Vegas November 2017

Day 2 - New format, oh so close...

Last Updated: 2017-11-05 11:57:11

Not sure if I'm going to get this all typed up in time but we'll see. I might have to cut it short...

Bought into the 11am at Aria as planned. They've changed to the new format they've been using for streamed events on PokerGo. Namely that antes start right at the beginning of the tournament, but the big blind pays them for everyone. And they're usually equal to or a little less than the big blind.

When you are in the big blind you're putting a lot into the pot. For example the 1000/2000 level includes a 2000 ante paid for by the big blind, so the big blind is putting 4000 chips into the pot at that level.

Sounds crappy at first. But trust me, it's really a great idea. The games move so much faster. You definitely get more hands in per hour. And your cost per round isn't actually higher for the most part, I would imagine a normal ante structure would have an ante of probably 500 or 1000 at the 2000/4000 level so at an 8 handed table it would cost either the same or twice as much in a standard ante structure. But that doesn't mean it doesn't suck to have to put it up :-)

We did have two special cases come up at tables I was at:

#1 If you are in the big blind and crippled to where you don't have enough to both post the big and ante, unlike the standard ante format you pay the big blind FIRST if you don't have enough to cover both. Think about it. If it's 1000/2000/2000 and you only had 2000 left if you were forced to ante it you could only win that 2000 back because that's all that would be in "your" pot because nobody else is adding to the ante pool, you are paying it all. Since it's your big blind there is no ante for that hand, and you have a chance to win 2000 from everyone who is involved in the pot.

Make sense?

#2 If you are short and you are NOT in the blind and you bet your remaining chips you ARE entitled to win the ante as well as any calls from other players even tho you did not contribute to the ante.

Again, think about it. Had everyone anted a small chip, the winner of the hand would get those antes. In this case the ante is paid by one person, but it's still part of the community pot. The big blind is paying the whole ante in the place of everyone else paying a little of it so the rules don't change, whoever had the best hand at the end gets the antes too.

With this format they didn't want to use "25" chips so our 20K starting stack was made up of a good amount of "100" chips and the blinds started at 100/100/100, for the second round the big blind went up (100/200/100), then the ante in the 3rd (100/200/200). Since they started out a little higher, tho, they went up slowly. Third round was 200/300/200.

It was different for sure. But it worked well. I might have to try this out in my own game some time...

Breaks every 3 30-minute levels.

Finally won a decent sized pot with aces during the first three levels after having them be useless Friday, but otherwise not much to talk about. Managed to work my way up to 29K at the first break.

Soon after play restarted I got all in against a short stack with QQ and ran into Q9 suited in clubs. Flop J-T-X with a club, 8c on the turn. He didn't hit the flush (or even straight flush) on the river but didn't need it. 5k up in smoke.

But later in those three levels I made what a lot of folks at the table thought was a tough call but I didn't...

I forget if I raised or just called a raise preflop with 99. We see a flop 5 or 6 handed. Flop comes 5-8-5. I lead out, I get one caller. Turn is a 5. I believe I check and he shoved.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I will never put someone on quads. Ever. Well, actually, I did once...but you know what I mean. So if I eliminate quads, what am I left with? He didn't reraise preflop so AA, KK, QQ and most likely JJ are out of his range. He could be doing this with any pocket pair. So there are let's say 2.5 pairs I lose to: 88, TT and we'll call JJ half a pair on the assumption he reraises preflop half the time with them. He could be shoving with any other pair here and since there were so many people in the pot he could have just a single 8 in his hand as well. I didn't snap call, but I think it was a fairly easy call. He has 77, no 7 on the river, I about double up (he was a little shorter than me but multi-handed made up for it).

37800 at the second break. Buyins are cut off, we end up with 80 players paying 8 places.

I was pretty card dead for the next three levels. I didn't take note of my stack heading into the third break, but second hand after it I get all in on a flip (AKs vs JJ), hit a K and I'm around 70k. Couple of hands later I get Kings, I go over the top of a preflop raiser but he folds.

Later I raise out with QJs and get one caller, a good tough player. I would guess blinds probably 500/1000/1000 and I probably made it 3000. Flop Q-8-7 rainbow. I lead out for 8K, he calls. I check/call his 12k bet on the 6 turn, he could easily have an 8 or a 7 but could also have me outkicked. I check-call another 12k bet on the 5 river and he rolls over 44. Are you kidding me???

Down to 40k. I work my way down to just over a starting stack, but then double back up to 50K when I went all-in to steal with K-9, ran into A-J but caught a K.

Next break I'm up to 67K and there are only 19 left. But blinds I believe were at the 2000/4000/3000 level so I'm under 20 BB and I'm looking for a spot to go over the top of someone who's on the looser side. Not long after that break I get my chance with K-Q suited, loose guy wakes up with A-J and snap calls me for most of his stack, I got no help and I was done in 17th.

I dunno about snap-calling an all-in from a fairly tight player for most of your stack in that spot, but he was right and I was out.

Dinner and dessert at Jean-Phillippe at Aria (I had about an hour) and on to the 7pm.

I couldn't have written a much better script for how this one went for me. The only thing I'd change is the ending...long, heavy sigh...

I get stuck in the 1-seat. I hate the 1-seat. I assume everyone does, but I'm still going to whine about it every time...

