Bad Play (by me!) Oh Noez!

Today I found myself sitting around the house on a really nice, sunny almost 70 degree fall day with no plans! I thought about doing something productive outside, but I chose poker instead. I decided to play in a 180 player sit-n-go tournament on pokerstars. I don't remember if it was a $5 or $10 buy-in though...sorry!

So, the cards are in the air and the fourth hand I get Ace-Ace on the button. Two limpers and I pop it to 5x the big blind. The big blind reraises me and one limper calls. I reraise all-in since I knew I was gonna get action with 3 people in the pot. I got 3 callers and found myself against A-3 off suit in the big blind and 8-9 of hearts was the limper. Good news, the flop, turn and river missed everyone and I tripled up on the 4th hand. From this point on it was basically in cruise control for me. I raised with the goods and either won uncontested or showed down the best hand. After the 2nd break I had K-J of spades in the cut-off and made a standard table raise and got called by the someone with about 1/3 of my stack on the button and by the big blind who was an overly agressive blind defender with about 1/2 my stack size. The flop came 8-K-J with 2 diamonds. The big blind lead out all in, without a hesitation I moved all in over top and the button made the call. Needless to say I didn't like my hand so much after all that action! The bb turned over 3-J off suit (I was happy and wanted to chastise him!) and the dealer showed A-5 of diamonds. Unfortunately I could just feel the diamond coming, the turn was a 2 of hearts and all I had to do was dodge a red card. The river was the 7 of diamonds. I was drawn out on! Had I won that pot I would have had a MONSTER chip lead and could have cruised to the final table. Instead I lost half my chips and needed to push my hands!

I managed to bob and weave my way back to around 4,000 chips which was good for about 18th place with 30ish players left. The blinds were at 200/400 w/ 50 ante when I was dealt Ace-Ace in the small blind. The table folded to the button who made a raise, I reraised for my whole stack and the big blind and button both call. The button turned over K-Qoff suit and the Big Blind showed pocket 4's. The flop brought an Ace and I was on my way to another big win!

Now I had about 10,000 in chips and a new player, the chip leader moved in on my left. I mainly folded until I was SB again when I got K-2 off suit, normally I'd throw it away but I had been quiet so I raised. BB called. Flop came 7-10-2. I bet at it thinking I had the best hand, the BB reraised me? I hit the tank and after thought realized I had the best hand. I called. the turn brough an 8 and I still thought I had the best hand. I check, BB bets and I called. The river is another 2. This time I bet about 1/4 of the pot hoping I get reraised. Unfortunately my trap failed and the BB showed 1J-2 for trip 2's Jack high, I showed trip 2's King high and won a nice pot. Here is my first mistake, I should have moved in instead of value betting the end! I would have had a lot more chips instead of what I did win.

With about 15 players left I was sitting on 13,000ish ships and the blinds were at 600/800 with a $75 ante. I had 3 larger stacks at my table. The 2nd smallest short stack had about 5,000 chips. I was dealt 7-7 in the cut off. I bet $2400 and the $5,000 stack called from BB. The flop was 2-5-4, a good flop for me. The BB checked and I bet enough to put the stack all in expecting a fold. BB calls and shows Q-Q. Nothing to help and I was down to $8,000.

Here comes my BIG mistake. The cheap leader at my table was going nuts raising everything! We had 13 players left and I was sure to make the money with my $8,000ish chips. I was SB with A-K off suit. The Chip leader opens from middle position with a grotesque over bet of $5,000 chips. I KNOW this is a bluff! I decided to reraise all in. Unfortunately, I lose all my courage (and my manhood evidently) and only call. The flop comes rags and the CL goes all in! I know this is a bluff. Unfortunately, I have $3,000 left. If I go all in I'm gone on the bubble with two hands all in as blinds next hand. So, i much the A-K and crawl into the money and the weekly tournament points with no manhood left. I think I made a mistake! I should have just moved all in before the flop! I just hate playing A-K for all my chips on the bubble! I don't usually agree in raise-fold only situations but I think that surely was one. I either had to get it in, face bubbling out and go for the win as opposed to sneaking in. I'd like your thoughts!

Anyway, I managed to have the deck hit me a few times after the bubble and built back a decent stack. I ended up going out in 7th when the Chip leader on the button raised my SB (CL= $52,000ish chips to my $8,000ish) and I moved all in with 9-8 of hearts. CL showed a 3-5 off suit. Talk about pushing a big stack! Unfortunatley the turn brough a 5 and the river brought another 5 and I was out in 7th. I was fine because I was pushing with what I thought was a good live draw (which I was right) in order to try to get some chips to try and win.

Oh well, my tournament was good over all. Two bad mistakes, I think and I still got in the money and points. I'm playing real well still and the more I play, the more I practice and the more I think about poker the better I keep getting!

-Cadillac