Was it Something I Said?

Butch Howard

Whinge Whinge Whinge.

And then have a great run in a tournament. Is that all it takes? A bunch of complaining? Or is it because the television is off, the wife and active child are out of town leaving me with just the very quiet daughter and poker?

Maybe, just maybe being able to focus helps the game somewhat. Hmmm. I might have to find some way to try this more often (without the Beautiful Wife and Darling Child being a couple of hundred miles away driving in winter snow advisory weather of course).

ITM in $15 tournament on PokerStars. I have been the chip leader for the past hour and have been in the top ten for the past 2.5 hours (I wrote this at the beginning of the 3rd break). ABC, no special moves good or bad, folding instead of not, just getting hit with the deck.

(I added some details later)
This is where I jumped to the top of the leader board. Blinds were 75/150 at this point. I had nothing good or bad happen up to this point. I had just basically held level with the blinds and not much more.

BB: 6,815
UTG: 5,045
UTG+1: 1,780
UTG+2: 2,845
MP1: 1,360
MP2: 4,895
CO: 3,240
Hero (BTN): 2,880
SB: 3,295
Pre-Flop: (150) Tc Th dealt to Hero (BTN)
5 folds, CO raises to 200, Hero calls 200, SB folds, BB raises to 1,100, CO calls 900, Hero raises to 2,880 and is All-In, BB raises to 6,815 and is All-In, CO folds
Flop: (6,910) 5d Ts Js (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Turn: (6,910) 9h (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
River: (6,910) Jh (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: 6,910 Pot
BB showed Jd Ad (three of a kind, Jacks) and LOST (-2,880 NET)
Hero showed Tc Th (a full house, Tens full of Jacks) and WON 6,910 (+4,030 NET)


The very next hand, I had Presto and played it in what I thought was just fine and dandy. The fellow I busted had some negative opinions about the play that he voiced for a while.

MP1: 3,860
MP2: 5,270
CO: 1,555
BTN: 2,620
SB: 1,210
BB: 7,485
Hero (UTG): 6,910
UTG+1: 3,245
Pre-Flop: (225) 5s 5c dealt to Hero (UTG)
Hero raises to 375, 4 folds, BTN calls 375, SB raises to 1,210 and is All-In, BB folds, Hero calls 835, BTN raises to 2,620 and is All-In, Hero calls 1,410
Flop: (6,600) Ac 2s 5d (3 Players - 1 is All-In)
Turn: (6,600) 2h (3 Players - 1 is All-In)
River: (6,600) Qh (3 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: 6,600 Pot
BTN showed Ah Kh (two pair, Aces and Deuces) and LOST (-2,620 NET)
SB showed Ts Js (a pair of Deuces) and LOST (-1,210 NET)
Hero showed 5s 5c (a full house, Fives full of Deuces) and WON 6,600 (+3,980 NET)

The initial raise might have been a bit aggressive, but I figured with the TT hand that just went on no one would believe I was playing a small pair. Once the other bets were made and it came back around to me, the odds were right (in my head at least) to make the call. Going through the math just now, I think I am right. Calling the all in from SB was certainly right from the math. The pot was 2110 when got back to me and I needed to call 835 giving me 2.5 to 1 from the pot. Even if I would have guessed the button would shove and I would really be calling 2245 and getting even money which isn't great, but not horrible since nothing else is going in and if I lose I still have about 20BB to work with.

Pushing to try to get the button to fold may have been an option, but it seemed like he was in for the ride no matter what. I assumed he would call and try to keep me in for more if he had a big hand. When he shoved I felt he had AK, AQ or a medium pair. Since the numbers were pretty close and there would be no more betting, I called.

PokerStove numbers match in the ballpark of what I was thinking at the time. I put the SB on a fairly wide range of something like 22+, A2s+, KTs+, QTs+, JTs, A6o+, KTo+, QTo+, JTo and the button on a range of JJ-77, AQs+, AQo+, and I have exactly 5c5s, then it says I am 27% to win, the button is 41%, and the SB is 31%.

Of course, hitting the 5 on the flop was handy.



This is the rest of the tournament. [I ended up in 13th place out of 994]

94 players remaining

BTN: 45,021
SB: 32,695
BB: 18,788
UTG: 5,895
Hero (UTG+1): 43,165
MP1: 26,475
MP2: 12,116
CO: 19,220
Pre-Flop: (1,800) Jd Js dealt to Hero (UTG+1)
UTG calls 800, Hero raises to 2,851, 5 folds, BB calls 2,051, UTG raises to 5,820 and is All-In, Hero raises to 43,090 and is All-In, BB folds
Flop: (15,491) Jh 4d Td (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Turn: (15,491) Ts (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
River: (15,491) Kh (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: 15,491 Pot
UTG showed Ah Qs (a straight, Ten to Ace) and LOST (-5,895 NET)
Hero showed Jd Js (a full house, Jacks full of Tens) and WON 15,491 (+9,596 NET)


75 players remaining

MP1: 5,925
MP2: 15,893
CO: 17,004
BTN: 12,667
SB: 48,178
Hero (BB): 56,911
UTG: 14,736
UTG+1: 12,620
Pre-Flop: (2,400) Ks Ah dealt to Hero (BB)
7 folds, SB calls 500, Hero raises to 4,903, SB calls 3,903
Flop: (10,706) 7s 5s Td (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
SB checks, Hero bets 7,000, SB calls 7,000
Turn: (24,706) 3s (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
SB checks, Hero checks
River: (24,706) 4s (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
SB checks, Hero bets 15,000, SB calls 15,000
Results: 54,706 Pot
SB mucked 7c 7d and LOST (-27,003 NET)
Hero showed Ks Ah (a flush, King high) and WON 54,706 (+27,703 NET)


64 players remaining

I should have folded AK instead of calling on this one.

