Vegas July 2016 (WSOP Tag Team)

Day 4 - Aria, WSOP DS

Last Updated: 2016-07-09 12:19:11

I said yesterday would be short but I managed to babble on a little longer than I expected...today will be short, don't have much.

Patrick and I both bought into the same tournaments, we each had a similar pattern in each of the ones we played in.

Aria 11am Friday tournament. I think Patrick said they ended up a little under 160 players, not bad.

I didn't make the first hour and a half break. And it was rough. Every raise I made got 3-4 callers and every flop missed. You can only steal with air so much, you have to catch at least something sometimes and I couldn't get any piece. I did flop a set of 5s early and got paid some, so I spent a short time above starting stack, but that was my peak for the day.

When I did get a piece, even that didn't go well. AQ, Q high flop, but the way she was betting I had to be up against AA or KK...and she showed me AA after I folded. Not long after that I raise out with A-8, for a change only get one caller in the big blind...flop top pair! But she leads into me...I call...then she check-raises me on the turn. Again I have to give up.

I get pocket Kings under the gun, standard raise. No callers, just blinds for me. Not long after that I pick up AA. I at least get two callers preflop, no action post flop.

Can't hit a flop. Hit a flop and still have second best hand. Can't get anything when I'm the one with the monsters.

That's not a recipe for success.

Getting close to the first break (at only 90 minutes in) I looked down at K-10, both spades, late to act and raise out. It was the best hand I'd seen in a little while. The button went over the top, I called. Flop came all low cards with two spades.

The pot was already decent size, I decided I was going to check-raise with my flush draw and two overs. No doubt I put her on a strong hand reraising me preflop, but I thought I could get her off whatever she had if it wasn't aces (Kings unlikely since I had one) and I knew she would c-bet if all she had was AK. I checked, she bet, and if I added up her bet at the pot it was about 2/3 of my stack. I go all in.

She asks if I hit a set...tanks for a bit and rolls over aces. Including the Ace of spades so one less out for me.

No help, out.

Patrick meanwhile was catching a lot of cards and I think was doubled up before the first break, gave some back but was still in very good shape.

I went to In-N-Out for lunch, hung out at the Rio and held off buying into the 5pm just in case things didn't work out for Patrick. Unfortunately it didn't. He lasted about 5 hours, busted mid-40's with 15 paying when he had gotten a little short, went all in on the button with A-7 hoping steal blinds as people were trying to get out on break...and ran into A-K from the small blind. Ugh.

So into the 5pm and more of the same for both of us. I got no cards at all, Patrick about doubled up fairly early. I had some mildly playable hands early, but couldn't hit a flop to save my life. No sets this time.

So I get down around 7000 and get a rare playable hand with KQ offsuit and raise out. A guy who had been 3-betting a lot 3-bet me in the small blind.

My first instinct was to just go all-in there, but I just called. In hindsight I probably shouldn't have called for what ended up being 1/3 of my stack. But he had a tendency to check post-flop on his out of position 3-bets so my plan was to call pre-flop and shove post-flop.

Flop came 8-X-J, not a good flop for me. And he led out into me. I tanked because I felt pot committed at that point. But I laid them down, and he showed me his aces. 3rd time I ran into aces on the day (that I knew of...).

A few hands later I'm in the small blind, under the gun limps, folds to me, I decide to call half a bet with 9-5 suited (had same hand in big blind previous hand) even tho I'm down to 4k and the big blind checks.

If I catch any piece at all of this flop I'm going all in. I have little choice...

Flop comes 7-6-3. So a two-way gutshot straight draw and an over card (and backdoor spades). In my position there isn't much better of a flop I can hit to try and steal a pot short of pairing up.

All-in.

Under the gun rolls over pocket 3's. No help on the turn and river, done. Again didn't even make the first break. Sheesh.

Patrick lasted about 5 hours again, this time he was up and down a lot. At some point he got crippled down to just 2100, doubled and redoubled back up over 11K. But eventually was short for where the blinds were at, tried to go over the top of a min-raiser with J-8 and ran into QQ.

So on the last day of the trip it will be the same plan. Aria at 11am, Rio at 5pm if Aria doesn't work out.

Last day of the trip! Wish us luck!