Winstar and Day One Part 1 – Realizations
Winstar World Casino is a massive complex in Thackerville, Oklahoma about an hour and a half north of Dallas, Texas. I’m not sure what else is in Thackerville. I’ve never gone north of exit #1 on I-35. It’s a huge property. To walk from one end of the casino (the hotel) to the other end of the casino (the poker room) is about a mile. (This is barely an exaggeration) This presents a problem – testing the fitness of the average poker player. Luckily the poker room has it’s own entrance and plenty of parking. My busy schedule doesn’t allow me to visit the casino too often, but I have been impressed with the improvements Winstar has made over the last few years. (I guess the $.50 ante they take on every blackjack hand can finance a bunch of upgrades. Does that annoy anyone else?! Also the gaming laws in Oklahoma, don’t allow for Craps to be played. One more downside – no free alcoholic beverages – you have to pay. This is not a big deal to me because I’m not a big drinker, but it does change the whole casino experience.) They have developed a pretty nice casino and it is only one of two casinos that is an easy driving distance from the Dallas area, so we take what we can get.
I drove up on Wednesday night after putting the kids to bed. I arrived around 10:00 and checked into the hotel. After dropping off my stuff, I made the trek through “London, Madrid, Rome, Beijing, Paris, Vienna, Cairo, and New York” to get to the poker room. I decided to work off the rust since I hadn’t played in a real game since Las Vegas. I sat in a $1/2 game with $200. These games are usually soft, but much harder than you might expect. People are surprised when I tell them that the cash games at Winstar are tougher than the games a person might find in Las Vegas. But the reality is this, if you are traveling to Winstar to play poker, then you are motivated and knowledgeable. You aren’t just going to happen upon the place. You are making a concerted effort to go play poker. In Vegas, people could be walking past a poker room, and say, “Hey, I’ve sent that on TV and it looks easy. Let’s play some poker.” So while the games are beatable, anything over $1/2 is filled with very tough and well-funded players. The poker room at Winstar is very big (46 tables, 19,000 sq ft) and tonight it is packed. I a short session and leave around midnight with a $140 profit. On the trek back to the hotel, I make the mistake of playing some blackjack with my poker profits. I give it all back. Oh well, easy come, easy go.
I woke up Thursday morning and decided to splurge for a room service breakfast. ($16 – omelet, bacon, fruit, and toast) All the eating establishments in the hotel and casino are in earshot of the blistering sounds of the one million slot machines that Winstar has to offer. I can’t take that noise while I eat. I spend the morning running through scenarios and studying the structure so that I’ll know what to do when I’m in certain situations. I decide that I need to be very aware of who I’m playing -- Grizzled old poker pro vs grizzled old ranch hand – young internet poker genius vs local college kid – wealthy Texas banker guy who thinks he’s a pro vs the humble school teacher who is a poker enthusiast.
As day one begins, I come to a quick realization. While this is not the big stage of the WSOP, the lure of a $2.5 million guarantee and months of inexpensive satellites (to put in tons of local recreational players), are incentive enough to get some top players to travel to this exotic locale. As I pass through the lobby of the hotel, I see Jason Mercier and a crew of young internet-looking poker pros. Later in the day I see Greg Raymer, Gavin Smith, Layne Flack, Alan Kessler, Cornel Cimpan, and other guys who have that “been-there-done-that” look. On top of that, you have the local players who, while not too well versed in tournament play, will catch a pair and hold on like it’s a bull in the rodeo. This is Oklahoma after all. This will be no walk in the park.
I put on my game face and prepare for battle. The tournament is held in the “Global Events Center” which must be the backup meat locker because it was about 40 degrees as play started. The action will be fast and furious as we start with 10K in chips and 40-minute levels. Compared to my only other real experience in live tournaments (WSOP - 30K starting stacks and 2 hour levels), this feels lighting fast. I know I’m going to have to play out of my comfort zone to stay ahead of the blinds and antes. I can’t be a nit or I have no chance. I don’t have the same nervousness I had going into the Rio. I feel confident.