MP2: 11,150
CO: 18,393
BTN: 14,804
SB: 25,787
BB: 22,975
Hero (UTG): 83,514
UTG+1: 7,411
MP1: 4,186
Pre-Flop: (2,400) Kd As dealt to Hero (UTG)
Hero raises to 3,907, 2 folds, MP2 raises to 11,050 and is All-In, 3 folds, SB raises to 25,687 and is All-In, BB folds, Hero calls 21,780
Flop: (64,324) 6s 9c 8h (3 Players - 2 are All-In)
Turn: (64,324) 5c (3 Players - 2 are All-In)
River: (64,324) Kc (3 Players - 2 are All-In)
Results: 64,324 Pot
MP2 showed 9d 9h (three of a kind, Nines) and WON 35,050 (+23,900 NET)
SB showed Ah Ac (a pair of Aces) and WON 29,274 (+3,487 NET)
Hero showed Kd As (a pair of Kings) and LOST (-25,787 NET)

I think my big stack lured me into hoping that this was two non-hands making moves, but that was just stupid at this point in the game. I should be able to let go in these spots.

54 players remaining.

I called with 78s after checking down on a [5d 7d 2s Tc Ts] to bust [4h 2d].

500/1000/100 Blinds
UTG: 34,950
UTG+1: 18,193
MP: 14,604
CO: 38,685
BTN: 21,275
Hero (SB): 56,627
BB: 3,986
Pre-Flop: (2,200) 8h 7h dealt to Hero (SB)
3 folds, CO calls 1,000, BTN folds, Hero calls 500, BB checks
Flop: (3,700) 5d 7d 2s (3 Players)
Hero checks, BB checks, CO checks
Turn: (3,700) Tc (3 Players)
Hero checks, BB checks, CO checks
River: (3,700) Ts (3 Players)
Hero checks, BB bets 2,886 and is All-In, CO folds, Hero calls 2,886
Results: 9,472 Pot
Hero showed 8h 7h (two pair, Tens and Sevens) and WON 9,472 (+5,486 NET)
BB showed 4h 2d (two pair, Tens and Deuces) and LOST (-3,986 NET)

If he had anything he would have bet it when it hit so I did not believe him when he did bet.


1:00am 4th of 50 players stack 60k


Took out the fellow who lost the 777 vs. Spade flush hand to me earlier.

UTG+2: 60,329
MP1: 13,118
MP2: 20,358
CO: 11,754
BTN: 38,635
SB: 12,900
Hero (BB): 45,909
UTG: 49,280
UTG+1: 20,882
Pre-Flop: (2,925) 6d Ad dealt to Hero (BB)
7 folds, SB raises to 12,775 and is All-In, Hero calls 11,575
Flop: (26,675) Jd 7d 9d (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Turn: (26,675) As (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
River: (26,675) 3s (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: 26,675 Pot
SB showed 9c Qc (a pair of Nines) and LOST (-12,900 NET)
Hero showed 6d Ad (a flush, Ace high) and WON 26,675 (+13,775 NET)


1:30 am. 7th of 30 remaining. 58k stack. 1000/2000/200 blinds.

99 on the button. The chip leader is UTG and Raises. Folds to me. I have about half his stack. I shove, the blinds fold, he folds.

Ouch. My AK runs into KK and leaves me with less than 2k.

A6 makes two pair

A8 splits the pot

I now have 1ok

I have QQ and the big stack calls. The girls hold to double me up to 18k.

20 players left.

I have QJo and shove. Two big stacks call, I pair a jack on the flop and it holds up. I triple up to 45k. 19 remaining.

KQo shove all fold. 52k.

2:00 am 2000/4000/400 blinds 19 players remaining. I am in 11th place with a 45k stack.

33 push, all fold, 45k. 15 remaining.

2:15 Last Hand:

SB: 202,477
BB: 87,105
UTG: 253,378
UTG+1: 210,174
MP: 25,840
Hero (CO): 37,382
BTN: 83,034
Pre-Flop: (8,800) Ks 5s dealt to Hero (CO)
3 folds, Hero raises to 36,982 and is All-In, BTN folds, SB calls 34,982, BB raises to 86,705 and is All-In, SB folds
Flop: (113,746) Qd Jh 9h (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Turn: (113,746) As (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
River: (113,746) Kh (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: 113,746 Pot
BB showed Qh Ad (two pair, Aces and Queens) and WON 113,746 (+76,364 NET)
Hero showed Ks 5s (a pair of Kings) and LOST (-37,382 NET)

Finished in 13th place. That was fun. I need more like that one.

Hand Histories formatted using LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter