There was 24 people playing, $100 buy-in, $1400 first prize and cash went down to 5th place. Having done well in the APL State Finals the week before in a field of 500, I was hoping to take that kind of form in to this game. The structure suited me well, 10K starting stack and 1 hour blinds (very slow). This meant I could be extremely patient if I was on an aggressive table or play a wider range of cards if there weren't many raises.
Unfortunately a few of my friends were out very early on. For much of the day I went up and down a little but basically stayed around the 10K starting mark. I threw out a few semi-bluffs and because most of the people know me well, they folded and I didn't have to show my hands. The main hand of the day for me was a battle between myself and a friend who I had taken a few pots from. I raised 3 times the blind under-the-gun with ace-jack off. She re-raises from small blind another 3 times which really isn't that much more for me at that point in the game so I call. I'm trying to think what she would re-raise me with and figure it has to be queens, kings, aces, ace-king or maybe ace-queen. The flop comes king, ace, king and she's first to act ... she bets almost the pot. That looks like a semi-scary board for me considering what I put her on pre-flop but I call and will see what happens on the turn. The next card is a blank 7 ... shouldn't help or hurt but she comes out hard again betting the pot which is now about 1/2 of my stack. I start to work the hand out in my head and it looks like she wants me out of the pot because her under pockets (jacks or queens) are no longer good. I can't be sure but I'm pretty sure I'm ahead ... but I fold and figure I'll take my stand later when I'm more confident. She is relieved that I folded and eventually does me the honour of showing me pocket queens. Obviously I was wrong to fold but I was pleased that I actually put her on that hand and figured out the play correctly. Despite that hand I still go to the next break even steven around 10K.
I play quite well without getting involved in to me stand-offs and make my way down to the final two tables. The blinds are now actually making an impact on chip stacks so moves are made far more often. I wait till I get pocket kings and flat call under-the-gun. A looser player next to me raises it up 3.5 times, everyone else folds and I push all-in over the top. She thinks, calls and turns over jacks and my kings hold up and I more than double up.
We get down to the final 8 players and the blinds are now up to 2000/4000 and I've only got about 15K. One player on the other side of the table is a chip-monster and has been playing loose and getting lucky. We're involved early in a 4-way pot with one player all-in so I figure I'll get to see all 5 cards. Unfortunately he (the chip monster) pushes hard on the turn. I need one more card for the nut flush but it will cost me all my chips to see that card. I figure he's either got a full-house which is possible but unlikely or he already has a small flush and wants everyone out. I eventually fold and he show the small flush, another heart comes on the river saving the all-in and the big-stack wins nothing from the hand. I miss out on taking all the chips tho and knocking one person out.
We're down to 7 now and my stack is almost gone ... chip-monster pushes very hard under-the-gun. I look down and see ace-queen off and figure that will do. Its just the two of us and he turns over pocket 6's. First card out ace ... great! Next card out ten of clubs, queen of clubs (beauty, I have two pair), king of clubs ... 3 of clubs ... giving him a 4 card flush with his 6. I get knocked out to 4 running clubs ... uggggh. 7th placed finish, just out of the money ... so close. I was pleased to go deep in a relatively high standard of cash game (altho there were plenty of bad plays from a number of them), played good poker but hope to do even better next time.
(I'm not Kenny Tran, "king of the cash game" yet)
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