I sit down and begin my analysis. The table consists of three old guys, six young guys and me. I was very surprised to see this demographic, as the usual average age of a poker table at Winstar is 50+ years old. One of the older gentlemen is a professional type while the other two have hands the have known a lifetime of manual labor. Note to self –“Don’t try to bluff these guys, they won’t fold.” The young guy two to my left was with Mercier in the lobby – “watch out for him.” The player two to my right is a young kid who has that seasoned look about him. He is no stranger to a card room. He seems smart and plays a solid tight aggressive game. The young guy to my immediate left has a super aggressive style that makes me think he is an online pro. However, I notice he has an awfully good tan -- too good of a tan to be an internet pro or to have spent too many hours in a card room. He’s just a good ole boy who likes to bet and raise and bet again.
Through the first level I limped and called a few small raises with suited connectors and small pairs in position, but failed to connect. The tan guy to my left is dominating the table early. Three betting pre-flop and staying aggressive post flop.
After the first 40-minute level my stack is still at 9600.
During the second level, I made a conscious decision to get more involved. I decided to open the first few pots that folded to me. The first opportunity I had was from middle position with J10 suited. I was three bet by an aggressive player on the button. I called out of position and missed everything on the flop. I had to lay it down. This was the story of the whole second level. I ended the level with 7000 and hadn’t won a single pot.
With the blinds at 50/100, I was not yet stressed about my chip stack, but I was frustrated that I had not yet scooped a pot. I didn’t collect my first chips until halfway through level 3, when the action folded to me on the button. I raised to 300. The young tan guy to my right had continued to dominate the table with pure aggression, but I had not seen anyone play back at him. He re-raised to 800 immediately. I felt he was weak, and was just continuing to show his aggression. I decided to find out. I delayed briefly before making in 2000. He folded immediately. The very next hand was the same script. He stopped re-raising me after that and settled on just calling every raise. About an orbit later, I raised with AJ and “tan-aggro” called. The flop came with three low-unsuited cards. I bet. He calls. The turn paired the board. I bet. He folded. I ended level 3 with 9200 and a meeker player to my left.
After a short break, we were back at the table with the blinds at 75/150. I felt I had an experience advantage over a majority of the table. I just needed to pick and choose whom to get involved with. I redoubled my resolve to be more active. I finally flopped an open ended straight draw after calling a small raise in position with 89. I called a bet on the flop and hit my straight on the turn. My opponent checked to me on the river and paid off a half pot bet. My stack was, for the first time, above the original starting amount (12,200). This surge was short lived as I opened AQ for a raise. I had to lay it down after being re-raised off of my continuation bet on a missed flop. I ended level 4 with exactly 10K.
With the antes kicking in for level 5 – things heat up.
Day 1 – Part 2 – Variance!
The first four levels showed me that I most likely was one of the more experienced players at my table. However, with the structure moving so quickly, if I didn’t see more flops and I didn’t catch more hands, it wasn’t going to matter because there would be little opportunity to outplay anyone.
As level 5 started, the antes kicked in. We were playing 100/200/25 antes. This gave me 50 big blinds - which is still plenty of room to maneuver. Early in the level, I call a raise with AQ and the flop comes AA3. My opponent bets and I call. The turn was a 6 and put a second club on the board. My opponent checks and I check to induce a bet on the river. I wasn’t too worried about a club draw. The river was a Q giving me a lock on the hand. My opponent looks all but given up as he checks to me. I put out a small bet that I think he can call and he does. He mucks as he sees the bad news. My stack grew to 13K.
A few hands later, I hit a small pair and a flush draw from the SB in a multi-limped pot. I check-called small bets on the flop and the turn. My flush came in on the river and my stack was up to 16.5K.
As level 6 started my stack was back to 15.5K and the blinds were at 150/300/25.
I limped in from the small blind in a multi-way pot with A6 of diamonds. The flop came 467 with two D’s. I check-raise to take it down. My stack is up to 17.5K
I played two hands of note during level 7. First, I made a bad bluff and dropped my stack to 13.5K. (My selective memory is protecting me from the details. But I tried to bluff a guy that was never folding a pair.) Then I found AA in the small blind. There was one limper from late position. I raise and he calls. The flop came KQ3. I bet and he calls. The turn brought and Ace and I check, knowing he will bet. He bets and I raise just in case he wants to put it all in with two pair. He folds and my stack is at 19K.
During level 8, I played no real interesting hands and entered level 9 with 18K. With the blinds now at 400/800 and a 100 ante my stack is only 22 big blinds deep and I know I need to prevent it from getting much lower. I had watched many of the less experienced players wait until it was too late to get aggressive. By the time they found a hand to go with, they didn’t have enough chips to apply the pressure needed. A few even doubled up but remained the short stack at the table. I saw guys with only 5 big blinds fold their blinds. I vowed to shove long before my stack dropped that low.
