Baby Steps

Yesterday I got my first MTT win in a while. OK, so it was more of a 2-table SnG than it was a MTT, but 2 is more than 1, so in my book, it counts.

Won a small pot with ATo. Flop was all low cards but turn went check bet fold.

Got AK in UTG+2 but with two limpers just raised to 3xBB. Flop missed and I fold to a pot size bet and call. Would have won too - limpers only had straight and flush draws. WTF?

Play was par for the course for $5 games. 7 hands in, and the chip leader raises 20xBB from MP. No one has a hand so everyone folds.

From the button I try to isolate a shortstack with QJo. Unfortunately he has KQo and I lose 195. Down to T1325 after that.

At 25\50 a shortstack limps from the button. I raise to 200 with A9o. He then pushes all in for 695. I don't think he's sophisticated enough to have a hand so I call, and he has JhTh. Flop comes AAQ and he never catches his K. T2140.

Get AA in the BB with 3 limpers. They all fold to my 6xBB bet and I'm ok with that.

Limp with JT from the button. Bet the nut straight when a turn is a second club but the BB had no piece so he folds. T2600.

Take the blinds with 88, AQo.

Chip leader limps UTG at 120. I push with JJ for 2600 and he folds. More blinds. T2900.

First big pot lost: Raise on the button with 66 and big stack calls. Flop comes T78. He min bets 120. Either he's slowplaying a big hand or trying to stay on for a draw, so I decide to figure out where I am. I raise to 720 and he goes all in. I guess I'm behind. T1820.

Get KK in the SB, it folds to me and the BB folds to my raise. T2060.

Steal some blinds with AJ then I get my first big pot:

Seat 1: mclarich (2,080)
Seat 2: rayrivera7 (4,220)
Seat 3: Ice2271 (3,120)
Seat 4: PlaterAA (5,715)
Seat 5: jimzol (2,385)
mclarich posts the small blind of 80
rayrivera7 posts the big blind of 160
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to mclarich [As 6c]
Ice2271 folds
PlaterAA calls 160
jimzol calls 160
mclarich raises to 2,080, and is all in (Don't really want a call)
rayrivera7 folds
PlaterAA calls 1,920 (fuck!)
jimzol folds
mclarich shows [As 6c]
PlaterAA shows [Jd Td] WTF?

Let's look at that again:

mclarich shows [As 6c]
PlaterAA shows [Jd Td]

Even if he thinks got live cards...I dunno the math, but I don't need to know it to know that's a bad call.

*** FLOP *** [8h 5c 8c]
*** TURN *** [8h 5c 8c] [2h]
*** RIVER *** [8h 5c 8c 2h] [Qd]
mclarich shows a pair of Eights
PlaterAA shows a pair of Eights
mclarich wins the pot (4,480) with a pair of Eights
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4,480 Rake 0
Board: [8h 5c 8c 2h Qd]
Seat 1: mclarich (small blind) showed [As 6c] and won (4,480) with a pair of Eights
Seat 4: PlaterAA showed [Jd Td] and lost with a pair of Eights

Steal more blinds with AJ, KQ. Then this miracle hand hits which, after all is said and done, I'm glad I wasn't a part of.

Seat 1: mclarich (4,720)
Seat 2: rayrivera7 (3,580)
Seat 3: Ice2271 (3,120)
Seat 4: PlaterAA (3,555)
Seat 5: jimzol (2,545)
Seat 6: ucfplaya13 (4,505)
Seat 7: 64 JUSTIN (1,320)
Seat 8: PokerDude 20817 (995)
Seat 9: PutUonTILT (2,660)
PlaterAA posts the small blind of 80
jimzol posts the big blind of 160
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to mclarich [9d Ad]
ucfplaya13 folds
64 JUSTIN calls 160
PokerDude 20817 folds
PutUonTILT calls 160
mclarich folds

Why did I fold this? Perhaps it was still the bad taste in my mouth when I went out on this hand in the Mookie. Besides, I've got a pretty good feel for the table and I'm willing to wait for a better hand.
rayrivera7 calls 160
Ice2271 calls 160
PlaterAA folds
jimzol checks
*** FLOP *** [Qd 7d 8d]

Fuck me! Blow a huge chance to build a bigger stack here. Fuck fuck fuck.

jimzol checks
64 JUSTIN bets 160
PutUonTILT raises to 320
rayrivera7 folds
Ice2271 calls 320
jimzol folds
64 JUSTIN calls 160
*** TURN *** [Qd 7d 8d] [Kc]
64 JUSTIN checks
PutUonTILT checks
Ice2271 checks
*** RIVER *** [Qd 7d 8d Kc] [7s]
64 JUSTIN checks
PutUonTILT checks
Ice2271 bets 600
64 JUSTIN folds
PutUonTILT folds
Uncalled bet of 600 returned to Ice2271
Ice2271 shows [7h 7c] (four of a kind, Sevens)

Now THAT was a close one. I dunno if I could have pushed him off the pot at any point. I probably would have slow played this and got screwed. Good laydown Matt.

Very next hand I get QQ, everyone folds. After that its 77. I get one caller and I have to fold when he leads out with an A hitting the flop. T4360, 2nd out of 9.

