So I get down around 1:30AM, get a drink and decide to donk around in blackjack for a little while. Now I know the casino has an edge in the game, but I swear its like the players want to give them a bigger one. I saw a lady hit 14 against a 6, then later stand 14 against a Face
... a gentlemen split QK (made a big deal calling the pit boss over after the dealer said hes not allowed to -- pit boss said it was legal) against a 2
, and regularly stayed on 15 or 16 against Faces... unreal.
Anyway I play a few hours and win $200 in the end, walk around play a slot machine (waste $30) and then head to the poker room around 5. My friend sits 1/2 I sit 2/5. The game is short handed and I play about 2 hours before it breaks. The 2/5 game here feels very low to me since its a 500 max buy in and a standard open is 20-25... the 2/5 Im used to plays more like the 5/10. Play was awful (imagine that) and I picked up $700. It was around 8 and I wanted to go to my car and just take a nap for a few hours b4 Fridays 11:15 tourny but my friend wanted to go back to the blackjack tables so I said what the hell. We played for 2 hours and I picked up $300. So its already 10:15 - 10:30 now, so I go and get some breakfast and a few coffees and then head back to the poker room to register for the tournament. Im up $500 from blackjack, so now the tourny is really a freeroll. Im really not that tired yet either so Im focused.
My table starts 4 handed but fills up within the first 7 minutes or so. 5k in chips to start 25/50 blinds and 45 minute levels.... decent structure. Played tight early on, picked up a few blinds and a few small pots but no real noteworthy pots in the first level -- probably sitting on about 6200 chips later in the 2nd level I complete with KTo from the SB and the BB checks, 5 of us see a flop of T
4
5
. I lead out 350 first to act and the button is the only caller. The turn comes K
. Great card for me but with a drawy board I decide to bet 1050, button calls again. River is an A
. This is a shitty card and Im really not sure how to proceed here. Draws missed (ok besides 23), so Im tempted to check/snap call to induce a bluff from missed draws, and also the ace is a scare card for my 2 pair now also.... but eventually I decide to lead a blocking bet of 1050 (thinking now, probably doesnt make too much sense). My opponent calls with K5s and I scoop a nice pot.
Later in Level 3 I flop bottom two with 89 on a K
9
8
board in a 5 way limp pot (blinds 75/150). Blinds check and EP limper bets 500, MP limper calls and I raise to 2100. EP bettor calls MP folds. The turn comes another King (obviously) my opponent leads into me 2250 I shake my head and fold.
I wake up with Aces in the BB. 2nd position opens for 600 folds around to me and I call. The flop comes T
5
2
. I check, PFR bets 600, I raise to 1800 he calls. Turn is a 7
I bet 2600 with about 2200 behind (seemed better than shoving at the time which I thought was a little too big) my opponent moved in and I called. I flip AA, he flips...... AA. Chop it up.
The big hand comes halfway thru level 4. I have about 7500 in chips blinds are 100/200 A25. Folds to me in the CO and I raise 625 with TT. The button calls, Sb folds and the BB moves all in for 5725. At first glance this is probably a toss but I thought for a while and eventually came to the conclusion that he'd play QQ KK or AA differently (probably reraising 2000 ish then shoving the flop). He didnt seem like a player who'd pop AQ here based on what I saw from him so far, so I decided he 60% had a medium pair 77-99 20% had AK 20% had JJ... which was enough (combined with the fact that I wanted a nicer stack) for me to eventually call. Button folds. I ask the BB 88? He flips 77 -- what a call. Window card is a 7 and thats that. I get short and eventually open shove and get busted... i thought I played fairly well though.
2nd update to follow later