Our table was broken and I dropped into my new table as the big blind. Everyone folded to me! I received a walk. It was a nice welcome to the table that was short lived as we were immediately broken. I was moved to another table and sat down to find KK in first position. I raise to 2000 and it starts folding around. I feel a bit of disappointment as it looks like I am just going to pick up the blinds. However, the big blind looks down at his cards, looks at my stack, looks at his stack (I have him covered), and says, “all-in.”
I get happy, “Call.”
I quickly leave my “happy place” as he turns over Aces. This will cripple me as I only have him covered by about 5K. The flop comes 952. The turn provides no drama. I start to move my chips forward and there it is - right on the river -- a big fat KING! I return to my “happy place” feeling a bit guilty. There was no way the hand was going to play differently in this tournament with these stack sizes. I count myself lucky and I count my chips – 33K!
I was fairly active throughout this level. I was able to take a bunch of small pots with little resistance. The table had a good dynamic for me. The best player (and biggest stack – confirmed professional) was at the opposite end of the table and we seemed not to be involved in many hands at the same time. There was another player who I felt was strong but was kind of trapped in between. Every time he tried to make a move the Pro a couple of seats to his left called in position and seemed to take him off of hands. Finally, he raised in early position and was successful in getting everyone to fold to me in the big blind.
By this time, I had worked my stack up to around 40K. I held AQ and decided to call his raise. The flop came K 10 x (rainbow). I thought about betting to see if I could just take it away, but I felt he could call or re-raise me with a bunch of hands. So I decided to see if I could get any reads off of him first. I leaned forward to see how many chips he had. I asked if he could move his hands so I could see. He had plenty. I checked. He bet 2200 in to a pot of about 5000, but looked a bit uncomfortable. My mind was made up. I calmly made it 6300. He thinks for a moment and calls. I decide to follow through on the turn unless a K or 10 falls. The turn is a 7 and I bet 13500. My opponent looks pained, but folds. I felt he may have had AQ, JJ, or may be QQ or possibly A10.
I ended the level with 58K and proceed to go card dead for an hour and twenty minutes. For three full levels I have to fold and limp and stab at orphan pots. At one point in level 12 (1000/2000/200) I folded almost three complete orbits. Somehow, I end level 12 with 53K. I have only 17BBs at the new level (1500/3000/300) before I manage to knockout a short stack with 99 vs KQ. I end level 13 with 63K.
I start level 14 (2000/4000/400) with 67K (16BBs) and know that I have got to get moving before my stack loses its ability to exert pressure. Finally, I pick up a hand – 10 10. I raise to 12K from the highjack. The button calls and the big blind is all in for his last 10K. The flop is 10 8 5 with two hearts. I bet 12K. The button instantly re-raises me to 25K. With 77K in the pot and only 43K behind, I go all in for an additional 30K. My opponent folds JJ and my set of tens win. My stack is now around 115K.
My opponent in the hand acted as if he made the best lay down in the history of poker. He told me I should have slowed played it and I would have had his whole stack. I told him, if I slow played it, a Jack would have hit the turn. I felt there was enough in the pot that I wanted to get it in ahead.
Before I know it, we are nearing the bubble. There are only two more bust outs before we are all officially into day two and in the money. I am feeling pretty good to have a chance to get into day two with 100k. That would give me an exactly average stack. However, that was not to be. The short stack at our table moves all-in from first position for 20K. I am third to act and I have - QQ. I take my time and re-raise to 60K. I wanted him all to myself. This was a big mistake. It folds around the savvy pro at the other end of the table. He has a monster stack of over 200K. He quickly and matter of fact-ly says, “All-in.” I jumped out of my seat.
“Really!” Now what do I do? We are two people from the bubble and I have a hand, but I am facing elimination if I lose. I should have moved in my whole stack first. Now I have a decision to make. Call or fold? If I fold, I basically guarantee making the money. However, I would make the hour and a half drive back on Sunday with only 7 big blinds. I may have only one shove before I drive back home. Or, I could call, lose, and be out $2730. Or, I could call, win and be a chip leader coming back on day two.
