10.5k Freeroll Review

As promised, I’m posting some of the key hands and more details from last weekends PSO 10.5k freeroll. But, first things first, it is a great morning to be an OILERS fan. Great win last night and now on to the next round starting tomorrow night in Anaheim. Should be another good series – GO OIL GO!

The is a long post so consdier yourself warned!

Through the first hour of the tourney I haven’t played too many hands. After donking off about $350 on the first hand of the tourney and settle in and stay paitent. I don’t really pick up any hands in the first hour other than KK, AJs and KJs and after a pre-flop raise called by one person and a raise on the flop I win the pot – other than a few BB that are checked down, I have yet to see the river (odd really, I would have never thought that would be the case). A few other miminal blind steals and I end the first hour with about $2800 in chips, which is a bit more than the avg of $2500. So far the play seems to be very tight.

Then, early in the second hour with a big stack (and maybe even the chip leader at this point) I play these two donkey hands back to back …

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is MP3 with K♥ 10♠
4 folds, Hero raises to $300, 3 folds, BB calls.

Flop: Q♥ 7♥ A♣ ($675, 2 players)
BB bets $150, Hero calls.

Turn: QD ($975, 2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks.

River: 2♣ ($975, 2 players)

BB bets $1200, Hero folds.

Uncalled bets: $1200 returned to BB.

Results:Final pot: $975

Then the very next hand …

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is MP2 with 8♠ 8♣
3 folds, Hero calls, 3 folds, SB calls, BB checks.

Flop: 6♠ K♣ 9♣ ($450, 3 players)
SB bets $150, BB folds, Hero calls.

Turn: QD ($750, 2 players)

SB checks, Hero bets $300, SB calls.

River: 10♣ ($1350, 2 players)
SB bets $1050, Hero folds.
Uncalled bets: $1050 returned to SB.

Results:Final pot: $1350

Ouch, what was I thinking … not sure but that cost me about almost half my stack! Time to regroup and stay patient … again. Over the next half hour or so I manage to pickup a few blind steals with decent hands but the blinds are getting up there and it has started to eat away at my stack, am down to about $1300 and in all-in or fold territory. Then the following hand … (sorry quadman!):

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is Button with 3♥ A♥
6 folds, Hero raises all-in $1290, SB folds, BB calls with A9o.

Flop: Q♥ 3♣ 4D ($2680, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $2680)

Turn: 7♥ ($2680, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $2680)

River: 10D ($2680, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $2680)

Results:Final pot: $2680

Well that helps my cause but not out of the woods yet. A short while later I pick up AJo in MP and raise 3 BB and get a short stack to call and putting himself all in with 66. I don’t improve and lose the hand. After posting a few more blinds I’m down to $1770 and pick up …

Pre-flop: (8 players) Hero is Button with A♣ K♣
4 folds, CO raises to $1000, Hero raises all-in $1770, 2 folds, CO calls.

Flop: 4D A♥ KD ($3990, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $3990)

Turn: JD ($3990, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $3990)

River: 2♣ ($3990, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $3990)

Results:Final pot: $3990
CO shows 9s 9h

Huge double up, now I was in position to stay patient and likely get into the money. After sitting tight for the next 20 mins or so and picking up a few blinds along the way we hit the second break and I’m at $4440 and we haven’t hit the money yet – still some work to do. I think shortly after the break we hit the money bubble and now safely into the money and can hopefully pick up a few hands as the really short stacks start to push all in. Here goes …

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is CO with Q♣ QD
UTG raises to $1200, 3 folds, MP3 raises all-in $2510, Hero raises all-in $4440.

Flop: Q♥ A♥ 6D ($7120, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: $7120)

Turn: 4♥ ($7120, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: $7120)

River: 2♠ ($7120, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: $7120)
Results:Final pot: $7120
MP3 shows TT

Big time double up, and am now in very good shape. But the key remains staying patient. Five hands later this happens …

Pre-flop: (7 players) poker1eh is BB with 9♣ 10♠
4 folds, Button raises to $1600, SB folds, Hero calls.

Flop: 4♥ 10♥ 9♥ ($3600, 2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $2400, poker1eh raises all-in $7450, Button calls all-in $2830.Uncalled bets: $2220 returned to poker1eh.

Turn: 9D ($14060, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: $14060)

River: 8D ($14060, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: $14060)

Results:Final pot: $14060
Button shows Qs Jh

In the end maybe a bit lucky but with top two pair I think I had to push. Worst case I take a big hit to my stack but it wouldn’t be the end of world. If is do make it I have a great stack and am setup nicely to make a run. Two hands later I take two more guys out with this hand …

Pre-flop: (8 players) poker1eh is SB with A♣ K♣
UTG+1 raises all-in $460, 3 folds, Button raises to $2000, Hero raises to $6300.

Flop: 3♣ 7♠ KD ($9160, 2 players + 1 all-in - Main pot: $1780, Sidepot 1: $7380)

Turn: 5♠ ($9160, 2 players + 1 all-in - Main pot: $1780, Sidepot 1: $7380)

River: 4♣ ($9160, 2 players + 1 all-in - Main pot: $1780, Sidepot 1: $7380)

Results:Final pot: $9160
UTG shows Js 10s

Now am sitting very comfortably just under 20k in chips and am the chip leader … fun stuff. Again, I’m trying to stay patient not put myself in too much trouble with marginal hands. I lose about 5k when a flush draw doesn’t hit but am still in decent shape. Now I’m really trying to maintain and build a good chip stack for the final table. Just before the final table starts (actually the guy I bust out here is the last to go before the final table) I pick up AQ and it holds up against a guy who went all in with A3 and I pick up another $6600.

Once at the final table I pretty much go card dead, a few limp folds and one push all in with KQs and pick-up the blinds and an early raiser. Then this …

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is UTG+1 with 10♥ 10D
UTG folds, Hero raises all-in $14620, 2 folds, SB calls, BB folds.

Flop: 9♣ 3D 7♠ ($30840, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $30840)

Turn: A♠ ($30840, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $30840)

River: 8♥ ($30840, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $30840)

Results:Final pot: $30840
SB shows 9d 9h

And this is it, I’m done, 6th place and $525 later. Not bad for a nights effort J. The last hand kind of sucks as I’m an 80% favorite when we get all the money and unfortunately the guy hits a 2 outer. Oh well, can’t win them all.

That’s it for now, gonna keep my eye out for more of these types of tourneys and who knows, if I can find the time I may invest a bit of the winnings into an MTT that has a similar payout.

Till next time, AA up.