3 hand later, get QQ again, everyone folds.

Get A9 suited again, this time hearts. 2nd biggest stack calls from the BB and check folds when I pair my ace on the flop.

Lose a chance at a huge pot when someone limps from the CO for 300. The shortstack pushes from the button for 1300 total and I have to fold my QTc. Shorty has AQ, limper has KK. Flop comes K high, all clubs. Damn that would've been sweet.

Then a huge hand that works out pretty well for me. I've been pretty active in the blind-stealing area, and I've shown one or two hands just to let people know I'm not always raising with air (which may or may not be true). Here's a hand where I'm trying to run over my opponent and I end up making a hand.

Seat 1: mclarich (5,100)
Seat 2: rayrivera7 (5,345)
Seat 3: Ice2271 (5,620)
Seat 5: jimzol (5,690)
Seat 6: ucfplaya13 (4,045)
Seat 7: 64 JUSTIN (1,200)
Ice2271 posts the small blind of 200
jimzol posts the big blind of 400
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to mclarich [Ac 7s]
ucfplaya13 folds
64 JUSTIN folds
mclarich raises to 1,200 (just trying to steal some more blinds)
rayrivera7 folds
Ice2271 folds
jimzol calls 800 (don't call me man, I got a big hand)
*** FLOP *** [Kd 8h Qs]
jimzol checks
mclarich bets 1,600 (bet it out like I got a big hand)
jimzol calls 1,600 (that's not good, need a miracle here)
*** TURN *** [Kd 8h Qs] [Ah]
jimzol checks
mclarich bets 2,300, and is all in (booyah! My ace has to be good)
jimzol calls 2,300 (ruh roh)
mclarich shows [Ac 7s]
jimzol shows [6h Qh] (phew - he's got outs, but at least I'm not behind)
*** RIVER *** [Kd 8h Qs Ah] [Kc]
mclarich shows two pair, Aces and Kings
jimzol shows two pair, Kings and Queens
mclarich wins the pot (10,400) with two pair, Aces and Kings

This puts me more than 5k above the next opponent with 5 left - 4 players cash.

The bubble pops when a limper and I call a shortstack for 400 more. Shorty's got TT but my Q5 hits top pair and we're in the money.

I start mixing up my play - stealing the blinds with my crap hands, checking good ones in the blind.

Hit a high water mark of T14250 before I ever take a big hit. I get down to heads up against ucfplaya13. He's been playing very loose and starts becoming a push monkey when we get heads up. I start off with about 2000 more than him in heads up play.

Limp with 44 and he just calls. We both check a K25 board. Turn is a 3, giving me the OESD. I min bet and he min raises. I call and the turn is an A. He leads out for 1800 and I just push. I could have value betted the river but I thought he would be loose enough to call. Alas, he wasn't. T17450.

Limp with 44 again. Flop comes 8Q6 rainbow. He calls my min bet. Turn is a T, we both check. I hit a 4 for trips on the river and he calls my 1800 bet with AcKc. Motherfucker slowplayed AK against me. Wish I would've pushed preflop.

Limp with KJ and make a boat on the turn - 77KK. I push the river and he folds.

Push monkey keeps pushing until I wake up with AK. I've got him covered by 6k. He shows 67 and flops a 6. Fuck me! Down to 6100. Time to become a pushmonkey myself.

I push the next hand with Qc3c and he calls with JT. I make two pair and we're just about even. Then I finally get him:

Seat 1: mclarich (12,200)
Seat 6: ucfplaya13 (14,800)
Dealt to mclarich [6d Td]
ucfplaya13 calls 400
mclarich checks
*** FLOP *** [Qd Jc 4d]
mclarich checks
ucfplaya13 checks
*** TURN *** [Qd Jc 4d] [Kd]
mclarich checks
ucfplaya13 checks
*** RIVER *** [Qd Jc 4d Kd] [8c]
mclarich bets 800
ucfplaya13 raises to 2,400
mclarich raises to 6,400
ucfplaya13 raises to 14,000, and is all in
mclarich calls 5,000, and is all in
Uncalled bet of 2,600 returned to ucfplaya13
*** SHOW DOWN ***
ucfplaya13 shows [Kc Qc] (two pair, Kings and Queens)
mclarich shows [6d Td] (a flush, King high)
mclarich wins the pot (24,400) with a flush, King high

I take a huge lead at this point, but the next hand, his AQ beats my KJ and he's still in the running.

I call his next push with 44 - he has A6 and makes two pair. We're pretty much even again.

Two hands later he pushed with T8 suited and I call with 99. He doesn't catch a 3 outer. He has me covered by 200. It takes me 3 hands to finally send him home.

I only scored $31 profit but it's nice to have played a good consistent game again.

(Edit: looking back on this, I made a mistake on the A7 hand. For all intent and purposes, the dude could've had 66 or JT and I end up pushing while I'm way behind. I don't think it was wrong to c-bet the flop, but I should have been a little more hasty when that A hit the turn. I don't think I even took the time to figure out what his call meant on the flop, and I got into donkey mode when I saw that A. That's a leak I'll need to plug when I play my next big tourney.)