Time for some analysis: There are only 2 hands that I am behind (AA, KK), and one that I am flipping with (AK). Are there other hands in his range that he would re-shove with? JJ, 10 10 , 99, AQ, possibly. Is he the kind of guy that would do this with any two decent cards because of the situation? Does he have me pegged as the kind of guy that can fold? How much credit does he give me here? I tank. We are playing hand-for-hand so all action has stopped and players from other tables come over. I am feeling the pressure.
I decided to be bold. There were only two hands, I’m behind, this guy has made me lay down a few big hands throughout the day, so he knows I can fold. There were a few spots down the stretch during the WSOP that I felt I missed the chance to be bold. I decided I didn’t want to come back short stacked. I wanted a chance to win. I just needed a nudge. I say out loud, “I think I want to be bold. You know I have a big hand.”
“Obviously I have a big hand too,” he replied.
‘F’ it. “I call.”
There are gasps around the room as the cards turn over. The short stack has QJ suited, I table QQ, and Mr. Big Stack shows AKo. Oh well, I guess I’m a gambler now. The drama was over quickly when the case Queen flops and the turn closes any draws. I now have over 200K and the big stack at my table. With one more elimination before we are done, I raise the next three hands without looking at my cards. Another player is eliminated at another table and I end the day with 233K. I am second in chips for the day behind Greg Raymer (260K).
After we bagged up the chips, I was walking out when I stopped and spoke to Raymer. I asked about the big hand and he explained why I should have just moved in with QQ instead of giving my opponent the chance to play back at me. We talked out a few other scenarios before we wished it other good luck for Sunday. Raymer is a super-nice, super approachable guy.
I get in the car and head home. I have to get some sleep before teaching in the morning. I will head back up in two days time to continue my quest. I am about halfway home when the adrenaline wanes and exhaustion sets in. This feels more like a sprint than a marathon.
Intermission and Day 2 – A day at the rodeo
Ironically after taking a “sick day” on Thursday, I woke up sick Friday morning. During the night I had developed sweats and chills. I got the poker flu. I needed to get up and go to work. Fortunately, I didn’t have to teach classes until after lunch so I slept in. I finally dragged myself out of bed and headed into school feeling pretty weak. It’s a good thing I wasn’t playing today because I was not at my best.
I spend Friday evening and all day Saturday watching my daughter’s soccer tournament and developing my game plan for Sunday. I decided an aggressive approach was the only real option, but to what extent depended on my table draw. If I get a table of short stacks then I will press them, but if I get stuck with big stacks I will have to play more conservatively until I develop some reads. This tournament is moving so quickly that I don’t really have time to size up my opponents or digest hands after they have occurred. It’s on to the next blind level and on to the next hand. Like I mentioned before, this tournament is more of a sprint than a marathon.
Over 3 starting days 1440 people entered this $2100 buy-in tournament generating a prize pool of over $2.8 million with a first prize of $650K + a Porsche. There are 144 people left.
I wake up early Sunday morning, pack up my lunch, fill the car with gas, and head to “work.” My wife has decided to sit this one out. With this tournament being on my “home turf” and work and kid obligations pressing us, she is content to hang out at home and catch up with family over the long weekend. My other friends and family are hanging out at the lake -- relaxing over the last long weekend before fall hits. I am heading into the darkness of a smoky casino.
I arrive a bit early and they are not letting us into the tournament area, so I decide to sit down and play some blackjack to kill the time. I search until I finally found a table with no one smoking and plunked down $100. The table was quite lively for a Sunday morning. I had an older Asian lady to my right who was having a great time. I couldn’t understand I thing she was saying except that she thought I was bringing her good luck. There was a couple sitting on the other side of the table that noticed my wristband indicating I was playing in the poker tournament. They asked me some questions about it and wished me good luck. Then they asked me about the rubber band I wear around my wrist. I explained that I snap it every time I start having negative or self-defeating thoughts. The wife then tells a joke to the female dealer and the old Asian lady. She says the guys won’t like it. “Why don’t little girls fart?............They don’t get their a$$holes until they get married.”
Her husband looked at me like an old beat down dog. I tried to send him some good vibes. I understand you man, I really do.
After giving the Casino a $100 donation I decided to go find a quiet place to meditate. I found some very comfortable couches way back in the convention center area away from the smoke and noise of the casino. I sat and tried to envision probable situations I might encounter during the day. I clear my mind of all things except good sound poker logic. I vow to be aware of all things at all times. And then its time to do battle. I head to my table and quickly evaluate my table draw based on chip stacks.
