Day 1 Trip Report - PokerRoom Grand

I survived day one of the grand, making day 2 with 53,766 in chips, good for 56th of 157 players remaining. I played some very good poker, despite having very little service all day. The heat ran for 6.5 hours, which worked to about 6 hours with breaks factored in. I'm not sure how many hands we got in 6 hours, probably between 400 and 500, but I received very little service in that time. I recall one AK, but there may have been another. I know I got aces twice, and I think I got another big pair, maybe QQ. Other than that, TT once, 99 a couple times, a few AQs - but that's it.

I think it's because of this lack of service that I'm ecstatic with the day and with my play in general. I did a great job of making chips, and only got involved in a few confrontations. I did get lucky in one (or two, depending) key spots. I would say I got involved in 5, maybe 6 big hands.

The structure of this tournament is phenomenal, as I've said. 10k starting chips, 30 minute rounds, blinds starting at 25/25. My first table had no one I immediately recognized, although I recalled rather quickly that the player to my right was Full Tilt Pro Aaron Bartley, who finished fifth at the WSOPC in Atlantic City last year. Other than that, I recognized no names, and the table did not seem that tough.

During the second level (25/50), my first big hand arose, although I did not intend for it to become a big hand at all. I was UTG and accidentally minraised. I was performing an action on another table and my click must have somehow also applied to the grand table, which was not the active window at the time. This resulted in a few things: me swearing, me finding out what I had, me repositioning the tables so that this would not happen again. As it turns out, I had K6o, was called by the button and the blinds. The flop came 347 with two clubs. This isnt' an awful flop for K6o, so I bet 150. Except I typed in 1550. I swore, deleted it, and retyped 150. Or so I thought. I somehow typed 1550 in twice and didn't catch it the second time. It was folded to the BB who pushed. I didn't realize I bet 1550 at the time and saw the push and was confused. Then I noticed my bet. I swore and quickly folded, but that sequence cost me 1650 in chips at 25/50 for a hand I'd surely have folded immediately.

While that put me into a slight hole, it did not seriously impact my plan for the tournament. Basically, as with every deep stacked situation, I hoped to see a lot of flops, play position well and hope to make a big hand. I was able to do this in hour 2 at 75/150.

I was in MP and opened to 420 (my standard raise at 75/150 - I don't like making it 3x the BB, and I've settled on 420 as the raise at this level, because it occasionally earns me compliments) with 53o. I had been stealing a bit in LP, but rarely in EP. The players on the blinds were tight so I was hoping this would take the pot down. I was cold called by the hijack and the blinds folded. I wasn't too happy that I would be playing with 53o out of position, but I knew if I hit a hand I could double up. The flop came a good one for my hand, 247. I bet my draw and he again called. I figured at this point he either had AA/KK or a marginal pair like 88. The turn was magic for me - a six. I bet my made hand and he reraised me. I was certain at this point he'd slowplayed aces or kings, and I pushed rather quickly. It didn't take him long to call with the aces, drawing dead. An ace spiked the river as an extra fuck you.

That got me over 20k, but my joy was shortlived as the player to my left busted and was replaced by Matt Matros, who finished 3rd in the season 2 WPT championship. This was not good news, especially since he brought a 35k stack with him.

I did not get involved much in the next 45 minutes or so, losing a couple grand in chips when I didn't make hands when my 3rd big hand came up. Down to between 17 and 18k at 150/300 I raised to 800 (standard) with A9c in the cutoff, Matros called on the button. The flop came Jh5d4d. I bet 1050, ready to release if I got action. Matros raised me to 3300, which was an interesting development. I really thought that his raise was a feeler raise. The timing of it was such that it really seemed to just be a probe raise. I took a chance and 3bet the hand to 8k. He quickly called and I was done. I don't remember the turn, but I checked and he put me in, and I folded quickly. I very much like my play on this hand. With his raise Matros is going to have a hand he's willing to go to the felt with or that he's willing to dump unimproved. I gave him the chance to dump it but unfortunately he had the former.

Surprisingly, that was the last interesting hand for a while, as I was grinding my stack back from the felt to respectability. Shortly after the Matros 3bet gone awry I did a stop and go with 44 and induced a fold from what was claimed to be 88, but I'm dubious that was what he had 88. The flop was dry (T53, I think), and 88 should be an easy call. Unfortunately, as players around me started busting, they kept getting replaced by names I recognized (for future reference if I recognize a name, that usually means they're pretty decent unless I know otherwise.) It was pretty ridiculous, actually.

Anyway, it was about 90 minutes later (3 blind levels later, anyway) when my next fun and exciting hand came up. With 21k on the BB at 400/800, I called a raise to 2000 from a player I'd been holding over all tournament with A4h. The flop came QsJh5h. I was presented a quandary - he had a shade under 13k in chips left after his raise preflop, while the pot had 4400. I could bet, but that left open a reasonable push scenario, which I did not want to face. Neither did I want to open-push, because that rather announced my hand. So I went for the checkraise, which should give me significant folding equity. Unfortunately, he checked behind. The turn was a really difficult card for me - the Ad. Now what do I do? Do I check/call? Do I bet/call or bet/fold? Out of uncertainty, I checked. He fired 3000 at the pot. I thought this bet over and decided that I likely had 12 clean outs. Was 12 clean outs enough to semibluff? I felt it was and pushed. He quickly called with the broadway straight (KT), but I spiked a 9 outer on the river to put me over 36k. You gotta get lucky.

Another big hand came shortly after when I raised in EMP with AQs I was called by the button, who took the place of the player I busted. The flop was Q high with two clubs. I bet and he called. The turn was a jack, which was an interesting card. I thought the player may ahve been floating on me and would bet the turn if I checked. I did indeed check, and he didn't disappoint. The board had become draw heaving (two clubs, QJ9 on board), so I was done playing and put him in. He folded, and that got me over 46k.

I didn't really get involved much from that point on. I was using my superior stack to bully shorter stacks with occasional reraises. Aside from the Matros 3bet hand every single reraise I made today took the pot down. You look like a genius when that's the case. I was over 60k with a few minutes to go, but I lost a pot shortly before the end of the day to drop to just below 54k that I ended the day with. Day 2 will have a redraw of tables, and will start with 800/1600 blinds. I'm quite confident of my chances. Hopefully I will be able to continue my effective reraising, but will mix in some more cards as well. I really wouldn't be upset if I card racked/luckboxed my way to the $240k first prize.