Thursday Afternoon At The Power Plant

Sometimes, you just need to look for some of the less traditional benefits associated with your job. Like when you work predominantly in MIS and both the analytics server and the database crash and will take the remainder of the day to be restored. It's even better when there's an afternoon Riverchasers game in Limerick on that day's schedule. Score!

First two levels, I paid my blinds and folded. It was just that bad. Then at level 3 (3/6), I call the half bet out of the SB with AQo after a few other limpers and the BB checked his option. I checked dark (as usual in the blinds), and saw A52 rainbow. Unfortunately, it checked around, but the turn was another A. Someone would probably now lead out, so I check raised a bet and a call. That lost the bettor, but the caller stuck around. I bet 1/2 the pot on a river K and, after about 2 minutes, my opponent mucked. He said he wasn't sure if I had an A, but he was probably beat.

I gave some of that back chasing down an OESD in a massive multiway pot that would have been a huge help. In fact, one of the players still in (who couldn't keep her mouth shut after the hand about what she had) said that she was open ended and an eight would have given her a straight. Fawk, she was drawing to the idiot end and I would've stacked her. From there, I kept looking for the spot that just wouldn't come. Then I have 145 left and am in the BB at 15/30. A few limpers, including some large stacks who will call raises with ATC, and I find AKo. All right, let me see if I can hit the flop before I shove. Flop comes AQx with two hearts. All in I am. UTG calls with KQ, no hearts (?) and other players fold. AK holds up and I double plus.

Table breaks. New table same cards. Blinds up. 25/50, then 50/100. I'm in the BB with half my stack posted, it folds to the SB who puts me all in. T6o. I call. He has K9o, so I'm live. 10 on the flop and I double. Very next hand, it folds to my SB and I find AKo again. No waiting this time, heads up. I push pre-flop and get called by KT. RPT donkeys. Suddenly, I have a medium sized stack (largest at my 5 man table) and the other table loses two so we go to the final table of 8.

First hand, I'm SB with A♣2♣. One limper then an all in for exactly the BB. I complete and BB checks. We check it down, and the turned A chops the pot between me and the limper (A5). Finally, we get down to 5 handed and the blinds are 200/400. This means that there are only about 20-22 BB total in play. RPT final tables are purely a lottery. It takes some skill to get there but, after that, it's completely up for grabs. I start that level UTG with 22. Yuck. Don't like it, but 800 all in. Called by KJ for most of his stack and 43 from the chip leader with huge odds. Board ends up ATT37. IGH 5th. Tournament ends about 4 or 5 hands later.

I know there is a first place at Limerick, I just keep falling just short. Oh well. The year is still starting well in live play (even if it is free) with 2 final tables in 2 starts, including one heads up chop. Personally, I think that consistently navigating a freeroll field is, in some ways, more difficult than playing a game with a buy in. Up to a certain level of player of course.

Brutal beat of the game:

Pre-Flop: Player 1 raises, Player 2 reraises, Player 2 calls.
Flop: AQJ rainbow. Player 1 bets, Player 2 calls.
Turn: J. Player 1 bets, Player 2 raises, Player 1 reraises all-in, Player 2 calls.
Player 1: AJ, Player 2: QQ
River: A