Live MTT

On Sunday, the Texas Union Ballroom was turned into a card room as 87 poker players battled for a trip to Las Vegas. The event was hosted by AEPI and raised money for Marnie Rose Foundation and Texas 4000.

Once again, I got the chance to cover it from the player’s perspective.

The tournament got off to a late start, so I had plenty of time to talk to other players before beginning the fray. I realized even before sitting down that this field was unlike the typical charity tournament field. It’s a good thing I’ve gotten better since last year’s inaugural event or I wouldn’t stand a chance.

I was put at table one. When the call came to shuffle up and deal I found myself surrounded by poker regulars. With deep stack and small blinds, we had some room to maneuver, but my table was tight from the start.

The first level was pretty uneventful with only one hand of interest for me. After seat two limped from early position, The player to my right minimum raised to 100. I was in the big blind and looked down and saw AK. After some thinking, I decided that I’d play it conservatively, as opposed to re-raising and seeing a flop out of position. The limper called, and the flop came K-hi. I bet pot on the flop and turn, and the small blind check-called each street. The river was a rag and we checked it down. To be frank, I was amused to see her showdown pocket threes, and my pair of kings took down a nice pot.

She was the type of player who couldn’t lay down a hand, figuring everyone for a bluff. In the second level this cost her as she ran into a slow-played full house. She became the first player out at our table, making her exit just after seat six arrived--55 minutes late.

I hit level four completely card dead. No one at our table had accumulated too many chips, but a player, James Loehlin, was moved to my right with around 15,000. A few hands later it folded to him in the small blind and he completed. I checked with 58 offsuit and we saw an A8A flop. Loehlin came out firing 600 and I immediately made it 2000 to go. He mucked without a thought and I tossed my cards down face up. I don’t show much, but I didn’t want to be bullied all day by a big stack and was making an effort to nip it in the bud.

A few hands later he took out one of the biggest stacks at our table when seat five trapped himself by slow playing aces. Loehlin, playing an ultra-aggressive style, limped with K2 and turned two pair. His opponent called an all-in raise knowing he was beat, and his tournament was over. At the break, our table captain had bullied his way to 40,000 chips.

After the break, I got my hand caught in the cookie jar, trying a big steal with A4 after Loehlin had limped from the cutoff. The big blind called and bully pushed his huge stack all-in. My cards hit the muck in an instant and the big blind called with AK. Loehlin turned over KK and the big blind couldn’t get lucky.

In level seven, I picked up AJ in the big blind. With blinds at 300/600 the cutoff made it 1600 to go. The small blind called and I pushed. The cutoff looked weak and I figured him for a steal. The small blind had about as many chips as I did, and with his flat call, it didn’t appear that he wanted to risk all of his chips here. I wasn’t called and chipped up to about 11,000.

On the last hand of the level, I had pocket threes in the big blind. I was down below 9000 after posting the blind. A good player in middle position made it 1600 and after he got one caller, I tanked and then made a marginal call. If figured that he wouldn’t fold anything to a re-raise all-in, and pulling a “stop and go” gave me a good shot at avoiding a race or worse. I also factored in the fact that with blinds going up next hand, this raise was practically going to be one BB on the next hand. This way I could see a flop advantageously out of position and have a chance to get back in it.

The flop was raggedy and I bet 4,000 effectively committing myself with only 3,900 left behind. Middle position tanked, then folded as did the late position caller. I later learned he’d laid down sixes, making my play either genius or ill-advised but effective. I was happy with it.

In level nine I picked up my third and last legitimate hand of the tournament. UTG limped and the ever-aggressive Loehlin made it 4,000. I look down and see cowboys. I figure he’s got to call my push, so I don’t get cute. I announce ‘all-in’ and count them up. It’s a mere 4,500 more and he calls with 99 when it folds to him. I double up to 22,200 but leak a few thousand chips in level 10 on my worst played hand of the tournament.

A few hand later with the blinds at 800/1,600 it folds to me in the small blind an I push all-in for 13,800. The big blind folds, and I decide to look at my cards.

84 off-suit… I decide to keep that one to myself.

On the next hand I steal from the button with 36o, and I back up to 16,500. One more all in blind steal and I’m hanging in there.

But the blinds jump to 1,000/2,000 and we’re down to 18 players. I’m UTG about to watch a fifth of my stack be consumed by the blinds, so I push with 67 suited. I get two callers and I know I’m in trouble. In seat two, Mark McKim has picked up JJ, and he pushes on the raggedy flop. I’m not able to lay a bad beat on him, and am eliminated after over four hours.