I ended up with a favorable table. With my 233k in chips, I was the big stack with only three other stacks over 100K. Also, the average age of my table was closer to what I had expected on day 1. I only had two young guns to worry about. The rest of the table was my age or older. A few had obviously held on to make the money bubble and didn’t have many chips left to fight with. I was ready to implement my plan of aggression. The blinds were at 2000/4000 with a 400 ante.
My plan went terribly wrong terribly fast. The first hand I played was AQ in late position. I raised to 10K and was called by the older gentleman in the big blind. The flop came 49Q. The big blind checked and I raised to 20K. The big blind called and doesn’t have too much left behind. The turn was a blank and the big blind went all-in for his last 33K. I had to call and he showed 99 and I am down to 170K.
A short time later and the blinds are up again (3000/6000/500a). I open for a raise with 9(c) 10(c). The same villain calls from the blind. The flop comes A(c)J(h)8(h) . The big blind checks. With an open-ended straight draw, I fire a continuation bet/semi-bluff. He min re-raises. At this point, I know I am behind but, I am getting a great price to draw. I call and the turn comes with a 5 (c). I have missed my straight card, but pick up a flush draw. The big blind checks again and I check behind happy to see a free river card. The river brings the 3 (H) -- missing both of my draws, however, the big blind checks a third time. I start to consider that my opponent may have been on a draw also and I can’t imagine him not betting a heart flush. I decide I might be able to represent the flush and pick up the pot will a well-sized bet. I bet and the big blind insta-calls with A(d)K(d). My chip stack down to 117K and the next level is coming fast.
(I really don’t like my play here. In retrospect, I should have stayed with my initial read of him holding the Ace. Easy to say after the fact, but I think for a moment I got too fancy and fell into the trap of thinking I should find a way to win every hand when I have position and have taken the lead in the betting.)
Next level (4000/8000/500a) and I call a mid position raise from the button with AQ. The flop comes Q103. The original raiser checks and I bet. He shoves. I have him covered by 41K. He looked weak. He shoved too fast for a set. I put him on KQ, an under pair, or a draw. I called and he showed KJ. The turn was a 6 and the river gave me two pair - Ace. I was crippled when his straight came in. I was left with only 5 big blinds.
And as we know (come on, everyone say it with me), “That’s poker.” I knew this had a good chance of happening. There was nothing I could do about it, so I shrugged and hoped for some good cards to help me rebuild my stack. I had not been paying attention to how many people were left or the payouts. I really wanted to keep the mindset of playing each hand optimally and focusing on the big prize. It helped that the Porsche was in the room and in my line of sight all day. Besides, the life changing money was at the final table.
A couple of hands later, I went all-in was called. My KK held up and I was back to 90K. My table broke as the blinds once again climbed (5000/10000/1000a). I sit down with 9 big blinds and shove to take my stack up to 115K. There are now 67 people left in the tournament and they are dropping like flies as those who have tried to hang on finally get blinded down to the point of no return. I spend the next 1.5 levels picking spots to shove and staying alive. I only get called one time by an even shorter stack who I eliminate with my 10 10 holding over his 88. I get to the break with my stack back up to 230K just from shoving and picking up dead money.
The table I am at has had a very friendly dynamic. Everyone was having a good time and generally getting along. Then we gained two players from a broken table. They came to the table arguing about an incident at their previous table. It is a pretty heated exchange that goes on for an extended time. Other players at the table are visibly uncomfortable. I’m not sure what the basis of the dispute was but they finally let it go. We were down to three tables.
Coming back from break, the blinds will be a sky-high 8000/16000/2000a. I have 14 big blinds. In this level, I play a flurry of hands as I get hit with the deck. In quick succession I have QQ, AQ, QQ, A5s, QQ and KK. (I had no time to take notes on the details.) The results: QQ – win +100K, AQ - loss -100K, double up with QQ vs AK, A5 – loss -100K, QQ- win, KK tough win on an A high board. And then it was over. Quite suddenly we were at 20 players.
