heads up.
"Luckbox vs. the Eurodonk," Dr. Pauly described it.
The tourney ended about 10 or so hands into the headsup when my QJ ran into his KJ. I nearly had my first blogger suckout in a long time when a Q hit the flop, but a K on the turn did me in.
I walked away with $300 and I've now secured enough points to earn a spot in the RGC final table for a chance at a $2500 prize pool.