Event #9 ($530 PL hold'em) Recap

What's going on here? I thought you were playing donkey or mule or some kind of animal nonsense today? I was surprised to see that in addition to the HORSE event the $530 pot limit event was also being played at 1:30 today. So I spent the day playing two WCOOP events.

The way pot limit hold'em works is at anytime you can bet an amount between the amount of the big blind and how ever much is in the pot. So if the blinds are 25/50 and there is 500 in the pot you could bet anywhere from 50 to 500. Easy right? It gets a little more tricky when someone bets in front of you. When you're trying to figure out how much is in the pot you count: how much was in the pot before the bet, the bet itself and the amount you call before you raise. For example lets say there is 200 in the pot, someone bets 100, and you're next. You can make it up to a total of 500 (you call 100 and then raise 400).

Pot limit is very similar to no limit. If you bet the pot on every round or raise the pot back and forth once or twice all the money can easily go in on one hand (or one betting round). Traditionally I've done very well in pot limit events and in fact both of my WSOP cashes came in pot limit.

Almost nothing happened during the first few levels. Then while I was making tens full in the HORSE event I picked up AK in the small blind with blinds at 50/100. The button raised to 300 and I made it 1000 to go. After some long thought he moved in for 1955 total and I called. He showed me AQ and after turning a K, I was up to 5700.

After my turbulent stud round in the HORSE I decided I needed some milk and cookies. On the break I fueled up and got back to business.

With the blinds at 75/150 I found myself in the big blind with KQ of diamonds. A player in late position raised to the max to 525. I decided to call and see a flop which came down K 5 2. Just what the doctor ordered. My opponent only had about 1,500 left and I was about 90% sure that he'd bet if I checked. Just like clock work, I checked and he bet the pot. I raised him all in for his last 300 or so chips and he called with AQ. The turn was a very nice looking K and I won the pot.

A few hands later I picked up 99 on the button and raised to 525. I got called by holla@yoboy in the small blind and the flop came down 8 3 2. Just about the best flop not containing a 9 that I could think of. Holla checked and I bet 750. I was surprised to see him call and not happy to see a K show up on the turn. He checked, and I checked behind him. The river was another 8, we both checked and he showed me A3. I think his boys should holla at him a tell him not to call raises with A3 or 3/4 pot sized bets with a pair of 3's. After chopping out a few more small pots I found myself with 10,400 chips.

I picked up more chips a few hands later after calling an early position raiser with 10 10. Another player had actually called in between us, and I was a little nervous when I saw the flop come down 8 5 3. Clearly this was a great flop, but if I was up against a bigger pair, I could get stuck and lose a lot of chips. My opponent bet 750, the other player folded and I raised to 2250. After some thought he folded and I was up to 12,000 chips in 50th place out of the remaining 400.

Later with the blinds at 100/200 a player raised to 600 in front of me. I reraised to 1800 with KK. They immediately moved all in for about 3500 and I was hoping to see a smaller pair. Instead I was up against AQ. The board came with not one, but two aces. But, on the very next hand I got dealt QQ and managed to recoup about half of the chips I lost.

On the same level I found myself in a tight spot. I called a 600 chip raise with AQ of diamonds and the flop came down 10 J Q with 2 spades. Normally flopping top pair with top kicker is pretty strong, but in this case there wasn't much I could beat. If he had any pair 10 10 or higher or AK I was totally dominated. I sort of ignored this fact, called a 900 chip bet and hoped to pair my Q or make a straight with a K. On the turn when my opponent bet 2200 I briefly considered moving all in, but I did the smart thing and folded. Unfortunately I was now under average for the first time in a long time with about 8,000 chips.

With 220 players left, I had 7000 chips and the button who only had about 2500 chips raised to 1400. With AK in the big blind I put him all in and he showed me 86. The flop was 4 4 2 the turn was a 10 and the river was...an 8. SHIT! This hand really took the wind out of my sails and I could feel another just short of the money finish coming for me. On the very next hand I raised to 1400 with 77 and got called by two players. After the flop came with an ace I was forced to check and fold. Now I was down to 3,000. Shortly after I went all in with AJ v AK and lost finishing in 198th place, 48 spots short of the money.

I feel like I played very well in this tournament and that's supposed to be all that matters. Unfortunately I don't feel the least bit good about it. I'm really sick of losing hands like KK to AQ and AK to 86 in key situations. 150th place paid $876 and if I could have just avoided getting screwed I could have made it easily.