I feel like I just competed in a rodeo. I was getting bucked around all day. It was physically exhausting. I felt a bit beat up. This experience was very different from the WSOP. There, I was extremely cerebral - developing reads from hours of intense study. Taking time to compare behaviors and tendencies. Here I spent my time calculating my ‘M’ and deciding what the weakest hand I could shove was. Determining the weakest hand I would call a shove with. I was playing on math and intuition. Pushing and praying. There was no meta-game and no psychology.
With 20 people to play they stopped the tournament. We will return the following day at noon to complete. I ended the day with 433K in chips, 12th overall. Only 19 people stand between me, the first place prize of $649K, and a Porsche.
I decide to not drive home, but to instead get a room at the hotel. I didn’t want to make the hour and a half drive 3 times in a 24hr period. It was more cost effective and less stressful to stay. I settled into my room and caught up on emails and a quick 2+2 scan. I was still pretty amp’ed up and after a while I headed down to the Toby Keith Bar and Grill to have some dinner. From there, it is only a half-mile to the poker room so I head in that direction. It was crazy -- overflowing with patrons. I have never seen every seat at every table filled. There were long wait lists for every game. I put my name on the $1/2 and $2/5 list and went to find a quiet place to chill. I took a seat in a $1/2 game and played from about 10:30 until midnight before I decide I had had enough for the day. I was like a deep-sea diver. I had come up to quickly and I needed to decompress a bit before heading to bed. An hour and a half of $1/2 cash, some relaxed poker table conversation, and a quick $120 profit did the trick.
Monday is day three and we will finally have a winner. I have a hard time sleeping thinking about the possibilities.
Day 3 – Dreams are realized or crushed.
This tournament is, in a lot of ways, tougher then the WSOP main event. You never have time to relax and think. It is action all the time because the blind structure requires that you keep playing. It really pushed me out of my comfort zone. It wasn’t a total luckfest-shove-party, but you had to be comfortable playing non-premium hands, re-raising when you think you have the best hand, and floating some flop raises knowing that your move on the turn would be all-in or fold. You couldn’t worry too much about pot control and you really had to pay attention to other people’s stack sizes.
While this was tough for me, I at least had spent time preparing for it. I saw less experienced players who just couldn’t adapt. They let there stack sizes get too low, they raised into a player who would be pot committed if they played and then they folded when that player shoved, and they called with stacks that they should have just shoved. I made a few mistakes that fell into this category, but I tried to limit my mistakes as much as possible. If I had not actively prepared, by studying before hand, I would have made many more mistakes. I realize just how important studying the tournament structure is to your preparation. This tournament was go, go, go, press, press, press.
It is not a tournament that best suits my strengths. I would like the time to observe behaviors. To make reads based on plays I’ve seen throughout the day. In this tournament you didn’t have time to do that. Was this a tournament that favored luck over skill? I believe it certainly leveled the playing field between the amateur and the pro. However, the amateurs (myself very much included) made fundamental errors that put us in positions at times to be outplayed. As a result at the end, with twenty people to go, the field was over 50% pros (or well accomplished players with documented results) when the starting field was overwhelmingly amateur.
But in the end, yes an amateur could luckbox their way to the championship. There was hope for me.
My wife drove up Monday to support me. I was very glad she was there to share in the moment. I was really hoping I could take the whole thing down so she could have the luxury of quitting her job if she liked.
There are only two tables left and I can definitely see the finish line. I enter the day 12th in chips. I have what I see as mixed blessings as far as my seat assignment goes. Greg Raymer is one of the big stacks and he is seated at the other table with Cornel Andrew Cimpan. To my immediate right is the overall chip leader with 2.4M. The next biggest stack in the tournament is three to my left with 1.9M. The four players to my right are fellow amateurs who I feel I may be able to isolate and outplay. However, the 4 players to my left are crafty veterans that can isolate and take advantage of me.
The action was blazing. With the blinds at 10,000/20,000/2000a, many stacks were less than 20 big blinds. I have 21 big blinds. There was going to be very little post flop play happening.
The first two hands of the day saw the short stack (A young Asian pro) go all in -- once on the flop and then pre-flop. The second time I was in the small blind with AK. I thought about calling. I was either way ahead or flipping. I just couldn’t see myself flipping for it on the second hand of the day. I hoped I wouldn’t regret the lack of boldness later. A few hands later I found AK and shoved from early position with no callers.
