Short Day Four, in the Money

So through the less then scheduled three levels of day four. With 158k going back I was pretty confident of cashing. My main focus was to cash as this is no ordinary bubble. With the amount of cash on offer and also how far away the finishing line is, cashing rather then chip accumulation with my stack was always the focus.

Having said that I kinda gave myself a cut-off point, If I dropped below 100k with less then 40 to go to the money I was sitting in. I got to that point when I 3-bet a Danish player called uffer's, open of 11k to 33k with Ackc, it was checked down after a nine high three spade flop, he had two red fours. I had a chat with him having a smoke during the ten minute a hand actual bubble and he told me he was sponsored in as he was a stand up comedian and tv star in Denmark and wasn't much of a player; no shit.

I was basically in sit out mode after that hand, I did open shove 90k with kings blinds 2500/5000 500 ante, not 100% if this is the right play but I felt I needed another round if I was to have any chance of getting back into it when the bubble broke. We got to hand for hand fast enough; five off the money. Lost the first four in five hands but I think the last one took 12 hands at about eight minutes a hand, it was painful stuff.

I busted the bubble with about 75k and had it up to 185k when my table broke going into the last 30 minutes of play. My new table looked horrific, I was way the smallest stack with about four monsters including Kenny tran on my button and the two guys on my left over a million. I folded to the end of play without seeing a semblance of a hand although one hand made me smile. UTG raise to 16k and got three callers, I held 84os in bb and wish I had made a spewy call as the flop was 888 and two guys went to war.

I'm happy to make the money as the last three days play have been an epic grind with very little cards. However I think the two major factors in making the cash were my table draws and one sick shove I made yesterday. My tables on both days were about as good as you could get as a shortstack with no big stacked Lags. The shove was halfway through level four when I was down to 50k and felt I was going nowhere. The cut-off who was a light opener bet 6k and I was sure the buttons raise to 17k was a steel; I shoved my 50k from the BB with 10 4 os. Now the guy was getting like 75 for 33 for the call but I had a great Image and my hand had to look a monster, it was also costing him 60% of his stack. Thankfully he folded quickly and that gave me the spurt into the last level I needed.

So I'm back for day five with 3k less then I started today, on the bright side I've 19 bigblinds which will be easy enough to play and I'm only four doubles off being a clear chip leader.

Cliff Note-Day Three

was between 50/70k for the first 7 hours play. 50k half way through second last level, ended day on 158k. really had no cards all day, jj 88 level two, QQ 88 last level, no other pair over sixes or AK all day so delighted to finish on what I did.

Hopefully wont get a chance to do a decent review for a day or two anyway.

Anyone txting, I'm getting loads but not replying when playing or asleep:-) need to cash to pay the phone bill ATM which is redic

Day Two

So 33k going back; I had no real strategy going into the day, just worry about my table and make the next level is all you can really do I believe in a field of this magnitude. Level one was quiet I added 3k to my stack. The only hand I recall was when I picked up Queens on the button. UTG an oldish guy raised to 1100, I decided to play them slowly and called, the SB shipped for 17k which I was calling until UTG ships for 50k; SB held AKs and UTG AA. Felt good after the hand as I lose chips on an eight high flop if SB didn't ship. My starting table was ok, perljammer was the only player I recognized but he was short and lost them early enough.

Level two I got to 54k winning most of those chips in two pots. Pot one against a young English player when I called a raise pre with AJ and call an Axx flop, an Ace turn and a 5k bet on the river, he held A10. The second hand I played I had no idea where I was TBH. I raise early to 1500, blinds 250/500 with AQ and get min-raised by an oldish tight player. I call the extra 1500 and the flop is AKK. I check and he bets 3000, call and its checked down, he has 1010.

Level three the table breaks and my new table is tougher with lots of big stacks. Just after I sit down I spot one clear soft spot, Amerillo Slim shoves 50k into a 5k pot and shows AK for no-draw no pair. There's a 30ish American niggling him and he gave as good as he got so he isn't totally senile. I end level three on 56k.

