April 1st UB 200k Tournament Report

Sorry for the lack of updates. Obviously, partway through the month of March, I realized my goal was going to be impossible to complete. However, as i write this; I'm currently grinding out the UB 200k tournament. I am 181 of 239. I have 4680 chips at the 150/300 ante 25 level. I'm going to attempt to write my first tournament summary ever!

This tournament attracted 864 players. They are battling it out for the 45k first place prize. I'm going to take you through some key hands throughout this. Basically, my normal strategy for a tournament is very tight in the early stages. I hope to get a few key hands throughout that will allow me to double up. Generally, in big field events; there's usually a lot of bad players. That is why tight is mostly right. It's unhealthy to play a bunch of mediocre/bad hands trying to hit miracle flops. Just wait for a hand, and let your skills get their chips.

So early on, I was dealt 5c6c in mid position. Player A limped before me for 20 chips at 10/20 blinds. I decided to limp hoping to catch a big flop. Player B raised to 75. It folded around to player C in the big blind, who called his bet (most likely set mining) because it was a very good player who I recognized. Player A called, and I called.

The flop brought 6-5-5. Pretty much the nuts for me. Player C checked, Player A checked. It was now my turn. I had the option of leading for 180 into about 265. Or I could check to player B who was the original raiser. Hoping he had something like 77-AA pocketpair, I elected to try and check raise him. However, he checked.

The turn brought a Jack. There was one flush draw possible, a heart draw. The guy in the Blinds elected to bet 180, player A (the first limper) min raised to 360. I found this very odd. This looked super strong to me. I made the decision that he could very well have A5, or any 5 for that matter. I pushed all in hoping to get a call. Everyone folded.

This put me up to about 3400 in chips. I played a few smaller pots and was hovering around 3500. I was then dealt QQ in the SB. The very good player raised to 180 at blinds 30/60. I re-raised to 480. He folded.

Then, a very bad play came by me. At blinds 30/60 still. Player A decided to limp in mid position. He seemed like a bad player and had been limping a decent amount. I made it 150 with 77. Everyone folded to him. He called. The flop was AdJd4d. I decided he limped weak, and I'd try taking it down. I bet 180 into the 300ish pot. He thinks for awhile, then calls. Thinking he was probably weak, and possibly drawing to the flush. I decide to bet roughly 480 on the blank turn. Again, he thinks for a longer time, then calls. At this point, I was determined he was flush drawing. The river brings another ace. He thinks a little bit, then checks. I decide to push all in. He calls and flips up the flopped 8-J high flush.

This put me down to 1400 chips.

I then continued to grind, and played tight. The blinds were about 50/100 at this stage. A few times I pushed all in with mediocre hands/small pairs in position. I doubled up with 55 against A9 on a A4K flop, turn 5 (all in pre). Eventaully I was back to around 3800.

Then another hand came up that crippled me. I was dealt QsKs in early position. I decided that with my tight image, I would raise it up to 300 at 50/100. It folded to the big blind who called.

The flop came 9s 7s 5d. Giving me the flush draw. I fired 480 into the 600 pot. He called. The turn brought a 8c. He checked. I checked. I knew if my spade came, on the river; there was a good chance he was leading the river with a straight. The river brought the queen. He bet 1100. I should have folded, but decided I needed to call. Why? Well, because he could of also had a missed flush. He also could of had like A8, or any 8. I called, even though now I know I should have folded. I was now down to 1800 again. He turned over 5-9 offsuit btw, good call preflop buddy.

I eventually doubled up again. I just forget how, lol. After obtaining a stack of roughly 4500, I managed to pick up QQ utg at blinds 150/300. I made it 900. The guy two off of me made a scary call because that looked super strong. Everyone else folded.

The flop came J-J-9 rainbow. I fired out a pot-commited size bet of 1850 into about 2200. He shoved all in, and turned over TT. The Jack insured my victory on the turn, and I was now sitting with 8500 chips with an M of roughly 18.

Then, I was dealt 99 in mid-late position. There was one limper directly before me at blinds 150/300. I decided I was going to make it 1200 (wanting the pot right there. It was about 800 chips.) However, the cutoff called my 4x BB raise and sensed some big strenghth. The flop brought Q-T-4 rainbow. I decided he could have a lower pocket pair, or AK. So I fired 1850 into the pot. He shoved instantly, and I folded. He said AQ. I was now down to 5k chips.

Then I went down to about 3500 chips. The blinds were about 200/400 and I was in the SB with 57o. There were TWO limpers before me. I decided it was +EV to complete with this hand. The flop brough 335. I decided to bet 950, leaving me with about 3500 behind. Two of the players folded, the guy who limped 2 off cut-off instantly pushes me all in. I think for awhile, and make the laydown. Thinking he limped with the 66-99 range. I really really doubt it was a bluff.

I was then dealt AcKc, and obviously pushed at level 200/400. A guy called me with AsTs. I held and as I speak I'm sitting with 5k at blinds 300/600 ante 75. Currnetly I am 141 of 156.

Obviously, I'm basically in push-fold mode right now. Trying to play very selective. I'm pushing weaker hands against players in position and that I have fold equity on.