Then I found KK in first position. I raised to 60K and was called by the cutoff (who had me covered). The flop came AKK giving me quads. I had to check to ensure I wouldn’t lose my guy. I hoped he had an Ace. He bet 80K and I called. The turn was a blank and it went check – check. I probably should have put out a small bet here to see if I could get some more money in the middle to set up a river bet. The river came and inconsequential card and I bet 100K and was called. My opponent had AQ. My stack was up to 630K. (I’m not sure I extracted maximum value out of this hand. I really think I should have put a small bet out on the turn to bloat the pot a bit more.)
Shortly after, I was feeling invincible when I raised to 70K with a pair of 7s from mid position. I had to fold when a seasoned player behind me shoved his 450K stack. This time I’m either way behind or flipping.
The blinds go up to 15,000/30,000/4000a and I have 600K in my stack.
An early position loose aggressive player (900K stack) raises to 65K, and the action folds to the small blind (and chip leader 2.8M) who calls. With the pot already at 211,000, I look down in big blind to find AK and I shove all-in for 600K. The original raiser folds, but the small blind thinks and thinks, then very reluctantly folds AQo face-up. Wow! He almost called me in what would have been over a 1.2 million chip pot.
The very next hand a solid young pro raises to 65K (his stack was somewhere around 1.9M) and the action folds to button (the same big stack - 2.8M) who re-raises to 150K. The pot is already 296K and I am next to act in the small blind. Once again, I find AK. I actually contemplate folding for about a millisecond, however, I shove all in for 811K. Young pro folds and it is back to the big stack to make a decision. I have just 4-bet for my tournament life and put in what represents one third of his stack. I sit motionless. He takes his time. I really just want him to fold so I could move my stack over the million mark. We have already lost 3 players today and I feel if I can win this pot, I have a very good shot at making the final table. Of course, if he doubles me up, I my have a shot to win the whole tournament. I feel better that he didn’t call instantly. At worst we will be racing.
And then he did it. He said, “I think you bluffed me last time. I call you.”
Here is what you need to know about my opponent. He did not seem to be a very experienced poker player. I am not sure how he got to be the big stack. I heard he had a huge three way all-in double knockout the night before. At times, during the short time we had been playing together, he had made raises that were not even the minimum and had to be corrected by the dealer.
I was hoping to see AQ or AJ, but was dumbfounded to see 44.
I was stunned. In my head I was screaming “Fours! You called me with fours?!” Outwardly I was silent. I stood up and looked over at my wife and said, “This is it.”
My opponent called my 4 bet all-in with 44. I guess he decided that there were no pairs in my shoving range therefore he would have a slight 1% lead going to the flop. I am either going to be out or a chip leader. The flop came 10 8 8. I need an A or a K or a 10. The turn was a 6. Add three more outs for me. So I have 12 outs on the river. Alas it was not to be and I was out in 16th place. My opponent was now over 3M in chips and went on to win the whole tournament.
It still stings. It wouldn’t have hurt of he had turned over Jacks, or ten’s or nine’s. But 4’s!? I think, under the circumstances, that is a hand he should fold there.
I really feel like I missed out on a very big opportunity, but I guess that is the way tournament poker goes. In the next few days, I did a lot of “what if?” scenarios. What if I won that $650K? My wife would have been able to quit her job. My kids would have college funds set aside. I would have paid off a few more debts. I would have made some investments. I would have set aside more money for tournament buy-ins.
But I can’t go back in time and I can’t let it affect me going forward. I was very fortunate to survive day one when my KK cracked AA. I was fortunate when my QQ held up vs AK twice.
I went to get paid and took some satisfaction in taking the entire payout in cash.
I have now played in two big buy-in tournaments and I have gone deep in both. I do understand variance, so I know that I shouldn’t expect these kinds of results every time I play. I remain humble and know that I still have a great deal to learn about tournament poker. These successes have not gone to my head. I am not an expert poker player though my friends are now convinced that I am. These experiences have fueled my desire to learn more. I will get back to my studying and preparation, so that I have a good chance in the next one.
My next event will most likely be the TJ Cloutier Classic at Choctaw Casino in Durant, Oklahoma September 25-26. I will try to do a better job capturing the flavor of the event and reporting on some of the off the felt experiences too. After that, I am heading to Vegas for a friend’s 40th Birthday in late October. I will definitely be playing some cards there. And then the WSOP circuit event is coming to Choctaw in January and I will hopefully be able to play an event or two.