Two hands of any consequence in level four both where I held AQos against two good big stacks. Hand one I call a bet on the turn with ace high which is good and hand two I connect with the flop and get two streets of value, ended level on 64k.

By the last level of the day there was some crazy hands on the table, about ten players had come and gone and there was 4 monster stacks over 200k. One hand a guy scoops 340k after flopping a straight flush holding 7d9d another a guy 3-bets a flop to 100k in a 4-bet pot and shows 32os for bottom pair. I picked up my biggest pot of the day early in the level when I raised the cutoff with KhQh and get a K two rag one heart flop. A guy who had lost about 100 of a 170k stack in the previous 30 mins check raises my 4k bet to 11k. I'm confident I'm good here so just smooth. The turn is the Ah giving me the nut flush draw and I check behind. When he checks the blank river I'm sure he has a worse king and get a nice 14k bet called after he dwells for an age. I found the last 45mins very hard with all the big stacks playing well and not getting a sniff on a decent starting hand. This saw me drop from my tournament high of 90k to a finishing 72k.

All in all I think I can be happy with my performance over the day. The Queens in level one were the only sniff of a premium I got over the day so, to more then double my stack in the 10 hours felt like a decent days work. This is a complete monster of a tournament and totally different from anything that I've experienced. By the time I sit down Friday it will be seven days since I was first dealt a hand. I'm just going in with the same frame of mind I've had so far; play my table and make the next level.

A couple of people have recommended that I shouldn't post hands I play while still in the tournament. While I appreciate the advice and have given it some thought, I don't think it's a worry in a field this size at this stage and if I'm lucky enough to get any deeper I wont have time for these type of reports.

One Eight of the Way

Got through day one with 33k in chips which I'm happy enough with. This is a marathon and going back at 200/400 blinds, 33k is plenty. I was very happy with my play over the day except for one hand I played in level two which I didn't cover myself in glory but I'm still unsure about.

Level one went very well; the first real hand I played i check raised the turn in a 4-bet pot after leading the flop against a very good aggro Russian with 8 high and took the pot. The guy had already 3-bet me the first three times I opened so I had 4-bet him in the hand with 7d8d. Shortly after this I take down a big pot against the same guy. I open AKos and four see an AK2 rainbow flop, I bet 600, the Russian is the only caller. When he calls my 1200 bet on a 7 turn I feel I may in trouble but hit the King for the boat on the river. I lead for 2.6 and he re-pops to 7500, I raise another 11k and after an age he folds 22, for Twos full face up. I finish the level on a healthy 45k and know by this stage that the two best of my opponents ( a French and the Russian ) are on my direct left; of the others the two on my direct right are weak passive Americans next to them a capable Swede and one terrible and a so so yank at the other end of the table.

Into level two I chip up a little then lose a few K when I'm calling down the Russians bluff and he spikes a river. We had been playing eight handed until a young stars qualifier is placed between the French and Russian. He raises UTG +1 and about six see a flop. I have Kd3d in the BB on a 4x5d7d flop. The new player makes it 800 and I repop to 2300 when the rest get out of the way, he makes it 6200 and I go again to 16400. He tanks for an age and I'm sure he is folding but eventually he shoves and he just covers my remaining 27k. I fear Ad 6d and fold. I'm really not that happy with my 4-bet in the hand, I think I was to aggressive here and the hand is still annoying me. I just rock it up for the next hour as I need time to recover from the hand and finish the level on 25k.

Level three was very quiet at the table and very little happened. We were on the second last hand before the break when I play my first hand of consequence of the level. The retarded yank who had been open limping 80% of pots by this stage did so again. The Swede who was isolating about half of the limps makes it 1600 ( blinds 150/300 ) I make it 4800 from the button with AdKd and the Swede calls. I completely miss the flop and C-Bet 7200, he is in pain but after two mins shoves and shows Queens when I fold.

