Good day, part 2: Adapt & Conquer

After my Happiest Phone Call Ever, they got the computers fixed and I was able to take off for the PCS tournament. Into southern California's rush hour. But I took some surface streets to avoid the 5/605 intersection.. the scenic route. Whaddaya know, a pleasant drive during rush hour.

After a nice hour power nap, I was at the outside table due my late rsvp, with the two Rays, Jorge, Dave Armen, and that sneaky guy Moss. Kida had rsvp'ed, and was supposed to be at the outside table, but he never showed. Wimp. By the end of the rebuy phase, I had doubled my $25 stack to $51 (plus the extra $25 from the add-on made $76), though I did play my pocket kings weakly after the flop came with an ace. Wimp.

We consolidated to two tables after a few knockouts, and I drew the seat directly on John's left. John is a strong, aggressive, smart player and I wasn't sure if I like this or not.

One of the first hands that put me at ease was when I was in the big blind with K9 offsuit, and the blinds at $1/$2. A few limpers, and John calls in the small blind. The flop came out 973 with two spades, and John bet $8 at a $10 pot. I raised him to $20 total (strong like ox on the flop!!). Everybody got out of the way, and the talking started. Stream of consciousness from John about what I could be up to. I winked at Eddie and said "Hey, I'm the big blind, I could have any two cards."

John decided to reraise me, bumping it to $60. After his monologue, I figured two scenarios. Either he had a nine with a decent kicker, or he had a set and his talk was a ruse to get me to commit all of my chips with top pair, good kicker. I had a hunch his talk was honest (and really a huge tell as to his hand), so I went all-in. John was priced into a call, and doubled me up when his T9 didn't improve. John later admitted that he pushed because he knew I was tweeking my game to get more aggressive, and thought I might be making a play on him. I think my comment to Eddie may have tipped the scales that way, too.

With this cushion and with my newfound emphasis on aggression in the middle part of the tournament, I decided to make a few more plays.

With the blinds at $3/$6, I decided to get aggressive with A9 offsuit on the button. That meant I was raising Fast Eddie's big blind, and we both had medium-large stacks. The flop missed me, 8-high. Eddie checked and then called my flop bet. And then again on my turn bet (a J). It was a huge relief to see an ace on the river - I bet and Eddie folded (probably KQ, based on his comments after the hand), and I raked a huge pot. The shortstacks made a few jealous comments about the size of the pot - I stacked more chips from that hand than many of them had in total.

Let's forget for a second that I probably had Eddie beat the whole way. I was pleased that I played strongly enough that he was unwilling to try and bet me off the hand. In weeks past, I would not have been so bold betting after the flop with just ace-high-bad-kicker. (And I know I was insanely lucky to be up against only KQ.) Eddie's crafty and unpredictably aggressive - he can bet, raise, or checkraise without having any hand at all. But he didn't try it that time.

Basking in the warm glow of successful aggression, I discover my very next hand is a suited Hammer. The action is passed to me in the cutoff, and I raise it up to $18. The button folds, Eddie folds, and then Ray V, who's stack was on the small side, shows his cards to Eddie. Ray shows the rest of us 72 of hearts, and I flip over my 72 of spades and smile like the cat who just ate the canary. I am clearly on a roll and keeping everyone off-balance. I have just over $200 in chips, and life is good.

The next key hand was one where I avoided making a mistake. With the blinds at $4/$8, some pressure was starting to build on the shortstacks. John was under the gun, and limped in. This set off warning signals in my head. I looked at pocket 7's, and I thought Ok, I should probably fold this, but if I limp in, that might induce others not to raise John and I, and if I catch a set on the flop, I can carve a huge chunk out of John's chips, because I think he's got kings or aces. I call, and the action is passed to Jorge, who proved himself to be rather loose at the outside table, insanely so during the rebuy phase (called a raise with 93 suited, and got busted with a second-best full house). He raised to $30, and the action was back to John.

Cue the theatrics. John looked pained, and started talking, which he oftens does when faced with a difficult decision. I wasn't buying it for a minute. He ended up saying something about "well, I guess I have to make a stand sometime", and pushed all-in, which wasn't a huge reraise. I folded immediately. John's kings held up against Jorge's A2 of hearts, and Jorge was out.

With the blinds at $5/$10, the action was passed to me on the button, and I thought a blind-steal was in order. 64 offsuit? Sure!! I bumped it to $30, and Fast Eddie folded his small blind, but Ray V was having none of it, and reraised me, all-in. He didn't have much more than the $30 I had already invested, and John was harping at me that I should be calling even before I got a total on what it's going to cost. I knew I was pot committed, I just wanted some time to think about it.

