Bah Trumbug

Last night I decided to try out a new (for me) riverchasers venue, the Trum Tavern. It was made known at the TOC on Saturday that at least a half dozen players that finished in the final 40 play regularly there, including the winner. Sounded like a good game to me and, as it turned out, I wasn't disappointed with the play there. I rolled in less than 5 minutes before starting time and was pleasantly surprised to find that the TD there is the infamously plunderrifical Perticelli.

I found a seat at the only non-full table and happily received the button for the first hand. Not that it mattered. I was in full fold mode for the entire first orbit, trying to get a read on the rest of the table. It seemed to be (for the most part) a no nonsense, straight forward bunch who would bet for value but didn't really want to chase when behind. I played my first hand of the night on my second button, a small suited ace. It was literally the first remotely playable holding I had seen, and since everyone else folded, I elected to see a cheap flop in position. However, after the SB completed, the BB raised 3x and we both came along for a pretty small percentage of our stacks. Although an ace came on the flop, there were none of my suit and the BB fired right out making it an easy lay down for me. My read was spot on when he showed the JackAce while collecting the small pot.

A few hands later, I picked up AQo in MP and raised one limper 4x BB. Cutoff called and everyone else folded. Flop came with an ace, I 1/2 pot bet the flop, checked the turn, and 1/2 pot bet the river and was paid off by ATo. Then, when the blinds hit me again, I found AQs in the BB and decided to disguise the strength of my hand and check my option. Flop was Qxx with two clubs and I opted for the check raise after a min bet and a few callers. I lost all but one player who called another bet on the turn but folded on the river. And that's where everything dries up. For a while.

Finally, toward the end of level 4, our table is broken and I am moved to the immediate right of the TOC winner (same guy whose KK I cracked with TT when I flopped quads). Since it's a new table, I try to get a read on what's going on as quickly as possible. Most of the table seems pretty loose/passive pre-flop but will fold on the flop if they don't hit. They also don't seem to like making or calling raises. In the first hand I play at the new table, I decide to gamble a little and complete my SB with 62s after three limpers. The BB is kind enough to check and I decide to get a little trappy on the A22 flop. Alas, no takers. No one came in with an ace? A 7 turns and I bet a little over 1/2 the pot, but I guess this was too much as everyone scampered. Oh well. It was still a 20% increase in my stack.

I go back into fold mode as we reach level 6 (15/30) and I am sitting on 190 chips after having just paid my blinds. Everyone folds to me on the button and I find 88. For some reason, I just call in position planning to push an innocent looking flop. SB completes but the BB makes it 90 to go. Now, this guy had been betting a lot heavier than 3x BB with his strong hands so the raise felt a little stealish. However, he had plenty of chips so I really didn't have any fold equity. I decide to go with my gut and shove with what I think is the best hand and am called for 100 more by Q♣T♣. I was happy to hear that the SB thoughtfully threw away A♣7♣ to the raise and reraise so I realistically just needed to fade the 6 outs. An 8 on the flop ended that race immediately and I doubled plus a little. I chipped up a little more with some pre-flop aggression to pick up a set of blinds and then sniffed out a bluff by an ace high when I was holding second pair.

Level 8 (50/100) commences and I am in the BB. One shorty limps for 1/3 of her stack and I immediately put her on a bad ace. Everyone folds and I look down at AT and decide to see a flop before committing more chips. AJ7 rainbow. I check to try to induce the bluff but it doesn't come, so when a 6 turns, I just put her all in for another 175 and she calls with A5o. Even though she said she just wanted to go home, one of the three remaining fives falls on the river and instead of having T900 in my stack, I'm down to a piddly T350. And now in the SB. The table folds to me and I shove my QJ0 for 3.5x BB and, after a minute or so of thought, take down the pot. The very next hand the table folds again and I shove for 4.5x BB with AQo. The SB again reflects on the situation and comes to the same conclusion. BB folds instantly and I recovered what I'd lost 2 hands prior. Then, a few hands later, I pick up another uncontested pot with a 3x BB raise with AKs.

Then in the BB again for 100, the SB completes and I check 44 for a blind vs blind battle. Flop comes a very favorable 933 and I put the SB all in for 200 after his check. Unfortunately, he actually had J9o and I doubled him, leaving me around T600 as the table breaks and we go to the final 16 players.

The new table is quite a bit more aggressive with very few flops seen. I have to fold my first set of blinds and they come around again fast at level 9 (75/150). I pick up QQ UTG and, although I only have 3 BB left, no one has anything worthy of calling my all in. Too bad I wasn't in LP on that one. I could've either happily called a raise from up front or my raise might have looked like a desparate steal attempt. Finally, level 10 starts (100/200) and, after paying my blinds, am down to T450. 92o on the button goes into the muck, but A4o in the cutoff looks good enough to try to get through three more players. Unfortunately, SB has AQ and, even though a 4 comes in the door, there is also a Q through the window. Ace on the turn just rubs it in and IGH 13th out of around 56 runners.

That 550 chip swing was just huge in derailing my effort to accumulate enough chips to make a good deep run at the final table. As everyone knows, even when you are playing really well, and a player does something stupid, just like you wanted, sometimes they get rewarded. And it really hurts your chances.

Losing half your stack to a rivered 3 outer? You better believe that's a paddlin.