Tunica Day 4 - $300 NLHE

I played the $300 +$40 tournament at the Grand on Friday. It was an excellent structure. You got 10k in chips to start with blinds at 25/50 with 40 minute levels. There are some levels missing from the early portion but there are a ton of levels added in the middle stages of the tournament.

In the first level I was able to win a couple small pots and was able to chip up to around 12k. I had a very wild table and it was obvious that I wasn’t able to see a lot of flops cheaply. There were 2-3 players in particular who were good targets for getting chips. One busted early in the second level on an interesting hand. The guy to my right re-raised to 1100 pre-flop. The guy to my left throws 5100 in and said that he mistakenly wanted to call. Well it’s a raise. The guy to my right shoves and guy to the left calls. Right guy has A,J and left has A,8. He spikes an 8 and busts the other.

After that hand we asked if it really was a mistake. He said “I play every day. It was not a mistake.” So he basically told us it was an angle shot. Usually if it was an angle shot you are holding top two or a set. Whatever it was it was just a terrible play.

My first big hand I was 12k deep. I limped UTG for 100 in the second level. There was two callers and the button raises to 400. I call and the other two call. The flop come 9,5,4 rainbow. I lead for 600 the two limpers fold and the raiser kicks up to 3k. I shove and he snap calls with A,A. The turn and river brick out and I am up to around 25k.

After level 3 and the first break I had around 22k. In the first three levels the lady in the one seat was very tight and tended to overplay big pairs regardless of the board. She picked up A,A twice in the first level and had over 40k at the break.

In the 4th level playing 200/400/50 I was in mid-late position and raised to 1100 with 10,2. The lady flat called on the button and everyone else folded. Get ready for the flop of the century. The flop rolled out 10,10,2. I check called a 2k bet. The 4 rolled out on the turn and I checked looking for the check raise all-in. She bet 3k, I shoved and she called and showed Q,Q. The river bricks and I knock her out and I am sitting on a 56k stack. I maintained the stack to the end of level six where I had around 75k.

In levels 7-9 I only played one big pot. Most of my hands were raise and take it. I ended up losing around 20k in one pot before dinner break where I raised to 3500 with J,J and was shoved on by a 20k stack. I thought for quite a while and called. He showed A,10. He spiked the ace on the turn and I took a good hit to my stack. I had 58k at the dinner break for an above average stack. There were only 230 of the original 1000 players who made the dinner break. The average stack at the time was 45k. Top 72 made the money.

After dinner in levels 10-12 I played one big hand. I raised pre-flop to 3k in the 500/1k/100 level with A,Q UTG and the BB called. On a Q high flop I put him in for his last 5k and he called with K,Q and I busted him. After the hand I was sitting on a 110k stack. I played a couple hands for a raise and had to fold to 20k shoves. Two hands after being re-popped I picked up A,A UTG and raised to 3500 at the 600/1200/100 level. The BB called leaving him with only around 5k. The flop comes 9 high with two clubs. He shoves and I snap call. He had Kc7c. I fade the flush draw and now sitting on around 107k.

Levels 13-15 were the start of my downfall. I was not able to play a hand for a level and a half and blinded down to 85k. I think I tightened up too much here in trying to preserve my stack. Four hands I remember folding in EP were 6,6 3,3 and A,J twice. The hand that hurt the most I have A,Q in the 2500/5000/500 level. I raise to 15k UTG and the BB shoves for another 20k total. I called and he had K,10. The 10 is the door card and I take a significant hit to my stack. After the hand I was down to around 55k. I didn’t get a single hand to play and when I had something reasonable I was facing a raise and a re-raise and had to fold.

I was all the way down to 22k the last hand of level 15 with the blinds at 3k/6k/500 and 76 people left. The top 72 were paid. UTG+2 I get Q,Q and shove. The monster stack at the table (who had around 400k) called with 7d5d. The flop rolled out 10,6,4. Fuuuuuuuuuuuck!!!!! The turn and river rolled out A,J and I survived the hand with 51k.

At the beginning of level 16 we lost three players fairly quickly. Down to 73 we played round for round. I never played a hand in the round. We lost 4 people in the round and we were in the money. Down to around 4BB’s with 32k I shoved UTG with 2,2. A late position player re-raises and everyone else folds. He tables A,K. The flop is 7 high but the damn A hits on the turn again against me and I am out the door in 68th or 67th. I ended up with $501 for the efforts.

All in all a good tournament for me.