Vegas June 2023 (WSOP)

Day 8 - Aria No Limit Hold'Em

Last Updated: 2023-06-15 10:22:37

I called an audible Wednesday.

I have an original schedule from the MGM Grand poker series that said the tournament of the day would be "TORSE", which I was very much looking forward to.

However ...

Some time between the release of the schedule and when they erected the big sign listing all the tournaments it changed to regular old HORSE.

And, frankly, the wild swings of playing limit games was getting to me a bit having played two different 8-Game Mix tournaments.

So ... without the draw of 2-7 Triple Draw (pun intended) replacing Hold'Em and given my 0fer so far I decide it would be a good day to just simplify my life and play No-Limit Hold'Em at Aria instead for about the same buyin.

I've still got PLO8 mix coming Thursday at Aria, Triple Draw Mix Saturday and WSOP 8/b Mix Monday. I've got a lot more "not hold'em" bullets left in the chamber.

Typed up the previous day's BLOG over my Starbucks, went to the pool with Joann for sun, lunch and a drink, went up and showered and got to Aria around 12:20 for an 11am starting tournament. Still like buying in late for NLH!

I was 36 on the waitlist, but they were already through 35 so I was told to pick a random seat card and sat down.

Off to a good start!

About 15 minutes after I sat down it folds to the small blind who makes it 1700 to go at 300/500/500 blinds/antes. This so looks like a steal and I look down at A-Q suited in diamonds and repop to 3800. He goes all in, I snap call ... and he flips over A-K off.

Oooops!!!

Queen in the window, ship it!

Nobody ever won a poker tournament without getting lucky a few times...

Just like that my 30k starting stack is more like 49k. 47,700 at the first break after paying blinds.

There is a limp and I button raise with A-K offsuit to 2000 at 300/600/600. Only the limper calls. Flop A-6-2 rainbow, all the chips go in ... he has A-6. Back down to 20k.

Shortly after that I make it 1500 to go early to act with 33. Guy immediately to my right, the button and the big blind (the guy with the A-6) all call.

Flop A-5-3 all spades. A-6 guy leads out for 3000, I make it 10,500. I don't want to see another spade, if someone has a flush I'll need the board to pair.

Guy to my right agonizes for a while. The button literally holding his cards in his hands and starts to fold every time guy to my right so much as flinches so I know I'm getting through him. Eventually guy to my right folds as does the button. A-6 guy also thinks a bit and folds.

Just a hand or two later I really get my revenge on A-6 guy.

I'm second to act and make it 2200 to go with aces at 400/800/800. It folds around to him in the cutoff seat. He doesn't know there was a raise, doesn't know blinds went up and tries to raise to 1500 (thinking BB was 600). He wants to re-raise me but isn't allowed to. I have little doubt in my mind he's probably got KK or QQ.

Thankfully I get a 10-high flop and get all the chips in. A set kills my action, a K or Q makes me worried about getting my chips in. Perfect scenario. He flips over KK.

I love it when a plan comes togther! Ship it!

That puts me a little over 60k, double a starting stack.

Have a stretch where I'm mostly card dead and the few playable hands I have don't work out.

Cards dealt just seconds before break, a very loose player who has shown he's willing to raise out and call re-raises as weak as K-6 suited and call all-ins as loose as K-J off (saw that one more than once!) makes it 2500 to go and I look down at KK. I pop it to 6500, he's the only caller.

Flop comes ace high, if there was anyone I ever played at a table with who I could rep literally any ace-high flop this was the guy ... I make it 10,500 and he thinks and folds.

49k at the second break.

Blinds now 1000/1500/1500. Just taking blinds or not losing them adds a nice chunk to my stack with me in the 30-35 BB range and I have a nice little run.

In the BB, folds around to the SB who limps and I check 4-7 suited. Flop a 4, I lead out, keep my blind and ante and then some.

Then in the SB exact same thing. Folds around to me, I limp with J-5 off, he checks his option, flop 3-4-5, I bet, he folds, I show the 5.

Next hand it folds around to me on the button and I look down at A-K off. I make it 4k to go, everyone folds. Wanted action on that one!

Next hand (!!) A-K again now in the cutoff seat. There is a raise to 4k into me, I make it 11k and he folds 99 face up.

Just like that I'm at 64,500.

At Aria they will seat any alternate that buys in by the end of the previous break whenever a seat opens up, so they don't necessarily announce totals when level 9 starts. Level 9 is almost over (30 minute levels) when they finally announce final player count.

456 players in a venue with only 243 seats (27 tables of 9) due to all the bustouts to that point. Top prize is $46,500 and there are 225 players remaining and they're paying 60 places. I've already outlasted half the field and I'm a dead average stack. Nice!

A short stack shoves, a bigger but still smaller than my stack reshoves, and I'm all-in with A-K off in the big blind. First all in just has J-T, bigger stack has A-9. Flops a 9, no help, I drop 37k. Ouch!

Very next hand I get some back, tho, when he makes it 5k to go on the button and I look down at TT in the small blind and immediately go all in. He quickly calls with K-Q suited, TT holds up, I'm at least back up to 47k.

Win another flip when JJ holds up against AK short stack and before I know it I'm back up to almost a 90k stack! Dead average, but I lose 6500 in blinds and I'm at 83k.

Some hands don't work out and I go into the next break down at 58k. At least I won the 500 chip race!

Blinds now 2000/4000/4000 so I'm only sitting on 15 big blinds. It's all in or fold time unless a special circumstance comes up...

And I come back from the break losing 8k in big blind and ante.

Only 117 left, 57 from money. I'm getting there...

I'm pretty good at having the shove/fold charts in my head. A-8 suited is definitely an over-the-top shove candidate. There is a raise to 12k into me, I jam, he folds and a few seconds later says "I think you were ahead of A-J, I think you had A-Q". OK, good for you :-)

Folds to me in the small blind, monster stack had just sat to my right which isn't good ... but I jam with K-J suited and he folds.

Then there is a 10k raise into me, I look down at A-K suited and jam ... again get a fold. I wanted action on that one for sure. He thought a while, I wonder if he had something like A-J.

Folds to me in the cutoff, blinds have gone up to 3000/6000/6000 so my now 90k stack is still only 15 bigs. I think A-9 is a jam in that spot so I go all in ... and the button wakes up with A-K. I did check the chart and the cutoff for exactly 15BB in exactly the cutoff seat is A-T off ... but still, this is a tenths of a percentage point mistake, and A-T doesn't fare much better against A-K than A-9 does. And I'd note that all suited aces are a jam here all the way down to A-2s.

Board brings me no help, I'm out just 30 from the money out 90th of 456 players. Dammit!

Joann and I decided to keep it a cheap night and get takeout from Posh Burger to eat in the room.

Thursday will be PLO8/BigO mix at Aria.