Mama Tried to Raise Me Better, But Her Pleading I Denied

Played in the home tourney again last Friday night. 28 players. I came out firing and playing loose/aggressive from the get go and got some chips on bluffs and reading weak play when I had marginal hands. Unfortunately, I was at a table of half people who were among the less experienced in the tournament and I donked away half my chips on a big post river bluff with 10,8 off on a board with 3 spades, an ace and a queen and I bet big and a guy with pocket jacks (!!!) made the call. So I then ended up pushing in with nothing when I was in the BB to either win or rebuy and a guy with K,7 called and won. Note to self: don't try to bluff beginning players, they get married to hands. So I rebought and was starting to get cards and bully people a little when I was in the 200 BB with about 3000 (1500 to start). One limper, an all-in of 500, then a call before me. I look down at 3,8 off and make the call, as does the initial limper. 2000 in the pot. Flop comes K, 8, 3. SB checks, I go all in, hoping it will be read as an overbet by someone with a king. Initial limper doesn't hesitate and counts out his chips methodically and calls. We show. Initial all in of 500 has nothing, I have 2 pair and limper (who didn't reraise after the 500 raise since he was a novice player who limped or called everything, never raised) shows K,K for a set. Turn gives him quads and I'm busted again.

So I rebought again, my final allowed rebuy of 1500 (starting chip count). Blinds were at 100/200 and only a few minutes before moving to 200/400, so I began to shove in order that the blinds wouldn't catch me and the guy next to me was doing the same with his last 2 rebuys and I won both of those off of him in 3 hands, once with a better kicker on my ace, then another when my pocket sevens held up against his A,8. Right after that happened I also was able to double up when two players went all in short-stacked with nothing and I woke up to a nice A,K.

My table finally splits (down to 2 tables) which was a good thing. I get to my new table and pick up a couple of hands right away and grab some more chips. Then I get the painkillers (aces) against another player's preflop all in of A,x and am really piling it on, probably now close to 14-15k in chips. I got bluffed out of a hand a couple later, but I hadn't made a hand myself postflop (A,Q) and couldn't make a call anyway and was happy to fold, even though it turned out I was ahead. No need to risk. However, against the same guy a few hands later, I get K,J and call his raise. Flop comes K and 2 rags. He goes all in and I call immediately. He has ace high and I'm ahead but an ace comes on the turn and I lose. I thought he had me outchipped but he didn't and I went from about 15,000 in chips to 3,800. I moved all in the next hand with Q,J suited and picked up the 400/800 blinds so got some breathing room there. After that, I played pretty well, made the proper moves to pick up limped pots by shoving and built up to more than 8,000 again. Then, got lucky in a 3 way pot (other 2 all in and I had them both easily covered) when I had Q,Q against 9,9 and A,K. Flop brought a K, Turn brought an A and river brought a Q and won it for me. So I was back again up to about 14,000 and sitting nicely and made it to the final table of 10.

My first move at the table was questionable, I'm sure the other guy hated it and I kind of did too but I am still testing out not being so conservative in my play and trying to take some risks, even some very dubious ones. I'm in the 1400 BB, a guy moves all in for 4000 total before me and everyone else folds. 6100 in the pot and 2600 to call, I have rags, I called. He was wired with Jacks and easily beat me. So I was down to maybe 9000 after that round but then made a button play on a guy who had raised to 3000 two to my right. I look down at A,K suited and shove for my 9000 and the blinds and he all fold. I got credit for a power button move by the table but in reality I had a hand and that was my only play. But I took the credit anyway. This hand is important because of how things went later on.

As an aside, I had the host, the best player at the table, to my right and another real solid guy to my left (he gave me the props for the button play). To his left were 2 players who I didn't think were as strong, then it alternated around with good and average players.

So I was back up to around 14k and folding dreck. One player busted and was done and another 2 busted but had rebuys left and rebought and folded a few hands in a row while not in the blinds. In theory, I should have figured they would have busted soon and brought us to the bubble (top 6 got paid). In reality, the very next time I was on the button, I look at A,J off. Same guy two to my right raises again, this time to $4000 and everyone else folds. I shove for roughly 14,000 and the blinds again fold. He almost insta-calls with Q,7 of hearts, without bothering to figure out pot odds or anything. He also had over 20,000 in chips so could have folded without being crippled in any way. Now, the pot odds (roughly 2 to 1 on his 10,000 call) make it a viable play as long as I don't have aces, kings or queens in which case he's a huge dog. However, to lose this hand does really hurt him and makes him probably 3rd shortest stack. Personally, I would have dumped it as there wasn't a need at that point to risk 70% of your chips on Q,7 of hearts. Maybe he thought I was bullying him specifically or playing from position only. Don't know. Maybe he thought I should have folded to his raise or was merely stealing again but if I double through him, I'm the chip leader. I checked the odds calculator after I got home and I was 60/40 ahead preflop. Either way, the flop came Jack high (pairing me) with two hearts (now down to 54/46 in my favor) and the turn flushed him and I was drawing dead. It hurt because I had played pretty well for 4 hours and even my bust out was not a bad play in my opinion, maybe even a good one and it all added up (or subtracted down) to a $60 loss for the night.

I still can't get over that hump to the winning zone but I feel like it's only a matter of time. I'm pleased that I didn't turn into a rock when we got down to 9 players, I went for the big play with a good (the best) hand and got marginally unlucky, rather than make it a foldfest and hoping others busted to get me into the money.

I'm hoping to make it to Atlantic City, perhaps this weekend, for some more live action at the tables.