Vegas Day 2 - Caesars $550 - Deepstacking

The opening levels of a deepstack tournament such as this one, (15k starting stack, 280 runners, 50 minute blinds) have a strange dynamic. The value of pocket Aces/Kings actually go DOWN due to the amount of money it can cost you if the other guy hits a disguised hand. Suited connectors and small pocket pairs go up, due to the fact that there are generally 4+ players in every pot. I saw numerous players who were not used to this phenomenon and gave away huge amounts of chips when they only had top pair.

With this in mind I decided to see nearly every flop in the first level, unless the action was raised and re-raised before it got to me, or if I had a very poor holding in early position. Unfortunately, I didn’t hit a single flop hard in the first level, and am soon down to 13k with the table image of a passive fish. Then, in level 2, it finally kicks off:

Hand1
Early position raiser to 300, I call with J♦9♦ as do 3 others.
Flop J♠ 6♦ 2♦
I lead for 600 and get one caller
Turn is offsuit 9
My hand is massive - top 2 pair + flush draw backup
I lead for 600, but am checkraised to 1500. I re-raise to 3500. He calls and I am now worried he has a set.
River is a brick
Oppenent leads for 3500. I think now he either has a set or busted flush. He doesn’t look too happy so I decide to call and my hand is good. Massive hand - up to 22k.

Hand2
Same dude as hand above raises a few limpers to 600, and I call with AQ in the big blind as do the 3 limpers.
Flop A, Q, 3 (2 hearts)
I lead for 3k, as the pot is big already and I want to get rid of the flush draws. UTG thinks for ages and then folds, but initial raiser pushes for 8k total. I snap call and bust his AJ.
UTG grumbles that he would have won it all on the river with a heart flush. I point out that I would have bet him into next week on the turn, so he wouldn’t have got there anyway unless he made a terrible call.

Hand3
I flat call an early raiser to 600 with JJ and one other player comes along. Flop 4, 5, 9
I bet 1k and get one caller
Turn King
I bet 2k and guy folds TT face up - surprised not to get raised on the flop there.

Hand4
I flop set of 2s, lead and all fold.

Hand5
I flop set of 8s, lead and all fold. Up to about 35k now and one of the early pace-setters.

The blinds go up again and I now become quiet at the table. This is due to a mixture of not seeing cheap flops, people raising before it reaches me, and the garbage hole cards I get. About 40 mins later comes the hand that puts me on tilt for about an hour.

Hand6
There is a raiser to 600 and 3 callers and I look down at A♠K♦ in the big blind. I raise to make it 2.5k to go. I get one caller.

Flop J♣ 8♦ 3♣

The caller goes to check, but then changes his mind and shoves for his last 6k. I put him on the club flush and call with my Ace high. However, it turns out he has called my raise with J9. I mean what is he doing? I haven’t played a hand for 45 minutes and am the big stack who can bust him?

Despite still sitting on 25k and well above average, I spend about 90 minutes on tilt raising/re-raising with air and suddenly find myself on a new table with only 8k. We are down to about 150 players, and I refocus in the break and decide to make a fist of a comeback.

Hand7
Blinds are now 400-800 with a 100 running ante. Mid position raises to 3k and I look down in the big blind to two Aces (my first of the trip). I push for 8k total and he pretty much has to call with pocket 6s. Back up to 16k.

I then steal my way up to 20k when this hand occurs:

Hand8
Same guy as above raises to 3k, but then looks up and I sense his dismay when he realises it’s my big blind. It’s the golden rule never to raise a short stack with a bad hand, due to their tendancy to have a wide re-shove range. I think he has just done this with a hand like suited connectors which don’t play well in this spot, and just realised that the big blind is short. I go with my read and shove for 20k with T4 and he insta folds.

Hand9
Despite being the table shorty, I am still one of the most active at the table, but I can’t get my stack above 25k, as I win a few steals, but get re-popped occasionally to fall back again. The American two to my left, who is primary target, comments on my European style. “You just love those raises from the button and the cutoff dude”. This is a hidden warning that my strategy has been picked up on, so I better have the goods next time I go on a steal. This plays a part in my exit hand:

Hand10
70 players remain, 30 spots get paid, blinds 600, 1200 with 200 running ante. Folded to me on the button and I limp with J♠10♠ (normally I’d raise here but I think big stack is itching to re-raise me and I’ve not comfortable calling a shove with JT)
Flop is a massive QsKs7d
SB checks, BB bets 6k.
I shove for 22k total, and SB shoves over the top of me!
BB folds.
I have open ended straight flush draw (49%) and SB has Q7 for two pair (51%). Not the best cards for him to have, but this is still a great chance to get back in the tournament and up to an above average stack of 50k. Alas, I miss all my outs and I’m busted in about 70th place.

All in all, not a bad showing, apart from the hour of tilt. A loss, but the tournament structures here are truely amazing compared to London, so at least you get value for money. Today we are off to Fremont Street. Runners are myself, Professor Geoff, Shazbo and Deven…time for Binnions.

VEGAS MINI P&L (USD)
Big Ticket Events	(550)
Crapshoots	(215)
Cash Games	0
Total	(765)

Jimbo happiness level +3