Nines, Suck: Part II...

10/27/08

Nines, Suck: Part II

Well, today I got to enter the freroll tournament at Caesar's
to win a seat into their Main Event. The casino added 2
more $10,000.00 seats, for a total of 12 seats to be won.

Not a bad overlay for the hours I put in the last week,
considering I made an actual profit from that time. I
registered the day before, finding out that I was actually
logged in for 50 hours of total live play. I guess I didn't
need to go in to play Saturday night.

Anyway, the tournament started out with 398 players. You
started out with $2,500.00 in chips. The blind levels
changed every 30 minutes, with the starting level of $25/25.
This was not a bad structure, considering this was a
freeroll.

One key hand I had had was when I called with Jack/Ten of
Hearts mid position. I called the bet of $50.00. The
dealer button player called, small blind player called and
the big blind player raised to $150.00. I called the
additional $100.00 (into a pot of $300.00), I figured I was
behind in the hand, but I could flop a monster with this
hand, plus I had position on the big blind player. The
other players folded behind me. The dealer dealt out a
King of Hearts, Three of Hearts and a Jack of Diamonds.
This was not a bad flop for me, I had a pair of Jacks, plus
the flush draw. The big blind player checked, I then put
out a bet of $200.00 to see where I was at in the hand.
The big blind player raised it to $500.00 total. The pot
now had a total of $1,100.00. A pretty good price for me
to call the additional $300.00, for the flush draw (An
additional Ten or Jack could be good cards for me, unless
he has three Kings already). Anyway, I called the
additional raise. The dealer dealt out a King of Spades
on the turn. The big blind player checked and I checked as
well. The river was dealt a Two of Spades. The big blind
player bet out $500.00 into a $1,400.00 pot, a small
"call me" bet. I decided to fold there, he probably had
at least Three Kings. Anyway, the big blind player said
that he got a "monster hand" on the turn. He might have
actually had Quad Kings. Either way, I was behind in the
hand. I did not want to donk off more chips to this guy.

I found myself on the short stack after one level of play
already. I needed to tighten up again. I just don't know
how some peeps get these large chip stacks early. Well,
I know, there is some luck involved, hehe.

I actually doubled up in the 2nd blind level, when I raised
all in over the top of a UTG raiser with Ace/Queen OS.
The UTG player was the only one who called me and he tabled
Ace/Nine of Diamonds. Wow, I was going to wait for the
dealer to peel off a Nine out the door. The dealer dealt
out a Queen of Hearts, Seven of Hearts and Two of Spades.
I should win this, unless the turn and river gets funny.
The dealer dealt out a Seven of Spades on the on the turn
and a Six of Clubs on the river. Cool, back up to $2,900.00
in chips. Blinds were $50/100 at this level. I got some
breathing room now.

I made it to the $200/400 blind level, with about $4,200.00
in chips. I went all in with Ace/Jack OS in the cutoff
and was called by the big blind player, who had King/Queen
OS. I had the lead in the hand - can't complain, I just hope
the winning percentages hold up. I caught a Jack on the
flop, but of course the river was dealt a Queen. The other
player outlucked me. I now had about $1,400.00 in chips.

The next level of blinds started at $300/600. I still had
$1,200.00. I found Three/Four of Hearts in mid position and
decided to go with the hand. I figured, if I get called, my
hand would be live (meaning that the other player/s would not
have the same cards I would be holding). I went all in with it,
as was called by only the dealer button player, who held
pocket Tens (Diamond/Spade). I took off my Ipod and sunglasses
and was ready to take a walk out the poker room. What do you
know, the dealer dealt out a Six, Nine and Eight of all
Hearts - I got a flush on the flop! Dang, that was lucky.
The dealer button stared down at his card and again confirmed
that he did not have a Heart to redraw to a better flush.
The turn and river were dealt non Heart Kings. What a crazy
hand.

I managed to put another bad beat on another player during
this level. I had about $3,200.00 in chips at this time and
stared down at Seven/Nine OS. I again decided to go all in,
thinking I was live, and I still had some fold equity against
the other players. The player to my immediate right also
went all in with about $4,200.00 in chips. Man, I just ran
into a big hand again. The other players folded and we were
heads up. He tabled his hand, which was of course pocket
Kings. I need help. The dealer dealt out Seven of Spades,
Ten of Diamonds and a Jack of Hearts. Wow, now I need another
Seven, Nine or Eight to win. The turn was dealt a Nine of
Clubs. Two pair now, just need to fade a King, Queen, Jack,
or Ten on the river. Again the gods found in my favor as the
river was dealt a Six of Clubs. Wheeheehee!!!. I doubled up
again, but still need to get more chips.

The next blind level of $400/800 was the fateful one though.
I folded out the first 3 hands in this level. My fourth hand
in I found Eight/Nine of Hearts. I had about $3,700.00 in
chips at the time. I thought it was now or never, and pushed
all in. The small blind and big blind players had called my
all in. They still had chips behind to bet. The flop was
dealt Queen of Hearts, Four of Diamonds and Eight of Diamonds.
The small blind player checked and the big blind player went
all in. I knew I was dead, but I had outs to win (hopefully
my additional Eights and Nines were still live). The small
blind player folded. The big blind player tabled his hand,
which was a pair of Nines. Now I need another Eight on the
turn and/or river. The dealer dealt out a Six of Diamonds
on the turn - hurry up, just deal out that river. The river
then fell a Ten of Hearts. No, dice...

I busted out at about 117th out of 398 players. Not bad, but
they only gave the $10,000.00 seats until you made it to the
last 12 players. My prize amount was the same at 398th place,
which was zilch.

It's all good - I kind of surprised myself to last that long
without even seeing a premium pair in the tournament. Plus,
again it was a free tourny.

Putting those bad beats on a couple of hands, was pretty good
entertainment though - sorry to those players, but it is
better to be lucky than good, hehe...

I just hate the walk of shame, when you bust out of a tournament.
You say your good lucks to the other players, when you wish
you were still mixing it up at the table.

Poker Sucks!!! Yeah right, at the bust out, that was my exact
feeling, lol...