Right now I have KK utg and just pushed. It's folded to the button who is thinking long. Oh wow, the big blind calls and flips up KK. Split pot. :(

I just pushed AKhh with a stack of 3600 at blinds 300/600 still. It folded around and I picked up 2250 in blinds and antes, nearly 1.5X'ing my stack up to 5240.

I pushed TQoff in early position at 400/800 ante 100 and it was folded. I picked up 3k. My stack was down to 3800 however from the blinds. I'm now at 5810 but about to get hit by the blinds.

I just got very lucky. This hand played very weird. First of all, his stack was 43k, mine was 4k. He should have pushed. However, he limped. I should have pushed then. But I didn't. Here it is.

Hand #41129541-221 at Sun5pm200-021 (No Limit tournament Hold'em)
Started at 01/Apr/07 20:30:16

williehold is at seat 0 with 7830.
medeiros1980 is at seat 1 with 22410.
wawa035 is at seat 3 with 14560.
nomoballer is at seat 4 with 8255.
lobot is at seat 5 with 16100.
teecue is at seat 6 with 10320.
minbec is at seat 7 with 17380.
pokerich93 is at seat 8 with 41815.
gambler2k4 is at seat 9 with 5615.
The button is at seat 6.

williehold posts ante (100).
medeiros1980 posts ante (100).
wawa035 posts ante (100).
nomoballer posts ante (100).
lobot posts ante (100).
teecue posts ante (100).
minbec posts ante (100).
pokerich93 posts ante (100).
gambler2k4 posts ante (100).
pokerich93 posts the small blind of 400.
gambler2k4 posts the big blind of 800.

williehold: -- --
medeiros1980: -- --
wawa035: -- --
nomoballer: -- --
lobot: -- --
teecue: -- --
minbec: -- --
pokerich93: -- --
gambler2k4: Kc 7h

Pre-flop:

williehold folds. medeiros1980 folds. wawa035
folds. nomoballer folds. lobot folds. teecue
folds. minbec folds. pokerich93 calls. gambler2k4
checks.

Flop (board: Kh 2h 4c):

pokerich93 checks. gambler2k4 bets 800. pokerich93
calls.

Turn (board: Kh 2h 4c 6h):

pokerich93 bets 4100. gambler2k4 goes all-in for
3915. pokerich93 is returned 185 (uncalled).

Tournament all-in showdown -- players show:

pokerich93 shows 2d Kd.
gambler2k4 shows Kc 7h.


River (board: Kh 2h 4c 6h Th):

(no action in this round)




Showdown:

pokerich93 has 2d Kd Kh 2h Th: two pair, kings and deuces.
gambler2k4 has 7h Kh 2h 6h Th: flush, king high.


Hand #41129541-221 Summary:

No rake is taken for this hand.
gambler2k4 wins 11930 with flush, king high.

-----------------------

I'll definitly take it. That put me up to 11,800 or so. The next hand it was folded to me in SB with TcKc. The BB had 6500 or so. I had him covered. I decided to bet 3300, basically committing myself to a shove. He folded.

I now have AJ 5 off UTG. A guy two before me just made it 2k to go. I folded. He picked up the blinds. Those would have been nice, but oh well.

I am still pretty short, but not too bad. Average stack is roughly 19.5k. I'm very calm right now. I really feel I'll go very deep in this if I can manage to double up once more.

After folding and more folding, my stack is down to 8k. Selection is very importnant right now, and I haven't found any good spots to shove (or hands).

I finally picked up the blinds, putting me back to 10.6k. I made a must shove with 95 left (90 pay), with 9K spades. PLAY TO WIN BABY!!!

I'm now at my highest chip point. I'm at 14k. I had QKhh in the big blind. It folded to the small bliknd who raised to 2900 at 600/1200. This looked weak so I pushed, and he folded. Blind on Blind, I think that's a mandatory push there.

A double up would be clutch. I would then be at roughly 28k. If I can manage to double up, I have great chances at a huge score.

We are now in the money. I'm going to maintain my tight, selective game though, of course.

I'm on the cutoff with AK offsuit. Here goes. I take down the blinds. I'm back up to 13.3k. Average is now 25.5k. I'm still fine though. UB's structure is excellent.

I just got moved to a different table with 76 players remaining. That's kinda bad, because now my very tight image vanishes; and I will probably have less fold equity if I push weaker hands. That means I have to continue to play very tight and wait for big hands.

I just figured up my M factor and it's like 3. That's very low. However, UB has a great structure, and at this stage of the tournamnet; everyone's M is relativley tho for the most part. I'm still going to play very tight, and wait for hands.

It folded around to me in the SB, and I pushed with 5K offsuit against a guy with a 17k stack. I pushed for 10k so figured I had a lot of fold equity against him. He folded and I picked up 4550. I'm now at 13,155. It's very important to stay where you're at chip wise when you're short like I am. That gives you more time to pick up premium hands, and then double up. If I can manage to double up, or triple up; I could start opening up my game a little bit.

Verrrrrrrrrry Card-dead. However, paitence is the key. I'm down to 8355 at blinds 1k/2k ante 200. Time to start getting some hands!

Well with 7355 chips, I had to push with A5o and got called by A6 and he spiked his 6 on what woulda been a split. gg me out in 53rd.

thanks