A Game That Will Live In Infamy: Hands 141-160

HAND 141 250/500/50
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
50 UTG 73 53.4K 9
105 D 35 9.5K 21
19 SB 7Q 41.8K 46
5 BB 42 69K 24

After the fireworks on the last hand, nobody wants to get out of line with crappy cards and the new chip leader sitting in BB. It’s a walk.

HAND 142 250/500/50
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
50 BB 37 53.4K 20
105 UTG 33 9.4K 24
19 D 5J 41.5K 36
5 SB 45 69.4K 20

UTG jams his threes and everyone folds. I personally think it’s a little reckless to shove 18BB with a low pair and three other players at the table who all have you covered by at least 4x, but maybe that’s just me.

HAND 143 250/500/50 234 7 3
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
50 SB A7 52.8K 21
105 BB 8T 10.3K 13 13 1
19 UTG JJ 41.5K 48 67 14 14 5 0
5 D 44 69.1K 17 19 85 86 95 100

I continue my war on ragged aces by folding my SB even after calls by UTG and D. BB checks the flop with two overs, UTG bets 1K on his over pair, and D just calls with his set. BB drops out. UTG leads out for 2.5K on the turn. He should be warned off a bit by the raise to 7.6K from D, but he makes the call, then checks the river and calls 10K from D’s full house. I think maybe he should have raised the jacks pre-flop instead of just limping in. What do you think?

HAND 144 250/500/50
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
136 CO J5 5K 11
50 D J5 52.5K 6
105 SB 59 9.8K 8
19 BB 6T 22.4K 11
5 UTG QQ 89.1K 64

A lot of times, the late entries into these tournaments will pop off with the first hand they get. Probably a good thing the new guy on my right doesn’t do that after the big stack in UTG makes it 1.5K, because with three fives dealt and one of the other jacks in my hand, he’d pretty much be relying on clubs to get him to a flush. Anyway, UTG raises and everyone folds.

HAND 145 250/500/50 263
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
136 UTG 84 5K 15
50 CO 39 52.5K 14
105 D 64 9.5K 14
19 SB TJ 21.8K 48 71 8
5 BB 32 90K 9 29 92

SB limps in again—after the beating he took limping the jacks just two hands earlier you’d think he’d have learned his lesson and bet his equity, he’s in about as good of shape as he can be after three folds—and BB flops two pair against him. SB checks, BB bets 625—not even 1.5BB—and SB folds.

HAND 146 250/500/50 AJ2 6 9
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
136 BB 34 4.9K 21 25 23 0 0 0
50 UTG 7Q 52.4K 17
105 CO KJ 9.4K 34 45 87 100 100 100
19 D 7J 21.3K 6
5 SB 48 90.7K 22 29 1 0

CO opens to 1K and gets calls from both blinds. SB seems to be enamored of the suited gappers, plus he’s got both other players covered by at least 10x. I don’t know what BB’s excuse is, except for the fact that he’s the type of player who’ll enter a 6-Max tournament witih 10BB. The flop is incredibly good for CO: middle pair, nut flush draw, some backdoors. BB does have a gut-shot straight draw, but he’s only got three outs. The turn seals the deal for CO, SB checks and BB takes a stab at the pot for 500, leaving less than 3.5K behind. CO strings him along with a call, SB folds, CO bets minimum on the river, and BB finally gives up.

HAND 147 250/500/50 588 Q
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
136 SB 3K 3.4K 21 38 24 16
50 BB A4 52.4K 27 62 76 84
105 UTG 2T 12.1K 22
19 CO 7J 21.2K 21
5 D 74 89.7K 9

SB’s in chip-spewing mode. Action folds to him, he limps, I check my ace. The thing is, he has so few chips, even if I lose, it doesn’t make a significant difference to my stack, so I could call him with anything, much less and ace. He bets 500 on the flop, which I call. He checks the turn and I put him all-in to call. He folds.

