Freeroll = Pay Off the Rock

Used my one night out for the week to play the Riverchasers event in Horsham. Cards were in the air at 7 PM with 6 full tables of 8. I'll do my best to recall chip stacks and blind levels from memory, so everything might not be exactly right.

Initial table was ridiculously loose and aggressive. Conveniently, I was also completely card dead. Not a good combination. Of course, every monster was getting paid off as these folks typically see a bluff behind every bet. I was able to find a couple of spots during the first 3 levels to pick up some small pots, but really only enough to barely survive.

Fast forward to level 4 ($10/$20, $100 starting stack) and I'm in the BB with a total of $50. Everyone folds around to UTG who is only slightly better than an ATC'er. His raise to 80 pushes out the button and SB, so now I have $30 in front of me and looking at an $80 pot. I look down and find K9o, and figure there's a much better than average chance that I'm either ahead or totally live. I call and he flips AQo, but the flop comes with a king and I double up plus a little.

Very next hand, everyone folds around to my SB and I find A4d. One all-in later followed by a fold (he showed J7o) and I'm up to $130. Blinds then go to $20/$40 and I find nothing until I'm BB again. Fold around to the SB who completes and I check my J8o. Flop comes 8-7-4 rainbow and when the SB checks I push and he lays down his gutshot. Whew, thankfully it wasn't the typical riverchaser.

Again, no cards or spots can be found until I'm in the BB again. Fold around, SB completes, and I check my 64o. Flop is 8-7-5 for a made straight. Check-check and the turn pairs the 7. SB checks again and I bet out $60. After some thought, I get a call and a river 3. SB checks again, so I push my final $80 or so and he folds the T6o face up. I show the straight to reinforce the image in case I need to push with air later.

A little later, blinds go to $30/$60 and I find AKo UTG. I raise 2.5x BB and everyone folds to the BB who reraises for $30 more. I call, he flips A3 and I'm up to around $470 as we start the final table.

I get the first BB at $50/$100 (and a $500 stack with the chip up) and everyone folds to my 92o. Sweet! At this point, we're pretty much into push and pray mode as there are only about 50 BB on the entire table. Needless to say, I'm not calling off the rest of my chips with the garbage I was dealt, so I sat at $500 until I got the first BB at the new level ($100/$200).

MP pushes all in for $600 and everyone folds. So there is $800 in the pot, I have $300 left and look down at K6o. Have to call; don't want to, but have to. Raiser flips KTo (ouch) and I don't improve and IGH 7th.

Needless to say, I think I did just about as well as I could have given the nature of the players who were there and the cards I was getting. I think I saw AK just that one time, and nary a pocket pair above 7's. It's almost impossible to try to steal with air, when there are 2 or 3 players who will call almost any raise early on, and then I don't have enough chips to make moves when play tightens up a bit. I know, wah for me.