Chop Chop

.....more about the chopping later.

AIPS was on Thursday. This month the game was limit hold-em. I won the first pot of the night when I raise from late position with K,K. That was the only time I was above 1500 the whole night. My best hands were A,K twice and A,Q once. I missed all three times. I bled chips and busted around 86th/105.

A bunch of us were on Skype for the tournament and as soon as people busted we got in some $0.10/$0.25 NL games. I ended up winning around $2 on the night after a few hours (Thanks zooks for crackin my aces). Should have won more.

Feeling the need to play some live tournament poker (and since I had Friday off to do some yard work) I secided to go over to Tampa BAy Downs to play in their $40 tournament that started at 1pm. I haven't played in this since the year-round poker started 7/1.

The structure was decent in the early levels. You started with 2000 and you had one optional add-on in the first three levels for $40 getting 4000 more chips. You could not take it until after the first hand. Blinds went as follows (20 minute levels: 25/50, 50/100, 100/200 150/300/25, 200/400/50, 300/600/75, 400/800/100, 500/1000/100. After that the structure sped up and doubled every time. There were 36 players and 34 took the add-on.

So on the second hand I get Q,Q in EP and raise to 200. There was just one caller in the BB. Flop comes 9,5,3 rainbow. He leads out for 600. After his pre-flop call he had 1300 left after playing the first hand and he did not take the immediate add-on. I put him all-in and he calls and shows a set of 9's. Nice start.

Later in in the 3rd level with around 5k in chips I pick-up K,Q on EP and limp. There were 4 other limpers to the flop of J,10,9. I lead at the pot and was raised by a player with less chips.. I shoved and he called. He had Q,* for a lower straight. After I bust him I'm up to around 8k in chips.

The next hand was one of the more interesting i have ever played. Blinds are 150/300/25 and I get A,A on the button. There is 3-4 limpers to me. I raise it up to 1600. The SB who had less than my raise shoves. The BB who has less than my raise shoves. Another big stack flat calls. One of the limpers who has less than my raise also calls. The big stacvk says he has 10,7 before the flop. OK. The flop comes 9 high. He checks and I bet 3k to get him out. Its now me vs 3 all-ins. On the river I fade a flush draw, an open ender and a gutter to win the pot. I'm now in really good shape.

I play fairly solid for the next few levels with not too many exciting hands and make the final table with 16k in chips good for around middle of the pack. Blinds started at the FT with 500/1000/100. After the blinds going through me once I picked up J,J in early position. I raised to 3500 and got one caller from a big stack in the BB. The flop comes 9,7,5 rainbow. He checks to me and I decide to shove. He calls with 10,7. He said he thought I had 2 overs. Well I did but they were both jacks and I get the double-up. We lose 2 shorties and then I get A,A UTG. I raise to 4500 to win the blinds and antes.

A couple hands later blinds jump to 1000/2000/200. I have around 37k. The chip leader has 39k and one other has around 37k. The other 5 stacks ranged from 15-27k. One player offered up a 8 way chop. We would all get $300 which was about 3rd place money (tourney paid top 5). I was fine with it sicne my wife and son would be home soon. I suppose I could have negotiated another $40 for the 3 big stacks but I dodn't feel like negotiating over $40. The 39k guy was hesitant and I would have been fine playing it out. I think he felt the peer pressure and gave in and took the chop.

This is the first time I have ever cashed in their tourney there. The structure before sucked ass which has smething to do with it. I kinda wished I would have played it out since I think I had a little bit of an edge over the field bt I will take the $200 profit after tip.

What would you have done?