Vegas June 2019 (WSOP)

Day 9 - Event #32 Seniors

Last Updated: 2019-06-14 12:42:55

Grabbed some Starbucks and headed over to the Rio for the Seniors event. Having fired a second bullet at PLO the day before, I wasn't firing two for this one should the opportunity arise...

First two hours pretty much nothing went my way. I don't have any specific hands, but 100% of the times I'd raise out I'd miss the flop by a mile, a few of my continuation bets were met with check-raises, and when I was calling a raise I almost inevitably missed by two miles and had to go away. I dropped down to around 10K, half a starting stack. But just before the first break I had three consecutive hands where I flopped two pair and got no action; flopped a set and got no action; picked up AA after one limper, raised out to 4BB and everyone folded. But at least I got back to a little under 14K heading into break.

Just after the break I flop a flush draw, a gutshot and two overs. Miss everything. Very next hand flop top two pair. Someone check/call's me on the flop and turn, catches his flush on the river. Down a little under 8,000.

I'm incredibly frustrated at this point as you can imagine. I've spent a week getting drawn out on over and over and never seeming to draw out on anyone. But, I keep my cool...

I catch jacks full and win the minimum. Get some action but not a lot. Then pull off a big bluff after missing a draw but on a scary looking board and it worked. Basically I flopped straight and flush draws, didn't catch either but it sure looked like a straight on the board so I made a big bet and my opponent folded second pair face-up. Same guy that had drawn out a flush vs my two pair earlier now that I think about it.

Just before break I pick up QQ. Make a good size raise, get one caller, super tight player. Flop 976, I bet, he calls. Turn is a K, check around, river a 5 and he leads out. Haven't seen him lead out without a big hand once in four hours of play. I go away.

9400 at the second break.

Not long after the second break I get all in with JJ vs AK suited and JJ holds up! 16k. Have to give up on 99 tho, back under 10k.

Then finally something goes very much my way!

First or second to act to my right limps in for 400, I look down at two aces and make it I think 1600 to go. One fold, next guy makes it 3000.

Guy who was playing a ton of hands calls, limper also calls, I go all in for my 9K or so. Reraiser re-shoves for a lot more, everyone else goes away. AA vs QQ, AA holds up (some spades came but we both had a spade so no flush worries) and with all the dead money I about triple up to 28K!

Finally some chips to play with!

Gave a chunk of it back between then and the dinner break when I go back to nothing working out. Just before break perfect example, I look down at two tens and raise out only to see a flop of K-J-6 and I have to go away. I pick up aces last hand before break and get the minimum.

20,400 heading into the dinner break.

Backing up a bit, early in those last two levels someone came over to the table with a huge stack and he wasn't afraid to use it. He was the caller who I mentioned was playing a ton of hands in the AA/QQ hand.

Sitting next to him on his left was a real chatty guy named Curtis who was at times irritating a player or two (especially towards that super tight guy, there were several retorts along the lines of "I'll play my game and you play yours" variety). There were moments it seemed like it was getting a little over the line but most of it was just him having fun.

Curtis was actually helping my cause a little talking about how I only played the nuts. I wasn't nearly as tight as he thought I was, I just couldn't hit anything ... he and I were getting along well tho and having a little fun because I did seem to get a lot of raising hands in his big blind.

Anyway...

Joann and I run over to Noodle Asia at the Venetian (insert nasty comment about Adelson) for dinner, we've learned that dinner break is exactly enough time to get there and back. Well ... usually ... I did miss a hand or two.

Joann drops me near the door, I walk briskly to my seat with a hair over a minute gone in level 7. I sit down breathing a little heavy as cards are being dealt, a fold or two ahead of me and I look down at AA. Can't make it up.

I make it 1500 to go, guy who plays a lot of hands calls. Flop Q-A-Q. Bingo!

I figure he's calling me with a lot of hands and at this moment either he has a Q and he's going to double me up no matter what I do here or he has nothing and can't pay me. Can't have an ace. And ... I've c-bet close to 100% of the time in position, but out of position when missing (which was pretty much always) and usually multi-way I was checking a lot on flops ... so a check here should send up no warning flags.

I check. He checks behind.

Turn is a ten. I make a half-pot bet of 2500. He calls without a lot of thought.

