Today we had a tournament over at Erik's- my first one in over a week. We had two shorthanded tables to start. I wasn't totally unhappy with my table, but I didn't like my position much. Josh acted right after me, with Erik after him. Jay followed, with this young looking kid named Chris after him.
I quickly got a feel for how the table was going to go. Chris played very passively, and he still agonizes over folding anything after he's put money in the pot. He flat calls with ace king preflop, and then check calls it when he hits his ace. Jay made retarded small raises after a few people had limped, then everyone called, and he rarely took the pot later. Josh is dangerous, as he has gotten better since I first played with him, plus he doesn't take any of my crap, and he calls me down most times when I'm stealing. I knew what I was getting with Erik, plus I knew he was burning inside to get me back from the glorious ace 8- ace queen hand.
I caught some beautiful hands early on- ace king two or three times in the first round, ace queen suited, queen jack suited. Unfortunately, I couldn't hit a damn flop to save my life. This didn't stop me from betting, and my chips got distributed nicely around the table, with Josh taking the majority of them. I had lost a lot of money trying to bluff Josh off top pair, and I was down to about 5500 of my original ten grand. It got folded to me, and I raised it up with ace 4 on the button. Erik called in the big blind, and we saw a flop of 10 9 4, with two spades. Erik checked it, and I bet 350. Erik called. The turn paired the 10. Erik likes to slowplay when he hits a big hand, and again he checked. I knew he didn't have a damn ten this time, though, and I put him on a spade draw. I bet 350 again, wanting it to seem like I had the ten and was luring him in. He raised me another 800 on top. I went into the tank for a minute, and decided that he had spades, but I wasn't sure enough to raise all in to move him off of it, because if he did have the ten, I was drawing dead. I called. The river was an offsuit queen, meaning if he was drawing with jack 8, he had hit, but spades were a no-go. He thought for about two full minutes, then bet out 2000. This was a big bet, but not a big overbet that might seem like a bluff. All I had was bottom pair, but I just felt like I had him. I still believed my flush read was right, and I said out loud, "Man, I think you have a busted spade draw." He smirked a little bit, but I didn't really get anything either way from it. I thought and thought for almost five minutes. I got worried that maybe he did have spades, but that he had paired his queen or 9 and I was still beat. The only thing I had was a bluff. I also knew he was looking to get me back from last time, so that factored in. In the end, I tossed it, because if I called and lost I was down to about 1500 and was in big trouble. I later told him that I had 4's and he told me that he really did have a spade draw, 6 8, and that my read was right. GO WITH YOUR GUT, YOU DUMB BASTARD, TERRENCE! No one in that room could make that call, and I was an inch away from making it. That lingered in my mind a little bit, but didn't affect my play.
I kept getting nice hands to play, but I couldn't hit a damn thing. I started steaming a little bit, and I was calling raises with hands I shouldn't have been playing. I got involved in a 4 way pot with Erik, Jay, and Chris, with jack 8 and about 3 grand left. Jay had made a small raise preflop, and we all called it. The flop was 8 9 10, giving me bottom pair and an open-ended straight draw, as well as a backdoor spade draw. I figured hell, I can't hit anything at all, and there's no way I'm good right now, but I need to gamble and double up. Jay came out betting 600, and I went all in for another 2350. Erik thought for a while, then folded, and Jay, after thinking, said "I think I got you," and called. He had ace ten, for top pair, top kicker, but I had thousands of outs. The turn was a rag, but the river tripped up my 8s, so I doubled up and was still alive. When I put my chips in, it made me think of something I read recently that said, "If you never get your chips in with the worst hand, you're not playing correctly." Not that you want to push in with the worst hand, but you need to take chances sometimes. This hand put me up to about 6800, so I was back in business. Jay got whacked a little while later, and we combined tables with 7 people. Tom had a huge stack on the other table, and everyone else was semi-low. It couldn't have been more than 15 hands in when I picked up pocket tens under the gun. I limped in, as Tom was acting behind me, and I figured he would be raising anytime he saw me limp, A) because he had a big stack, and B) he's a royal pain in the ass. Sure enough, he raised it another 600, and then Charlie immediately went all-in for another 1300 on top. I didn't see any strength from Charlie's move, and I figured him for a low pair or some raggy ace. I wasn't worried about him, but Tom had the ability to whack me, so I didn't want that, obviously. As I was contemplating, I don't know how to explain it, but I could just feel that Tom wanted me to make a move. I don't know how- he seemed to be breathing a little heavily, but he always does that, he's a big bastard. I really can't explain it, but I just had this feeling. Again, I went against my gut and pushed all-in. Tom called within four seconds, and I knew I was in trouble. He flipped pocket kings, Charlie had pocket deuces, and I showed my 10s. The flop came off Jack, Ten (YES!), King (DAMMIT!). The turn was a queen, giving me hope that the board would show a straight for a split, but the river was a rag, and I was dead in 6th.
Right before I left, Mohlander told me about the spade draw hand from earlier, and that really made me hate myself even more, so I slammed the door and left with Charlie and Timmy. Good job, Erik, you really got me back on that hand, but don't worry, I had the read, next time you're done. But it was a really nice play, I have to say. Josh went on to win it, with Tom taking second.
For some reason, I just didn't have it today. The cards didn't hit me, and I went against my reads, so that equals death. I'll be back, though, I have no doubt.
Quote of the day: Terrence-"When Tom gets a lot of chips he starts calling wtih bottom pair." Tom-"HEY!" Terrence-"You're right, I'm sorry...raising with bottom pair." Tom- "Thank you."
Terrence's bankroll- $509-$25=$484
