More than a feeling (tl;dr)

[PokerJans]

Summary: I went to LA to play a 145+20+5 stud8 poker tournament. I ran very hot and won.

So I woke up around eleven and took the 45 minute drive up to The Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, CA. Easy drive from where I live in Irvine so that was nice. I arrived rather early and registration went smooth so I decided to lose some money playing that game that everyone watches everyone on TV.

We started with 1500 in tournament chips at the 25-50 level. The very first hand I am dealt A35 and improve to A3564x7 and scoop. Some standard things happen and after two levels I have around 4100 chips. Without boring everyone to death about how good I ran I will only tell you about two interesting hands.

At the 300-600 level I was down to about 3K and I brought it in with 35(3). Two folds and a rather aggressive guy completes, one total fish calls, and one moderately terrible guy calls. I decide to call 200 more. I caught a deuce and it went something like this…

Fish checks his high board _ fold
XX 8J checks _ call
(53) 32 I check _ I peel
XX 42 bets

XX 8JA _ checks _ folds
(53) 324 _ bets _ calls
XX 42Q _ Raises

I brick and he catches a 9 – I call

I make 5s up on the river. @#$@#$daaaaahhh

So what does his hand look like? I thought he either had something huge or nothing. I hated calling on the river so based on the flow of the game and my read it was probably a bad call. I had hardly any chips left after all was said and done so that was also a factor. I called. He showed a pair of nines he made on the river.

Some more time goes by. I run good and pick up a lot of pots on the early streets. I win one nice hand where I have two small pair going into the river and I dodge two players who had low + flush draws. Lol, there wasn’t any action on 5th or 6th but two bets went in on 3rd and one on 4th for three ways so it was a nice pot.

41 players started and as the final table started I won a huge pot when I made Aces up and a 7 low against Ks up. I then busted a guy with 777 versus Q4Q. I made it to HU with about 35K against an aggressive guy who definitely understands some aspects of stud8 but still makes a lot of mistakes.

As soon as we got into the money everyone started playing like they had a plane to catch. Hmmm you played for 5 hours and you can’t grind another hour to try and win 2475 for 1st compared to 300 for 5th? Oh well, more money in my pocket. Good hand from HU…

We had both been rather aggressive on 3rd and specifically this guy had been completing the BI a lot and only walked on my BI once. I had also limp re-raised him twice now in about 15 hands.

84 – 2
XX – Q

I limp re-raise

84 – 2J (three hearts)
XX – QA

Ahhh, this guy definitely doesn’t have to have anything to bet and I have less than anything. He also has a huge tell where he would say “I’ll bet” when he had a good hand. He didn’t do that this time. So whatever I made a loose peel. STFU you

84 – 2J3 four hearts, ding!
XX – QA9

He bets again and I call. Okie dookie

I brick he caught a 6 and I called again. He looks and bets again. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE – Time to squeeze…PAINT *@#&@ no low, buts its red…Q hearts I made a FLUSH YAH!

I raise and he pays off with Qs and 6s. Based on his 3rd street play I think he also caught a Queen on the river. He was very aggressive and I think he would have raised me again on 3rd if he had split queens. The very next hand I am dealt 532, we put in some bet and he gets it all in on 5th with nothing. I made a pair of threes to win $2475 as we made a $200 save for the 6th place finisher. I got a trophy + ugly final table shirt also. At no point in time did they need to see my ID or tournament receipt, weird.

I ran hot, got lucky at the right times, and beat 41 people who really didn’t know how to play stud eight or better. Isn’t that how almost all tournaments end up though? lol donkaments

Here is the PokerPages link. My name is not Jans. I think they will put my picture up soon also.

Edit: http://www.pokerpages.com/tournament/result18391.htm

Oh yeah, I tipped 125 and the TD seemed shocked. I thought that was around appriopriate? Way too much? Maybe 75?

[Joe Tall]

You are so lucky I didn't wake up in time... [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] You tip sounds fine, they are not used to getting tips at the Bike!

Seriously, Congrats!