Aces Cracked, I'm Gone

The plan today was to play the $2,000 no-limit at noon with the $2,500 pot limit mixed at 5 p.m. as a backup. I recognized only one player at the table, Lee Childs, whose two misplays versus Jerry Yang – folding pocket queens versus pocket jacks and pocket kings versus Q-J got him tons of endorsements.

The first pot I got involved with was a 4-way limped pot with 89. The flop came 4-5-6 with the 5 of diamonds. It was checked to the button who bet only $50 into the $200 pot and I called as did one other player. The turn was the 6 giving me a flush draw to go along with my gutshot. Again we checked to the button guy who bet only 100 into the 500 pot. We both called. The river was the Q and we both checked again to the button who bet a staggering 200 into the now 800 pot. I thought about raising, but couldn't come up with many hands that he could call for a raise, and there was the chance he had a full house or a higher flush. I called the 200 and he showed K-8 off. The other player said he had Q-7 for the open-ended draw.

I picked up a nice pot to get things going and had about 4,750 in chips.

A guy came in late and his spot had just paid the BB. The dealer insists that he cannot play "in between". This didn't apply however, since he really had posted his BB already.

She tried to call the floor, but we couldn't find anyone and finally she agreed to let him play from the SB. Vivek came in the very next hand in the same situation. His spot had just posted the BB and now he was in the SB. This time the dealer would have no part of it. She insisted on calling the floor because he as well could not play "in between". We finally got it resolved, and the dealer said she had never seen someone come in late to a tournament into the SB as long as she has been dealing. Hard to believe, as this routinely happens in almost every tournament.

I played a 56 in a limped 4-way pot. The flop came A Q 4 with 2 diamonds. I had clubs, but bet anyway when its checked to me. I got one caller and I turned a nice card – an off-suit seven. The other player checked to me and I check behind to take the free card. The river card completed the diamond flush and I bet 275 when checked to and take down the pot moving up to 5,000 in chips.

I later had pocket 8s in a 4-way limped pot. The flop came 10 2 3 and everyone checked. The turn was another 3 and Vivek lead out. I suspected him of a steal so I called as did the other players. By then, this pot had grown nicely. The river is a 5 which made my hand a little better. Everyone checked to the button who bet 700. Vivek folded. I was pretty certain I could beat the button player but unsure of the UTG limper so I called. In hindsight, I should have raised at this point in case the UTG limper had a weak 10. The limper calls as well and shows A-10 and I drop back to 4,000 again. The button better had 5-8 and could only beat busted hands. He could have taken a free showdown since he was last to act but bet his weak holding in a situation where one of the three remaining players will surely call, and will always beat his holding.

Another hand – Vivek raised 250 and I reraised from the SB with pocket aces. Vivek called and an ace flops. I bet right out in case Vivek had a real hand, but he folded immediately.

Again I was at my starting 4k chip stack. Now we moved to 50-100. An UTG limper let me see a free flop from the BB. I flopped second pair on a jack-high board and check- called. The turn was a jack as well making it less likely that he had the jack. I check-called another small bet. He hit gin on the river with a 10 and bet again and showed the nut full house. I was down to 3,000 again.

My BB always got a free look at this table full of limpers. I saw another flop with K-6 with the 6 of hearts. The flop was K-4-5 with 2 hearts. The turn was an 8 giving me straight and flush draws. The river was another 8 and I end up with 2 pair which loses to a 23 flush. That hand dropped me to 2,000.

At this level every hand you play costs about 1,000 of your 4,000 starting stack.

I re-raised a 4way limped pot in position with AK and picked up 350 chips. Then I raised with 9-9 and got 2 callers and bet into a scary 789 with 2 suits flop and got no callers and chipped back up to 3,200.

Vivek raised again and I picked up aces again and re-raised. The flop came 9 4 2 with 2 clubs. He check-raised me all in with the KQ. I was about a 2-1 favorite on the flop and a 4-1 favorite when the turn was an off-suit jack, but the river was the J and Vivek took the nearly 7,000 pot. We were both nearly all in on this hand, so whoever won this pot would be the dominant stack at this fairly passive table.

By now, Vivek is probably the chipleader although I haven't had the chance to check it as I'm in the mixed tourney.