500

I lasted two levels in the 500 today. It had a solid structure for the buyin - 5000 chips, hour levels. I got down to 4100 within the first couple of orbits calling raises and seeing flops with drawing hands that didn't hit (45s, 67s, 99, 22). Shortly thereafter, I was down to 1000. I picked up 66 in MP, raised it up and got called. The flop came KK4 with two spades. I bet the flop, and only the player in the 10 seat called, after some indecision (he was a good player, but I don't know if he was as good as he thought he was). The turn was the 3 of spades, I bet again, and the other guy seemed torn between raising and calling. I thought this meant it was likely he had the flush. The river was the 3c, putting KK433 on board. I fired the last shot, representing the boat. He had AK. So... I was never betting him off the hand. I still liked my line. I just represented what my opponent had, so that was never going to work.

I doubled up with KK on the big, then picked up a few blinds with steals (52 and 97) when I raised to 300 from the CO with KT (50/100 now). The BB (10 seat) called. We checked the J99 flop, checked K turn (three clubs on board now, and I was fairly certain I had the Tc), The river paired my king, and he led out for 300. I made it 750, figuring that this was the most I would get called. He hemmed and hawed and called mostly just to see. He had QT and checked when he made his hand. This was something I took into consideration later.

For the rest of the level, I was bouncing between 3000 and 3400. On the last hand of the level and therefore last hand before break, the 10 seat announces it's the last hand, and raises to 300 UTG. I put his range on, roughly, two cards. MP called, I call with 77 on the button, and the BB calls. The flop was all fives. BB checks, UTG fires out 900. This was a rather large bet, I thought. He had tiny bet draws, strong bet hands that he didn't want to get called with and made bets for value with his strong hands. After some indecision I called, and it was just us. The turn was the K, he put most of my remainign stack in, I put the rest in, and he called and showed tens. The river, just for an extra fuck you, was another ten to give him tens full. I was correct in my read that he didn't want a call, but he just had one of the few hands that he would not want a call with that beat me.

In retrospect, I can fold the flop and come back from break with 3000. On the other, I wanted some chips to bully this table. I went with my read that he wasn't as strong as he was letting on, I was right. Unfortunately, he still was stronger than I was. It was a massive tournament, about 450 players, and it only paid 45. I took a chance to get a stack I could begin to use to get more chips. If I lost, there's a lot I can do around here.

I lost. There's a lot I can do around here.

Happy Birthday, Dad.