Tournament #6 LAPC Event 28
Sorry for not posting sooner all, there was a glitch in the wisehand software which is now fixed, plus I have been under the weather lately. BUT I am BACK....
After spending ten days in the hospital with a very bad case of celluitis, due to a ruptured blood clot in my lower right leg and 5 days in bed at home taking IV antibiotics 2 times a day, I went against Doctors orders and let 6 of my friends talk me into playing the $335.00 NL event at the LAPC.
I arrived at Commerce at 11:30am, because I had a feeling there was going to be a field of around 800 players. It was raining hard and although it was Presidents Day and the tourney started at 1:00pm I did not want to stand in any lines. My leg throbs when I stand for awhile.
I registered rather quickly and went up to the ballroom and it was already buzzing with people. I laid down on a couch by the elevators and elevated my leg until my good friend Paul "The Machine" Valencia showed up. Then Big Josh, John Mcneely, John Yuson and a few other guys from the Exterminators Poker Crew that I used to play with arrived.
The line was just as long as the very first event which had over 1600 players and I began to think to myself, why in the world am I here. I was tired and weak, but I was out of the house with the guys and it was good to see them.
The tournament started a few minutes after 1:00 pm and the line was all the way around the outside of the room. There were already 950 people entered and Matt savage was going to allow the players to wait and get in as alternates up until level 4. With 40 minute levels and only a 3000 chip starting stack,the elimination's were fast as players were trying to build their stacks early.
In the first event I let the huge crowds intimidate me. I played differently worrying about how many players there were and instead of focusing I lost concentration and played bad and for awhile. When I finally got it under control and built a decent stack my AA was cracked.
I was at table 41 seat 4 and to my right was Fabrice Soulier, the Full Tilt sponsored pro from France. I knew who he was and he was very aggressive. I played rather tight the first level and half way into the second level I was down to 880 chips after my Ace high heart flush I flopped, lost to a full house when runner runner threes came to give my opponent his full house after flopping a set of fives.
I stayed focused and did not let the noise in the ballroom or the two beats I took to get me down.It worked because by the middle of level 4 i was up to 25,000 chips 3 times the chip average and I was taking Fabrice's chips often. My reading ability was right on and I was focused and surprisingly energetic.
One hand that almost tilted me came when the blinds were 300-600. I raised under the gun to 1800 chips with A-10 of hearts.The small blind called as did Fabrice in the BB.
The flop was Q-7-J. I checked the SB checked as did Fabrice. The turn was a K...no flush draw at all. I checked, after all I had the Ace high straight and I wanted to see how the other two played this hand. The SB bet out 2500 chips and Fabrice immediately put half of his stack in, roughly 8,000. I had him covered by 11,000 chips, so I went all in!
The SB folded, Fabrice banged the table and said,"I have to call you" He turns over QQ for a flopped set and he was trying to trap me so bad because I had been a thorn in his side all day. He had told me earlier he was going to get me sooner or later and I know it was just poker frustration on his part talking, because he is actually a nice guy.
When I turned over my straight he was disgusted. I was surprised to see his QQ also. The turn was a 3 and of course the river was a 7 to fill him up.
I had him and would have had close to 40,000 chips if i won the hand. I still had 11,000 and it was above average so i took a few deep breaths after shipping my stacks to him.
The next hand I was in the BB with 6-5 of diamonds and 4 raises to 1800 in front of me.I had 600 in the pot already and with close to 8,000 chips out there I tossed in 1200 more.
The flop was 4d-7d-Qh....I had a straight flush draw and a flush draw and a straight draw. One player bet 3600 chips and was called by a short stack and of course I called the 3600. I thought about pushing here, but decided against it. The turn was the 8d...giving me the straight flush...My opponent went all in and of course I called and he had Qd-Jh, the all in guy had KQs and I was right back up to 27,000 chips.
I continued playing good and our table was finally broken six or seven hours into the tournament.A total of 1362 players got into this event and around 100-150 were turned away.
Just after the dinner break I had 99 and the pot was raised to 3600 chips. I was close to 60,000 at this point so I called. The blinds were 600-1200 with an ante. I was new to this table. The raiser had a pretty good stack and the guy to my right had told me this player was very very aggressive over betting pots in position.