Not much going on first three levels, but did take out a short stack with A-K calling his all-in with 8-T suited.

I play a fairly tight style, but I also play a very trappy style. It works well for me because once I get to show a few hands that I've played well, let's say not in a way most people would play, it puts some players off balance. They don't know what to expect from me and it gives my attempts to steal pots a lot of credibility. I can often tell when other people are altering how they play hands out of caution against me or when people are getting away from hands they'd call down anyone else with.

But the downside of my style is that I do sometimes lose value in the name of trapping. I honestly believe in the long run it serves me well but on the other hand sometimes I frustrate myself feeling like I may have left chips on the table...for example (you knew an example was coming, right?)...

I look down at AA and raise out to 1000 I think, blinds probably 200/400, and a guy reraises for about 1/4-1/3 of his stack to 2500. Most people would shove here but I want to stack this guy so I just call. Chances are he has a pair somewhere in the 99-KK range or AK. Maybe AQ. If he has a pair and an ace doesn't come I should be able to get all his chips, but I think there are several of those hands he'd fold to a shove preflop.

Flop comes 8-5-4 with two clubs. I check, he checks. Turn was I think a 3. I lead out for 1/2 his remaining stack. He thinks for a minute and folds A-K face up. Ugh. If I go all-in preflop he's surely calling me.

I still don't think it was a bad way to play the hand, but I wanted his whole stack.

Guy next to me asks if I had 9s. In a rare moment of foolishness I tell him the truth. Guy next to him says there's no way I would check aces on the flop with that board.

YES! YES I WOULD!!! I'm trying to stack the guy! What am I afraid of on that flop? A hand with a 6 or a 7 in it for a possible straight? NO! That guy isn't re-raising me with those kinds of hands, no chance whatsoever. He has a big pair, not as big as mine, or he has AK, which he had. There's nothing about that flop I need to protect from. If he reraised me with a small pair and hit a set, good for him. And he couldn't have had a flush draw with AK because I had the Ac. There's little-to-no chance that guy is making that move with a small pair...

I get involved in a 3-way all in, me with the biggest stack, with AK vs AK vs KQ. No queen comes, we chop some of his stack and I get the rest of it. 17675 at the first break from a 10K start.

I lose some chips but then win a flip with JJ vs AK, double to 24K. Not long after that an early to act player limps and I call with 99, maybe one more caller and definitely blinds in. Flop A-9-3. They say always bet your sets...but I'm hoping someone has an ace. Original limper checks, I check, it checks around. Dang it. Turn a 3. At this point I'm thinking nobody has an ace so I'm hoping maybe someone will catch something on the river. It checks around again.

River was a ten I think. Original limper leads out for 500 into what was probably a 1500 pot. I go over the top for 1500.

He reluctantly calls and rolls over AJ.

HUH??? Dude limps in with A-J (first mistake) and then doesn't make anything more than a half-hearted attempt at betting the pot until the river? How do I not get at least half of this guy's chips...

Obviously if I bet the flop and the turn I at least get something out of him. But who knows, maybe he would have gone away to any action. I just don't understand tho how you play a hand like that, hit your hand and don't try to get chips into the pot. So here again I probably left some value out there trying to stack someone...

After that I was able to slowly build my stack for a while. No really notable hands for a stretch.

84 runners is the final tally paying 9 places. 3 hrs in we're 37 left. We lose 8 more in about 20 minutes and I'm one of the bigger stacks at my table if not the biggest. Another table breaks, we get more players and a monster stack moves to my table.

As often happens in tournaments the random draw of tables ends up having one table with a lot of bigger stacks and another table with a lot of smaller stacks. And my table just became the big-boy table.

Next break I'm at 38300, 31111 is the average and I'm probably second in chips at my table by a little. I get all in with KK vs 99, kings hold, definitely 2nd in chips at the table now at around 50k, average still in the 30s.

We get to 10 from the money. A couple of preflop raises don't work out, blinds and antes hurting, I fall below average.

JJ holds up vs 77, I double up. Then I flop an ace after raising out with AJ preflop, I'm around 77K. 6 from the money.

I give back about 10k, average is 56k.

Short stack goes all in, I have AQ suited in spades, call, he has K-9 spades. AQ holds. 82k and 5 from the money. 60k average.

Go a little card dead, down to 64500 when we get rid of the black 100 chips. But two more have busted, 3 from money. Then two from money. I steal a pot by going over the top of monster stack with A6 suited but still sitting a little over 60k and blinds 2000/4000. Below average and only 15 big blinds.

The monster stack meanwhile has doubled up a couple of people and is still the biggest stack but not as big...

He raises out again, and I look down at JJ. I go all-in. He snap calls with only 55. Wow.

I can't believe he called that without any thought at all. If he loses he's down in the middle of the pack. If I win I'm almost certainly the table leader and headed for a sure cash...

5 in the door. Done. 2 from the money.

Ouch. That was a tough way to go.

What can I say? I'm extremely happy with my play, I had two deep runs on Saturday. All you can ask is that you get in the position to succeed, you can't help the cards.

Sunday I'll be trying to get to Aria in time to watch the first hour of Iggles/Broncos before heading over to buy in and watch the rest on my phone.

Free wi-fi and every table at Aria has a USB port for charging. Watched Rutgers win a thrilling game on Saturday, hopefully I can watch the Iggles win a thrilling game on Sunday...