getting in ahead

today was an interesting one. i had some errands to run and some computer maintenance to do, so ive only had a chance to play 4 games so far. actually feel like i played well in all of them, but i was out in the first hand on one and the second hand on another. came in second on one and won one.

i don't feel bad about going out early in the two tourneys where it happened. i was cautious, didn't over play and got my chips in while i was ahead of both players.

game 1: pocket AA on the second hand. im in fourth position, and the guy in third position was taking a long time to decide to play his hand. he came in for a limp at 30 chips and i make a standard pot sized raise to 135 chips. one of the blinds calls, and the person in third position (after thinking again for a bit) calls as well. the flop comes 8 6 3, all different suits. the blind checks and the person in third position bets 150 into the pot. i have him on either big cards taking a stab or something like A8, A6, or 89,78 etc. i think hes hit the board, but don't think he has tripped up. i make a pot size raise while i think i have the best hand to 900 chips. other person folds and third position guy pushes all in for the remainder of his chips. (remember how ive talked about people over playing their top pair hands - this is a prime example). of course i call. he turns over K8 (which wasn't even in my range for him honestly) and ive got him crushed until the river bails out his bad play and shows a K to give him two pair - and just like that, I'm out. its ok - he keeps overplaying like that - someone will eventually get his chips.

game 2 - i came in 2nd - no exciting hands to share that i remember - so i'll spare you.

game 3 - pocket JJ on the 1st hand. im in middle position at the table again - so i make a standard pot sized raise and the dealer bumps it to 420. ok, what does this mean he probably has - his range from the button is a little broader, but not much and most people dont get too out of line on the first hand of a tourney, so i have to give him credit for a good hand with showdown value - i think he has this range - AA,KK, QQ, JJ, and maybe TT also any AK, AQ, AJ and maybe AT. so i decide to smooth call his hand and see what the flop brings. right now im leaning toward him having AK or AQ. the flop comes out T high and i make a pot sized bet for 800 since i have an overpair to the board and no scare cards came. im feeling certain i have the best hand. he pushes in for the last 305 chips and i call - just as i suspected he had AK and i got him to commit all his chips when he is drawing only to 6 cards (any of the remaining three aces or three kings). good news for him is he hit the A on the turn card and out drew me. oh well. you remember what they say about pocket jacks. three ways to play them and they are all wrong.

game 4: won this one. one interesting hand when i had AK of diamonds i will share. once again early in the tournament and i make a standard raise. once again the button (different player this time) pops it up. i decide to smooth call and see what happens. flop comes out with a Q 9 6 rainbow. i check and for some reason when he bets, i think he is betting position and hasn't really hit the Q, so i smooth call his bet for 700 planning to bet later. the turn is another Q and i check again giving him a chance to bluff again and if he doesn't, i'll probably bet the river. he does bet his remaining 505 chips. i have him covered by around 200, but if i call and am wrong, i will be shortstacked in the game. i still dont think the Q hit him and honestly its even less likely now that he has it and i don't think he has the 9 or the 6 either, so i call his all in with AK high and he was bluffing with KJ. (which wasn't in my range for the reraise either) i would very rarely call that down like that - and if im wrong, i look like a donkey, but if im right its a helluva call and im pretty proud of it.

one other interesting thing that happened in this game was when we got down to 5 players, one player went into shut down mode and decided to fold his way into the money - after a few orbits 5 handed, i figured out he was sitting out and started raising almost every time he was on the big blind. i managed to steal a lot of dead money in the pots by playing this way - the even funnier thing is that he DID make the money. i must have been the only one that figured it out, because when we were 4 handed, i folded a bad hand when the absentee player was on the big blind, giving the small blind a chance to raise and steal the blind and he didn't - he folded his hand to an absent player and was busted out a couple of hands later when he was blinded out. THEN on the first hand of the three handed game with the absentee player to my left and an active player to my right (i have about 10,000) in chips at this point, the active player pushes all in from the small blind for about 2500. (keep in mind the absentee player only had about 220 chips, and all the active player had to do was fold or check and make second - but no, he put his tournament at risk by moving all in - i had KQ and called - he showed 9T and i hit a K and knocked him out in third. what an idiot. if he folds that one hand he moves up in the money to second instead of cashing third. needless to say - it was easy to win over the absentee player and i had my first win of the day. definitely the weirdest game in a while.

gotta hop in the shower to get ready to go out
peace and love and happiness to all
k-