WHUPC: €500 + €40 NLHE Freezeout

After getting two backers for this event (40% Joe "The Elegance" Beevers & 10% Abhey "The Doc") I made up the rest and entered the €500 freezeout.


The Doc - Poker Faced!

Players were allowed to register for the tournaments up to 90 minutes into it, and by the time I had decided to play we were nearly at the end of level 2 (30/60 blinds). By that time of course some people had already amassed a considerable stack and sure enough I was drawn to a table that was being bullied by a big stack. That was okay though, as most of the players had about the same or less than the 3,000 starting chips I had just sat down with.

I won the first hand I got after sitting down when I raised in late position and only the blinds called. When I bet the flop they both folded. I think the table got the impression that I was playing loose!

I played my second hand in level 3 (50/100 blinds). Jim "Celtic Tiger" Britton was in the Big Blind. I was under the gun and raised to 300 with AA. Ilari Sahamies in EP2 calls and everyone else folds. The flop was 755 with two clubs. I bet about the pot but EP2 raises. I put him on an over pair (88-JJ) or flush draw and reraise all in trying to get all the money in before any scare card comes. He calls with 63 of clubs for a gutshot straight flush draw which misses when runner runner Queens hit.



Phew! I thought I would get busted after only playing 5 minutes and 2 hands! The next hand I play is AK in mid position, the big stack makes a standard raise to 300 in EP. Feeling confident and with a 6,000 stack, I re-raise to 1,000 to isolate him and he calls. Flop was QTx, he checks and instead of betting I try to hit an Ace, King or Jack. The turn is another blank, and when he checks again, I bet 1,000 to try to pick the pot up. He calls and the blank river is checked out again. He takes the pot with JJ.

I am back down to 4,000 and a few blinds later at 70/140 I get JJ under the gun. The short stacks have been going all in, so I limp in expecting one of the short stacks in late position to move in allowing me to make a move. The plan works, I limp and its folded to a short stack on the button who moves all in, the blinds fold and I call easily to beat his 75o.



With me knocking two people out and the big stack doing his fair share of busting, our table is very short handed. We do a draw for a seat at other tables and I am moved to Noah "Exclusive" Boeken's immediate right and one from Dave "The Devilfish" Ulliott's left. I have about 5,000 chips and most of the players have a similar stack.

The blinds are at 150/300, when I get KK in mid position. After an early limper I raise it to about 1300 but everybody folds and I pick up 750. I pick up a couple of small pots, Devilfish is then busted out when his small stack is picked off with JJ versus Dave's KTs. We get to the break, and I have exactly 7,500 chips.

Free buffet later, and the blinds still at 150/300 but now with a 30 ante, I get AK in the small blind. There's an under the gun limper, everyone folds to me. With about 1050 in the pot I make a pot bet and Noah in the BB says, "Are you raising me or him? (refering to the UTG limper). I said, "Both!". I would have preferred to win the pot preflop, but Noah's loose call induces another call by the UTG.

The pot is now about 4000 and I have 6000-ish left. The flop comes AcJc4. I bet out trying to win the pot right there, Noah folds but the UTG who has me covered goes all in. And I call with 13/3 expecting him to turn over A2-AQ/flush draw. He has A4o, the turn and river don't help me and I am out in 75th-ish/180+.

Twice!

I would have probably played that hand differently online, but in hindsight, since the antes had just been introduced I should have probably raised more/limped because I´d noticed quite a few people loose calling to see a flop. Nevertheless, I was playing my premium hands strongly and was going for a top finish rather than just sneak into a money place. The UTG limper must not have read me for an Ace...why else would he call?

Alright, he could have been a fish (limping in with A4 UTG and then calling a pot raise would suggest that lol), and Noah's call kind of gave him good odds in position. If he had just flopped an ace without pairing his kicker, I'm sure he would have made the same move.

I still enjoyed the tournament very much and learnt a lot. Thanks to JoeB for sharing a large chunk of the risk, pity I couldn't get the reward :(

Go to The Mob Poker Database: €500 NLHE Results




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