The Chainsaw Report, Vol. 2

Date: Jun 9, 2009

Day 2 WSOP 10K Omaha 8 or better, I came into day 2 right about the middle of the pack of the remaining 140 or so players.

My Table included Sammy Farha in Seat 2. Thang Luu, who won the bracelet in this event earlier in the $1500 in Seat 6, and Tom Koral, limit internet cash-game specialist.

Sammy was splashing around chips as he always does, once calling three bets preflop with 4,5,6,J. His chip stack went up and down for a while until I busted him in a three-way pot when I raised with A234, and he reraised all in in a multiway pot. I hit a set of fours on the flop and the low on the turn and finally busted Sammy.

Thang Luu was playing hyper aggressively, raising many pots and betting or raising every street with marginal hands. People just called him down when they realized he was doing this. He finally went out as well. The entire table was befuddled as to how that style won him two bracelets in this same game.

Tom Koral played slow and steady and built up a nice stack.

Daniel Negreanu moved to our table right before it broke, and I managed to win two pots from him, the first being the hand with Sammy, when Daniel finally folded on the turn, and the second being a three-heart flop where I held the bare and the nut low draw. Daniel bet the flop. The board paired on the turn. and Daniel bet again and I called as did one other player. The low finally came on the river, and this time Daniel checked. The other player in the pot bet out what looked like the nut low, and I called, assuming I was getting quartered. Daniel checkraised with what appeared to be a full house based on the action, the other player called as did I. To my surprise. Daniel only had a flush, the other player had the full house and I won the low uncontested.

I finally got moved to a new table along with Tom Koral. Players I knew here included Pat Pezzin (who I always call the best player at the table that noone knows), Chris Bjorin, who I have tons of experience with in live cash games, BoostedJ (Justin Smith) a 21-year-old intenet phenom who plays the biggest cash games online, and Billy Gazes, another player who I have a lot of history with.

Billy was opening many pots as the raiser, but I had position. I picked my spots and played a few hands with him blind-vs-blind in position. Overall, I did well on the pots I played with him.

I scooped a nice pot off Chris Bjorin after struggling for a while on a short stack, and had about 70K in chips when disaster struck.

This disgusting hand took place with about 35 players left and 18 getting paid, 18th being almost $27,000.

Bjorin Back From the Dead

Day 1 chip leader Chris Bjorin was all in by fourth street, and there was action between Allen Kessler and Justin "BoostedJ" Smith on the side. Kessler bet the turn, and Smith called. On the river, Kessler let his opponent make the bet before calling.

(Here's what actually happened) We are playing 6,000 12,000 limit. Bjorin raised preflop, BoostedJ called and I called from one of the blinds. On the flop, I bet out, Bjorin raised Boosted called and I three-bet and Bjorin went all in and Boosted called and I called. On the turn I bet and Boosted called, On the river I check called.

Bjorin: A455
Kessler: A210J
Smith: A224

The flop comes 3 4 J 6 on the turn, and the river came the one outer deuce to cripple me. Going to the river I have 3/4 of a massive pot if any of these cards fall. The last ace, any 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, J, Q or K.

The worst possible card is the one-outer Deuce giving Bjorin a wheel, and the main pot, and quartering the side pot with BoostedJ.

There is one four left as well. This gives me 1/4 of the main pot chopping the low, and 1/4 of the side pot as well. This isn't really that bad as I only put in 1/3 of the chips in the main pot and half of the side pot.

There are four sevens left, which also gives me 1/4 of the main pot and gives Bjorin a straight, however in this scenario I win 3/4 of the side pot with BoostedJ.

In the Pokernews update, they initially had Boosted's cards wrong (he had A224; they showed J224) I actually got 1/4 of the sidepot.

Bjorin managed to scoop the main pot with his straight to the six on top and the wheel on the bottom. The two other opponents chopped up the side pot, Kessler's sixty-four taking the low, and Smith's set of deuces good for the high. Kessler was none too pleased to see that deuce on the river take away a full half of the main pot from him.

(Actually the deuce gave BoostedJ trip 2's and counterfeited my low, giving him 3/4 of the side pot)

After that big exchange, Bjorin has 115,000, Smith has 155,000, and Kessler is down to 25,000.
The pot contained about $150,000.

Here are the possible outcomes.

1) River 2 (one left) I lose the entire main pot and 3/4 of the side pot and am left with $25,000
2) River 4 (one left) I get about $30,000 from the main pot and about $7500 from the side pot and am left with $60,000.
3) River 7 (4 left) I get about $30,000 from the main pot and about $22,500 from the side pot and am left with about $75,000.
4) Any other river card than those 6 cards. I win 3/4 of both pots and have about $125,000

I went out a few hands later with an A35 hand all in preflop vs two high hands and high cards came out.

Today is the 3K HORSE, an event I have been looking forward to.