I called about $24 more, and flipped my monster hand over. Ray had KJ offsuit, so I wasn't too much of a 'dog. The flop hit me with a six, but the turn gave Ray a jack and a double-up. I wasn't upset with this steal, or losing the hand. I was trying to get chips and attack the weaker stacks with my big stack. But I knew that my table image needed a little repair, so I vowed not to raise preflop the next time unless I had something big.

In the next orbit, with the blinds still at $5/$10, I found two black queens on the button. It was folded to me, so I raised to $30, thinking, Oh my. This is going to look like another steal, and I've got the goods this time. Act natural. Ray O folded his small blind, and Fast Eddie reraised me all-in. I called in a heartbeat, and there were a few ooh's and aah's because the table figured they were going to see two big stacks fight it out with two big hands. They were half right. Eddie flipped over 93 of hearts. He needed a heart on the river, but was denied and bounced out of the tourney short of the money.

I won a nice hand when I held KK in the small blind, though I was shocked to see both John call my raise on the button after limping in, and Derek call from the big blind. The flop was a gorgeous KQ2 rainbow, and I checked. I don't think John's foolish enough to bet at this without a strong hand, but Derek might be. Nope, checks all around. The turn was the 9 of clubs, putting two clubs on the board. My bet of $80 into a $96 pot meant business. Derek folded quickly, and I could tell John was tempted to call before he folded. I showed my set of kings, and John admitted he had AJ of clubs. Good strong bet by me to take the pot down right there. Another free card could've been disastrous.

I busted somebody else with A8-diamonds when I raised their big blind and they decided to make a stand with K6-hearts. Normally I hate ace-trash suited, but I was in good position and had the chips to bully people, so I did. It was really nice to be on the other end of the short-stack/bully relationship for a change.

Moss had a crushing beat put on him when his kings got snapped against John's J8 offsuit, on an 8-high flop. With two clubs on board, John thought Moss's overbet all-in reeked of AK, so he called, and hit a jack on the turn to cripple Moss. He was bounced out in 5th right after that, and then Ray V's short stack was eaten up, leaving me, Carlos and John. Three-handed play, with small blinds relative to the stacks. Let's play some poker!

I was feeling it. I was well into the money (top 5 paid), and had a healthy stack, even if I was the low man. I picked up some nice pots - sometimes top pair top kicker, sometimes king-high. I even reraised John preflop, all-in, with AK suited. He folded, and I could tell he was a bit disturbed that Carlos and I were playing so aggressively against him. I think this is what led to his big mistake.

Carlos limped in the small blind, and John checked his pocket queens. The flop was K74 rainbow, Carlos min-bet, and John called. The turn was a 2, and Carlos again min-bet and John called. The river was a 9, and Carlos went all-in, a huge overbet. John went into the tank, and eventually called to see the bad news: Carlos had two pair, kings and twos.

That crippled John, and we ended up knocking him out on the next hand when he went all-in blind with 53 suited.

Down to heads-up, Carlos was not having any discussion of a chop. The idea was broached by the spectators, who wanted the game to end so they could have more company at IHOP. Carlos wanted to play it out, and his 3:1 chip advantage had something to do with his insistence.

I just couldn't make up any ground. I would take small pots, then Carlos would check-raise me all-in when I was holding junk. The hand in particular that did me in was T6-clubs. The flop had one club, the turn was another, and I was betting the whole way, mostly because I was the preflop raiser. The river was an ace, but not the club I really wanted, so I bet $100 at a $240 pot. And Carlos check-raised me, all-in. With queen high. I had to fold, having only ten-high myself. He read me correctly, and acted boldly, crippling me.

I busted out shortly thereafter with Q4 suited against his T8 suited, all-in preflop. I had a pair of fours on the flop, but he had two overcards, a gutshot and a flush draw on the river, and the gutshot hit.

Along the way, I learned quite a bit about Carlos. He will not bluff by betting into you, but some of his checkraises are bluffs. His betting pattern when short-handed is very disconcerting, too. Lots of checks, checkraises, and all-ins. Perhaps next time, I'll try an all-in bluff or two to throw him off. If I beat him to the center with all of my chips, he can't call with queen-high, can he?

Was I happy with second place? You bet your ass I am. Good plan, good reads on players and situations, timely cards that didn't get sucked out on, and my best finish to date at what is the toughest group of amateurs I've ever played with.

These players regularly beat NL games online and at Commerce. John says he's +EV at $30 and $50 Party SNG's. Tim has finished in the money (25 out of 799) at the $330 buy-in event at Commerce where he played against some players with WSOP bracelets (and Kathy Liebert). Jesus, who hasn't finished in the money in a PCS event, has finished in the money at least twice in low buy-in events at Hawaiian Gardens casino.

And being in for $35 and out for $217 was nice too. That's the best tourney win of my fledging poker career.