HUC2: Round of 8: Rock-like & Predictable

My opponent in the Round of 8 for the Heads-Up Challenge was the inimitable SirFWALGMan. Trite as it sounds, I was expecting the unexpected from SirF in our heads-up matches. I figured him to be a little wild - his betting patterns would tell me next to nothing. I didn't figure on following the same gameplan as I had against Aussie Dave. For Dave, I wanted to grind out an early chip lead, and use that pressure to choke him, chip by chip. SirF would be nothing like that. We'll see few jabs here; we're playing for uppercuts.

We played the first two matches on Thursday. I took the first. The major hand was a big one. Sir raised from the button, I reraised with pocket kings. The flop was J-J-2, rainbow. Sir called all-in after I raised him, holding pocket 7's.

He had the chiplead at that point, so he was crippled, but not out. The finishing blow came when I made a decision to take free cards. Q6-diamonds on the button, and the flop came T-T-7, two diamonds. Sir checked the flop to me, I checked behind. The turn was no help, and I checked behind Sir again. The river showed me my diamond flush, and Sir checkraised me. I put him all-in, and he had flopped trips with KTo, but didn't have the boat.

The second match was longer, with plenty of back and forth.

This time, my first big pocket pair was queens, and Sir flopped two pair with A5o and took about half my chips.

Momentum was all mine after that, and I regained the chiplead. I had a chance to bust Sir, but my A9-spades went unimproved against his pocket 2's.

Sir had a chance to bust me when he flopped top pair, and I flopped middle pair. All the money went in, then I hit trips on the turn.

I had another chance to bust Sir, my J9-hearts was dominated by his A9-off. Momentum and chips swung his way right after, and I foolishly called an all-in with QJo preflop, to see his AK-hearts. My river draw to the straight was no good. It's all tied, and Sir is playing the better poker.

In the deciding match...

In the pregame chat tonight, SirF mentioned that, "The only way you're going to win is if you suckout." I thought, "The only way I'm gonna win is if I trap you with a big hand." It turns out we were both right.

SirF flopped a straight within the first ten hands. I flopped top pair, and he ended up with about 900 of my starting 1500 in chips. There's the first uppercut, right on my chin.

The next two dozen hands were absolutely no fun at all. He had a 4:1 lead on me, and bet/raised EVERYTHING. I treaded water for a little while, and then I settled on my weapon of choice - the checkraise. One of the times Sir attempted to put the game away, the river saved me. His pregame trashtalk was prophetic.

Things were a little different after I got over the 1K hump. Sir eased off his chokehold on me. I had a little wiggle room.

I called a moderate bet on the river with J-high. And won. Sir called a moderate river bet of mine with king-high. And lost to my trips. (He's a tough man to bluff on the river.)

A nice rush of cards propelled me to a 1600/1400 advantage.

And then it happened. I landed my uppercut.

Holding 86-diamonds, I flopped the nut straight: 7-5-4, with two hearts. I bet the pot, SirF called. The turn was the 3h. If Sir was chasing the flush, he's just caught it. I've got my big hand, and if I'm beaten by a better one, so be it. I checked to him. He bet out 2/3 the pot, which I figured would probably pot-commit him. I set him all-in, and he called with 62-off, one heart. He had a worse straight, but a river heart would double him up. No love for Sir on the river, and it was over.

I am looking forward to the Round of 4. At the same time I must congratulate SirF. He is insanely difficult to play against, and I'm not going to argue with anybody that says he outplayed me for our 3 matches.