Aggressive Playing Results in a Bust

I don't like to admit it, because quite frankly it doesn't happen often (hardly ever), but I think I was outplayed on this hand. The end result is that I was busted very early in a small buy-in tournament ($100). I went into this one thinking I was going for the gold and wanted to chip up early (blinds at 20 minutes); Well, that didn't work out as planned. Moral of the story: Always play great poker. Like I need to teach myself that lesson again (apparently I do). In this hand, I'm going to write it with you only knowing my cards, then I'll tell you the opponent's cards at the end.

The PLAY
Blinds at 50-100. Fold to me in middle position, I open raise with Q-9d for 300. Folds around to SB who thinks about it and calls, BB calls. 900 to flop. Flop is Q-x-x (rainbow), SB checks, BB bets 500, I raise to 1,500, SB folds, BB calls. 3,900 to turn. Turn is a K (still rainbow board, no straight draws). BB checks, I bet 2,100, BB thinks a bit and calls. 8,100 to river. River is a small blank, BB checks, I put the rest of it in (5,300), BB thinks a bit and calls. I'm out.

The ANALYSIS
When BB bets on the flop, he could be betting with anything there - you know the range of hands already: a medium pocket pair (he didn't re-raise pre-flop), a big ace (including A-K), maybe a queen (Q-J, Q-K, or perhaps A-Q). I raised to show continued strength and get some more information, as well as knock out SB just in case he was thinking about sticking around, so when BB calls I have a good chance I'm beat right there. I narrow the hands down to a bigger Q, and possibly a big pair like J-J just in case he doesn't believe me and is putting me on A-K. When the K comes on the turn and he check-calls my bet, it's pretty clear I am beat at that point - with a bigger Q or Q-K for top two (I eliminate A-K, K-K at this point, but it is also possible he has A-A). That would explain both actions so far from my opponent. When he checks on the river though, I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a monster (top two or even a set) so the only way I could win the hand is to go all-in and hope he only has a Q and will fold due to the K out there. Of course, I also thought he could be checking because I've been aggressive on every street - pre-flop, flop, and turn. I go all-in and he calls off the rest of his stack - very early in the tourney - with A-Q. What do you think of that call? Would you have made that call in that spot?

Alternate Play
The only other way I think I would have played this is simply to call the 500 on the flop and then check it down with the guy. Obviously that would have been the more conservative approach. With all my aggression on every street, I really felt like I needed to continue it to the river to take the large pot. With the pre-flop call and then bet on the flop, if my opponent is in fact playing a smaller pocket pair which is why he checks the turn and then the river, the most I would have won is the 1,900 (900 pre-flop + 1,000 on the flop with the 500 bet and my call theoretically), since he would have folded to any continued aggression with a smaller pocket pair. But I think as soon as I get caught in the aggression mode with the chips in the pot, I think I am committed to seeing it through.

Final Thoughts
The only thing I'm happy about in this hand is that I pretty much nailed his hand by the river on a bigger Q, so I was pretty sure he would fold to my all-in bet. Obviously he smelled a rat somehow and caught me. Whoever you are, kudos to you sir.

Greyhound Bus Service Note

Greyhound Bus Service between NYC (Port Authority) and Atlantic City is $33 round-trip (purchase at ticket counter 79 at the Port Authority) then you get a $20 cash voucher when you get to the casino. What a great round-trip deal for $13!

Travel tip: When departing from NYC, try to get there at least 30 minutes prior to departure time, as the line fills up pretty fast. When departing from A/C, you want to try and leave from a **Casino** departure point instead of the Bus Terminal, since the buses pick up passengers first from the casinos, so by the time they get to the bus terminal the bus could be nearly full.

Scroll to the bottom of this blog for links to the bus schedules.

WSOP Satellite...Cancelled (Boo Hoo)

Well, Kristin's satellite to the WSOP Main Event is cancelled. Why? She got engaged (and is getting married in the summer). Can you believe that? Unreal. But seriously, I'm really happy for her and Doug and wish them all the best. Congratulations! At least she gave me my $550 from the super-satellite win (from this tourney).

Outplayed, Outsmarted, and Busted

It happens to all of us - you have an opponent right where you want them and they suck out on you. Here's my bad beat story, only because I think it's a bit more of an interesting hand due to the table style.

Playing 1-2 NL when I'm in early position with a live 5 straddle. I look down at QQ and decide to call the 5. I could play it either way - let me explain. I'm short stacked with only 100 sitting in front of me, the table is so loose and aggressive that even a raise to 15 would get at least a few callers behind me, so I figure with this table type I'm either all-in (which most likely won't get the value I'm hoping for) or I call and let the other players dictate the betting.

Loose aggressive oddball player to my left raises to 15 (of course, knew it!), and this prompts another 3 or so players calling (exactly what I want!). Easy decision for me - I'm all-in, and loose aggressive oddball player re-raises all-in, the others fold (about 240 or so in the pot now). Before I go all-in, I thought to myself, this guy is going to think I have AK, since a hand like QQ would have raised in early position - exactly what I want him (or any of the other players) to think in this exact spot. He says to me, "You have AK?" (I laugh in my head). He says, "I have a pair."

Flop is 4-K-x. K on the turn, blank on the river. He has pocket 4-4. Table was outplayed, outsmarted, and ..... I'm busted. Do I get any sympathizers?

A Royal Flush!!!

In poker, as in life, sometimes you just have to play what you're dealt. Sometimes you play brilliantly and still get unlucky. Sometimes you get lucky and just can't seem to maximize value at all. But sometimes the planets align and everything just falls into place. On September 6, 2007 I got dealt the very best hand - I met this girl - and to top it all off - on March 1, 2008 she said YES! Yes, readers, I got engaged on March 1 to the greatest girl alive. Now that's what I call a royal flush - for life.