The flop 2-9-2...beautiful....he bet 6000 and I raised him another 6000 he just called. The turn another 9....he went all in and I called...he tables AA and when I turned up my 99 he just walked away without saying a word.
I was moved to another table and took my stack of 118,000 with me.I was hurting but I was amazingly focused and my concentration was paying off. At this new table I immediately get JJ out of position and I raise to 3600. Theres a raise after me to 8500 and the BB goes all in for 15k. I fold my JJ and the two players show there hands. the second raiser had 10-10 and the BB had Ak and a king hit the flop.He doubles up and the 10-10 is still in with around 8 or 9000 chips left.
I told the BB what I laid down and he did not believe me.However the player to my right saw my cards as I folded them and he verified what I had said.
About a half hour later I pick up JJ again and raised to 500 as the blinds were now 800-1600 The player who raised me went all in for his last 10k and the other guy goes all in for 19k as he lost some chips and was playing recklessly. I thought for a moment and I called. First player show KQ off and the other player has AK again and I table JJ.
The flop had an Ace and the BB guy started pumping his fist until the turn ....another jack and I bust them both and I am now sitting at 156,000.
The table was broken and I moved to my last table of the evening. We were getting close to the bubble of 99 players and we were at about 131 close to midnight.
Average chips were around 90,000 at this point and I went card dead but picked up a few blinds here and there to stay around 156k as we were winding down for the evening.
It was almost 2:30am and we were going to end play in about two minutes. I have 88 in the BB and the blinds were 2000-4000. I raised to 12000 against the limper and he called.
The flop was 8-9-3 and he went all in for his last 12k. I called and showed my set of 8's he tabled J10 clubs and hit a 7 on the turn for a straight and as we counted our chips up to bag for the evening I had 131,000 and average was 99,000. I was 9th in chips as we went home to return Tuesday at 4pm to finish, 41 players made it to the second day and it was a very long drive home for me as I was exhausted. I was not use to staying up so late and my leg was throbbing, but the excitement of making day 2 helped ease the pain a bit.
I arrived back to Commerce around 3:30 pm on Tuesday and the ballroom was filled with players again. I have never seen so many people at Commerce for a tournament series and Matt Savage and his tournament staff were doing an EXCELLENT job with every aspect.
A few of the fellas came to sweat me and the day started off really good for me. I had Q-10 of diamonds in the BB and was raised by the SB with two limpers in the pot to 18,000 chips. There was 38,000 in the pot and 12k more for me to call, so I did. The flop was 3-10-2 rainbow and it checked to the small blind who bet 20k. I thought for a moment and almost pushed, but I had not played with this guy and he could of easily had an over pair so Ijust called, because he had me covered. The turn was another 10 and he went all in...I looked at him and thought for a moment and No way do I believe he has a 10 so I call and he tables 99 and I double up to 280,000 right away.
I play very solid and we are down to 14 players when I get Ad-Qh on the button and the blinds just went to 10,000-20,000. I raise to 60k and the SB calls. The flop is 10d-Qd-10h. I bet 80k and the Sb calls me. The turn is 3d and this is where I make my mistake.I bet only 80k again and the SB calls. Now I know he does not have a 10 or a flush because he is going to raise me.I knew he did not have a 10 on the flop either or he would of raised me at this point in the tourney.My gut said to go all in but I knew i had him and he was bluffing and he only had 85k more. I am suprised he did not shove it on the turn.
The river was a
Js and I put him all in and he called turning over 8-9clubs to hit a gut shot on the river. How sick was that. Clubs no draw on the flop or turn. He apoligzes to me saying he was trying to mix his game up and did not think i was that strong. I am crippled doen to 110k and if I win that pot I have over 500k to put me chip leader.
I finally get all my money in with AS-7 diamonds with 12 players left and get called bt KQ and a Q comes on turn to bust me.
I collect 3646.00 tax free dollars for my effort but first place was 93,000 plus a 10k seat to the main event.
I had a good run and was happy I made it through a huge field. I had the taste of a final table and possible win just infront of me so I am very pleased at the way I played and I am looking forward to the rest of the year.
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