Ended up getting 20th in the 6max Limit Hold’em for my only cash so far. It was definitely exciting and fun, but not the place I was looking for. I played with a number big name pros in this event including Justin Bonomo, Michael Binger, Phil Gordon and a couple others. Most of these online pros have incredibly bad table presences in my opinion and just sit there silently playing. It’s bad for the game and incredibly boring to boot. I always try to make a point of chatting with my table mates and getting to know them and make playing with me an enjoyable experience. If you’re one of the silent ones with the headphones on I suggest you try the same for once. You can play in isolation silently all you want online, one of the perks of playing live is you can talk to people while you play.
As far as hand recaps go, its 6max limit hold’em so I played a lot of pots. Just before the bubble was starting I went on a huge heater and was up over 100k in chips, but then I got moved to a new table, the money bubble burst, I couldn’t flop a pair and made some bad river call downs with ace high etc. My last two hands were utg, who was just moved to my table so I have no read on, limps and I have KT of spades in the cutoff, I raise to isolate and he calls. Flop is QQ7 one spade, he checkraises my cbet and perhaps I should have just folded then but I thought there’s a good chance he has air or a dry 7 or 88 or something and if he does have a queen I still have backdoor spades. I peel, the turn is the 9 of spades, he bets I call, river is a brick and I fold my King high and am left with 1.5 big bets left. I think I played it fine, just woulda been nice to bink that spade on the river in this one. Bustout hand I was in the big blind with 12k in chips and blinds are 2k/4k. Button opens, sb flats I have J7 of spades and overcall. Flop is Q63 rainbow, sb checks I put my last small bet in, button raises, sb reflats and I’m feeling like I’m in a bad spot. Turn is and ace and a lot of action goes down and I’m pretty sure I’m drawing dead and out. My read is confirmed when the btn tables A6 and sb A3 both for two pair. Though my flop all in wasn’t bad as I still had two overs at that point.
Next tourny I played was the stud8 $1500. I ended up making day 2 but busted out 20 mins into it. I made a lot of dumb mistakes in this tournament which I’m pretty unhappy about. I missed 3 hands of the tournament, one after the dinner break of day 1 and two at the beginning of day 2. Both of the hands in day 2 I was dealt low cards as well. This is just dumb and I hope this never happens again. I was kind of on tilt before I even played a hand cause of it. I also made some really bad folds on day1 because I didn’t notice someone’s stacksize and thought there would still be 5 more streets of betting when really it was just one or two more bets to call their all in. I can blame fatigue or inexperience but all I can really do is do my best to avoid these mistakes in the future. Next year I’ll be 25 and it will be worth renting a car so I won’t have to deal with the taxi nonsense and being late. Now I always try to keep an eye on someone’s stack even in the limit tournaments as it’s very important.
Yesterday I played the $1500 HORSE. My table draw was okay, chipsayhoya (my stud8 coach) was seated two to my right which wasn’t exactly great, though what I lose in EV I think I make up for in having a friend at the table to chat with for the duration. People didn’t play especially bad, just mediocre I guess making a bunch of small mistakes like playing too loose on 3rd or from early position in O8. I couldn’t really get much going and was all in against chipsahoya with 66 vs his KTo in limit hold’em around level 4. I ended up doubling, and lasting a bit after the dinner break.
My final hand was an O8 hand I played a bit too aggressive in my opinion. Utg limps who has been pretty loose in the O8 hands so far, utg+1 immediately raises, I figure there’s a good chance he has AAxx, I’m on the button with AK26 double suited. I decide to 3 bet, as I have the button, may get the pot headsup and I’m an equity favorite over anything except AAxx. In reality, the pot will always be at least 3way, I risk putting 4 bets in and meh it’s a tournament in O8. My edge is extremely small preflop and I’m much better flatting. Anyways, folds to utg who flats, utg+1 4 bets and we both call. Flop is Q28 two diamonds one heart so my A2 low is counterfeited and I’m left with bottom pair, backdoor hearts and an A6 low draw. Basically a lot of mediocre stuff. Utg checks, Utg+1 bets, I raise in the hopes of again getting the pot headsup and potentially taking a free card on the turn. Plan completely backfires again as utg flats, utg+1 3 bets, and I’m stuck calling again. Turn is an offsuit King giving me top and bottom pair. Utg checks, utg+1 bets, at this point I know two of his cards (AA) and it’s extremely unlikely he can beat me for high with his other two so I raise for value, utg wakes up and 3 bets me and at this point I’m pretty sure I’m drawing dead to some deuces or maybe a 3 or 4 for a low. The pot is too big too fold though, utg+1 flats and I flat. River is a 7, utg checks, I put the last of my chips in and am scooped by utg’s KQxx and utg+1 AA3x. In hindsight I could have just flatted preflop and then maybe even just open folded the flop, but meh that’s what happened and I can’t change it now. Next event I play will be this Saturday in the $3k HORSE.