I'm chatting with Dara at the last break and he gives me a bit of a pep talk, just as I re-enter the Rio I tell him I'm the best player at my table and there's no way I'm not making day two. So into level four with 15k which drops to 11k after a bit. I get about 7k in a pot against the mong when I make a big call with Jacks on a KK99 board. I then chip up to 25k but drop back to 18 when I give up AK on a A 7 2r board ( young stars player shows set twos ). In my last big hand of the day I amazingly pick up about 15k without showdown. I open for 1k UTG with Queens and get five callers. On a 2 4 6 rainbow I decide this is it and check. The player next to me who has replaced the French player bets 600 into the 6k+ pot and a yank at the top makes it 2500, I make it 8500 leaving 8700 behind. He calls after a bit of deliberation which definitely confuses me but I'm fairly sure I'm good, he proceeds to fold to my shove on an 8 turn. All in all I'm happy to be going back with what I have but think I made the day a lot harder then it should of been by losing that 16k in the hand in level two.

Ready for Action

Played the Wynn course yesterday, deadly course, a little pricey to play everyday but I recommend playing it the once anyway. It's such an awesome, unique setting for a golf course. Marty took the spoils in a five ball, hard to keep that guy down.

Really looking forward to day one of the Main Event tomorrow morning. Honestly don't think I could be in better shape mentally heading into it. I'll be bringing my A-Game that's for sure, lets hope its enough and I don't run bad.

Its all about the Main Event

I've played relatively very little poker since I've been here. To some this may seem a little odd as I could be playing a tournament every day. The last time I was here that's exactly what I did and by the time the main event came around, it just became another tournament. This year my initial plans were to just fly in for the big one. Through boredom I decided to come out early but I consciously decided not to play that much. People whom I've been spending time with here with lots more experience then me ( Marty, Padraig, Julian ) seem to be taking the same approach so I'm confident that's its the right approach. I registered yesterday for day one A which is this Friday.

Never got a look in in the $1500 yesterday, went out after 90 minutes AK v 1010 up to that point I had raised twice with small pairs and given up on unfavourable flops after multiple callers. The only other hand I played was raising 88 in cutoff and my C-bet getting shoved over. All in all a bad day, I didn't actually win a single pot. Meh that's the nature of those things, I've no doubt that there's a huge amount of value in the $1500s but you still need to hit a few hands and win the odd race.

On the golf front we play the Wynn tomorrow which I'm looking forward to.

Bandit's

Played the $1,500 yesterday, this was by far the easiest table I've ever sat on in a tournament with a buy in greater then €1,000. The standard in a regular €50 club game in Ireland is probable better TBH. Busted halfway through level six with about 1200 players remaining, got off to a decent start had 9300 at break one, no big pots. Had a terrible second session dropping to 1600 on break two, again no big pots, just lots of raiser and C-bets going astray . Got it back to 6800 when I go out in the following situation. Blinds 150/300 25a I'm button and raise to 900 with Qs8s, both blinds call, flop 5s7s Qx, sb leads for 1200, bb calls and I ship. SB calls with 55 for the set, I pick up extra outs when a 6 hits the turn but no joy. I play the $1,500 again tomorrow and a cash would be nice.

On the golf front I've come to the conclusion that Spillane and Gardner are total bandits. Played twice since I last blogged. Five of us played the TPC Vegas and Gardner romped it, I got out ahead winning side bets with Marty and Paul. Dave Callaghan did nearly break my thumb in a buggy smash. Today we played better balls on Bears Best course and team Spillane/Gardner murdered myself and Marty again, thankfully I wised up on playing for percentages and just lost a few bucks. On the drive out to the TPC course the taxi driver commented " look at that crazy running in this heat" obviously when we look out the window we spot Dara pounding the pavement in 100+ degrees.

Had an enjoyable few drinks with Jude, Derek, Jude's wife Ashling and brother in law Dave last night. I've acquired a taste for white russians made on grey goose vodka over here, smashing drink but they don't half kick.

Having discussed the starting day for the main event with a number of players whom advice I respect, I've taken a compleat tournaround and It now looks certain that I'll be playing day one A next Friday.