K on the river, so four to a straight. I bet 6600 hoping he has any piece of the pot (and wishing he had KQ :-) ). He thinks for a while and says "I'm going to make a bad call here".

"Yup".

Show my aces, win the pot. Curtis comments on how I always have it...

Not long after that, tho, I try to make a big move...

I raise out with A-9 suited, big stack guy calls in the big blind. I flop a flush draw on a Q-high board. He leads out. He probably caught a piece. I call. Turn is a blank, bet/call.

River is a king. There was also a ten on the board. I can tell immediately he hates this king. He had a few ways of checking and this was his "I hate that card" check. The pot is probably about 10k. I have nothing but a missed flush draw and I make it 6500.

He really hates this bet. He's muttering. First time I'd seen him say anything during a hand.

"Ace-Jack got there"

"Jack nine got there"

"King jack?"

"Do you have king jack, sir?"

I'm staring at the board as I always do when someone else has a decision to make. But I can see his hands and he's holding his cards. He really looks like he's folding.

But ... he makes a crying call, half the jaws at the table drop when I immediately say "good call, I missed." He shows AQ off. What can you do, I put him to a really tough decision and he made the right one.

A few hands later still sitting under 10k I call a raise in a multi-way pot on the button with K-J suited in clubs. With the call I'm sitting on about a 12-14 blind stack behind. If I catch any piece I'm probably going all in.

Flop comes 3-7-9 with two clubs (foreshadowing: as I type this hand up this is an incredibly ironic flop...) and the small blind quickly goes all in.

My favorite tell. This guy is weak. He has a pair or a draw. Of course I have no pair and only a draw, but I do have two overs so literally the only hand I'm worried about is an ace-high flush draw. But I think much more likely he hit a small pair and I decide I'm probably ahead with a flush draw and two overs. I caught my piece, I stick with the plan. Call.

He has 66 with a club. I'm 56/44 ahead, good call!

Jacks on the turn and river, I double up.

James Woods joins the table. Super nice guy, he and I chatted a ton about mixed games. I had heard he had mostly given up Hold'Em and was focusing on mixed games and he confirmed that. And, yes, I know his political leanings ... I have no interest in politics at the poker table, end of story.

Pull off a nice semi-bluff re-raise with a flush draw and a gutshot and gain a few chips, then give much of them to Woods when I raise out with QJ off in his small blind, he looks at me and mentions that Curtis says I only play aces and calls ... and he flops a straight with his 2-3 off. Flop was actually check/check, I tried a delayed continuation bet on the ace turn (seemed like a good bluff card with position, right?), but he didn't get anything more out of me on the blank river when he finally led out and then proudly showed off his straight.

Back to starting stack.

Lead out with 77, only big stack loose guy calls. Flop comes 8-9-T. I check, he bets, I call. Turn is another 8, he bets, I call again.

River is an ace. I check. He doesn't know what to do. He seriously ponders firing a third barrel but then just checks. I was calling ... nobody else can believe my 7s are good but I knew :-)

Actually hit a flop with A-Q and getting close to the last break of the day I'm around a 30K stack.

20 seconds before break, 400/800/800 blinds, a limp into me and I look down at KK. What more can you ask for as people are trying to run to the bathroom, it looks so fishy. I make it 4000 to go.

Small blind calls, loose big stack guy thinks for a little bit and calls. Flop comes 3-6-9 with two clubs...

Small blind checks, big blind big stack immediately goes all in, I almost beat him in the pot with a call.

My favorite tell. There is no chance he flopped a set. He's stealing with a pair or a draw. There is no way he would go in that fast if he really hit a set...

Small blind folds, he rolls over 7-5 of clubs. Flush draw and a gutshot.

I ran the numbers. Roughly 56.5/43.5 favorite. Got it in good.

8 on the turn. Done.

At the time, as you can imagine, my frustration level was a bit high to say the least...

But in reflecting on it, I did everything right. I made some big moves at the right times, some worked and some didn't. I got in as a decent favorite in a hand that would have almost certainly gotten me to day 2 well set up to at least get into the money. If I could have just maintained a 60K stack for those final two levels I would have entered day two above the middle stack. I'm happy with everything I did, didn't work out.

On to the next one...

Omaha 8/b at Aria for Friday. Short of a really big cash in the next couple of days tho I'm done with bracelet events. Time to play in some smaller tournaments to have a better shot at making some of this back.