Foxwoods Poker Classic - $600 LHE Trip Report

[Kurn]

Back down to The Wonder of it All this morning for the $600.

179 started, 83 less than a year ago. 3,000 in starting chips. 50 minute levels (10 minute break after every 2 levels), blinds start at 25/25.

First table broke about a half hour in, too bad. It was soft. Next table I was at until mid afternoon had two very dangerous players to my left. Older, gray-haired guy (GHG) and Last year's winner (LYW).

Pretty quiet until after the first break. At the break I had 3325, right around average. Table is loose and moderately aggro, but on the tricky side. many bets w/o the goods even on later streets. Ugly hand comes up during level 4 50/100 blinds, 100/200 bets.

GHG raises, 3 cold callers to me in the BB with J 4. I call.

Flop comes J 4 7

In the past 2 hours I can't remember seeing a flop checked around, so I check intending to checkraise. You guessed it, it gets checked around.

Turn is the K

I bet, GHG calls LYW raises (he has been semi-bluff raising the turn like its a bodily function), folded to me, I 3-bet, GHG thinks a while and finally calls, LYW calls.

River is the ugly K

LYW bets, I call as I can't fold getting 15:1, GHG mutters to himself and calls. LYW tables dork (a busted draw), but GHG has KQ and I am crippled. Not for nothin but if I get to c/r that flop, GHG goes bye-bye.

I mange to triple up a few hands later flopping 2-pair while all-in and then double up again against a short stack when my QQ beats his 88, and just before the end of the level, this key hand comes up.

I am in the BB with J J 3 limpers, the SB completes and I choose to check my option, not wanting to take JJ against 4 opponents OOP in a raised pot.

Flop comes J T 7

I bet, GHG calls, new Guy at the table raises, 2 folds, I 3-bet, GHG folds, New Guy calls.

Turn: 6 I bet he calls

River: T I bet, he raises, I 3-bet, he calls and I scoop a huge pot just as the 2nd break comes. I now have 11,300 avg count is about 6600.

Next four levels, between the 2nd break and the dinner break I gradually chip up and at the dinner break I am in about the same relative chip position with 23,000 and avg count at 11,700 (42 left)

I slip a bit in the first 40 minutes after the break, but win a good pot when my A Q makes 2 pair in a 3-way raised pot. Table breaks and I move to a new table and everything looks solid for a high money finish until things just get ugly. I slip a bit in chip count as a couple of solid stacks defend against me and force me off unimproved hands (or steals). As wee get to 500/1000 blinds (1000/2000 limits) I have about 18K. Player on my left has maybe 6200, GHG is now on my right with about 5500.

At this point, 2 reads I make (on right and one wrong) seal my fate. Blind vs blind I open raise on a steal with 8 4. Why? BB has been playing very tight, as have I. neither of us has played a hand in quite a while so I figure I have solid fold equity. Of course, he calls (after much agonizing) Flop comes 8 6 2

I bet, he raises, I reraise putting him all-in. he calls and says "I have nothing" and turns over K Q Turn is 7 but the river is K

2 orbits later, after the blinds have passed me and I had to fold after raising preflop on an ugly flop, GHG open-limps from the HJ, I raise from the CO with A J, he reraises (leaving less than a full bet behind), and I read him for stacking off with a medium A or middle pair and put him all-in. He flips over KK and no ace saves me and I'm crippled.

Shortly thereafter I get all-in preflop with TT vs AK. Flop is 2-3-4, turn is another 2, but an A on the river seals my fate, and I go out 9 places short of the money.

As I drove home the debate raged in my head. Was I too aggro close to the money? My brain said no, but the part of me that really wanted to get $$$ to my backers wasn't sure. At the end of the day, I can easily see not raising the 84o hand even though my read postflop was spot-on, but I doubt I get away from the AJs hand vs a tricky player.

As I type this, my head clearer, I'm pretty happy with my overall play. I won a few pots with unimproved hands by betting both the flop and turn, and at two different points, I had a couple of players I knew I could completely outplay and used that to stay solidly in the hunt. Despite the disappointing finish, I am confident I belong against this level of competition. I managed to keep my mental focus over the 7+ hours I was there and felt I could continue to do do for however long I had to.

Two other points.

1. Too many people in this event seemed to not understand limit poker. In more than 6 instances, someone at my table wasted chips bluff-raising the river in a big pot not understanding that a good limit player, when betting on the end, will never fold anything but a bluff for one more bet.

2. The $600 NLHE from yesterday was still going on when I left. They broke at midnight last night with 34 left and resumed today at noon. When I left the ballroom at 7:30, there were still 4 left chasing the $133K 1st prize.

[Talking Poker]

Sounds to me like you played really well... just didn't get the lucky (or not-unlucky) break or two when you needed them. If one or two of those key hands goes the other way, you're set for a final table.

[Dodoubled]

I will be at Foxwoods myself at about 6 p.m. today. I am heading up to Connecticut for my annual fantasy baseball draft tomorrow night, so two buddies and I are grabbing a hotel about 20 minutes from the casino, taking advantage of the free happy hour from 4-6ish and then, hopefully, catching the NCAA games while finding ways to lose our money.

Good times.

[Kurn]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. below are 3 more hands where I thought I made good decisions.

At the 2nd table I was at, all 3 came at the 15/300 blinds 300/600 level. Opponent in every case is a young guy (YG) who was just moved to the table and has a good sized stack of chips. In the first hand, I have about 4800 and he has maybe 9000.

Hand 1: I have 9 7 on the button.

3 limpers, including YG, and I call. SB completes, BB checks. (6 sb)

Flop: Q 7 4 Checked to me, I bet, only YG calls. (5 bb)

Turn: 7 YG bets, I raise, he calls. (9 bb)

River: 6 YG checks, I check, MHIG as he shows Q J maybe I missed a bet here, but I was a bit concerned about a better 7 or 76. Probably monsters under the bed.

Hand 2: Next orbit. Ihave T 7 on the button.

Again 3 limpers to me and I call. Blinds stay around. (6 sb)

Flop: 7 T 5 Checked to me, I bet, only YG calls (I sense a pattern)

Turn: 2 YG bets. I take a long time thinking this through, but finally decide that it makes more sense for him to let me lead if indeed he has a made flush, so I call.

River: 3 He checks, I check. Again maybe I missed a bet, but my gut was he bet with either the A x or a small flush and now wanted a cheap SD. He showed J T and MHIG.

Hand 3: Later this orbit: I have K Q in EP3. YG open limps, 1 fold, I raise, folded around, YG calls. (5.5 sb)

Flop: J 8 6 He checks I bet he calls (3.75 bb)

Turn: A he checks, I bet, he folds.

I think he was glad to see the table break.

[Talking Poker]

I think you missed a bet in each of those first two hands, especially the first one. The second one is close, and I think the third one looks good.

[sjay2k]

I would've done the opposite in these two hands

ps lol minbet

[Kurn]

pps: roflmao at not seeing the word LIMIT.

In the JJ hand, if I raise, everybody calls getting between 7:1 and 11:1. Then if I flop an overpair, I can't even protect my hand from draws with a checkraise. 4 opponents is the worst equity situation postflop for JJ (in LHE).

As for the J4s, hand, folding makes sense, I agree. raising is spewy since again, no decent player folds preflop once they've put money in.