Fun with Q9 offsuit

This past Saturday after I was knocked out of the tournament at my house, 4 of us decided to start playing a cash game while the others were still playing in the tournament.

We decided to play .25/.50 NL and each bought in for $10. I started right off in the hole for about 7 bucks, so I quickly rebought for an additional $20. After the rebuy I had the table covered, with two other close to $20.

In the BB I had Qh 9s. Everyone limps and I check my option.

Flop was Ah Kh 6h.

I check, UTG checks, Button bets $2. SB folds, I call and say " Brad, if another heart comes your in trouble." Everyone chuckles and the UTG calls as well.

The turn is 5s.

I check, UTG checks, Button bets $2 again. I call and say " Brad, if another heart comes down I am going all-in" Again everyone laughs and the UTG calls again.

The river is 7h.

I immediately move all in. The UTG player thinks a long time and finally says " I don't think you have the flush, I call".

The button now is clearly frustrated, he says " I know I have one of you beat, but OK there is too much money out there, I call as well"

I proudly turn over the Qh and the UTG shows her Ad2h (???) and the button throws his Jh into the muck.

Catching up

It's been awhile since I last posted on here.

Since last time I have played 3 more work tournaments, 1 tournament at a friends place and 1 tournament at my house.

In my work tournaments I finished 2nd and chopped 1st and then this last Wed. was knocked out pretty early. So all in all not too bad since it had been since last November when I last finished in the money.

At my friends tournament I played well and got heads up with the chip leader who had me outchipped 360K to my 40K. We played 30 minutes and I was within reach (He had 215K to my 185K). And then the final hand happened:

I limped in with A8o he checked from the BB. Flop was 8 6 4 rainbow. He checked, I bet 30,000 (blinds at this point were 5k/10K) He check-raised another 30K. This was a strange bet as any other time he had check-raised or come over the top of any of my raises, he would bet alot stronger. Each of those other times, I had folded and he would show me a monster hand. So at this time I really felt he was weak. So I jammed for another 120 something, he went into the tank and then finally said "I am tired and ready to leave, I call" He turns over 54o.

Turn 3
River 2

I finish a disappointed 2nd place.

This past Saturday we had a Rebuy Bounty Tournament at my house and had 20 players show up. Early on I built my stack to over 40K from my starting 15k but then lost it all on two hands.

First hand, limped in MP with QTc, flopped KcJc3c. I bet 2500 into 4000 pot (blinds 500/1000) only the SB calls. Turn is 3s, SB checks, I bet 5000. SB checkraises and makes it 15000. This is an easy fold as my flush is no good more than likely as it's not the nut flush and the board has paired. But being the idiot I am, feel I should call as I still the Ac and 9c to complete my straight flush. So I call, but the SB thinks the turn was the river and turns over his hand, Ac3c. River is not the 9c and I lose a lot of chips, but don't go broke.

Final hand, stack down to about 18K after the QT debacle. Limp in MP again with Ks Jd. Flop is Qd Td 3h. All four limpers check the flop. The turn is the Kd. SB bets 2K into a 4K pot. Another EP player calls and with alot of outs (or so I think) I debate raising but end up just calling. The river is a 9s. SB goes into the tank and then finally moves all-in. EP player folds, leaving just me.

I have the SB count down his chips and he has me covered by 500. I tell him if you have AJ or the flush then you got me and call. He turns over AJ and I am eliminated in 12th place. My wife ended up winning the tournament, so not all was lost.

This week we have our monthly $50 tournament at my house on Thursday, so maybe I can win one at my house that night. It has been a long time since I have finished in the money at my house. I seem to money every other place, but not there.

Weekly Home Tournament

We had our weekly home tournament on Saturday and I extended my impressive non-cash streak at my place. (I haven't cashed at my house since March 12th).

We started with just 13 players this week so we have one table of 7 players and one table of 6. While most that play at my house hate short handed play to start, I enjoy it. It lets me play alot more hands and the pots tend to be smaller.

We started with 15,000 in chips and by the end of the first break I was up to over 30,000 without having to go or call an all-in.

Halfway to the second break I had my chips over 40,000 and we were playing 6 handed at our table and the other table was down to 5 handed. It was about this time that everyone else was asking if we could collapse and final table at 11 players. I really didn't want to do this as I was playing and doing well short handed, but every other person wanted to play 11 handed.

I finally caved in and we re-drew for a final table of 11.

Shortly after we went to the final table, I lost two key big pots (one to my wife) and by the second break I was down to 26,800. Went card dead and with blinds at 3000/6000 I pushed my last 15,000 in with 33 and was called by 77 and that was it.

Weekly Work Tournament

I played in our weekly work tournament last night. The format was a little different this time around as it was a bounty tournament. So every player had a bounty on them. We started with 15 players.

Right off the bat, I limp in with T9 and 98 and win small pots. Then a MP player raises to 800 (blinds are 100/200), in the BB I look down and find 33. I call and the flop is Tc 9c 3h. I check, he bets 800 and I raise 2000 more. He goes into the tank, and then then goes all-in. I call and he has JJ. Preflop another player accidentally exposed a J so he had one out. The turn is another 3 and I knock him out and win his bounty.

Over the next two levels, I play alot of pots and build my stack to around 30,000 (started with 10,000)

DONK HAND: During the 4th level(400/800) I limp in UTG with AJo. 1 other limper plus the SB and BB. Flop is Axx. BB bets out 2K, I stupidly call instead of raising. On the turn he bets 5K and again stupidly call instead of raising or folding and not checking to see how many chips he has left behind him. Of course he goes all in for about 9K more and I call. He shows AQ and takes down a huge pot, leaving me with only 7K.

One hand later I double up off the same guy with K5c.

