Play a Tournament With Me – Part III

In the last issue, I left off as we went to the dinner break during the inaugural Professional Poker Tour event at Foxwoods Resort Casino. After dinner, we returned to play with $100-$200 blinds and a $25 ante. My chip count was $12,425, but with one-hour rounds, I didn't feel too pressured to play a hand. (My thoughts during the tournament appear in italics.)

I was in a tough spot if I wanted to steal blinds from the button position, because Huck Seed had the big blind when I had the button, and he was our table chip leader. A few hands into the round, Chip Reese busted Avery Cardoza and our vacant seat was filled by Steve Brecher.

I wanted to wait for a quality hand, but meanwhile, I kept catching ragged hands like 8-6 and 9-2. There was no such thing as a free flop; every hand was raised preflop, with the raiser usually taking the blinds and antes uncontested.

Three rounds after dinner, in middle position, I picked up A-10 suited and raised to $600. Can Kim Hua came over the top for $2,500 and I folded. My blinds were again raised, and I had to fold. In middle position, I limped in for $200 with K-10 suited and totally missed the flop, and folded to a bet.

My next round of blinds again weren't worth defending against raises. A few hands later, in middle position, I was thrilled to peer down at a pair of kings. Steve Brecher already had raised to $525 and I reraised to $1,500. He thought for a while, and then folded. (I wonder what would have happened had I just called preflop. Oh well, it's better to win a small pot than lose a big one.)

The blinds increased to $150-$300 with a $50 ante, and my chip stack was down to $10,575. There were about 80 of the original 134 entrants still in the tournament. Next, I got into a bit of trouble in my big blind. Ron Rose limped in from first position and I had a feeling he was limping with a big hand in order to reraise. The flop came 7-7-4 with two spades. Holding the J 2, I checked, Ron bet $1,000, and I check-raised to $3,000. Ron moved all in and I had to fold. (I sure played this one badly. I suspected that Ron had something like K-K or A-A and I should have just called the $1,000 bet to try to catch a spade, believing that I would win a nice pot if it came. Instead, I reopened the betting with my check-raise on a draw, and allowed myself to be bet out of the pot.)

A few hands later, in middle position, I raised to $800 with 10-8 suited and got called by one of the blinds. The flop came A-K-Q. It was checked to me and I debated taking a free card, but instead opted to bet $1,800. The blind thought for quite a while, then folded. (I didn't have the best hand, so I'm glad I bet.)

Chip Reese soon busted out, followed by Steve Brecher's elimination two hands later. Padraig Parkinson came to the table. (Oh well, I guess there will be no weak opponents today.)

I was having a great time watching the action and observed an interesting hand in which Doyle Brunson raised all in except for $100. When asked why he didn't put all the money in, he answered, "If I went all in, they would have waved the all-in flag and the cameramen would have come running to film it; if I held back a chip, they wouldn't automatically get called to the table." (That makes sense to me; I'll remember that for later.)

In the big blind, I looked down to find a pair of fours. It was raised to $600, and there were two callers. I called, hoping to flop a set, but folded when the board came A-J-9. (This would have been a great opportunity to win some chips, if only a 4 had flopped!)

A few hands later, Doyle invoked what he called the "old-age rule." He joked that this rule allowed the old folks to stand up and stretch at the table anytime they wanted.

The blinds went up to $200-$400 with a $50 ante. (It's going to cost me $1,050 a round, and I have only about $5,225. Now, I am very short-chipped and will have to try to find a hand to move in with.) I went through two complete orbits without seeing a pair or even an ace-high hand, and was down to $3,200. (I feel like I am playing too tightly, but I can't find anything worthy of a steal-raise. Now that I am so short-chipped, I will probably get called, as many players at my table have $20,000 or more.)

At about this time, Padraig Parkinson went broke and was replaced by Mickey Appleman. In the cutoff seat, I found an A-8 offsuit and moved all in for $3,200. Steve Zolotow reraised from the small blind and Doyle folded A-2 in the big blind. Steve turned over A-J suited, and I was eliminated in 67th place when his kicker played.

I was sad to go out, since I had been totally enjoying the tournament. Oh well, there is always the next time. Congratulations to Foxwoods for giving the players a great experience, and to the World Poker Tour for hosting the Professional Poker Tour. I can't wait to play in the next event and watch it on television.

Now, let's play poker!

Linda is available to host poker events and tournaments. She can be contacted at www.cardplayercruises.com. Reader feedback to her is always appreciated.