Not much to do in Dundee on a cold rainy weekend in December so I took the opportunity to go to Edinburgh to play in the Grosvenor Deepstack.
I have been a bit too aggressive with hands that were not quite the nutz and found myself being knocked out of tournaments. I went into this one with the thought that I would play tighter and less aggressive. I like to play a few hands at the start of a tournament with unusual cards looking to increase my stack quickly. I allocate about 10% of my stack for this.
Early on I chased a flush with K2spades, got two spades on the flop but didn’t hit that magical 5th spade. I was then dealt AK in early position and raised and had 3 callers, obviously other players floating questionable hands early on. The flop come K62 rainbow so I bet 3/4 of the pot hoping to take it down. I get one caller. Turn is a J, I bet 1/2 pot and I`m immediately re-raised. I decided that he could easily have KJ or 22 or 66 so I fold showing my K. I’ve had a few discussions with Ben Burnhill who says you should never show whereas I think that it helps create an impression of the type of player I am.
Di and GiMac appear and join in on another table and I`m immediately embarrassed to answer that I have already lost 10% of my stack within the first level.
A few hands later I get dealt KK under the gun. I raise, get two callers then there is a re-raise to 1800. I call as do the other two. Flop is 972 all clubs. Everyone checks. Turn is a Q, not a club, so I lead out with 3.5K. Two calls and the guy who re-raised folds. The river is 7 diamonds and I bet 5.5K. The next player re-raises to 15.5K. Third guy thinks then folds and I`m left with a decision to make. Hero call or fold an over pair to a flushing board. I decide he has missed the nut flush and is trying to push me off the hand and I call. He mucks straight away and says good call. I show my KK and I`m up to around 75K. The third guy who had folded puts both hands on his head and declares he had folded a small flush. Didn’t think you’d call the re-raise says the guy. I told him having been pushed off one hand I wasn’t going to let it happen again because I didn’t want to become the table whipping boy. So in this incident I think showing when folding benefited me.
With the blinds at 100/200 and a 200 Ante there is a raise to 500 and 4 callers. I`m on the BB with 73 spades and call for the extra 300. Flop is 10 8 4 with one spade, everyone checks. The turn is 8 spades and SB bets 1300. I call and so do two others. The river is the 4 of spades. SB checks I bet 1200 and everyone folds.
I get AK on the button and raise, SB is short stacked and goes all in the BB also goes all in for a lot more. Its 22 v 99 and the flop is K62. SB has 22. I`m trying to decide whether it was a good fold or whether The difference between SB and BB stacks would have increased my stack when a 9 comes on the river and I congratulate myself for being a coward.
I call a raise with 44 in position. Flop is KQ7, I`m not doing anything with that as the raiser bets out. I fold and he shows AA, another lucky escape but it is costing me chips.
Twice in the first four levels a bet of 11 has been held to 1100 and not 11000 as was intended.
I hit the river for a pair of 9s when chasing a flush with 9 10 suited and I’m up to 85K
Button + 1 min raises, he has been doing this a lot and usually with a rag Ace. I’m on bb and call with 5 6 off. Flop is K63. Check, check.turn is a 5 and I bet he calls. River is a 5. I do my best to look nervous and bet 7K, he calls… with A9 off.
Big pot with AJ suited. 9 high flop. I call the C bet and the turn is another low card. Raiser bets again and I decide to lay them down. J on the river, a shove and a call, busted flush draw beaten by 10 10. I tell myself it was the right thing to do.
Raise utg with 10 10. Flop is J 7 2 with 2 clubs. I bet and get called by BB. Turn is 10 of clubs. Check, I bet and get re-raised by a considerable amount. I call. Board doesn’t pair on the river. Checked to me so I check and of course she hit her flush. Down to 38k.
The blinds are now 800/1600with 1600 ante and I`m starting to get a little anxious. I’m getting involved when maybe I shouldn’t and my chips are melting away.
A very loose player min raises on my big blind and I decide to defend with 10 4 suited. Flop come A 10 6. I check he bets I call. Turn is a 2. I check and he puts in a big bet and I have a decision to make. I don`t think he has an ace or there would have been a bigger raise preflop based on how he has played so far. I can fold and have 10bbs left or shove all in and call his bluff. I decide to shove and after much deliberation he calls and has K 10 no help on the river and so out I go.
Looking back 10 4 suited was not really the hand I wanted to risk my tournament life on and maybe I should not have defended my BB in the first place.
Much for me to think about before my next venture into live poker.