Being shortstacked and the blinds up to 500/1000 I start looking for a hand to go in with. I don't find one and make the final table (8 players) with only 11,000 in chips and blinds at 800/1600.

I steal my way to about 25,000 in chips by either pushing in preflop or on the flop. Down to 5 players (3 spots paying) I am the second shortstack when this hand comes up.

With 2 limpers in the pot, I just call in the SB with AQd. I don't ever do that with this hand out of position, so I don't know what I was thinking. Luckily for me the flop is KhJhTd. I push in for 21K. BB folds and the chipleader calls. He turns over Qh7h for flush and straight draw. He bricks on the turn and river and I double up to 50+K and am now one of the chipleaders.

Very next hand the Q7 guy (former chipleader) goes all in UTG for another 20K or so. I call on the button with AA and he turns over Q6c. I win that pot and the bounty and take a big chip lead.

I knock out a guy to put everyone left in the money. Then ship over about 30K on this hand:

DONK HAND: In the SB with QT0, button has already folded. I limp (instead of raise, like I should have) BB checks. Flop is Q28 rainbow. I bet out 5K (blinds 2k/4k), BB raises another 5K. I call (see a pattern here, too much calling and not enough raising. Should have noticed his stack and pushed on the flop). Turn is a 7 and he goes all in and I call. He has 72o for two pairs. I don't improve on the river.

72o guy knocks out the other player and we go heads up with him having a 3-2 chip lead.

We play raise and take it for a good 15 minutes, to where I have him outchipped by 5K (150K total in play)

He raises on the button with blinds at 3k/6K and makes it another 6K to go. I call with 98s. Flop is 9c 6s 5c. He bets out 10K and with top pair, gutshot straight draw and a backdoor flush draw, I checkraise all in. He calls in a snap and shows TT. I brick off on the turn and river and am left with only 5K which I promptly lose on the next hand and finish second.

Now for some hands I have questions about:

• With blinds at 300/600 and sitting on a stack of about 25K, I limp in with 33. BB goes all-in for about 5500 more. I think and then finally fold. I think this is a clear fold but a couple of other players I asked said they may have called with my chipstack.
• With blinds at 300/600 and sitting on a stack of about 25K, EP player pushes all-in for 6000 and I find AJo on the button. Again I think again before finally folding. Not sure what the correct play is on this hand. The raiser is a tight aggresive player so at best I am racing there I think.

Cinco de Mayo Tournament Report

We had 20 players show up for the $50 Cinco de Mayo Tournament last night. (CLICK HERE for a tournament report).

Each player started at 20K in chips with 20 minutes starting at 100/200.

I was pretty card dead for the first two levels, only winning a smaller pot with 99 in early position.

During Level 3 (300/600) I found AA in MP and made it 2400 to go. The button re-raises 3000 more. It folds back to me and I push all-in praying he has KK or QQ. Unfortunately he beats me to the pot with the other AA and we chop a whopping 900 pot.

Right after the first break the blinds went up to 400/800. UTG+1 goes all-in for 9300. It folds to me in MP and I look down and see AKo. I put the player on a small pair at best (33-88) or KQ, AJ, AQ. I re-raised all-in (for a total of 18,500) to isolate the player. Everyone else folded. Other player turns over ATo. T on the flop and I lose half my stack.

On the shortstack I wasn't able to find much to play and when I would raise I wouldn't get too much action.

Was blinded down to 6700 with blinds at 500/1000 and got all in with ATo against a player with KQo. Flop was K K J, turn K K J (4), and a nice river K K J 4 (A) to double up.

Unfortunately I went completely card dead and with blinds at 1500/3000, I pushed my last 4000 in on the BB with T4h and busted in 11th place.

So my bad run continues.....when will it ever end ??

Been Awhile

It's been awhile since I posted anything on here. We are thinking about selling our house and buying a bigger one, so I have been busy fixing up our house (painting, flooring, etc.) Because of this I haven't played much live poker. I have been playing a little online each night on Full Tilt. I really haven't done much in regards to my bankroll there, I haven't lost anymore but I haven't gained either. Kinda stuck in neutral.

I did play in our weekly Wednesday tournament at work last night, but played very poorly and finished 14th out of 17 players. Not good. Check out the following hand and how I played it like a donk:

Level 1 (100/200 blinds) 3rd or 4th hand of the tourney so everyone is around 10K in chips (9 handed table)

UTG+1 makes is 600 to go. I look down and see AKo and re-raise and make it 2600 total. It folds to the button who folds, but one of his cards flashes towards me and I see the As. It folds back to the original raiser and he reraises another 6K.

Now I know this player very well as he is a good friend and we talk poker on a daily basis. He is known as an aggresive player so when he initially raised to 600 his range of hands that he would do this with is very wide. However my usual table image is that of solid, somewhat tight aggresive and he knows this. So when he re-raised me the extra 6K it smelled of a mid to really big pair. I kinda discounted pairs 99 and down, figuring he would just go all-in with those. So I put him on TT or higher. Having seen the As, I knew I was down one out and was not sure I wanted to at best race so early in the tournament for all my chips.

I eventually folded and showed just the Ad, and he then flipped over AKo himself. Arrgghhh, bad read on my part. Oh well.....

I was bled and blinded off and made a stand with ATo and ran into KK.

Tonight at my casino (www.big-o-casino.com, actually my house :-) ) We are having a Cinco de Mayo Tournament - $50 buy-in. So far we have 22 players signed up, so it should be pretty fun. I have hosted 3 other $50 buy-in tournaments at my house and have finished on the bubble in two of them and was first out in the other. So I am hoping to break that terrible streak and actually cash.

I will post a tournament report tomorrow.