Ignition Black Spade Poker Open Main Event Satellite
The Black Spade Poker Open 6 is running on Ignition Casino, and I popped into one of the $33 satellites for the $450 $300K GTD Main Event next month. One seat was guaranteed, the game got 15 entries (with $30 of the entry going to the prize pool), so it just made the nut with no overlay and no extra money.
I was a few minutes late, I started off with 1500 chips at 30/60 but let’s just say that anything that happened in the first 35 hands didn’t matter.
Hand 36 8♠ 8♥ CO 2,515 75/150
HJ opens with 9♠ 9♥ and I call. SB has K♥ K♠ and squeezes for 2,515. BB and HJ fold, I stupidly call for almost all of my chips, and the board runs out A♥ 4♣ 4♥ 6♥ T♠, leaving me holding a bit more than a couple hundred chips. Whoops!
Hand 40 K♠ T♣ BB 150 100/200/20
I’ve had three abysmal hands in a row, and here I’m all in for three-quarters of a big blind. Action folds to the button (Player 6 in this anonymous tournament), who raises to 600 with 4♠ 4♣. SB folds and the board runs out 6♥ 5♠ 7♥ 7♦ A♥ just missing a straight and giving my tens a win.
Hand 41 T♣ T♥ SB 500 100/200/20
CO (Player 6, again) opens to 600, I’m already in for a third of my chips and put the rest in. He shows T♠ J♠, the board is 9♥ A♥ 6♣ 2♦ 9♠ and he doubles me up again.
Hand 48 9♠ K♠ SB 915 125/250/25
We’re short-handed with only thee players out of the blinds. They fold and I shove. BB has nearly five times my chips and defends with 7♦ 4♥. We both pair on the flop and I avoid another loss: 9♦ 7♠ 3♠ A♣ 5♥.
Hand 51 A♣ J♥ UTG 1855 125/250/25
We’re five-handed. I shove and take the pot.
Hand 53 K♣ J♠ SB 2055 125/250/25
UTG raises to 500 with 9♣ A♠ off a stack of 9000. Nobody calls. I shove and he folds.
Hand 55 T♦ T♠ CO 2880 125/250/25
I open with a shove and the button re-shoves for 3250. He has Q♦ A♣ and we’re heads up going to the flop. I hit a set but have to dodge a gutshot draw in the river.: 9♣ T♣ 4♦ K♦ 7♦.
Hand 60 7♠ 7♣ UTG 5645 150/300/30
Middle pairs. I sort of hate them, but we start the hand with only four players, so I raise to 900. SB has J♠ A♣ and calls, BB has 4♦ 4♥ and comes along as well. The flop is T♦ A♥ 8♥, it’s checked to me and I bet 1000. SB calls with his ace and the BB folds. I shut down on the K♣ turn when it’s checked to me; the river is J♦, SB checks, I check, and he (Player 6) takes the pot.
Hand 64 7♠ A♦ BB 3175 150/300/30
We’re on the second hand with just three players (having lost a short stack between this and the previous hand I entered). The button min-raises K♦ J♦, SB calls with A♣ 6♠ and nearly 100bb. I shove and they both fold.
Hand 66 A♥ 2♥ BTN 4255 150/300/30
I shove and the blinds fold 6♥ 3♣ and J♠ 9♣.
Hand 69 K♦ 7♥ BTN 4255 150/300/30
I shove a crummy king, SB reshoves for another 1100 chips, and he has J♦ J♥.The board runs out 3♣ 3♦ 7♠ A♣ 7♣ and I boat up to beat the jacks.
Hand 70 K♥ 5♦ BB 8840 150/300/30
We’re still 3-handed. BTN shoves for 1066, SB folds, and I call for 766 on top of the big blind. This time the chips go the other way after a K♠ 5♣ 6♦ 6♥ 2♥. My flopped two pair gets busted by trip sixes on a runout of ks5c 6♦ 6♥ J♥.
Hand 74 K♠ K♣ SB 7204 200/400/40
One of those annoying times when action folds to your big hand, you raise, and the short stack just has 3♠ T♥ so he doesn’t call.
Hand 78 A♣ 8♣ BTN 7524 200/400/40
I raise to 1200, SB folds, BB shoves 13K and I know I’m behind but cross my fingers. It works, as I’m right about being behind Q♠ Q♣, but the cards give me the literal nuts: 7♦ 4♥ 6♣ 2♣ K♣. We’re still at three players.
Hand 79 Q♠ 7♠ BB 15288 200/400/40
The short stack has only 1852 chips and puts 1600 into the pot preflop with 9♥ 8♥. Both of us in the blinds come along, though Player 6 in the SB is down to 5360. The flop is 6♥ K♠ 7♣ and I figure my middle pair is good enough to call the last 200 or so chips the button puts in after the blinds are both checked. The turn is 4♦ and the river is 2♣, he misses his straight and my pair of sevens holds (SB folded Q♥ 9♠).
Hand 80 3♣ K♣ BTN 18780 200/400/40
It’s the first hand of heads-up and Player 6 is the big blind. I have a 4.5:1 chip advantage. Just over 40 hands ago, I was all in for less than the big blind and I doubled up twice through the player I’m now facing. I have a good shot at the $450 ticket to the $300K guarantee. There is no second prize. I raise to 1200 and he folds 9♣ 8♥.
Hand 81 7♠ 6♠ BB 19220 200/400/40
Player 6 raises to 1280, with just 2000 behind. He has K♥ 9♥ and I start off behind roughly 40%/60%. The flop is 5♠ 2♥ A♠, which actually gives me the lead by about 10%. Even if he has top two pair, my odds haven’t gotten any worse. We both check. The turn 7♥ gives me a pair. He has a flush draw, but he’s still behind 70%/30% and even if he wins I’ll still have a substantial lead. I check, he shoves, and I call. The river is the 8♣, my pair wins the hand and I’m playing the $300K next month.