Joe Hachem Deep Stack Series Main Event - Day One

After Heath 'TassieDevil' Chick busted late yesterday it was my time to have a crack at the Joe Hachem Deep Stack Series Main Event and possible $100,000 first prize!

I outlaid my $550 for the buy-in and drew a marginal table but my favourite seat - seat one. I didn't really recognise anyone on the table, so the music went straight on as we tackled the first level of 50-100 with a 20,000-chip starting bank. I opened twice and got three-bet and four-bet and was happy to look down at in early position with blinds at 100-200 and opened to 500. Finding a caller on the button I made it 1,000 to go on a flop before this cash game LAG-tard made it 3,000.

I know I'm waaaaaaaay in front of his range like 95% of the time and believe that raising here loses potential value from weaker hands. Also, if I can truly put him on a set I can gather more information when the turn lands - so therefore I flat call and we see the turn fall the . I check and the LAG-tard makes it 6,300 to go leaving himself a little over 10,000 behind. With that bet I'm really confident I'm ahead in this hand, he either has a flush draw or a weak King and is capable of firing three-barrels into me; and consequently I flat yet again and hope he bluffs the river.

The falls and I check to be immediately followed by an announcement of "I'm all in!” Yikes, could I see a worse river? Probably not and now I sit in the tank analysing every possible hand this guy might have. From past experience I know he is capable of bluffing the river with air or with a really marginal and weak hand, but still that river makes me sick - do I really want to bust second level? I don't think so.

Tank . . . Tank . . . Tank . . . and then I look up at the LAG-tard and notice that he is sitting upright, leaning back and with his arms crossed. "Call" I announce and slid my remaining 9,400 into the middle to see the LAG-tard sheepishly roll over his for a busted flush and straight draw and rivered pair. A few comments of good call came from the table as I chipped up to 38,700 in chips only to break tables a few hands later.

 

After coming back from the first break with blinds at 100-200 and a 25 ante I chipped up to 51,650 after getting action with top set holding , and then taking down pots holding and . I would see out that level with a tick above 50,000 in chips but run terribly in the next missing every flop I saw and running one bluff right on the break to finish at 42,000 as we rounded out the 150-300 with 24 ante level.

It wouldn't be until the 300-600 with 75 level where I would find my first dilemma. Facing an under the gun raise to 1,600 from Jakson Laughton and a call I made it 5,200 out of the small blind holding - now in all honesty it was supposed to be 4,200 but it was a live miss-click. With the big blind out of the way Laughton made it 25,000 to go and all of a sudden the action was back on me. With both of us having doubled our starting stack this was really a decision for my tournament life - Do I want to race against a pair or do I want to have that sick feeling in my stomach when he rolls aces after he snaps my all in?

No and no so I open mucked my and Laughton showed his . With a personal tap on the back I was down to under 40,000, but quickly got it back over the next two hands. I opened to 1,600 and found one caller but took it down on a Jack-high flop. This time from the cutoff I made it 1,600 yet again with and both blinds made the call. The flop fell down and after it was checked to me I led out for 2,200 with only the big blind calling before donk-betting 2,100 when the peeled on the turn. I instantly moved all in after finding out that he had a little over 10,000 in chips behind, and after a few minutes of deliberation he folded his hand as I chipped back to over 50,000. My were cracked on the last hand by Ace-King to see me slip to 44,000 as we went on another break before the final two levels of play.

 

Our table broke mid-way through the 400-800 with 100 ante level and I moved to a table where play was very tight. I opened and was three-bet forcing me to fold as we ticked into the final level of play. Looking down at I made it 2,500 from the hi-jack and found a caller in the big blind. The flop fell down and following a check my bed of 3,200 would be enough to take the pot - which would be one of my last as I bagged 47,300 at the end of the day.

 

Joe Hachem Deep Stack Series - Main Event Chip Stack Graph

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I was very happy with how I played and confident that I could turn my average stack into something come day two when the three fields merge. Even though my chip stack graph may seem busy in the middle to latter stages of the tournament - this was mainly due to the motive of wanting to accumulate and use my chips to my advantage; which had been the downturn in my previous few tournaments. Although I was unable to do, a combination of minimal mistakes, good reads and an early finish prompted us to get a home game going with a 25c-50c holdem/omaha in place. I bought in for $25 and ran it up to $65 before slowly getting donked to see me retire to the TV as the guys continued to battle it out.

We finished the night with some Chinese Poker and Baccarat degeneracy and was home around 4am to get some rest before covering the repechage the following day.