HAND 148 250/500/50 3K5
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
136 D 8J 2.3K 12 15 14
50 SB 4Q 53.6K 19
105 BB 97 12.1K 18 21 20
19 UTG TJ 21.2K 20 25 20
5 CO 5A 89.6K 32 38 45

Everyone limps into the pot except for me. CO makes middle pair, opens after the flop with a bet to 2.5K, and everyone folds.

HAND 149 300/600/60 Q49 A 8
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
136 CO KJ 1.8K 29 39 21 8 0
50 D 32 53.3K 10
105 SB J7 11.5K 16
19 BB A6 20.6K 32 61 79 92 100
5 UTG 53 91.6K 14

CO has 3BB and shoves. He gets called by the suited ace in BB who, even though he’s third in chips at a five-handed table, still has ten times CO’s stack. BB picks up a flush draw on the flop, hits the ace on the turn, and CO never improves.

HAND 150 300/600/60
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
50 UTG 3Q 53.2K 19
133 CO 54 15.4K 16
105 D AK 11.2K 33
19 SB K4 22.8K 7
5 BB 7J 91.5K 25

Late-entry player 133 appears to have done a little better in the ten or so hand’s he’s been in before he gets moved to the table. D shoves his short stack with [ah kd] and takes the pot.

HAND 151 300/600/60 47K
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
131 BB 28 5.9K 14
50 UTG A6 53.1K 9
133 HJ Q7 15.4K 16
105 CO K3 12.3K 28
19 D 7A 22.5K 16 33 84
5 SB AT 90.8K 17 67 16

We’ve got a full table once again. The suited king here is the only hand with equity significantly above the 16.7% average for six players, but he helects to fold after me (with my bad kicker and two other aces dealt, I have the least pre-flop equity of anyone). D raises his [7s as] to 1.6K, getting a call from the ace with the better kicker. BB folds. This time player 19 doesn’t let the hand get away from him, bets 2K on middle pair, and SB goes away.

HAND 152 300/600/60
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
131 SB 36 5.2K 12
50 BB Q4 53.1K 17
133 UTG K2 15.3K 31
105 HJ J4 12.2K 13
19 CO 4T 25K 2
5 D TT 89.2K 24

According to ProPokerTools, at least, the suited king has more equity than the tens. In reality, action folds to the button and the big stack raises to 1.5K to take the pot.

HAND 153 300/600/60 2T6 Q
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
131 D 8T 4.8K 24
50 SB 95 52.4K 6
133 BB 36 15.2K 21 40 75 75
105 UTG 48 12.2K 10
19 HJ 25 24.9K 12
5 CO K9 90.4K 28 60 25 25

I am getting the worst run of cards here. But I’ve got more than enough chips to be patient, with ten times the starting stack I can easily make the money with about ten players left to go. CO limps in and goes HU to the flop with BB. BB’s ahead on the flop but just check-calls a bet of 900 from CO, then check-folds to 1.9K on the turn. Maybe a bit too cautious if he’s going to make the call on the flop, but he does only have a bit more than 20BB. Commit!

HAND 154 300/600/60 J43 6 9
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
131 CO 48 4.8K 9
50 D 66 52.1K 16 19 13 18 100 100
133 SB 5A 13.7K 11
105 BB 99 12.1K 29 42 14
19 UTG A2 24.9K 8
5 HJ JK 92.5K 27 39 73 82 0 0

The big stack raises to 1.6K with the suited king, I call, and BB just flats with his better pair. The flop does give HJ top pair, but I call the 2.7K bet to set-mine and go HU to the turn after BB folds. I’m in pretty rough shape until the [6h] on the turn. I bet 5K and HJ calls me, then another 10K on the river and he pays me off.

BB made a huge mistake here, I think, probably due to not wantiing to go out near the bubble of the tournament. If he was planning to play the hand at all, he should prepare to play it for the max. He only had 20BB to start the hand. He has 1BB in, and calls 2 more preflop, but he should have probably just folded (if his objective was to just get to the money) or shoved in pre-flop. Yes, he probably would have gotten calls from both of us, but just dribbling away that much of your stack on the bubble is counterproductive to either making the money or winning the tournament.

