The Chainsaw Report, Vol. 5

The day started off badly, as there was a huge backup on I-15 starting well before Mandalay Bay. I finally got through it, and made it to my seat just as they were getting ready to start. I had purchased my ticket the night before, just in case I ran late or the event had sold out.

I knew only Chris Bjorin at the table, but apparently several of the players knew me. A few were internet players who had seen people using my picture as an avatar on PokerStars.

The very first hand I get dealt KK in the BB. The UTG player raised Chris called and I reraised. They both called, and I was thinking “No ace.” The flop came a scary A-6-6, I made a continuation bet, and they both folded. I already had a third of my chips committed on the first hand of the day!

I showed the K-K to advertise my tight style of play. The next BB, I defended with J-8 offsuit, and hit a nice flop open-ended with 9-10-K rainbow. I could be drawing dead with many preflop callers, so I checked.

Surprisingly, everyone else checked as well. An eight came on the turn, giving me a pair an open-ended straight draw, and I checked again. This time an older man bet. He was the clueless one at the table, and could have had virtually anything from the few hands I'd seen him play, so I called. The river was a scary jack. It gave me two pair, but now a queen made a straight. I checked again, with intentions to call based on how he acted. He checked behind, and showed 6-7 for the gutshot on the turn. Had I played aggressively on the flop, I would have taken down this pot.

Then my next BB, I defended against a habitual-raiser internet guy, who bragged about playing 21 screens at a time. I had K-Q and thought about reraising, but wanted to keep pots small early in the event. The flop came A-high, he bet and I folded showing K-Q, he showed A-Q and I dodged a bullet there.

The next round I picked up Q-Q under the gun. I tried a Hellmuth here and limped with it, with intentions of getting heads-up with the habitual raiser guy who would be last to act. Another player who had been quiet for awhile raised it up, and I just called, not wanting to commit all my chips this early. The flop came K-J-9 rainbow, I checked, and he made a continuation bet. Everyone else folded, and it was back to me. I decided to call with my gutshot and pair, and there was a chance they held a hand worse than mine like A-Q or 10-10. The turn was a blank, and we both checked. He played it well, because now I thought my Queens actually may have been good. The river was a blank, and I checked again, He made a small value bet and I called to see his A-A. I had survived the Q-Q vs. A-A with 3,100 chips.

I called on a raised pot with A-K on the button and both blinds called as well. The flop came K-high and a short stack shoved all in from one of the blinds. Everyone folded and I called to see K-J, busting the player and getting me back to 6,000 chips.

By the first break I had a respectable 6,125.

Next, I played 7-7 in position against the habitual raiser guy, who continuation bet a J-high flop and then gave up on the turn. I now had 7,000.

We were at the 75/150 level, and a funny hand came up. The clueless older guy nervously said "4,500, I mean 450". The dealer ruled he must bet 4,500. He said he really meant to bet 450, and Chris Bjorin commented he must have a big hand. A short stack with about 4,000, deliberated forever, and finally called with J-J for his tournament. The mistaken better really did have AA, and insisted he wanted to bet 450, as the table accused him of making a cheap shot, as they dealt out the flop containing a jack.

The clueless older guy who had been opening a lot of pots raised again, this time the correct amount, to 450. No one called and I called in position with A-Q suited in clubs. We were heads-up. He bet out on a Q-high flop with two spades and one club. I three-bet, and he called immediately. The turn was a spade. He looked back at his cards. Now, I knew he had an ace and he was checking to see if it was the spade. He went all in for the rest of his chips, and I snap-called. He turned over AK with the Ace of spades. If i can fade this river card, I will have well over 12,000 chips on Level 3, wow. The river was an ugly king. I couldn't believe it; I was crippled and ended the hand with only 2,300.

The habitual raiser guy to my right kept on raising and folded virtually every time he was 3 bet.

I knew I could count on the habitual raiser guy to double me up. He raised yet again, and I just called with A-J suited. the flop came 8-9-10 no suits, He continuation bet again, and I shoved. He turned over K-Q for K-high and my A-high held up to get me back near starting stack at 4,325.

