Ugh

I played in the 28,000 guarantee tonight. It was a good tournament at the beginning. However, I still cannot believe how bad some of the players on Full Tilt play. The number of times I saw a marginal push by a weak player was too numerous to count. There were some good plays and some good players. But it was so ridiculous how many times it would go raise, all-in for 5 times the pot. Then get called and the players would show down hands like J10 suited against K9 or A7.

My tournament went well for the first half. I was doing well before the first break. I was playing tight, aggressive, patient poker. I saw a lot of the other players pushing with crap cards, so I waited to either trap them or put them in a tough spot. The first significant hand was when I had QQ on the button. Nobody entered before me, so I raised 3 times the blind. The big blind called, and the flop came AK6 with two diamonds. They bet 180. I saw they were pretty loose and put in a raise to find out if they had anything or not. If I just call in this spot, I don't really get any information. So I raised to 600. They called. SO I figured she had either a weak ace, weak king, or a flush draw. A 10 came on the turn, and they checked to me. At this point, I knew she was weak, and fired 1100. She called. I only had 865 left. So I was pretty much pot committed at this point. If she fired at the river, I would pretty much have to call. An 8 hit the river, and she checked. I went all-in, and she folded. I don't know what she had, but it was such a horrible play. Even if she had a weak ace or king, there was way too much in that pot to fold on the river. She left herself short stacked, and went out shortly.

Later, I had 99 in late position. I raised 3 times the blind and the chip leader re-raised from the small blind. I called and the flop came Q108 with two spades. He went all in on the flop. Easy decsion to fold. Even if he had a hand like KQ or QJ, I was in trouble. I had plenty of chips left and had plenty of time to try and manuever. A few hands later, I got AK in middle position. The under the gun player raised to 480. He was playing pretty solid up to this point, so I thought he might have a hand like JJ, QQ, or AK, maybe AQ. I decided to find out if he had a big pair or not by re-raising. I re-raised to 1200. He just called. At this point, I knew he didn't have a pair. The flop came 235, at which time, he went all-in. The only hand I was worried about were small pairs, like 6's-10's. But I knew that he wouldn't have called a re-raise with them under the gun. After going into the tank, I decided that I had to call. He had A6. My AK held up and I took him off the table.

Later, with the blinds at 120/240 with a 25 ante, I was dealt AK of spades. I was in early position and came in for my standard raise. The chip leader called, again. He loved to call raises, and to him position didn't matter. The flop came K96 with two clubs. He checked, I bet 1400, he called. The turn brought a 7, he checked again, so I bet 3500, he folded. I was cruising along, sitting well above average and was continuing to build my stack. I had about 14,000 and sitting in the big blind. Everyone folded to the button, who pushed all in for about 3000. It was about 10 times the blind. I had JJ, so it was an easy call. I flopped a full house, and he was gone. At this point I'm getting close to 20,000 and the leaders of the tournament. I was getting stoked and was playing well. Then the wheels fell off.

The very next round, I'm in the big blind again. Everyone folds, and the small blind shoves. I have QQ, another easy call. He has AJ, flops an ace and I get no help. So I lost about 5000 on the hand. A couple of hands later I get moved to a super loose table, and I proceed to go card dead. Raise, re-raise, I have 63. I literally couldn't play a single hand for the next 5 orbits. J2, K7, 23, 59, it was incredibly gross. I was just waiting patiently. Right after the bubble bursts, I tighten up. I know there is going to be a mass exodus and players are going to push all in with short stacks. During the time I went card dead, I dwindled down to 3 big blinds. I was getting frustrated and pissed. If I had any decent ace, king or queen, I would have pushed sooner. But with weak kickers, nothing suited and connected or even a face card, my hands were tied. Middle position raised 2.5 times the blind, I have JJ, so it's an easy push. I only have 3 times the blind. The button calls, and the middle player makes the small call. The flop came Q85, they both checked. A J came on the turn. The button bet 8000 and the middle player folded. He flipped over KJ. He was drawing dead and I tripled up.

From there I bought a few rounds of blinds and was cruising along again. I only had about 10 times the blind, so I wasn't comfortable, but surviving. I pick up KJ in the big blind. The chip leader raised for, i'm not shitting you, the tenth hand in a row. I know he doesn't have a big hand, but at the same time, I'm not going to play two card chicken with him. I would rather try to outplay him on the flop, than push all in and get called by a marginal hand. SO I decided to go with the old stop and go. He raised 3 times the blind. I just called. The flop came 10-9-10. I push all in for about the size of the pot, and he snap called me with 33. I was kind of surprised that he called so fast. But you have to get chips if you're going to win. I had 13 outs on the flop. SO I was about 45% to win, not bad. An 8 came on the turn. That was probably the best possible card for my hand, other than a K, Q, J, or 9. I now had 20 outs. I could hit a 3-K's, 3-J's, 3-9's, 3-8's, 4-Q's, or 4-7's. You guessed it, big fat brick on the river. I was gone. I went out 151st of 1260. Not bad, but I just wish I could have got my hands on some chips, or just win that one time. Oh well, hopefully I'll have a better run next time.