HAND 155 300/600/60 9A3 2 7
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
131 HJ 78 4.7K 21
50 CO JA 73.4K 13 50 50 50 50
133 D 98 13.3K 24
105 SB 24 10.5K 18
19 BB 53 24.8K 13
5 UTG AJ 73.2K 12 50 50 50 50

Big stacks go to war the hand after I even things up. I call a raise to 1.6K, we flop top pair with the same kicker on a rainbow board. he bets 2.2K, I raise to 6K, he calls. He check-calls 8K on the turn and we both check the river to chop up the blinds and antes.

HAND 156 300/600/60 TJ6 J 5
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
131 UTG A6 4.7K 15 49 20 0 0
50 HJ 8T 74K 16
133 CO A7 13.2K 13
105 D 85 10.1K 4
19 SB KJ 24.1K 35 51 80 100 100
5 BB 59 73.8K 18

UTG shoves his suited ace, SB calls the extra 4.3K and he hits three jacks to knock out player 131 in 28th place. 4 to the money and I’m in the chip lead overall, if I remember correctly.

HAND 157 300/600/60 2T6 5 J
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
50 BB 39 73.9K 23 29 22 17 0
133 UTG 24 13.2K 20
105 CO QK 10.1K 42 58 68 74 100
19 D 8K 29.6K 11
5 SB 83 73.2K 4 13 10 9 0

CO limps in with [qs kh]. I know, he’s got less than 20BB and we’re on the money bubble, but seriously, if you want to earn chips, try to earn a lot of chips. SB calls and three of us see the flop. Neither SB or I bother to bluff to win the pot. It isn’t worth it.

HAND 158 300/600/60 J7K
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
50 SB 7K 73.3K 23 29 83
133 BB 66 13.1K 28 33 9
105 UTG K5 11.5K 9
19 CO 9A 29.6K 31 37 8
5 D 35 72.5K 9

CO raises and ace to 1.5K, I call with the suited king, and BB just calls with his pair. Unlike the nines a few hands before, I don’t think this is a bad move (not just because the nines would have made a set on the river). I don’t think the sizes are strong enough to do much but set-mine. The flop is great for me, leaving only sets for the pair and backdoor draws for the ace. I check it, so does BB, but CO takes a stab with a bet of 2.5K. I raise to 7K and they both lay it down.

HAND 159 300/600/60
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
50 D 68 79K 14
133 SB 6J 11.6K 4
105 BB KK 11.5K 58
19 UTG AJ 25.5K 14
5 CO AT 72.4K 10

BB is hogging all the equity for this hand. UTG limps in. CO raises to 2.2K with a worse ace. BB comes over the top for his entire stack, UTG folds, CO shows his cards for some reason.

HAND 160 300/600/60
PLAYER POSITION CARDS CHIPS START PRE-FLOP POST-FLOP PRE-TURN POST-TURN PRE-RIVER RIVER
50 CO 96 78.9K 11
133 D 7Q 11.2K 18
105 SB TT 14.8K 29
19 BB 33 24.9K 19
5 UTG TJ 70.2K 23

UTG limps in, D makes a “button raise” (‘cus that’s what you’re supposed to do when you’re short-stacked on the bubble, ain’t ya?) to 1.8K with [7s qd] and player 105 has picked up another premium hand, so he shoves for 14.7K. UTG folds, and D would be all-in to call, so he folds.

Summary

It’s been an exciting batch of hands, no? I’m back on top at the table, we’re just about in the money, and I think I might be the tournament chip lead with about 25 players remaining.

  • 70% of the hands have been dealt to five players.
  • Two more players are eliminated and we’re on the cusp of the money.
  • VPIP/PFR for the remaining players: 5 (54%/26%), 19 (29%/9%), 50 (31%/22%), 105 (28%/19%), 133 (27%/9%).

Player 5 is putting money into more than half of the 35 hands he’s involved in, an aggression level he will maintain throughout the rest of the tournament. In this set of 20 hands, he had three pocket pairs, flopped two pair with [3c 2d] after he was limped to in the BB, called a min-raise with [4c 8c], three hands with aces, a couple with kings, and limped [8s 3d]. He’s won chips in nine of 11 showdowns.