The older guy that I doubled up earlier, was splashing around my chips, and I knew he would go broke before our table broke, and I thought to myself how ironic it was going to be that I wouldn't get even one of my chips back from him. He lost two big pots where we was drawing really thin, and busted soon after.

I got dealt Q-Q under the gun, and was worried that my raise might give away my hand, since I hadn't played a hand in a while, but decided to play it straight up. We were at 100/200 now and I made it 600. Two players commented at the table that I was raising under the gun, and I must have a monster, and I really didn't appreciate that during the hand. Only the blinds called, and we saw a flop of 10-high. The SB checked, the BB bet 1000 and I went all in for my remaining chips. Reluctantly, the big blind calls and turns over K-Q. I couldn't believe it. I say loudly,"How can you make that call," knowing a king is about to hit the turn. A crowd gathers around our table, and of course the king hits the turn. Now I am drawing, to a one-outer queen on the river. They deal out the river and it is the last queen! Impossible but true, somehow he hit his three-outer on the turn and I hit my one-outer on the river and get back to 7,300 chips from near death.

From that point, I was totally card dead at this table, folding hand after hand in raised pots. I guess I could have used my image to try and three-bet or shove, but that wouldn't have worked at this table anyway.

Finally I picked up 10-10 in a raised pot on the button. I was going to reraise, but was worried about the under-the-gun raiser and overcaller, plus the blinds were yet to act. The small blind, who had played even less hands than me, reraised almost all in and the other two players reluctantly folded. I folded my 10-10 and he showed K-K. I still had 4,425 left and didn't want to commit it with that hand.

I finally got moved to a new table and knew a few players there. Vinny Pahuja was on the button on my blinds, and the guy to my right, looked familiar as well. The rest of the players were a mystery to me.

We had made the final 1,000 players of a nearly 3,000 field, and I was really short-stacked. It was 150/300 now with an ante. The table folded to Vinny on the button, who raised to about 800. The small blind called. I knew that Vinny knew how solid a player I am, and that if I shoved Vinny will be worried about the player in the SB as well. I shoved for about 3,200 more. Vinny was priced in, but reluctantly folded, the SB folded as well and I picked up the pot uncontested. Nice.

The next hand in the SB I was dealt 9-10 offsuit in a family limped pot. It got checked all the way to the river, and somehow I hit runner-runner flush to win the pot! I was back to about 7,500 yet again,

I raised a pot with A-K and got no callers. I showed the A-K to let these new players know how tight I play. One short stack laughs at this, like he doesn't believe me. The very next hand I get A-J suited. I raise again, and now for some reason I expected the laughing guy to go all in. Before he looked at his cards, I decided if he went all in I would call. He went all in as I expected, and it came back to me. The pot was laying me 2:1 odds, and unless he had A-A, I was pretty much priced in. I called, and he turned over K-K, which was way above the range I had put him on. I hit my ace and somehow had 13,200 after that hand, after struggling the entire tournament going to the dinner break.

After dinner I struggled. I picked up 8-8 and gave up on a J-J board on the turn. Ironically, the next hand I picked up 5-5, flopped a set and got no action. The antes were 50 with 200 400 now so every round depleted your stack by 1,000. I was down to 6,300 going to 300/600/75 ante, then got blinded off some more, waiting for a chance to open-shove. In the BB I got Q-J suited. Someone minraised to 1,450, and there were three callers, If i shoved for about $4000 more I will surely get multiple callers, and be behind. I decided to call, based on the pot odds, and see the flop even though this was a good portion of my chipstack. I whiffed totally on a 10 high flop, and had to fold to a big continuation bet as did the rest of the table.

I had about 4,000 chips left, and was just looking for any chance to get my chips in the pot, when I looked down and saw K-K! I shoved for my last 3,900 and got one caller who was also short and had Q-Q. The flop brought a queen, and I busted out with about 600 players left about ten hours into the tourney.

Today is the $1,500 HORSE. The low buy-in means that there will be players who don't know some or all the games. I hope I can fade that, since I'm still looking for my first cash.