I started the day full of hope after a day one where I really took my game to its best and with over 100,000 chips I was the chip leader at my table, full of unknowns. A really good day 2 was shaping ahead. As it turned out I was pretty card dead for a long time, but people where limping and folding a lot and kept stealing very small pots, I lost a couple of times when it went to showdown with second best and I mucked so my image should have been that of a thief since I was involved in several hands early on and never won it at showdown....

Then this hand happened: with KQo I raise into 4 players. The button (tricky Asian player in the middle of a rush, and which seems to be picking on me by calling every time I raise) calls again.
The big blind calls.

Flop AT6 two spades.

Big blind checks. With the Asian guy probably prepared to pull a move and the big blind the type of guy that could very well intend to check raise me every time he hits or even with air, I decide to check and hope for a free card. If they both have nothing and haven’t decided to fight for this pot then I can still take it on the turn anyway. Button Checks.

Turn is a red J

Big blind checks again, I lead out with my nuts, they both fold.
So there it was. A bit frustrating but despite my aggressive image I could not get action on a AT6J flop with a flush draw. No problem: time to run over this table until they cry for their mummies, I thought ? Alas that’s when the floor changed the breaking plan and moved me. New table seems a bit better with no limping a lot of big stacks. No cards still and there is not much to talk about since all day I was just looking for a few reraising spots when people attacked my blinds or stealing opportunities. When the stacks are pretty big, the structure is slow, and the players good, I tend to play very small ball poker unless I have a very good reason not to.

Slowly but surely I was up to 175k, so even with no cards I had enough of an edge to slowly increase my stacks, although as people busted like furious the average stack was catching up with me. Still though with the blinds at 15000/3000 with a 500 ante there was a bit of room to play.

Finally I caught up a good hand and it lead to a very tough decision, see for yourselves:

With QQ second to speak, I make it 10,0000 to go.
MP (190k) calls. She is a young woman that seems to play very solid. She was pretty short most of the day but just got a double up so I suspect she might be opening up now.
SB (250k) calls. He is been playing pretty tight aggressive so far.

Flop Tc7d5d (38k)

SB checks and I bet 30k. MP thinks for a while and raises 55k. SB Folds.

So it’s basically committing, 135k more to me and the pot would hold 203k if she was basically all in. She could have JJ of course, and I think she plays to standard to flat call preflop with AA or KK, and there is no doubt she can have a set. So the question is would she do this with a draw, wich there are plenty of. It really comes down to my read on her. She wasn’t moving at all, or giving anything away. I decided to go big or go broke, and when she showed me TT for the set my heart broke and with no help on either street I said good game, shook hands, hand joined the rail, 10 minutes before the end of the day.

Doyle Brunson says the saddest day of the year is when you bust out of the world series. Now I know the feeling.

On the plus side this tournament has reinforced my conviction that my top game is really strong and even though I couldn’t find a fold there , if my stack keeps going up in between big hands even though I am card dead, this is a really good sign. My concentration was perfect this time and if I play like this it won’t be long before I hit something really big.

Until next time, may the flop be with you!

pictures © by Benjo diMeo